Today, all players under contract for the Indianapolis Colts are required to report to Rose Hulman Institute for the start of mandatory training camp for the 2008 season. Nearly 48 hours after Bill Polian said he "didn't care" if his draft picks were signed in time for camp, a flurry of activity has seen Indy signed top pick Mike Pollak; 6th round picks Mike Hart and Pierre Garcon; TE Jacob Tamme; and DE Marcus Howard. One interesting note out of the rookie signings: Howard got a 4 year deal. Not sure the terms, but it is a tad unusual for a 5th round pick to get a 4 year deal. Maybe Indy really sees something in Howard.

The Colts also made some moves in (gasp!) free agency! I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the position the moves the moves for: Quarterback.

Rotoworld has picked up a story floated by the Internet's resident Joan Rivers (Mike Florio) that the Colts have signed former Jags QB Quinn Gray and former Giants QB Jared "I'm really fat" Lorenzen (tip to farris6659). Of course, in usual Florio style, rather than report the news he simply starts making stuff up, speculating the moves are a sign that Peyton Manning will not be ready for the regular season. Gee, thanks Mike. I'm sure it has nothing to do with Indy trying to upgrade its back-up QB position, which for the last few years has been manned by the immortal Jim Sorgi.

Quinn Gray, Indy's new back-up QB?

Photo via cache.daylife.com

Or, maybe Indy signed Gray so they could get the inside dirt on the Jaguars new offense, which (with WR Jerry Porter out all pre-season with a hamstring injury) looks surprising similar to the Jaguars offense the Colts swept last season.

Starting training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (or PUP) list are DE Dwight Freeney, OG Ryan Lilja, SS Bob Sanders, and QB Peyton Manning. When he gets signed, rookie TE Tom Santi will also join these men on the PUP. Because of this injury to Santi, in my mind Jacob Tamme is now the front runner to replace Ben Utecht as the starting #2 TE. Tamme will have a leg up on learning the offense, working with the QBs, and he'll have a chance to prove he can block at the pro level. There is also Gijon Robinson, who already knows the offense.

I'll try posting my training camp depth chart list later today. We will also be getting updates from site reader Matic. For a complete schedule of training camp, click here. If you have the chance to drive to Terre Haute and attend camp, I strongly suggest you do so. It is a lot of fun. And when you are done, log in here and post your thoughts on players, coaches, and other training camp news.

Can you smell it in the air, folks? I can.

IT'S FOOTBALL! GO COLTS!

A day after Bill Polian gave a big middle finger to his unsigned draft picks, their agents, and their union, Tony Dungy stepped in and painted a much rosier picture of the Colts situation as they enter training camp. Dungy stated that Manning will be back in roughly 3 weeks, and will play in pre-season. Yes, I know. A shocker, indeed. Anyone who said Manning might not play was trying to make news, not report it. Dungy also had some very encouraging news about Marvin Harrison:

“The last I heard from the doctors meeting was that Marvin would be ready to go,” Dungy said of his 35-year-old receiver. “He’s been running and feeling good and everyone is optimistic.”

Based on last year's botched job, many are more than a little cynical of Dungy's prognosis of Harrison. However, unlike last year, Marvin is running and not feeling pain. That's a very good sign. If Marvin is healthy, and it sounds like he is, other NFL teams thinking they have a shot at the Colts just made one big collective groan.

And unlike Bill Polian, Dungy does indeed care that the drafted rookies get signed before camp. In fact, he thinks they'll all be there. With yesterday's signing of 6th rounder Pierre Garcon, Dungy has reason to be optimistic:

The optimist in Dungy also anticipates a rash of rookie signings before Thursday’s midafternoon reporting deadline.

On Tuesday, sixth-round pick Pierre Garcon, a receiver, became the first of Indy’s nine draft picks to sign. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Colts also appear close to an agreement with their top pick, offensive lineman Mike Pollak, who was taken late in the second round.

“Things are going smoothly and we expect him to be in camp on time,” said Ken Zuckerman, Pollak’s agent.

One of the more humorous aspects of the Colts is how Yin and Yang the combo of Dungy and Polian are. It's likely one of the reasons why they have been so successful together. The one bit of bad news for Virginia fans is presumed #2 TE tom Santi will start training camp on the PUP with a (sigh) infected bursa sac. This is the same thing Manning had surgery on.

Honestly, I'm getting real tired of reading the words "infected bursa sac."

The Terre Haute's Tribune Star has their training camp preview up, and (shockingly) it is far more detailed, thoughtful, and interesting than any preview I've ever read at the Indianapolis Star. And unlike the horrid NFL.com camp preview we trashed last week, the TH preview seems to know what its talking about and validates many of off-season themes we've discussed since March.

Good God. Was March really just  months ago?

The preview's author, Tom James, starts off (after going through the usual who's hurt and why stuff) by naming the Players to Watch: Roy Hall, Mike Pollak, and Philip Wheeler. All three were impressive during the two minicamps and the off0season programs. We've written often about Pollak and Hall, so I found this nugget about Wheeler intriguing:

Slated to be the top reserve behind starter Gary Brackett at middle linebacker as a rookie, he may get a chance to prove what he can do as the team’s strong side linebacker.

Hagler’s pectoral injury could force a move to the outside for the hard-hitting linebacker from Georgia Tech. Wheeler might be in the mix as a replacement when the team reports for training camp. His ability to quickly diagnose a play, combined with his speed and quickness, should serve him well if given the opportunity.

Tyjuan Hagler better heal up quick, because I'm starting to think that Wheeler will win his job as strongside LBer when the pre-season closes.

Some other interesting notes are the possibility of second year player Clifton Dawson transitioning to a lead blocker on short yardage. This is the first I've heard of this, and definitely something I will look at when I get to camp. Other sleepers they mentioned for camp were WR Devin Aromashodu, WR Courtney Roby, WR Pierre Garcon, WR Sam Giguere, WR Charles Dillon, WR Rudy Burgess, TE Gijon Robinson, RB Chad Simpson, DE Ben Ishola, DE Curtis Johnson, DT Colin Ferrell, DT Eric Foster DT Joe Bradley, LB Jordan Senn, LB Kyle Shotwell, CB Brandon Foster, CB Antonio Smith, and SS Jamie Silva. James also says the free agent rookie Sam Giguere is a "Wes Welker clone."

Is Clifton Dawson Indy's new fullback?

via cache.viewimages.com

Tom James put emphasis on players like Eric Foster and Devin Aromashodu:

Aromashodu got the attention of his teammates last year as he filled in on a limited basis for Harrison.

...

Foster is a definitely possibility to earn a spot on the team at the end of training camp.

The article also suggests that kick returning duties will get shared between Dom Rhodes, Dillon, Burgess, Mike Hart, and Simpson. James does not mention TJ Rushing returning kicks, which is interesting to say the least. He did say this about Rushing:

Rushing was drafted to be the team’s kick and punt returner but has proved to be a pretty good cornerback when given the chance to play.

Perhaps Rushing's ability to play CB made him too much of a commodity to just throw out there as a returner. Again, we will pay close attention to see if Rushing is still returning kicks and punts in camp.

Finally, James names his up-and-coming players that could come out of camp and pre-season ready to make an immediate positive impact on the team during the regular season:

In addition to Hall, Pollak and Wheeler, other key players figure to be tight ends Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi; defensive end Marcus Howard; outside linebackers Clint Session and Ramon Guzman; cornerbacks Dante Hughes, Micheal Coe, and Tim Jennings; safeties Melvin Bullitt and Brannon Condren.

Indianapolis’ break out performers could very well be Tamme, Howard, Session, Hughes, Jennings and Bullitt.

This is what football previews are supposed to give you, boys and girls. This article has me fired up big time for training camp, which starts in just four days!

Tom Santi via The Sabre.Com

With Ben Utecht gone to Cincy and Bryan "Mr. Suggestion" Fletcher cut a few months ago, the battle to play the #2 TE position is between Tom Santi (rookie), Jacob Tamme (rookie), and Gijon Robinson (2nd year player). Understand, the #2 TE is not a "backup" to Dallas Clark. At its core, the Colts offense is a base 2 TE offense. So, when you see Colts in 3 WR, even with Clark lined up as the slot guy, it is still not the base offense. The Colts like the 2 TE because they can both run and pass from the formation with great affect, and it is one of the reasons why Tamme and Santi were drafted this year. The Colts want to go back to more 2 TE formations. However, to do that, someone must step up in training camp and take the job.

If you want to go basic and just look that general traits, the three players in question breakdown as such:

Jacob Tamme: Great athlete, tall, great hands, great TE speed, can't block his grandmother to the fridge on Thanksgiving let alone an NFL-caliber linebacker on a blitz

Gijon Robinson: Great size, knows the offense having spent 2007 on the practice squad, excellent run blocker, not fast or athletic

Tom Santi: Solid blocker, solid receiver, decent speed, tough, leader, doesn't really wow you with anything

Just looking at the basics, Santi is the one who clearly fits what the Colts need at the #2 TE position. He's not deficient in any one area, save experience. He also hails from TE University, aka University of Virginia. Colts Couch Crew did a nice write-up on Santi a while back:

Some call it Tight End U.

No, it’s not a Hanes commercial.

It’s the University of Virginia, where head coach Al Groh has made it his mission to turn tight ends into more than guys who can block and catch the occasional ball over the middle.

One of Groh’s latest achievements: Tom Santi, the senior tight end chosen in the sixth round by the Indianapolis Colts.

...

If you play tight end at Virginia, you must be an accomplished blocker. That’s something Santi brings to the table, something that perhaps makes him more valuable all-around than Jacob Tamme, drafted two rounds earlier. While Santi lined up at wide receiver on occasion at Virginia, he won’t stretch the field or wow you with his speed and athleticism like Tamme.

Instead, what you’ll get from Santi is a hard-nosed player who’s bright (he finished with a 3.35 GPA and was an ACC Academic All-American Selection), has tremendous size (6′4″, 248) and seems willing to do just about anything.

It seems, based on who they are and how they were drafted, that Santi will assume Utecht's old role while Tamme will take on Fletcher's role, with a few wrinkles. Bill Polian said Tamme would be the Colts "flex" guy, or "move player." This means we can expect Tamme to get split out wide as a receiver, lineup at TE, or even run routes out of the backfield. His speed, route running, hands, and athleticism will drive safeties and linebackers nuts.

Jacob Tamme

via Chris Hall at Colts.com

But, there is the off chance that Tamme could show up in camp and prove he can actually block someone. If he does, Tamme could push Santi for that starting spot, because the "flex" guy doesn't usually start.

And then there is Gijon Robinson, a dark horse player one should not underestimate. Robinson played FB in college. Last year, the Colts signed him as an undrafted rookie, converting him to H-Back. With Luke Lawton traded, we might see the Colts shift Robinson back to FB. Of the three TEs, he is the biggest in weight (255 pounds), and he is a proven lead blocker. Santi also played some FB in college due to injury to Virginia's starting FB. The key for Robinson is proving he can make plays after catching the ball. His Combine report from 2007 said he lacked the ability to run after the catch. Also, based on his SI.com college profile, he might need to show he can pass block. Lead blocking on running plays is one thing. Pass blocking is a different mindset and technique. Also, he's only 6' tall, and as much as I state that height and size are over-rated (and they are), a starting TE must be over 6' tall.Despite his size Robnson is tough and has high character.

I can see a place for all three of these guys on the roster, which is likely why Luke Lawton was traded, Bryan Fletcher cut, and Ben Utecht allowed to sign with the Bengals. Robinson might fill Lawton's role, Tamme's got Fletcher's, and Santi is the front runner for Utecht's. I'd like to see all three step in and compete for the #2 TE, pushing each other to get better. Despite losing 2/3 of their TEs this off-season, the additions of Santi and Tamme, and Robinson's development could make this unit better in 2008.

The key is Santi. He has to come into training camp, learn this offense quick, and prove something if the Colts want to run more 2 TE.

The Chicago Tribune has an AP story up on rookie TE Jacob Tamme and how  he and Tom Santi will change the Colts offense:

Most scouts graded Tamme a better receiver than blocker, not surprising for a converted receiver, but that's part of the reason Tamme was still available when the Colts picked at No. 127.

Indy took a different view.

Thinking if they had two versions of Clark to use, Colts scouts figured defenses would have even more problems contending with Indy's already potent offense and hedged their bet by taking Virginia's Tom Santi as a bigger blocking tight end in the sixth round.

The rookies should give Indianapolis a new look.

Speaking of the Colts offense, Bob Kravitz seems to take issue with the Colts re-signing Dominic Rhodes (tip to Bullard47):

Let’s put it this way: If the Pacers had just signed Rhodes, we’d be killing them right now. But because they’re the Colts, and they’ve had a pretty good history of employing high-character guys — and because they still are basking in the glow of the Super Bowl — we’ve given them the benefit of the doubt.

Um, to put it simply: Yes. The Colts have earned the benefit of the doubt. The Pacers have not.

NFL.com's Vic Carucci thinks Dominic Rhodes is the missing ingredient the Colts needed to get back into the title hunt.

Here is the entire pre-season schedule. For us, football starts in less than three months. YES!

Colts.com has articles up on TE Tom Santi and OC Steve Justice. Here's an interesting part about Justice:

But as much as any honor, Justice said it is a statistic that mattered to him, and that drove him throughout a prestigious collegiate career.

The statistic: zero.

As in, zero plays missed in college because of injury.

“It’s the heart of a competitor,” Justice said recently in an interview for this story, the sixth of a nine-part series of stories on the Colts’ 2008 NFL Draft class that will run on Colts.com in the coming days.

“You want to be out there every snap you can and help the team win as much as possible.”

All this week we've been looking at our new draft choices, trying to see how they'll fit in on the team and all that fun jazz.  But we still don't really know much about the players as people.  It'll take a while to really get a feel for what they're like, but hopefully these facts will help us start to understand them better...or maybe not.

Mike Pollak: He's not, I repeat NOT related to Jackson Pollack.  Just because you were shouting "Who the #$&% is Mike Pollak?" when the Colts made their first pick doesn't change their relation, even if it's something that you'd also say about Jackson Pollack.

Philip Wheeler: Wheeler is the first Yellow Jacket to be drafted by the Colts since their move to Indianapolis.  In fact, the last player from Georgia Tech by the Colts was the immortal quarterback Jim Bob Taylor (I didn't make that name up, honestly) in 1983.

Most of you probably know the 1983 Draft as the famous "Quarterback draft" that had 6 QB's go in the first round, with 3 of them (Marino, Kelly, and that other QB the Colts drafted that year) going on to become Hall of Famers.  Jim Bob didn't go in the first round, and he didn't make it into the Hall of Fame (yet!), but he can claim one thing that none of the other quarterbacks can: Every single ball he passed in the NFL for the exact same yardage.  In his career he had two passing attempts, one was a completion for 20 yards, and the other was an interception that was returned 20 yards.

Jacob Tamme: He earned a degree in integrated strategic communications from Kentucky.  In other words, he should be working with Peyton at ESP level by the end of training camp.

Marcus Howard: Wanna see someone wet their pants?  Just whisper "Here comes Marcus!" in Colt Brennan's ear.

Tom Santi: If you re-arrange the letters in his name, you get moist ant.  I have no idea what a moist ant is, but it sounds pretty dirty.

Steve Justice: Remember how I talked about Philip Wheeler being first Yellow Jacket drafted by the Colts since 1983?  Steve Justice is the first Demon Deacon drafted by the Colts since 1968.

Mike Hart: Has no respect for Jim Harbaugh.

Pierre Garcon: When he's not being made fun of for his especially French-sounding name, he's got a penchant for some pretty dazzling catches, like this one:

Just think how much more spectacular it would have been had it counted.

Jamey Richard: According to his bio, the most impressive person he's ever met is Phil Simms.  I guess that means that Jamey isn't a snowball advocate.