The Colts are awaiting the news on Gary Brackett's x-rays to his ankle. The positive is it is not his knee. The negative is x-rays to an ankle could suggest a break or a severe sprain. One thing is certain about Brackett: He will not play against the Bengals this Sunday. Replacing him at MLB is Freddie Keiaho. Sliding over to replace Keiaho at WILL is Clinton Session and jumping in to replace Session is Tyjuan Hagler. That is a pretty good group of LBers, and if Brackett is out for a few weeks, they should hold the fort nicely. Backing up Keiaho are Philip Wheeler and Buster Davis.

The other injury of note is to DT Keyunta Dawson. He has a pulled hamstring and is likely out a few weeks. Dawson, an under-sized DT at 260 pounds, has played the under tackle spot most of the season. For an under-sized kid, he has played extremely well. But, with Dawson on the mend, look for the Colts to FINALLY activate DT Daniel Muir and actually PLAY him. Why the Colts have deactivated a quality DT for 10 of 12 weeks when the DT position is THE weakest position on the team right now, I have no clue. But, the positive is Antonio Johnson is starting to develop into a good NT for this team. He had 6 tackles against the Browns, and he has done a fine job helping the Colts stop the run. Since Johnson started playing, the Colts have surrendered a respectable 113 yards a game on the ground. Many of those games have been without Bob Sanders. Prior to Antonio Johnson playing, the Colts surrendered 143 yards rushing on the ground.

Speaking of Bob, it seems "The Chuck Norris of the NFL" is slated to return this week against the Bengals. As always, the key to Bob coming back is him playing well and staying on the field week, after week, after week. If Bob plays, that is a big boost to the entire defense, especially with Brackett is out.

Do not attempt to cramp Dwight's style.

First off, small editorial note: JakeTheSnake just started university, which means his schedule for late-August, early September will be a little out of whack. So, you might see his weekly "Know Your Colts History" column appearing on Saturdays for a few weeks. Eventually, Jake will get his stuff together and get back on his regular schedule. But for now, please rest assured he is still around and looking for more things to make fun of.

Now, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of talking about Peyton Manning's knee. The word bursa sac is starting to become a four letter word. So, let's put that aside today and talk about some positive things surrounding the team, because lost in all the talk about sacs, swelling, rumors, and rehab was the fact that Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders returned to practice this week. In fact, both men seem to be on a mission to have the Colts defense make a mark on the NFL. Some nice articles here and here give us some insight into how these guys have worked through injuries and are looking to make big strides in 2008.

For Freeney, the road back has been long. His foot injury at San Diego last November was the death knell for the Colts' Super Bowl chances. When he went down (and Robert Mathis hurt his knee), the Colts lost their pass rush. No pass rush = no playoff wins. For the first time since November of 2007, Freeney practiced this week:

He said he still experiences pain occasionally in the foot but added he is getting close to 100 percent.

Yet it's been apparent during the preseason that the Colts are prepared to ease Freeney back into the mix. They moved Raheem Brock, a starting tackle the past two seasons, to left end and flipped starting left end Robert Mathis to Freeney's spot at right end. For now, Freeney is listed as Mathis' backup.

For those still wondering why Brock was switched to DE on 1st and 2nd down, this is another reason why. For the first month of the season, we should expect to see Freeney used as a situational pass rusher. They'll bring him in on passing downs, and mix him with Mathis and Marcus Howard to create a consistent rush. After about a month, they'll ease him back into starting and playing every down. He's going to experience pain in his foot all year. It's just part of the deal. The best way to deal with that pain is to limit snaps early so he is fresh and strong late. The last few years, Freeney has gotten worn down a bit. The Tasmanian Devil can only spin so many times.

For Bob Sanders, last year was his coming out party. We've always known Bob is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. The league saw it, somewhat, in 2006 and saw it in full force in 2007. Bob is one of only two safeties to win Defensive Player of the Year. The last one was Ronnie Lott, arguably the best safety ever. That's impressive company, and like Lott, other players around the NFL are speaking highly of Bob:

"He's the heart and soul of that defense," Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor "He's relentless. He runs all over the place. They know that. He roams and roams. You have to put a hat on him. You have to account for him."

Bob is ready to explode!

What people always like to bring up with Bob Sanders are his injuries. Personally, I don't think Bob has been any more or less injured than many other marquis NFL safeties. Bob missed part of his rookie season with a foot injury sustained in college. It's a reason why he was a 2nd round pick. He then played all of 2005, and then missed much of 2006 before coming back for the playoffs and winning a Super Bowl. He played all but one game last season.

Now, compare that with Pittsburgh's Troy Polomalu, who missed three games in 2006 and was injured pretty much all of last season, missing 5 starts and posting career lows in tackles and grabbing 0 INTs. Philly's Brian Dawkins has done a tremendous job dominating from the safety position throughout his career, which has spanned 13 years. But look at the first 4-5 seasons of his career and you'll see they are riddled with him missing games here and there with various injuries.

Safety is a high collision, high contact position. If your starting safety can start 15 regular season games for you, that's gold. Even the great ones rarely get 13-14 starts.

That said, Bob knows that injuries are part of the game, and taking a measured approach to them is all one can do, and that one should never try to be something they aren't:

"What I do with my body it's hard to not get injured," Sanders said. "But who's to say if I was 6-3, 235 pounds that I wouldn't have those type of injuries. With my body, and the way I play, you have to expect some things are going to come up. You pray and hope that they won't happen, but they sometimes do. I can't change the way I play. People expect me to be Bob Sanders. I can't just slow down. The crazy thing is it is noticed when you try to change. People love you, but they know when you're trying to protect yourself. I go to Pro Bowls and become the Defensive Player of the Year because of the way I play."

With Robert Mathis also healthy and with Freddie Keiaho fully recovered from a nagging elbow injury he dealt with all last season, This Colts defense looks poised to do some special things in 2008. Already, I think it is the best defense in the AFC South, especially when you consider it ranked 2nd in points allowed in 2007 and is returning all of their starters. Several of those starters were rookies in 2007, like Ed Johnson and Keyunta Dawson.

Later today, the Colts will hold their final practice as they get ready for their "dress rehearsal" pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills. After that practice, we'll have a good idea as to whether or not Bob and Dwight will play a little in Saturday's game at The Lube.

For the last few months, we all have made lists of questions we hoped would get answered by the time Kickoff Weekend rolls around. We looked for answers to these questions in the draft, mini-camps, free agency, and now training camp. After attending camp and getting "insider" info from people in the know within the team and fans still attending camp, I've got a pretty good idea of how this roster is shaping up. Mind you, I'm providing these insights with big, blue-tinted glasses. I could be dead wrong about everything, but in years past I've been pretty much on the money when it comes to evaluating talent. Just ask Bears fans. Also keep in mind that much of my opinion is formulated from information I trust, and I very much trust my own two eyes.

So, all that crap said, here's a few answers to some of your burning questions (this is a monster post, which I needed to place on the flip):

Continue reading this post »

So, the rumors were true. Quinn Pitcock retired. Thanks to JakeTheSnake for the Fan Shot on the subject. It's a bit sad because Pitcock was known as a fierce competitor at Ohio State. He played in National Championship games, and came on strong last year as a good rookie DT. Now, he doesn't want to play football anymore. As annoying and disappointing as it is, look at it this way. Quinn had the bullocks to retire early in camp rather than pull a Corey Simon. He didn't cheat or steal money from the Colts, and he was honest in his decision. The Colts likely respected that, and both parties have moved on. I wish Quinn good luck, and hope nothing awful has happened.

We can sit hear and joke that the Curse of the Third Round Pick has popped up again, but guys like Freddie Keiaho (3rd round, 2006), Dante Hughes (3rd round, 2007), and Philip Wheeler (3rd round, 2008) are proving to be good young players. The loss of Pitcock (sigh, I'll really miss making fun of that name) is also at a position (snicker) the Colts are full at (snicker, snicker). Raheem Brock, Ed Johnson, Keyunta Dawson, and the new kid Eric Foster are all good DTs. Big Ed has a chance to become something special, and Brock has always been a consistent player.

Still, even with solid depth after Pitcock's retirement, why not bring back Booger McFarland for a physical? You know he wants to play. You know he'd love to come back to Indy. He'd take a role as a rotating overtackle (I think that's the right position, shake n bake) on the Colts line. He loves Dungy, and mentored Ed Johnson last year. The key is his health, but even that is negotiable. If he's rehabbing now, but will be ready by, say, Week 3, why not sign him?

Booger even has a website up. Notice the team uniform he's wearing.

More rumors and observations continue to beam their way from Terre Haute to my desktop. Ah, the Internet! How I love you so. I'm still working on my depth chart. I wanted to get it done this weekend, but between organizing all the info I got from camp over the weekend, and dealing with the snappy little "bloggers" over at Fanhouse, I just didn't have time. I hope to have it done today. Thanks for your patience.

• We still have no word on Quinn Pitcock. Dungy said there would be explanation today.
• Adam Vinatieri was consistently making FGs of 50+ yards at camp. He looks healthy, his leg is strong, and (according to conditioning folks) he is in the best physical shape of his life. Adam might have finally shaken off the injuries.
• Many said Dungy was not happy with Keiaho leveling Hart on Saturday. Keiaho was taken out of practice and told to cool it.
• Clifton Dawson has looked better than Mike Hart.
• With Brock moving back to DE, the Colts will likely employ a 3-4 player d-line rotation. This means Mathis or Brock start, with Brock moving inside on passing downs. Ed Johnson is the undertackle while Keyunta Dawson or (if he ever shows up) Quinn Pitcock are overtackles. Also thrown into the mix is speed rushing DE Marcus Howard. The Colts are also high on DT Eric Foster. Left out of the mix, it seems, are DEs Josh Thomas and Jeff Charleston.

Based on camp reporters from TheMatic and Aerostar193; articles posted on the Tribune Star and Indy Star websites, ESPN's own "blog"; and camp reports posted on ColtFreaks.com, I'll do my best to piece together early observations of players many of you have questions about. I'll cite the sources at the end of article:

• Philip Wheeler hurt is knee yesterday. After practice he was seen on the sideline with an ice wrap around his knee. This is a somewhat positive  sign that the injury is not too bad because if it was a pulled or torn tendon or ligament, he likely would not have been on the practice field sideline with ice on the knee. Apparently, the knee is "sore." Dungy elaborated on the injury (somewhat):

  "Wheeler has just irritation in the knee and [it’s] a condition he’s had that flared up. We’re hoping that it’s not too serious. Melvin Bullitt did have a little sprained thumb that they’re going to have to work on. He’s probably going to miss a few days, but nothing that should hold him out more than a week," the Colts coach said, adding that he doesn’t know how long Wheeler may be sidelined.

  
  
• Day 2 saw the running backs stand out as the players put the pads on for the first time in weeks. The backs working with the starting unit are Addai, Rhodes, and Mike Hart. Noticeably absent from working with the starting unit: Kenton Keith. They are using Hart the way the used James Mungro from 2002-2005. Hart is small, but hits the gaps in the line hard and with explosion. He is essentially a hybrid short yardage back, fullback.
  


• Mike Hart got his bell rung by Freddie Keiaho on one play. Fans in the stands cheered "Welcome to the NFL, rookie!"
  


• Most have said Roy Hall has looked impressive. The only person I've read who was not impressed with Hall is Aerostar193, which is not to say Aerostar193 is wrong in his assessment. Everyone else though has raved about Hall.
  


• Equally impressive has been Pierre Garcon. His routes are very crisp and his movement fluid. He is drawing comparisons to a young Marvin Harrison in terms of body type and route running.
  


• Speaking of Marvin Harrison, the early assessment of his work at camp is that the old Marvin is back and the league better "watch out." Roy Hall and Pierre Garcon, two young players, were amazed at how fast and well conditioned Harrison has looked:
  

  "Marvin looked excellent," Hall said. "He didn’t miss a beat. He looked extremely healthy. His knees looked fine. He’s running faster than ever. He looks good. I was excited to see him back out there and happy to see him out there. Marv was just out there being Marv, catching the ball and making big plays. He’ll continue to do that throughout the season."

  "I don’t see anything wrong with him," Garcon noted. "He’s quick and fast, extremely fast."

  Both Dominic Rhodes and Jeff Saturday, who have played with Marvin Harrison for over 7 years, say Harrison has a big chip on his shoulder because people have written him off because of his age.


• Eric Foster has drawn a ton of praise from both offensive and defensive coaches. He is especially stout against the run. More and more, Foster looks like a keeper and another undrafted rookie gem for Polian.
  


• Rookie DE Marcus Howard and second year LT Tony Ugoh have gone at it the last two days. During drills, the two are battling against each other extremely hard. Ugoh has had trouble dealing with Howard's great speed and Howard has had problems getting past Ugoh's arms. Howard's speed has been the eye-popping "wow" many at camp have noticed. He seems unblockable unless you have someone fast enough to match him.
  


• Clint Session was not at Day 2 practice because of a personal issue. Because Tyjuan Hagler, Philip Wheeler, and now Session were unavailable, the Colts used Ramon Guzman at SAM. Guzman played special teams and DE last season. No details on how he looked.
  


• Jacob Tamme has been practicing his long-snapping for special teams. Tamme has also looked good blocking. Some have even questioned why blocking was a knock on him in college. He has looked solid blocking in drills and scrimmages. Seems the #2 spot is now Tamme's to lose.


• Mike Pollak worked at OG for the starting unit on Friday, but so did Charlie Johnson. PhilB at the Indy Star still think Pollak will win the job. Pollak did not practice Saturday, and Johnson took most of the snaps at OG.
  


• Most media have praised Jim Sorgi and how well he's looked in camp. PhilB still thinks Sorgi holds onto the ball to long, which has always been Sorgi's problem. Still, most have said Sorgi is leaps and bounds better than Gray and Lorenzen, but much of that has to do with Sorgi having known the offense for 4 years.
  


• Tim Jennings has looked good. Damn good, in fact. He appears more comfortable as a Cover 2 corner, making quick reads and reacting fast. The entire Colts secondary has impressed, with Dante Hughes, Michael Coe, Brandon Condren, and TJ Rushing also standing out. The Colts seem to have an excellent secondary this season. Condren had an INT in morning practice on Saturday.
  


• Raheem Brock will move back to DE, and only play DT on passing situations. The Colts are worried that starting Brock at DT every down will indeed wear him down. Expect to see more of Brock starting at DE against teams that like to establish the run first. Robert Mathis will start at DE if teams like to throw early. Keyunta Dawson is now starting at DT along with Big Ed Johnson.


• Dungy is concerned that players are not used to practicing in pads:

  "I told the team afterwards [that] we have to learn how to practice in pads," the Colts coach said. "What we’re trying to do, you know, we’ve gone three months now and then the first two [training camp] practices [in jerseys and shorts]. So we’ve got to learn how to hit, deal with the contact and get done what we need to do without blowing each other up. So that’s something you always have to learn."



• RB Clifton Dawson made several excellent plays during Day 2 practice.  He had two 15 yard sweeps for TDs, and broke several long runs in the morning practice. Joseph Addai and Dom Rhodes also had some excellent long runs in afternoon practice.


• Not a peep about Kenton Keith. Not one single, solitary bit of news about how well (or poorly) he practiced. That's not good for Kenton, especially with the other RBs looking so good.


• Samuel Giguere caught a 45 yard TD from Jared Lorenzen. Giguere has noticeably been working hard.


• Freeney and Sanders have rehabbed while the rest of the team has done drills. Both are running fast. Freeney has been spinning and making moves. Between the two, Sanders looks the most ready to return.


• Rookie TE Tom Santi had the exact same operation on his knee Peyton Manning did, only two weeks earlier. Santi has been seen at camp walking with a limp and a back of some kind on his knee. If Santi is the measuring point, we will likely not see Peyton Manning practice until the week of August 18th. Manning is still not at camp.


• People have raved over Indy's receiving corps. Hall and Garcon were mentioned above, but Devin Aromashodu has also impressed. With so many receivers looking good, the Colts might carry 5 or 6 WRs into the regular season, with two of them (Hall and Giguere, perhaps) possibly playing special teams as gunners.


• No information as yet as to who is returning punts and kicks.

Whew! Folks, this is the most information I've ever received about any stretch of training camp. Now, more than ever, people have a vested interest in what is going on at Terre Haute, and their desire to report that info back to fans is unrelenting. Special thanks to people like Aerostar193 and TheMatic for giving us first hand accounts just for Stampede Blue readers. Sources for all information bulleted are below. Click the links and read more:

ColtFreaks.com

IndyStar Blog

Tribune Star Article #1

Tribune Star Article #2

Colts.com

Areostar193's Fan Post

TheMatic's Twitter Fan Post

Aerostar193 attended the 2nd day of camp (Saturday) and posted the observations below in this Fan Post:

I only saw Addai, Rhodes, and Hart taking snaps with the offense, which means to me that they will be the ones that make the roster. Hart is really small, but he pounds the ball hard and has soft hands out of the backfield. He got smashed by Freddie Keiaho mid-way through practice, which got a few people saying "Welcome to the NFL", but otherwise, he looked good. Rhodes actually looked slimmer and faster than before, and Addai was his fantastic self. This will definitely be a good group of RB's for the year.

One thing I always like to look for is who stays around after practice to do some individual drills. Garcon, Giguere, and Charles Dillon all stayed after to work with the ball machine, and Robert Mathis ran a few laps on the other side of the field. It may be insignificant to others, but to me, it shows how focused they are on making the team, or in Mathis' case, being the best player they can be.

Marcus Howard is fast. I'm really excited to see what he brings to the table once the season starts. Ugoh and him were having some fierce battles, and he actually managed to get near Sorgi a few times. He's a keeper for sure.

I'll admit, I'm one of the many Tim Jennings haters, but I think he's really improved for some reason. He looked faster, more alert, and smarter as a CB. Same goes for Michael Coe, T.J. Rushing, and Brannon Condren. We're going to have an excellent group of DB's this year, believe me.

Roy Hall didn't impress me. He was tall, but looked a lot more sluggish than his 40 time would indicate. Giguere was a little disappointing too. The only receivers that caught my eye were Reggie, Marvin, Gonzalez, Garcon, and Aromashadu.

Pierre Garcon is making this team. He's a smooth route runner and really allusive. Sort of like a mini-Marvin.

Sorgi really isn't terrible, I suppose. I noticed he always looks to his left first for the pass, and never managed to hit right in the numbers, but he was efficient nonetheless.

I didn't look much at the O-line, but I only saw Charlie Johnson playing guard, never Pollak.

I didn't see Clint Session anywhere, and Ramon Guzman was playing SAM with the first team. Not sure if anybody knows what was going on with that...

Jacob Tamme looks a lot bigger and stronger than his measurables say he is. I don't see why people don't think he will able to block, he looked entirely capable to me.

Many thanks to Aerostar193 for these great observations!

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.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm really excited about our defense this season.  Actually, let me re-phrase that, I'm estatic about our defense this season.  With The Hit Squad we've got one of the best, if not the best secondary if the NFL.  As long as Dwight Freeney returns healthy, we'll have a devastating front four as well.  You really can't underestimate the value of a top notch pass rush in aiding the secondary, and their run defense has come a long way thanks in part to...the secondary.  It's a nice symbiotic relationship between the two.

Sadly, we often forget about the linebackers when we talk about our great defense.  It's probably because none of them have ever made the Pro Bowl.  Or maybe it's because it's next to impossible to get any of the limelight with guys like Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders lining up with you.  Regardless, I'm excited about our linebacking corps.  Gary Brackett is one of the better MLB's in the league, Freddy Keiaho is a joy to watch, Tyjuan Hagler is good and getting better, Clint Sessions had a solid rookie season including that ridiculous interception against the Chargers.  Let's not forget about this year's crop of rookies either, Phillip Wheeler looks like he'll be able to be a contributor right away and I'm excited about the two Undrafted FA's we brought in.  Granted, I haven't really seen either of them play, but they seem like they'll fit in well with what we're trying to do.  At 5-11, 224 pounds Senn fits the prototype Cover 2 LB that Tony Dungy is looking for.  Then there's Gijon Robinson, he spent most of last season on the practice squad, but I think he's ready to break out this season.  Just look at this photo:

The first thing that you probably noticed  is that the dude is RIPPED, always a good trait for a football player.  What really sticks out to me is his facemask.  Guys that wear that kind of facemask never disappoint, because with a cage like that, you know they're coming to work.

But you know what I like the most about Gijon?   He's not actually a linebacker.   He's a tight end.  I think we can all get behind a 6-1, 255 lb. blocking force of nature.  Better yet, I think Joseph Addai can get behind him too.  Well, at least I hope he does.  That's kind of the point in having a blocking force of nature.

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.