Probably the biggest surprise cuts were DT Colin "Not the sh*tty actor" Ferrell and Brannon Condren. Condren was the one that shocked me the most. He had an excellent training camp, and really looked like he was developing into a good safety. But, it seems rookie free agent Jamie Silva beat him out, possibly because Silva has been so good on special teams.

As we expected (as far back as March), Kenton Keith was given his walking papers. He will likely find a team who needs him. Kenton can't catch, but he's still a very good runner.

The one I am upset over is Devin Aromashodu. He looked excellent in camp and preseason. He'll likely find a team needing a receiver (like, maybe, Jacksonville or Tennessee). Devin was a guy, like Condren, who worked to really improve in 2008, and it showed.

I have a feeling we'll see a player like Ferrell either re-signed or signed onto the practice squad. The Colts really liked him, especially Dungy. We could also see some known veterans possibly added. Onetime Colt Montae Reagor was cut today by the Eagles, and Chris Simms was shoved out the door in Tampa Bay. So, this roster might change by the end of the evening. The Colts kept 6 WRs and 5 TEs, with Gijon Robinson as a H-Back and Courtney Roby as a kick returner. They also kept only 4 DTs, with Big Ed Johnson as the only legit over tackle.

All in all, it's a loaded squad with lots of interchangeable parts. And if there was any doubt about the health of the QBs, that was answered today. Both Quinn Gray and Jared Lorenzen were cut, leaving the Colts with just two QBs.

UPDATE:

From Colts.com:

All nine players selected in the 2008 NFL Draft – guard Mike Pollak, linebacker Philip Wheeler, tight end Jacob Tamme, defensive end Marcus Howard, running back Mike Hart, wide receiver Pierre Garcon, guard Steve Justice and center/guard Jamey Richard – made the 53-man roster, as did four rookie free agents: defensive end Curtis Johnson, linebacker Jordan Senn, safety Jamie Silva and defensive tackle Eric Foster.

Remember when I suggested the Colts should make a run at acquiring Chris Simms; that his arm strength and pedigree would made him ideal for the Colts offense? Well , apparently the Colts agree. Someone brought this to my attention (via the Fort Myers News-Press):

Scouts from 20 professional football teams watched from the Raymond James Stadium press box Sunday night as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New England Patriots 27-10.

...

The Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears also could be looking to make upgrades at backup quarterback soon. All but the Bears sent scouts to Sunday’s game.

Sorry, but this is not a good sign if you are Jim Sorgi. If Indy were confident in their primary back-up QB, they would not have sent scouts to a Bucs game. Unless they were scouting potential players on defense the Bucs might cut (the Bucs run a hybrid-Cover 2), the Colts were there to watch Simms.

I think Simms is ideal for the Colts offense, and if Indy got him I'd feel a helluva lot better about the back-up QB job.

Jim Sogi, Maytag Repairman via Deadspin

If there is a bright side to Peyton Manning missing a big chunk of training camp and pre-season it's that longtime back-up QB Jim Sorgi will get plenty of practice reps with the first unit. He will also play more snaps with the first unit offense during pre-season than any other time prior. This likely means management will finally see what we fans have suspected for a while.

That Sorgi stinks, and they need a better back-up QB.

Now, for me personally, I don't hate Jim Sorgi. I just don't think he has the tools to lead this team to wins if anything happens to Peyton. Now, if I'm wrong, this is Sorgi's opportunity to prove his worth. If he screws up, it simply re-inforces my stance. The key here is if he stinks it up, Bill Polian better damn well do something about replacing him.

I wrote an article several months ago about Chris Simms possibly finding his way to Indy as a back-up. Now, local Tampa Bay bloggers are starting to warm to this idea. Now, I admit the blog entry I have linked (via Buc'Em) is wrought with errors (they say Peyton will miss all of camp and part of the regular season, and they don't even list Sorgi as the Colts back-up), but it does give insight into what Simms might be thinking. If he wants to prove himself, what better place to do so than in Indy during pre-season minus Peyton Manning. Simms has struggled in Jon Gruden's hybrid West Coast offense, which seems so complicated that only 85-year-old grizzled QBs like Rich Gannon, Brad Johnson, and Jeff Garcia can understand it.

In Indy, the Manning-Moore offense is tailor made for Simms' football knowledge and strong arm. He's an option the Colts should give serious consideration to, especially if Sorgi looks shaky even in the Hall of Fame game. Again, if there is a positive to this situation it is we will finally see what Jim Sorgi has in terms of talent. No more excuses. He either shows he has skill this pre-season, or the Colts have to find someone else to back-up Peyton.

The Colts 2008 minicamp for veterans and rookies wrapped up yesterday, and all signs point to a very productive three-day event. Lots of info was revealed on why the Colts drafted the way they did, how the injury progress is going with players (like Dwight Freeney), and how certain players have grown and impressed coaches.

One thing I think we all fell pretty good about: This is a stacked team with a ton of depth at key positions, with the exception of the QB position. I still hold out hope that if a veteran like Chris Simms gets cut during training camp, the Colts will make a move to get a good back-up QB. Sorgi just can't do it, but we've been over that. Back-up QB aside, the Colts addressed almost all their off-season needs and look primed to make another run.

Dungy singled out Reggie Wayne, Dante Hughes, Ramon Guzman, Clint Session, Roy Hall, and Tony Ugoh as players who looked impressive during camp. Dungy typically does not evaluate players during minicamp, but these guys showed up ready to work and showcased some things. Roy Hall is the most interesting prospect. At 6'3, 240 pounds, he could add a very potent weapon to this offense if indeed he has taken that next step. The one thing Roy seems to have worked on is his hands. He went to a hands clinic over the summer, and seems dedicated to becoming a real, big time WR.

CB Dante Hughes, #20

Photo: Chris Hall

Dante Hughes seems ready to win the nickel corner spot from Tim Jennings. Jennings doesn't suck as badly as some suggest or say, but Hughes really excelled in the nickel as a rookie, and if he has made progress he should outright win the spot. Jennings still has value as a dime corner and a special teams player. I still shake my head when i think of how deep this secondary is.

On offense, I'll second mgrex30's post. Mike Hart might have been a major steal in the 2008 NFL Draft. And as much of a steal as Hart was, Dom Rhodes might be as big a steal in free agency. Teams needing a RB will regret not taking a shot at Dom after he was cut by Oakland. Since the beginning of the 2006 playoffs, Dom has turned it on. When given chances, he ran very well behind a bad Oakland offensive line. Here, comfortable in his back-up role and hungry to prove to people that he is a good back, he will help this team. Hart is shaping up to spell Addai on the goal line seeing as he never fumbles and is a battering ram in traffic.

Finally, there's Marvin Harrison. To quote Reggie Wayne:

"I can tell you it’s definitely hurting him not being able to be out there," Wayne said.

Rhodes also echoed Wayne's remarks on Harrison, and took them a step further. Dom said teams better "look out" because Marvin Harrison is very determined to prove he can still dominate. Marvin has never been one who has had to use his play to shut up critics. When someone has been dumb enough to criticize his (Keyshawn Johnson in Tampa Bay back in 2003), Marvin has a habit of exploding his production and making said idiots (Keyshawn Johnson) look even dumber than they normally do. Doctors also expect Marvin to be 100% ready for Chicago in Week One. For Harrison, it is important for him to come out of the gates fast. He needs to re-establish himself and prove he is healthy.

Other players that Indy coaches seemed to giggle with glee over are rookie free agent DT Eric Foster and rookie OG Mike Pollak. Foster is a high motor guy known for getting to the QB from the DT position. Pollak, learning a new position after playing OC in college, is challenging one-time OT Charlie Johnson for the starting OG spot. Johnson was magnificent in 2006, filling in numerous times at RT for Ryan Diem. In 2007, he took a step back and did not produce. Now, it looks like the Colts are trying him at OG. I like Charlie, and I think a virsital player like him is valuable for this team, but Pollak better beat him for the starting OG position. If Pollak doesn't, he's a wasted pick IMHO. Second round OGs better beat converted tackles for starting positions on the o-line.

DT Eric Foster, #68

Photo: Chris Hall

So, there you have it: the 2008 minicamp in review. Absent from practices were rookie Marcus Howard (rib), Dwight Freeney (foot), Bob Sanders (shoulder), Marvin Harrison (knee), and Gary Brackett (knee). It will be interesting to see how Howard looks at Training Camp, which is only two months away! Though it is only May, we Colts fans have to feel very good about this football team. Anything can, and likely will, happen in 2008, but Bill Polian has done his job creating a potent roster able to win another Super Bowl.

Photo: Cliff Welch/Icon SMI

The Colts did not draft a back-up QB in this year’s draft, though they did sign a free agent rookie named Adam Tafralis out of San Jose State. While I’m sure Tafralis is a fine kid, he strikes me as yet another Josh Betts, aka a warm body who works on the practice squad and occasionally plays in some pre-season games. Tafralis did get invited to the Combine, and while his scouting report is not bad, it is certainly nothing to get excited about:

Late developing passer whose improvement in poise and accuracy gave scouts reason to consider him in the late rounds or free agency. A gritty player who offered to switch positions two years ago because he was disappointed in his own performance, Tafralis showed significant improvement each of the past two seasons. Despite his development, there remain legitimate concerns about his arm strength and ability to escape pressure.

So, with it increasingly obvious (at least to me) that longtime back-up QB Jim Sorgi is simply not an option if Peyton Manning were to get hurt, I ask the obvious question: Will the Colts sign a QB cut during or after Training Camp?

If they do, an interesting candidate is Tampa Bay’s Chris Simms. Let’s be honest, the Glazers and Jon Gruden are acting like jackholes with the way they are handling Chris Simms. It’s obvious he is not going to play for the Bucs unless someone tosses a grenade into the QB film session room, wiping out Jeff Garcia, Brian Greise, Josh Johnson, and about 15 other QBs the Bucs currently have on their roster not named Chris Simms. So, keeping Simms around seems kind of cruel, but I guess we are used to such antics from the Glazers and "Chucky."

I know Simms would rather play for a team he has a chance to win the starting job on, but the fact of that matter is Simms needs to prove he is 100% healthy. From AOL Fanhouse:

Nobody really knows [Simms'] current form. His throwing motion was reportedly ruined after his spleen was removed. Has it recovered? Could he return to his 2005 form, when he led the Bucs to the playoffs? Or is he done as an NFL quarterback, and if so, are the Glazers just keeping him on the payroll out of guilt, or out of fear that he'll become a starter for another team?

The only thing for sure here is that Gruden really wants to move on without Simms. Perhaps the Bucs should as well.

If Simms’ throwing motion has been affected by his serious injury from 2006, then what Simms needs to do (if he wishes to remain in the NFL) is prove to people he can still fling the football. Simms has a strong arm, and he would work perfectly in the Colts offense. He’d get a lot of time to show his stuff in pre-season, and if the Colts sign him to a one-year deal he can rest and learn under Peyton, Tom Moore, and Tony Dungy. After one year, if he works his butt of as a back-up and hits the free agency market, he’ll have more value than he does now. Right now, he’s damaged goods.

If Simms is healthy, I think he is a tremendous upgrade over Sorgi, who I’ve lost confidence in.