Jamie Silva was a serious playmaker in college. Photo: Scouts.com

I'm taking a break from bashing Mike Florio to actually talk about something important: Free agent rookies!

Now, I know some of you out there are scoffing, making fun of the fact that I care about who the Colts sign as rookie free agents. The truth is rookie free agents as important, if not more important, than the draft. Don't believe me? Ok then, who had a bigger impact on the Colts in 2007: Anthony Gonzalez, or Ed Johnson? You can make a strong argument for both, but I personally think Johnson edges out Gonzo because without big Ed the Colts defense reverts back to the regular season defense we all were tortured with in 2006. Remember when we all stated that the Colts could not afford to lose Booger McFarland, and then two days into training camp they did... for the season! McFarland was quickly replaced by an undrafted, free agent rookie named Ed Johnson. Johnson started every single game at DT for the 2007, and the Colts defense became the #2 defense in football.

So, when I say undrafted free agents are important, I damn well mean it! Oh, and nobody finds diamond-in-the-rough rookies via free agency like Bill Polian. No one.

Today, we'll focus a bit on two gents the Colts signed as rookie free agents: DE Curtis Johnson out of Clark Atlanta and SS Jamie Silva out of BC.

Both Curtis Johnson and Jamie Silva were Scouting Combine invites, and both have very strong scouting reports available at NFL.com. Both fit the bill for a Cover 2-style defense. Both are high character individuals with speed, explosiveness, and a knack for getting the football.

Starting with Silva, NFL.com compares him to Arizona's Corey Chavous:

Few safeties in the professional ranks have the instinctive feel for the ball and knowledge of the action in front of him that Chavous displays. Silva plays with the same field vision, ball anticipation and determination. He is a physical tackler who excels in run support and does a nice job of impeding the ballcarrier's forward progress with his hard-hitting wrap-up tackling skills. He has small, yet natural hands to make the interception and is very good at gaining placement in attempts to reroute the receiver. What he lacks in hip fluidness and explosive second gear, he makes up for with solid tackling skills, taking proper angles and great anticipation skills. Toss in his total disregard for his own well-being, determination to make the play and an added bonus with his kamikaze-style of play on special teams and you have player who is certain to be a fan favorite.

The Colts have some excellent depth at safety with Bob, Antoine, Giordano, and Melvin Bullitt. However, if a player like Bullitt is to retain his job in Indy, he needs to prove that he can become an excellent special teams player. With Silva, he seems to have the speed and ballhawking ability needed to play safety in Dungy's Cover 2, but it is not another safety Indy needs.

Indy needs a special teams ace, and if Silva can play the kind of special teams that the Scouting Combine people think he can play, he could beat out Bullitt. Small side note, Silva could have played college ball at IU, but rejected their offer.

Curtis Johnson Photo: Patsy Collier

With Curtis Johnson, the Colts have another speed rusher off the edge similar to 5th round pick Marcus Howard. Scouts compare Johnson to Joey Porter, who played DE in college, but was transitioned to LBer in the Pittsburgh 3-4 package.

Johnson is not as instinctive as Porter in locating the ball and will need to totally revamp his pass drop and coverage skills, but he has a violent hand punch to overpower big blockers and a good burst off the edge to be a superb edge rusher. His strong hands have seen him have good success dislodging ballcarriers from the ball. With his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield, he will bring instant value in pass-rushing situations. He is also a very capable coverage defender on special teams. The big thing here will be getting Johnson a patient coach. Doing so could unearth a Pro Bowler before long. He was tried at both inside and outside linebacker in postseason all-star action and held up very well on the edge. The mental aspect of playing inside will be too much for him to grasp at this early stage of his possible shift to a stand-up defender from one with his hand on the ground. Look for Johnson to become the first noteworthy CAU product since former NFL fullback Chuck Evans (1993-2000), who was drafted in the 11th round in 1992.

Like with Silva, Johnson could find his niche on the team as a special teams gunner. However, I'm of the mindset that the more pass rushers Indy has, the better. Losing Freeney, Mathis, and Brock killed Indy's chances of repeating last year. I do not want that to happen again, especially with excellent secondary Indy has. Johnson's one problem is his lack of bulk. He's taller than Robert Mathis and Marcus Howard, but weighs less. He will need to add some muscle in order to stay healthy in the NFL. Johnson was considered on of the "best kept secrets" in college football after he impressed many during his last year in college.

If Curtis Johnson displays the same knack at getting to the QB as he did in college, adding him (along with Howard and potentially Rosevelt Colvin) would make Indy's pass rush even more deadly.

 

AP Photo/Phil Coale

Right after the Colts made Philip Wheeler their 3rd round draft choice, I received this email from David Halprin, head writer over at Blogging the Boys telling me that the Colts had "drafted his guy." David is a huge Philip Wheeler fan, and I got the sense he was hoping Dallas might have a shot at him. And why not? At 6'2, 245 pounds, Wheeler made his name in college football as a devastating blitzing LBer. This kind of backer is perfect for the Cowboys, Browns, or even the Patriots.

So, why did a team like Indy, who NEVER blitzes their LBers, draft Philip Wheeler?

At first, I thought they drafted Wheeler with the intention to play him down on the line, like they are doing with Marcus Howard. However, when Bill Polian did his press conference after the draft, he made it clear that Wheeler is staying at LBer. Translation: Tyjuan Hagler better have a monster camp to keep his job.

Leading up to the draft, I did profiles on LBers I thought would fit the Colts' scheme. These were guys who tackled well, played well in zone coverage, hit hard, and had ball hawking skills. Players like Gary Brackett, Freddie Keiaho, and Hagler fit this mold. With Wheeler, when you look at his Scouting Combine report, it's as if Polian totally broke away from the mold:

Adequate worker in the offseason and needs to be monitored in the weight room...Although he can make plays on passes he has a shot at, he lacks natural ball skills or hands...Poor playmaker in zone coverage...

Wheeler is not the second coming of Keith Brooking. He is an efficient blitzer who does a nice job of keeping plays in front of him, but he is too inconsistent in reading keys and his penetration skills might be better suited for the outside. However, he lacks the range to make plays in long pursuit, is a bit stiff in his hips and can be exposed when he comes out of his backpedal. He has some decent value forcing the run, but he fails to use good punch or hand placement vs. tight ends and is marginal in coverage. If some team can be happy with a two-down player, Wheeler might fit their needs, but he's not an every-down contributor based on his play in 2007.

When you read this, you have to wonder if Polian did not accidentally draft the wrong guy. This does not sound like a Cover 2 LBer at all. Yet, the Colts make no bones about it: Wheeler is playing LBer, and, as a 3rd round pick, Wheeler better be starting a LBer soon. Otherwise, this was a wasted pick; pure and simple.

Now, saying all that, there must have been something in Wheeler the Colts saw that led them to think he can play LBer in Indy's Tampa 2 scheme. Wheeler will certainly be the biggest LBer Indy had, but his issues playing in zone coverage better get corrected. Wheeler is an explosive hitter and a dynamic force as a tackler. Maybe, with certain defensive packages, Indy will use Wheeler as a surprise blitz backer.

We will see. Colts.com has good article up on Wheeler here.

I'm doing an ongoing series over at Mocking the Draft on which teams improved themselves enough in the draft to move up to the top or stay on top, and which teams didn't. Here's what I said about the Colts and Titans:

AFC South

Yin:

  Indianapolis Colts

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go ahead and say it. The Colts blogger gives his favorite team props. Oh, who didn't see that coming. I'm sure some of you think that, but if you take the tin foil hat off for a sec you'll notice that many people thought the Colts did well with this draft. OG Mike Pollak, OC Steve Justice, and OL Jamey Richard give them excellent depth on the o-line. DE Marcus Howard will spell Freeney and Mathis as a pass rusher, and RB Mike Hart will help spell Joseph Addai. Colts addressed all their off-season needs in one draft. Solid, all around.

Yang:

  Tennessee Titans

The Titans reached big time for RB Chris Johnson in the 1st round despite having significant holes in their secondary and at DE. Jason Jones helps but he is not enough to stem the loses of both Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy to free agency. They didn't draft a DB until round 7 despite having horrid safeties and an aging Nick Harper.

Check out the rest of the AFC and NFC South post and the other divisions in the series at Mocking the Draft.

Take a look at what CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco said about Indy's draft:

Indianapolis Colts

Best pick: Taking Georgia linebacker/defensive end Marcus Howard in the fifth round is a steal. He's perfect for the Colts, who like undersized ends with speed.

Questionable move: Nothing really. They added interior line depth, which they had to have, and selected two tight ends, which they needed.

Second-day gem: Tight end Jacob Tamme, a fourth-round pick, is a converted receiver. The Colts lost Ben Utecht, so they try and replace him with Tamme.

Overall grade: B-. Third-round pick Phillip Wheeler is a typical Colts pick, a linebacker who can run.

So, let me get this straight, the Colts made a great pick in Howard, got a good second day gem in Tamme, and made no questionable moves or picks throughout the entire draft... and they get a B-?

This is why draft grades are dumb folks. I agree with Prisco's analysis (and I like how he talked about Howard over Mike Hart), but doesn't he realize how stupid it looks to give a team a B- after he praises them for doing a great job?

Mike Hart compares to Joseph Addai. Photo: via sportswrap.berecruited.com

Bill Polian let some of the air out of the Dom to Indy sails recently:

And the possibility of the Colts bringing back running back Dominic Rhodes, who was released by the Oakland Raiders on Monday, has also not been discussed as of yet.

"We didn’t discuss it [Tuesday]. [Head coach] Tony [Dungy] didn’t mention it. I think we’re pretty full at the position to be truthful with you," Polian said.

This leads me to believe the Colts plan to use newly drafted RB Mike Hart more than we expected, because I do not believe that Dungy or Polian feel Kenton Keith is better than Dominic Rhodes; because if they do they are dead wrong.

Of all the picks the Colts made over the weekend, the "sexiest" was Mike Hart. He's a name everyone in college football knows, and some were surprised he fell all the way to Indy in round 6. I'll be honest when I say I am a big Mike Hart fan. I thought he showed tremendous character after Michigan lost to Appalachia State. He seemed more in control of the Michigan team than his coach was. He carried the team on his back, and transformed the 2007 season for the Wolverines from utter disaster to one of respectability.

If you want to know why Mike Hart fell to the 6th round, the answer is simple: He's slow. He ran a 4.7 at the Combine. However, if you go to NFL.com's Combine site, guess who the scouts compare Hart to:

Compares To: JOSEPH ADDAI-Indianapolis...While Hart has a lot more mileage on his tires coming out of college than Addai did leaving LSU, both players are quick, darting runners with the ability to pound out the tough yardage up the middle or hit the cutback lanes. Addai is a better receiver than Hart, but the Michigan product protects the ball and is a physical blocker who plays with lots of aggression. He's shorter than ideal, but runs at a low pad level and has the leg drive to immediately break arm tackles. Had some injury problems as a senior, thanks to over 1,000 carries during his career, but until then, Hart proved very durable.

Hart is also a player who never fumbles. Ever. Despite all the pounding he took at Michigan, carrying that team on his back in 2007, he never gave up the football. Look for the Colts to use Hart near the goal line. His nasty attitude is something the running game has lacked a bit. While guys like Addai slide away from contact in order to gain extra yards, Hart initiates it, looking to punish anyone who tries to tackle him. This will add another element to the Colts running game, which must get better in the red zone.

If you want a theme for the 2008 draft, it seem pretty clear that Polian and Dungy wanted to get better running the ball in the red zone. Thus, they draft three interior linemen and a RB like Mike Hart. One early thing about Hart: The guy has stones. Check out what number he selected for his Colts jersey:

From NFLDraftBible.com:

INDIANAPOLIS
WR Rudy Burgess, Arizona State
DE Curtis Johnson, Clark Atlanta
WR Sam Giguere, Sherbrooke Canada
OT Darren Marquez, Southern Illinois
CB Brandon Foster, Texas
DT Dan Davis, UCONN

Interesting that neither Rudolph Hardie nor Titus Brown have been signed by anyone, let alone the Colts. Erin Henderson has not been signed because of durability concerns:

The questions about his durability and past injuries have hurt the status of Maryland junior LB Erin Henderson, according to several league sources.

 

UPDATE: According to jocre in the comments, Henderson was signed by the Vikings.

For those of you who love to hear my lovely voice, here's a Microsoft Mobile Post re-capping the Colts draft. The Re-cap starts with the first Mobile Post and continues with the second:

What did we learn about the 2008 NFL Draft and all those mocks that I showed you over a two month period? Well, that I'm a lot better at picking who the Denver Broncos wanted in the draft than the Indianapolis Colts. DT Carlton Powell, CB Jack Williams, and OC Kory Litchensteiger were all drafted by the Broncos from rounds 4-6. While sitting in Radio City as round 5 was winding down, TheSportsGuru was lamenting the Broncos had not drafted a DT. With both Williams and Lichtensteiger taken, I joked that Carlton Powell would get drafted next by Denver.

Sure enough, he was.

So now I am convinced Mike Shannahan reads this blog, and is getting scouting advice from it. This means I have helped a rival team get better. I'm sorry, Mr. Polian. I'm so, so sorry.

Back to reality, it is no surprise that people are already giving the Colts a "C" grade for the draft? But, regardless of the silly and useless "grade," everyone seems to believe that taking Mike Pollack was a coup at pick #59:

BEST MOVE

There's a reason why coach Tony Dungy and general manager Bill Polian have had such a successful tenure in Indianapolis. They're always thinking one, maybe even two, steps ahead of everyone else. Without a first-round pick (they traded it to San Francisco last year to get tackle Tony Ugoh), Dungy and Polian didn't try to make up for it by reaching for an immediate need in the second round.

With the No. 59 overall pick, they drafted Arizona State center Mike Pollack, who really was the best player on the Colts' draft board. The Colts already have a very solid center in Jeff Saturday, but he is getting older.

The beauty of this move is Pollack will get to spend a season learning from Saturday and the Colts won't have to draft a center next year.

Already on the Colts website, Pollack is listed as a OG. Jamey Richard out of Buffalo, who also played OC and was drafted in the 7th round, is listed as a general o-lineman, and may get moved to OT, OG, or whatever. Only Steve Justice, OC out of Wake Forest, is listed as a back-up center.

Going into the draft, we identified several specific needs the team had to address before the start of the 2008 season. It seems that in this draft, Bill Polian also saw those needs and did his best to address them. Those needs were:

• Back-up running back (Mike Hart, Round 6, Michigan)
• Pass rushers (Marcus Howard, Round 5, Georgia)
• Wide receiver and returner (Pierre Garcon, Round 6, Mount Union)
• Solid #2 tight end (Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi, Rounds 4 and 6, Kentucky and Virginia)
• Depth on the offensive line (they drafted three friggin' lineman, including one with their firstpick in the draft)

So, just like that, the Colts have addressed pretty much every need they had going into the 2008 season. The question now is can these guys come through. The Colts are also doing their normal thing post-draft, signing several rookie free agents. They recently signed Rudy Burgess, WR out of Arizona State.

So, while our team didn't quite get the flashy Chris Johnson or the explosive Matt Forte', they did what they always seem to do: Quietly OWN the draft, filling needs and stocking up on quality players. More fallout on the 2008 draft throughout the day.

Per KFFL, the Colts have signed the following rookie free agents:

DE Curtis Johnson, Clark Atlanta

DT Don Davis, Connecticut

CB Brandon Foster, Texas

 

Also, for you folks wondering why the Colts drafted WR Pierre "The Waiter" Garcon out of Division II Mount Union, this You Tube video might explain things for you:

 

 

So, with their last pick in the draft in the 7th round, with guys like DE Rudolph Hardie still on the board, Bill Polian drafted... another center?

In general, the 2008 draft will be remembered as the "trade draft." 33 trades were conducted during this draft, which is a record. However, for Colts fans, this draft will be remembered as the year of the center. In round 2, Indy took OC Mike Pollack out of Arizona State. In in the 6th round, they took Steve Justice, OC out of Wake Forest. And now, in the 7th round, the Colts have taken another OC: Jamey Richard out of Buffalo.

However, love for centers aside, the Colts addressed several key needs in this draft and got some great value late in the draft. DE Marcus Howard fell to the late 5th round, and the Colts snatched up LB Phillip Wheeler (who they may convert to DE) in round 3. Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi will provide depth at TE now that Ben Utecht is gone, and they managed to get a WR late in the 6th round.

All in all, the Colts addressed several key needs in the draft. They got their back-up, pass rushing DEs, addressed the interior of their o-line, and found a solid back-up RB. Per usual, Bill Polian delivers. More fall out from draft day coming your way as the 2008 NFL comes to a close.

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