In every sport there are players that may not have a lot of discernable value, but they're decent backups that fans enjoy just so long as they don't have a major impact on the game that's being played.  Obviously, the man in the picture above me would fit that billing.  Granted, it's a tight fit, but a fit nonetheless.

Jared's presence on the Colts changes a lot of things for the Colts.   Mainly Jim Sorgi's sense of security and the team's food budget, but he'll have an impact on other parts of the team as well.  Plus, you all know this scene is going to happen at some point during training camp:

Jeff Saturday: I don't want you to make fun of him, just because he's different ... Aha ha ha! Hey look! That kids got bosoms! Has anybody got a wet towel? (begins chasing Jared, whipping him with a towel) Come here you butterball!

Jared: Don't make me run! I'm full of chocolate!

Personally, I think I'm going to love every minute that Jared is a Colt, but in all of the hoopla that comes with signing He Ate Me, let's not forget one very important point.

He might be our starting quarterback on opening night.

While we all remain confident that Peyton will be back in plenty of time for the first game of the season, we can't dismiss the possibility that he won't be ready.  If the unthinkable happens, we're left with 3 options at QB and if Sorgi can't hold on to his spot as backup QB and if it's no play for Mr, Gray, then we just might have to get used to a world where we have to think big.

I bet Joseph Addai wouldn't mind taking a few handoffs from Hefty Lefty:

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!

We've got 11 more days until players under contract are to report to training camp. The national media buzz will likely center on idiots like Chad Johnson, Pacman Jones, and the dysfunctional mess that is the Dallas Cowboys. For us, we have different interests. For me, I always get a little nervous because of the rookie signing situation, as you can see. As of today, no rookies for the Colts are signed. Hopefully, we will see some guys get inked this week.

In a post some time ago, you expressed the following interests in TC:

• Roy Hall's development
• Who is Eric Foster, and is he good?
• Who starts: Pollak or Charlie?
• Is Dwight healthy? Is Bob healthy?
• Is Marvin Harrison done?
• Tony Ugoh's development
• More blitzing from the defense?
• The running backs, in particular Dominic Rhodes and Mike Hart
• Why was Pierre Garcon drafted, and who is Samuel Giguere?
• Can the special teams FINALLY be good?

Now, after we've leanred more about guys like Pollak and have had to deal with typical off-season annoyances (like Tyjuan Hagler's injury), do other things perk your interest? Like, say, Philip Wheeler starting at SAM?

Yes, Bill Polian is an amazing football operations guy. Probably the best in football. Hall of Fame executive, no doubt. He's also entertaining to listen to on the radio. I chuckle every time he says the word "Patriots" because it comes out sounding like PAY-TREE-OTS.

But if there is on thing about Polian that annoys the absolute piss out of me it is how he signs draft picks. The man literally waits until the last minute to sign them.

Now, this is not an unusual practice. Most of the first round picks are not signed, including 2nd overall pick Chris Long. But other teams, like Chicago, have signed their second round picks. And, I'm sorry, but if you are in picks 3-7 and you are haggling over money, you're just petty. So, it is somewhat maddening the, less than two weeks from training camp, that all of the Colts rookies are as yet unsigned.

Maybe some deals were made and the Colts haven't announced them yet. Maybe players like Pollak and Wheeler know they have a shot at winning a starting job, and want starter-like money. Who knows. But, it is the not knowing that is maddening. Make no mistake though, Pollak and Wheeler must sign their contracts ASAP and be in camp on the first day. If they don't, then they will likely lose any chance of starting this season, aside from someone getting hurt, and fans will boo the utter piss out of them for putting greed ahead of the team. Like many fans, I'm fine with veterans asking for more money. They earned it.

Rookies haven't done jack squat, and rookie holdouts are about the closest thing to NFL scum this side of Chris Henry. Sign the contracts, come to camp, and prove something. 

Shut up and sign your contract, Philip. I want to see you smash the PAY-TREE-OTS.

via www.playatgatech.com

UPDATE:

From jdb in the comments:

Actually, this year it may be related to the failure to extend the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Heard John Clayton on the radio a couple days ago saying that the because there’s basically a situation with an uncapped year coming up at the end of the current CBA that it throws bonus math completely out of whack. Found a short article about that by Clayton on ESPN.com

Under the rookie pool, base salaries can only increase 25 percent per year, but agents found a loophole in which a draft choice can receive a one-time bonus and guarantee it in the final year of the contract. This particularly affects second-round choices because they sign four-year deals. The problem in this summer’s negotiations is that there is no collective bargaining agreement in 2011 so the fourth year of the contract can’t be involved in any kind of guarantees.

So while Polian may have a thing with taking awhile to get rookies signed, if it seems to drag on longer this year it might not be totally his fault. And as for booing rookies who take awhile to get signed, I hate that and think it’s pretty classless. They are trying to get the best deal possible to play a game that will take a big physical toll on them and in a sport where the contracts aren’t guaranteed. I can’t blame them one bit for it.

Charlie Johnson is switching to OG this year

Not long ago, Deshawn Zombie said this about the NFL off-season:

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, I'm not re-quoting this to bash Desmond or anything. I inserted it to push a point (a point Deshawn likely agrees with): We Colts fans are very lucky that the big question mark heading into training camp is who will win the starting OG spot. One could argue that, with Tyjuan Hagler's moronic injury, that the starting SAM backer is now a top priority. But, despite the need to find someone early in the season to replace Hagler, the fact is this team is built around the offense. This team must get back to running the football with two running backs, and it must do a better job protecting Peyton Manning. Therefore, for me, OG is still the priority.

Back in April, the Colts used their first pick in the 2008 draft (Round Two) to take Arizona State's Mike Pollak. Pollak played OC, but after drafting him, Bill Polian made it clear Pollak was shifting to OG. During rookie and veteran minicamps, Pollak worked at OG along with three year vet Charlie Johnson, a guy whose play has been so up and down you'd think he had a yo-yo tied around his neck. Both Pollak and Johnson are competing for the starting OG spot, and both have the tools necessary to play well there.

But make no mistake, I don't care if Pollak is a rookie. He better beat out Johnson, because if he doesn't then Bill Polian wasted his first pick in 2008.

After minicamp back in May, the buzz about Pollak was very good. He's a smart kid with toughness; the kind of guy Howard Mudd loves to coach. Go back to Pollak's scouting reports, and a few key traits jump out consistently:

Perhaps the strongest and toughest blocker in the Pac-10 Conference, the Sun Devils relied on the leader of their line to stabilize the offense up front...

Plays on his feet and uses his hands effectively to redirect the defender with authority...

All-out battler in one-on-one situations and has a good grasp of the playbook, making all of the blocking calls up front...Good team leader whose work ethic is emulated by the squad's younger players...

It seems that the key to winning the job, which now seems to be Pollak's to lose, is how well the OG run blocks. This is not to diminish the importance of pass blocking. Last year, likely as a result of numerous injuries to the o-line all season, Peyton Manning was sacked 23 times. The year before that, when they won the Super Bowl, they allowed an NFL low 15 sacks. But it was not pass blocking that stalled the Colts offense against the SD Chargers in the playoffs. It was a lack of a running game.

Bill Polian made it clear after the draft that the Colts now have the kind of depth they desire on the o-line to get back to running the ball with authority. Polian knows that if you give Peyton a running game, he will kill the opponent every. single. time. Pollak seems to have the skills needed to run block for Indy, but what about Charlie Johnson? Charlie has taken over Dylan Gandy's old roll as jack-of-all-trades o-lineman. If needed, Charlie could play four o-line positions. However, despite Charlie's excellent rookie season, which saw him step in early in the Super Bowl and stone the Bears Alex Brown all game long, Charlie struggled in 2007. Speed rushers gave Charlie fits. Rosevelt Colvin introduced himself to Charlie in the fourth quarter of the Pats v. Colts game last year, blowing right by him in route to a sack and forced fumble on Peyton.

Converting Charlie to OG allows him to work on his strengths and, potentially, grow in one position. With the Colts investing in young OTs Tony Ugoh, Michael Toudouze, and Dan Federkeil (who is returning from injury last season), Charlie is not needed as a primary back-up. Charlie's a tough guy and a hard worker. So, his tenacity should not be underestimated by anyone. He wants to start, and wants to dominate.

As many of you know, I LOVE training camp competitions. They are vital to making your team better. The training camp battle between Jason David and Marlin Jackson in 2006 made both players better, and as a result the pass defense for the Champs that year was dominant. Pollak and Johnson should have the same spirited level of friendly competition. In the end, it will make them, and the team, better.

UPDATE:

ESPN's Hashmarks blog had this to say recently about Mike Pollak:

So who stands to make the biggest impact among AFC South rookies?

In Indianapolis, if Mike Pollak beats out veteran Charlie Johnson in the battle to replace free agent departure Jake Scott, he could be a big contributor. No, right guard isn't left tackle, but remember how nicely the team slid Tony Ugoh into retired Tarik Glenn's spot as a rookie, a year ahead of the plan?

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.

So, with Colvin signing with Houston, we now have a fairly good idea what the Colts roster will likely look like heading into training camp. Oh, and why did Colvin sign with Hosuton? Was it the team? The chance to win? Nope, it was money. We also have some news and links about many players who folks have been asking about:

• I’m starting to really like Pro Football Weekly. More great stuff from their The Way We Hear It section:

  Word out of Indianapolis is that super-sized WR Roy Hall appears poised to finally make an impact. Injuries and poor fundamentals kept him from so much as catching a pass during his rookie year, but a team insider noted to PFW that he has finally learned how to catch the ball with his hands instead of trapping it against his body and looks markedly more natural on the field. At 6-3 and 240 pounds, he’s always had the body. The insider also noted that undrafted rookie WR Sam Giguere out of Canada has been a revelation. Nonetheless, he faces an uphill battle to earn a roster spot.

  I did an interview with The Football Guys last week, and they asked me specifically about Roy Hall. Bottom line, if Roy Hall shows up to camp and displays dramatic improvement, this offense will continue to send chills down my spine. Add to this the "revelation" that is Samuel "Guns" Giguere. Unlike last year, we might actually have some back-up WRs who can catch the friggin ball. Oh, and if Giguere and Hall are legit, Devon Aromashodu is out of a job.
• More from PFW (not PFT, the armpit of Internet football news):

  The Colts harbored high expectations for second-round rookie OG Mike Pollak entering the team’s offseason program. The way we hear it, it hasn’t taken him long to justify the coaches’ hopes. Pollak has adjusted well enough to the NFL and a relatively new position — he played the bulk of his Arizona State collegiate career at center after switching from guard — that he’s not only penciled in as the starting right guard but has impressed the coaches to the point that they felt comfortable cutting veteran Dylan Gandy. Gandy and Pollak were initially expected to stage one of the team’s bigger position battles. OL coach Howard Mudd isn’t averse to throwing rookies right into the fray, with the latest example of a first-year pro thriving under his tutelage being the solid play of OLT Tony Ugoh last season. That being said, a source close to the club said that converted OT Charlie Johnson cannot be overlooked. Although not quick enough to handle speed rushers on the outside, Johnson possesses the raw power to be a solid interior lineman. It still figures to be Pollak’s position to lose, but if he struggles when thrown the entirety of the playbook in training camp, Johnson could certainly emerge atop the depth chart.

  This is good news. I’m glad they are allowing Johnson and Pollak to compete for the same job, but Pollak should win this thing hands down. If he doesn’t, Polian wasted his 2nd round pick. It’s just that simple. I like Charlie Johnson, and I think he adds a vital piece to this team. The guy can play four offensive line positions (though he kind of sucks playing LT). But Pollak was drafted specifically to play OG right now, replacing Jake Scott. If Pollak can’t do that right now, we got problems. But, articles like PFW’s tell me Pollak is on his way to winning the job.
• Surprise! We are now in week 7 and no chargers against Marvin Harrison. He’s still not even a suspect. Heck, the case barely has enough evidence to continue. We’re also still not sure the gun used was even Marvin Harrison’s despite news outlets reporting that it was. This was a colossal screw up by ESPN, WIP Radio, Deadspin, AOL, Yahoo, and just about anyone else who flamed the fans of this non-story. The prize winner for hack buffoonery on this is still Mike Florio of PFT. I still love his legal analysis piece he did for The Sporting News. Again folks, if ever you are in trouble with the law, do not let Mike Florio represent you. He is a clueless moron who knows as much about the law as I do about the latest women’s handbag trends. Why these supposed journalists and football fans would want to tear down the greatest WR not named Jerry Rice I don’t know.
• Tragically, former Colts Jonathan Goddard passed away recently. He was 27. Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

This is what Colts offensive line coach Howard Mudd looks like when he's smiling:

But believe it or not, ole Howard is a happy camper these days. Why? Because his boss, Bill Polian, finally drafted him some o-linemen instead of tossing him scraps from the undrafted free agent pile. Mudd recently chatted with Colts.com writer John Oehser about his current crop of linemen, and the old coach seemed positively chipper:

The Colts selected three offensive linemen – guard Mike Pollak (second round), center Steve Justice (sixth) and guard Jamey Richard (seventh) – in the 2008 NFL Draft, the most offensive linemen the team has drafted in one offseason since Mudd’s 1998 arrival.

The selection of Pollak also marked the earliest the Colts had selected a lineman during his tenure.

"I like them," Mudd said of the trio. "They’re about what we thought they were when we drafted them. I don’t know that they’re real happy with where they are right now. They’d like to be able to do everything a lot better, but if that was the case, we’d have had to draft them a lot sooner than we did.

"But I’m very encouraged. They are exactly what we thought they’d be."

Not sure if Howard meant to quote former Cardinals coach Dennis Green with that last sentence, but who cares. If Howard likes the men he is coaching going into camp, it bodes very well for the Colts offense. Last season, the Colts o-line was nearly decimated by injuries. At one point, with both Tony Ugoh and Charlie Johnson hurt, the Colts had to start Jake Scott, an OG, at left tackle.

I'm amazed Peyton wasn't killed.

This year, with a new crop of youngsters, and promising reserve tackle Dan Federkeil returning from injury, the Colts are much deeper at offensive line. Now, I've made my thoughts on the open starting OG position very clear: Mike Pollak must win the starting job or he was a wasted second round pick for 2008. I'm sure he will develop into a fine player, but if you are an OG taken in the second round, you better be able to produce right now. Fortunately, Mike also sees this, and is working his butt off to become a starter:

Pollak said his challenge during OTAs has been as much mental as physical, something he said he expected.

"Right now, you’re trying to get down techniques and assignments," Pollak said. "When the pads come on, the game speeds up again. That’s the biggest key, so

when it’s time to put the pads on you know what you’re doing, so you can fly around 100 percent.

"I knew coming in that (Colts quarterback) Peyton Manning’s offense was going to be a complicated one. That goes to show you why they’re one of the best teams in the league every year. It’s kind of what I expected, but it is a lot of work, too, studying every day."

Said Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy, "Mike is doing fine. He’s doing what you should do at this point. He’s grasping everything. He’s with Howard and (assistant offensive line coach) Pete (Metzelaars). He’s asking questions, doing all the right things. He’s doing just fine. He’s right on schedule.

Though Pollak is working hard, he might have been one of the recent rookies to express a certain frustration with their progress during OTAs. This is not  necessarily a bad thing:

As for the rookies being generally dissatisfied with their progress, Mudd said there likely is a lot of good to be taken from that.

"If they were pleased with where they were, we probably don’t want them," he said. "You can’t have a player being satisfied with where they are."

Gotta love Howard Mudd. Even though he looks like Captain Caveman and is about as warm and fuzzy as a Howitzer, but  he's still probably the best offensive line coach in football. Yes, I know guys like Alex Gibbs get lots of publicity, but all Mudd does is take first round picks (Tarik Glenn) and undrafted nobodys (Jeff Saturday) and turn them into potential Hall of Famers.

And if he's happy with his linemen, the Colts offense is going to be scary good this year because it seems Howard Mudd is never "happy" with anything.

Well, ok. I guess he's happy when he's near Peyton.

Photo via media3.washingtonpost.com