Fourth Guess As To The Colts 2011 53-Man Roster

Last time I made a roster guess, back on Aug. 22nd, I wrote that the Colts would sign a veteran back-up quarterback because... well, how could they not? If management thought Curtis Painter could quarterback this team in a real game, they probably should not be in charge of the front office. Painter is a bad QB. One good quarter against the Packers does not change that.

That said, here is my fourth 'guess' as to what the 53-man roster should be. Mind you, this is who I think should make the team, not who will. Despite the B.S. the Colts feed to us fans, they often do not retain 'the best players.' If a player is a first or second day pick, one is likely to be retained on the roster no matter how bad that person as played.

Is this a dumb way to run a football team? Yes. Unfortunately, ego and pride drive decisions-making in this business, not always objectivity.

QB: Peyton Manning, Kerry Collins

RB: Joseph Addai, Delone Carter, Javarris James, Chad Spann

WR: Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, T.J. Houshmandzadeh*, David Gilreath

TE: Dallas Clark, Jacob Tamme, Brody Eldridge, Justin Snow

LT: Anthony Castonzo, Michael Toudouze

LG: Joe Reitz, Jacques McClendon

OC: Jeff Saturday, Jake Kirkpatrick

RG: Ryan Diem, Kyle DeVan

RT: Jeff Linkenbach, Ben Ijalana

Defense after jump...

RE: Dwight Freeney, John Chick, Tyler Brayton

NT: Antonio Johnson, Ricardo Mathews

UT: Fili Moala, Drake Nevis, Tommie Harris

LE: Robert Mathis, Jamaal Anderson

WILL: Ernie Sims, Kavell Conner

MIKE: Gary Brackett, Adrian Moten

SAM: Pat Angerer, Philip Wheeler

CB: Jerraud Powers, Kevin Thomas, Chris Rucker

CB: Justin Tryon, Jacob Lacey, Brandon King

FS: Antoine Bethea

SS: Melvin Bullitt, Joe Lefeged, Mike Newton

P: Pat McAfee

K: Adam Vinatieri

Kick returns are Joe Lefegend. Punt returns are David Gilreath. 

Why did I cut Donald Brown? Simple, he isn't very good. He hasn't run the ball well in preseason, and for the past two years, he's been outplayed by pretty much everyone else whose played the position. This year, Delone Carter and Javarris James have outplayed him, and Joesph Addai (the man Brown was drafted to replace) is still a better overall player. Keeping Brown is nothing more than a 'pride' move. He's a wasted roster spot.

Why did I cut Jerry Hughes? Same reason as Brown. He's a bust. Also, he's been outplayed by Jamaal Anderson, Tyler Brayton, and even John Chick. So, unless you want one of those guys cut, even though all three are (right now) significantly better than Hughes, the argument for retaining Hughes loses credibility. Last year, Hughes was an utterly useless player. This year, despite playing significant time on defense in preseason, he's logged two games with zero tackles, zero pressures, and zero sacks. They say a player's biggest leap is from year one to year two. Well, Hughes clearly hasn't made much of a leap.

Why did I cut Anthony Gonzalez? Because he's hurt... again. Injured players are useless players, and while Gonzo is a great person, he is a brittle football player. The team is better served signing Houshmandzadeh, and keeping Gilreath as a returner.

Why did I cut Mike Pollak? He isn't a better guard than DeVan, Ijalana, or McClendon as a reserve. Also, he hasn't done much to earn a spot as the back-up center. Kirkpatrick offers potential, and DeVan plays center better than Polak right now.

Why did I cut Blair White? I didn't. I say he lands on P.U.P.

Why did I cut Curtis Painter? Do I seriously need to explain to you why?

What about practice squad? The Colts would be idiots not to sign Ollie Ogbu, John Gill, Mike McNeill, and Chris Brooks to the squad. All have played very well in preseason.

Obviously, I'm no so deluded as to think the Polian Family will admit error and finally jettison their draft failures from 2008-2010, but the reality is they should. The bottom line is winning, not trying to prove critics wrong. Brown, Pollak, Painters, and Hughes are all useless players for the Indianapolis Colts. They've done nothing this preseason, or in seasons past, to warrant a 2011 roster spot.

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?