If you go to the Colts.com message board, a member has found a way to access pre-written "fluff" articles written by Colts.com writer John Oehser. Basically, Oehser writes these articles weeks in advance and has them in the site's content bank. It's not an uncommon practice. Heck, many SB Nation writers use a nifty feature we have now with the 2.0 platform that allows us to write stuff and designate a time when it gets published.

That said, it is a bit humorous that Colts.com would actually post many of these articles (dated several weeks in advance) and try to hide them. That's not to say the articles are bad. They're not. Fluffy? Sure, but it's Colts.com. Do you expect them to trash their own players?

Of the articles, there's one on Freddie Keiaho and one on Roy Hall that are interesting. One theme that has come through each and every one of these player profile-like articles is summed up best by Freddie Keiaho:

“The difference in the comfort level between this year and last year is night and day,” Keiaho said during the Colts’ organized training activities, 14 days of onfield workouts that concluded recently at the team’s training facility.

“I’m pretty sure that’s true for everybody across the board.”

We've heard this consistently all throughout the off-season, with players like Brannon Condren, Roy Hall, Ed Johnson, and others saying they went into last season "lost." They didn't know what to do, weren't comfortable, and had to play through it. The result was a 13-3 record, another AFC South title, and a defense ranked #1 in scoring. This year, players say they feel more comfortable; the systems are quicker to grasp; they are in better shape, etc.

Be afraid, opponents. Be very, very afraid.

Players can often make a big leap from year one to year two, which is one reason why I often take shots at Vince Young. Players like Manning, Brady, McNabb, and Palmer all started showing signs they were elite players by year two. Vince is supposed to be in that category. If not, why was he drafted #3 overall in 2006? Rookie to second year jumps are not just common; they're expected. It's why teams sign rookies to two or three year contracts. You've either got it or you don't, and if you don't you can go somewhere else and "develop."

Players like Keiaho, Matt Giordano, Kelvin Hayden, Joseph Addai, and Antoine Bethea made huge strides from year one to year two. This year, the expectation falls on Roy Hall the hardest. Tony Ugoh, Keyunta Dawson, and Quinn Pitcock all showed promise last season. They have high expectations as well, but with Hall the expectation is greatest. He hasn't shown anything. This year, he must justify his roster spot. Bill Polian has been quick to point out Hall's improvement. This is significant as Polian will never compliment someone's improvement unless they actually improve.

After listening to many of you, there are several areas of this team that fans are interested in when training camp opens. While I love 18to88 and the Zombie brothers, they did say something interesting that I take bit of issue with:

With all due respect to the good guys over at Stampedeblue.com (who I enjoy), I'm not interesting in parsing out who will be the 5th receiver. I'm not curious to see who makes the roster. I'm only very mildly interested in who wins the right guard slot. These things are nice distractions, I guess, but they aren't very satisfying. I'm ready for football season.

Now, of course, speculating whether Mike Pollak or Charlie Johnson will win the RG spot is not as satisfying as watching an actual game. However, I don't think most fans share Desmond Zombie's interest (or lack thereof). Many care who the 4th or 5th WR is because tht player is one injury away from starting. If last season told me anything, you absolutely must have solid, starter-like quality depth behind most positions if you want to win a Super Bowl. Teams must be creative and innovative in finding this depth, but it must be there. We can speculate all we want about how losing Dwight Freeney and Marvin cost Indy a chance to repeat, and it did. If Freeney and Marvin were healthy, we'd have a 2007 trophy to go with 2006.

However, the other side to that is Indy should have had someone compitent to step up and take their places. Not dominant. Not all-world. Not Aaron Moorehead and Jeff Charleston. Just good, competent players who know what to do. This year, I get the sense that Indy has that depth. And yes, just like Desmond, I'm ready for the season to start already.

Continuing the theme from last week, here's the 16 more reasons why Kelvin Hayden is awesome:

11.  This Q&A from a Colts Chat a few months back:

Q: Entering the season, most people outside the team didn’t expect this group to develop into one of the NFL’s top secondaries. A lot of people didn’t know about you guys, but all of you had confidence. Where did that come from?

A: That started back before training camp – in OTAS (organized training activities). Guys like me and (cornerback) Marlin (Jackson) – all of us would sit around and say, ‘Hey, we can be the best secondary in the league.’ We took pride in that and believed that we could be that secondary that’s one of the elite week in and week out. (Safety) Bob (Sanders) kind of fuels us, a guy of his caliber. Then you have Marlin and (safety) Antoine (Bethea) – those guys are also big-play guys. We kind of fuel off each other. It’s exciting when you make plays. It makes you feel good. It also gets the fans into it and the whole defense. The linebackers are playing well. The defensive line is playing well, as always. We just want to fuel off each other and have fun out there. We call Sunday, ‘Party Time.’

12. If Sundays are "Party Time" then Kelvin is the bouncer.

13. Kelvin will sign anything:

14. He was named one of the 10 greatest defensive backs in Illinois history, which is mighty impressive considering he only played DB for one year with the Illini.

15. He epitomized everything the Super Bowl champion team was all about, just ask Tony Dungy:

"Kelvin Hayden goes in and makes a tremendous play; that’s what our team is all about.  We always talk about the next man up just has to step in. We don’t change anything. We don’t do anything differently. I’m just really proud of our guys, because that’s what we’ve done all year."

16. In this article that talks about Illinois' recruiting class of 2003, Kelvin lists his favorite athlete as...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

Marvin Harrison!

17. Kelvin's TD in the Super Bowl was the final touchdown of the season but it was also the Colts first defensive touchdown of the season.  Whether you see it as the beginning or the end, it was a good time to score.

18. Kelvin's coach in college was Ron Turner, who went on from Illinois to become offensive coordinator with the Bears.  So you really have to wonder what he was thinking when he said "Yeah, let's try and test that Hayden guy!"

19. Actually, I'm a little more interested in what Ron said immediately after the interception.  I'm sure it was entertaining, but probably not safe for most audiences.

20. He's cool with Phil B. Wilson (go down to question 12).

21. The (younger) ladies love it when they get Kelvin Hayden jerseys.

22. If Kelvin was a bartender in his hometown of Chicago, he would've put it on the Celtics-Lakers game last night.

23. He's much more well-liked in Indiana than that other Kelvin.

24. According to this scouting report, Kelvin was a two-time track champion in Chicago.

25. He understands that it takes lots of hard work to be successful and stay successful in the NFL:

"I don’t mind work, I consider myself a hardworking guy. Anything you put in front of me, I consider it a task. I just want to conquer that task. It’s just something I like to do. It’s really no biggie to me.

You want to get better and better every year. The older you get, the harder you have to work. My whole thing is continue to work hard and not get satisfied, to just try to get better, week in, week out, every day. This is the NFL. They say it’s a window of opportunity.

I just want my window to stay open as long as possible."

26. You know what it is:

Hopefully you've read Football Outsider's interview with Bill Polian by now, and if you haven't, I'd highly suggest reading it after you're done with this, so you can end on a high note.

Out of all the questions from the interview, I found this one to be the most interesting:

FO: What player improved the most, on any of your teams, compared to how good he was when you first acquired him?

Bill Polian: On our team here in Indianapolis, I would say cornerback Kelvin Hayden. 

Like Naptown's Finest points out, there's a lot of players that Bill could've picked here, so for Kelvin to be the one chosen by Bill says a lot about how far Kelvin has come since being drafted back in 2005.  In honor of Kelvin being chosen as the most improved player of the Polian regime, here are 10 things about Kelvin that make him one of my favorite Colts:

1. Kelvin is an extremely versatile player.  In high school he spent time as a defensive back, quarterback, and running back.  Then in college he played wide receiver as well before switching full-time to defensive back.
   
2. He started his collegiate career at Joliet Junior College as a wide receiver and only lost one game during his two seasons there.  In March, he was named one of the top 100 players in junior college history.
3. According to his Colts.com bio, during his senior year at Illinois, Kelvin held Braylon Edwards (who went on to be #3 pick in the draft that year) to 3 catches for 18 yards.
4. He swept Terrence Newman off of his feet...literally:
5. Kelvin finished 10th among cornerbacks in tackles last season.  In order, here are the nine that finished above him: Corland Finnegan, Nate Clements, Cedric Griffin, Richard Marshall, Leigh Bodden, Marlin Jackson, Darelle Revis, Marcus Trufant, and Champ Bailey.  There's 3 Pro Bowlers among that group and several others with the potential to go to Honolulu in the coming years, not a bad list to be a part of.
6. I've probably mentioned this before, but if he married that girl from Heroes, her name would be Hayden Hayden.
7. Together with Marlin Jackson, he ushered in a much more physical secondary that helped the Colts become one of the top defenses in the NFL last season.
8. In the two playoff games in which he's spent time as a corner, he has two interceptions.  Not bad.
9. Speaking of playing corner in the playoffs, he sure picked a good time to have his first interception.  In case you forgot when it happened, here's a little remider:



10. Just think how many careers Kelvin affected with that INT.  He showed that Jason David was expendable, further doomed Rex Grossman's career, and he helped validate Peyton and Tony's career with one leaping, tight-rope catch.
    

As you probably noticed I put a (Part 1) in the title.  Next week in Part 2, sixteen more reasons (10 + 16 = Kelvin's number) why Kelvin Hayden is one of my favorite Colts.

via Washington Post

It's always fun to speculate which team has done the most to unseat the Colts overlords of the AFC South. The reason it's fun is because the Titans, Jaguars, and Texans often go to such lengths to strengthen their teams each and every year only to get smacked down again and again by the Indy machine. As a result of their efforts, the Colts have gotten better and the collective improvement has made the AFC South the best division in football. Yes, I know the Giants won the Super Bowl and Dallas was 13-3 in 2007. Dallas also hasn't won a playoff game in 15 years, and the other NFC East playoff team (Washington) would get smoked by anyone in the AFC South, including a Sage Rosenfels-led Texans team. So please, spare me the NFC East talk. Yes, it's a good division; a GREAT division. It isn't the South.

Even with the South being so strong in 2007, I personally think most of the AFC South teams got better this off-season, with the exception of the Titans (more on them later). Aside from the AFC South having some of the best teams in football, they also have the best team bloggers in football. I'll freely admit that I am the agitator in our blogger division. Rarely do you see Jimmy writing articles about how Bob Sanders can't stay healthy, or Tim typing stories about how Indy's special teams play sucks. However, you are sure to see me writing a post either insulting Vince Young or criticizing the stupid draft moves of Gary Kubiak. I wouldn't do this if I didn't feel that guys like Tim, Chris, and Jimmy would not immediately call me "idiot" are debunk my claims with intelligent points with just a pinch of homerism. This is why we do what we do.

This is team blogging.

In this case, I think the Texans and Jaguars have bettered themselves since last season, with the Titans noticeably getting worse in the talent department. However, despite the changes (good or bad), none of these teams have done enough to unseat the Colts, who themselves have made great moves to shore up their weaknesses.

The off-season fad is to say the Jaguars have finally done enough to unseat Indy. Even AOL has found a writer who thinks the additions of WR Jerry Porter, CB Drayton Florence, WR Troy Williamson, and draft day additions like DE Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves are enough to knock off a Colts team that has beaten the Jaguars 5 of the last 6 times. Indeed, even the football guru himself, John Clayton, thought the Jaguars had an impressive run in free agency.

Did getting Drayton Florence (#29) help push the Jags over the Colts?

Photo via www.nctimes.com

While the Jaguars are much improved, it is important to note that so are the Colts. New Era Scouting's Dave Gardner has an article up talking about how the Colts are, quietly (per usual), shaping into the best team in football talent-wise.

The Colts could have kept the same roster from last season and still made it to the playoffs. With all the skill positions in place on offense (they’ll be fine with or without Marvin Harrison), and an excellent back seven on defense, they were in place to win at least ten games. However, as they prepare for the first season in a new stadium, it should be ready to host more than just the eight regular season games.

Not long ago, I wrote about how the Jaguars do not have a single area of their team that is better than Indy's. Chris at Big Cat responded, disagreeing with my take and offering little rebuttal in terms of substance.

I'll grant Quarterback, I'll even concede the offensive line and Tight Ends.  But to say that the Colts have better Linebackers, Defensive Line, and Secondary than the Jaguars is an ignorant statement.  The Jaguars use their linebackers a little differently than the Colts do in the "Dungy 2", and really can't be compared directly.  The combination of Durrant, Ingram, Peterson, and Smith give the Jaguars three guys who can play every combination of linebacker spots, the speed to play sideline to sideline, and a nasty hard hitting attitude.  I'd take our bench linebacker over any of the Colts starters.  Remember, the biggest knock on the Jaguars pass rushers is that they're young.  None of our guys are coming off of a Lis Franc, like Mr. Freeney.

I'm happy Chris thinks so much of his new secondary, but when the Jaguars have a Defensive Player of the Year-type guy in their defensive backfield, they can say their secondary is better than Indy's. Maybe. Bob Sanders and Antoine Bethea are the best safety tandem in football. Sanders won the DPOY and Bethea went to the Pro Bowl (and unlike other Pro Bowl safeties, Bethea is pretty good). And the corners, Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden, started every single game last season.

The result? The Colts had the #2 pass defense in football, allowing an average of 5.9 yards per competition with 16 TDs and 22 INTs. QB had an average rating of 73 against Indy. This entire DB unit will be back in 2008, and with the added depth of second year man Dante Hughes. Until the Jags have a secondary that produces like this, saying they are better is nonsense. Utter nonsense.

And they can say whatever they want about their LBers, but the fact is the Colts LBers define speed and hard hitting. They also have tremendous depth. 2007 rookie Clint Session was amazing, and with all three starting LBers coming back this unit is better than Jacksonville's. We also have yet to see what Philip Wheeler will bring to the equation. Indy's linebackers do an excellent job dropping into zones and making plays, and are very active in stopping the run.

The DE argument is silly. Freeney is recovering extremely well from his foot surgery and Robert Mathis is better than both Harvey and Groves. The younger guys may one day develop into great rushers, but we're not talking about two or three years from now. We're talking 2008, and the Colts will get even better in that area if they sign Rosevelt Colvin. Indy also drafted Marcus Howard, who is faster than both Freeney and Mathis.

So, I see little change in the AFC South. The Colts are still the most talented team in the division with the best coaches and front office personnel. I recognize that AFC South teams like the Jags have made significant moves to get better, and better they are. But it isn't enough. The Colts did not just sit ideally by. I realize this is boring to media hacks who are desperate for a story line, but the bottom line is Indy is still great, and the other AFC South teams still have not caught up.

From PFW's The Way We Hear It:

May 30, 2008

Tony Dungy’s Tampa-2 defense isn’t among the more complicated schemes in the NFL, but word out of Indianapolis is that Dungy is planning on adding a smattering of defensive wrinkles that he abstained from dabbling with last season. The rationale is twofold: (1) An inability to generate a consistent pass rush when DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis were banged up underscored just how reliant the team was on those two, and how badly it needs to find alternative pass-rushing possibilities should the starting duo be slowed again. (2) Indy was breaking in a host of new starters in ’07, and Dungy’s more willing to trust his now well-seasoned crew to handle greater responsibilities. So, just what does Dungy have in store? It’s difficult to know exactly, but employing more DL stunts and turning loose S Bob Sanders to attack opposing backfields appear to be likely options. Dungy will never be keen on relying on LB blitzes to pressure the passer, and the increased confidence he has in CBs Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden has him even more eager to allow Sanders — the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year — to do what he does best.

With more faith in the young guys on his defense, Dungy looks like he wants to add some things that will turn opposing offenses on their heads. Last year, despite injuries and a pretty vanilla Cover 2 scheme, the Colts were the #1 scoring defense in football. Now, Dungy wants to take the Bob Sanders Beatdown Defense to another level.

Colts DT Quinn Pitcock made minimal impact in his rookie season of ’07, but we hear that was mostly because he never fully recovered from a hamstring ailment he had suffered early on. He should be a fixture in the DT rotation this season.

I wouldn't say Pitcock's contributions were "minimal." He did a fine job in the DT rotation, especially stopping the run.

When I click on Bleacher Report's NFL link, I am greeted with tons of articles about teams that have not won anything in recent history or have no chance of winning anything.

Articles about the Raiders, Vikings, Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Packers, and a few other have-nots flood this site daily.

I, of course, attempt to read objectively, post my comments or suggestions and move on.

What disappoints me is the lack of articles on the one team that is still—in mine and many other's opinion—the best team in the NFL.

The Indianapolis Colts.

I know what you're thinking. Why would anyone waste their time writing about a team that's won 12 or more games in each of the past fives seasons?

Why would anyone want to write about Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Bob Sanders, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, or Joseph Addai?

Beats me.

Kelvin Hayden, drafted in the 2nd round of the 2005 draft, seen winning the Super Bowl.

Much has been written recently about the abortion that was the 2005 NFL Draft. The Vikings releasing DE Erasmus James highlighted yet another first round disappointment from the 2005 draft. James was the 17th overall player selected that year. As AOL Fanhouse's Sportz Assassin points out, the 2005 draft for the Vikings was a "horror show."

Remember that Minnesota traded Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders for the #7 pick in the draft and linebacker Napoleon Harris. Harris played two years in Minnesota before moving on to Kansas City. That #7 pick turned into WR Troy Williamson, who sucked was less than stellar. Williamson was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars before last month's draft.

Third round pick Dustin Fox never played a down for the Vikings. Fourth round pick Ciatrick Fason became a goal line back before being release prior to last season. Sixth round pick DT C.J. Mosley played decent in his rookie season ... and was sent to the Jets for QB Brooks Bollinger. Seventh round pick Adrian Ward didn't make the roster.

Wow.

Now, to not totally dump on the Vikings, they have done an excellent job recently with the 2006 and 2007 drafts. Also, the Vikes were not the only team to bomb the 2005 Draft. Most teams did. The 2005 Draft is widely considered one of the worst drafts in recent memory. Take one look at the first round and it induces projectile vomiting if you are a fan of the 49ers, Bengals, Bucs, Bears, Titans, and Vikings. Of the top 10 picks that season, only one (Braylon Edwards) can be seen as a potential gamer.

In fact, if you glance through the entire first round, it is littered with busts, disappointments, and players (like Erasmus James and Cadillac Williams) whose young careers are threatened because of injury. Of the 32 players taken in the first round, I count only 5 who I'd consider worthy of their first round selection. Braylon Edwards (pick #3) is one. Here are the rest:

Dallas DE DeMarcus Ware (pick #11)

Chargers DT Luis Castillo (pick #28)

Pittsburgh TE Heath Miller (pick # 30)

Indianapolis CB Marlin Jackson (pick #29)

I don't include Chargers LBer Shawne Merriman (pick #12) worthy of first round selection. Merriman is a cheater who unapologetically got caught using steroids. This taints everything in his career whether he or Chargers fans like it or not.

A player who is (and should be) listed there is Colts CB Marlin Jackson. Jackson won the nickel corner spot his rookie year. By his second year he had a Super Bowl ring, won in part by his amazing INT at the end of the AFC Championship Game. By year three, he was the starter, playing all 17 games and helping the Colts to one of the best pass defenses in football.

Marlin's partner on the other side of the defense is CB Kelvin Hayden, who (like Marlin) was drafted in 2005. Hayden iced Super Bowl 41 his second year with an INT for a TD, and last year started all 17 games at RCB for Indy. The Colts also drafted back-up safety Matt Giordano in round 4 of the 2005 draft. Giordano is one of the fastest safeties in  football, and he could start on many NFL clubs, including the defending champion NY Giants, who are starved for depth at safety. Indy also drafted starting SAM linebacker Tyjuan Hagler in round 4.

So, while most teams, like the Vikings, Bengals, and Chiefs, had disastrous drafts in 2005, the Colts built much of their starting defensive unit with that 2005 college crop. Three starters and one key reserve player all hail from that draft. That's pretty damn good if the draft crop is good, but when you look at the unmitigated disaster that was the 2005 NFL Draft, getting four high quality players is amazing!

It's been kind of weird this off-season. For the first time in God knows how long, there are more questions about the Colts offense than about the defense. In fact, of three main areas of the team, the defense is the one that has the fewest questions. Now obviously, this is relative to us Colts fans. The "questions" we have about our team focus on depth and versatility. Let's be honest: We're lucky these are our "problems." Elite teams like New England have serious questions about who will start in their secondary, and San Diego doesn't know if their starting QB or their best playmaker in the passing game (Antonio Gates) are healthy.

With the Colts, in particular their defense, there are no current questions about who will start where. Really, if you think about it, there aren't even any big position battles. The only one on defense I can think of is SAM linebacker Tyjuan Hagler fighting off rookie Philip Wheeler, but since Wheeler is a rookie learning an entirely new system, I doubt Hagler will lose his job to him. Gary Brackett is a lock at MLB, and Freddie Keiaho would have to royally screw up to lose his starting WILL spot to the very solid Clint Session.

This means that, essentially, the entire starting defense from the 2007 season will return. This includes Dwight Freeney, who is ahead of schedule on his lis franc rehab. In fact, the Colts seem to think Freeney could play in pre-season, but are holding him back just to be safe. I realize that the Colts injury report is often a load of crap, but seeing Freeney himself say it reinforces it for me. Also expected back at 100% are Robert Mathis and Raheem Brock. Added to their arsenal of DEs are rookies Marcus Howard and Curtis Johnson; both with demon-like speed off the edge.

The key area that will warrant a close look is the secondary. Marlin Jackson, Kelvin Hayden, Bob Sanders, and Antoine Bethea are all locked in as starters. This group in one of the best secondaries in football; top 5, easily. The depth is the area that warrants attention, and not in a bad way. Third year CB Tim Jennings took over the nickel corner spot last season after then-rookie Dante Hughes went down with an injury. Hughes is now back and recovered, and both he and Jennings will battle it out in camps for the nickel back spot. Also lingering are TJ Rushing, Michael Coe,  and Texas free agent rookie Brandon Foster. I don't think Keiwan Ratliff (currently listed on the roster) will last on the team.

Rushing really stepped up his coverage game in 2007. Drafted primarily as a return specialist, he has grown into a solid nickel or dime coverage DB. Because Rushing can return kicks and cover, he has likely locked down a roster spot. If Hughes is healthy, he could win back his starting nickel spot, leaving Jennings as a potential odd man out. Still, even with Jennings potentially getting lost in the shuffle, this is a very deep secondary. I mean, I haven't even touched on players like reserve safety Matt Giordano, or rookie Jamie Silva. This is a touch, hard-hitting, big play group that will flourish in 2008 if the Colts pass rush can stay healthy.

All this talk about defense, and not one mention about the DTs and the run. What difference a year makes. Last year, we were practically down on our knees, begging God Almighty not to get Booger McFarland hurt. Then, Booger went down in the first week of Training Camp. He was replaced by a group of tough, smart rookies like Ed Johnson, Quinn Pitcock, and Keyunta Dawson. Each played magnificently in 2007, and the Colts run defense improved dramatically. Teams like Jacksonville didn't run all over Indy, and even great backs like LT had a hard time gaining yards. This group is now a year older, a year wiser. With Raheem Brock returning to DT, this is a solid group.

I expect big things from this defense in 2008. They have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Bob Sanders and a (hopefully) healthy Dwight Freeney. This group should dominate.