Colts Have Suffered Losses But There's Still Plenty There, Especially on Offense
Team-By-Team Offseason Roundup
Indianapolis Colts
Players Released:
Brandon Stokley, WR
Montae Reagor, DT
Gilbert Gardner, LB
Free Agents Lost:
Dominic Rhodes, RB
Nick Harper, CB
Cato June, LB
Mike Doss, S
Jason David, CB
Free Agents Re-Signed:
Rob Morris, LB
Dan Klecko, DT
Jim Sorgi, QB
Rocky Boiman, LB
Free Agents Added:
John Navarre, QB
Rick DeMulling, G/T
Craphonso Thorpe, WR
Mike Seidman, TE
Draft:
Rd. 1 (No. 32 overall) Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio State
2 (42) Tony Ugoh, G/T, Arkansas
3 (95) Daymeion Hughes, CB, Cal
3 (98) Quinn Pitcock, DT, Ohio State
4 (131) Brannon Condren, S, Troy
4 (136) Clint Session, LB, Pitt
5 (169) Roy Hall, WR, Ohio State
5 (173) Michael Coe, CB, Alabama State
7 (242) Keyunta Dawson, DE, Texas Tech
Analysis:
It's been an offseason of subtractions for the Super Bowl champions. It's a natural phenomenon. The salary cap moves that all teams make are magnified because they come in the championship afterglow, and other clubs think they can tap into the Super Bowl magic by whisking away some players as free agents.
The Indianapolis Colts, for the most part, haven't lost core players. But they have lost contributing players. They released wide receiver Brandon Stokley, defensive tackle Montae Reagor and linebacker Gilbert Gardner. They watched tailback Dominic Rhodes, cornerbacks Nick Harper and Jason David, linebacker Cato June and safety Mike Doss exit as free agents.
None of those players is irreplaceable. Stokley once was an integral part of the offense as the No. 3 receiver complementing top wideouts Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. But he was hurt for the Super Bowl run. Rhodes split playing time and carries with rookie Joseph Addai last season and starred in the Super Bowl triumph over the Chicago Bears. But Addai had taken over as the starter by the playoffs and might be ready as a second-year pro to begin approaching being the sort of all-around running back that Edgerrin James once was for the Colts. Harper, June, Doss, David, Reagor and Gardner all were significant contributors on defense at some point. Defensive coordinator Ron Meeks must patch together the linebacking corps and secondary. But as long as he has defensive end Dwight Freeney and safety Bob Sanders available, he should be able to assemble a unit good enough to give the Colts a chance to win.
They still have Peyton Manning at quarterback, after all. They still have Harrison and Wayne and Addai. The offensive line became deeper when the Colts brought back former starter Rick DeMulling in free agency and got Tony Ugoh of Arkansas in the second round of the draft. The first-round pick was used on Ohio State wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez, who could replace Stokley. If Addai continues to develop and Gonzalez contributes as a rookie, the offense could be more formidable than ever. The Colts will enter the season with significant questions on defense, and seem to have been surpassed by the New England Patriots as the team to beat in the AFC and the entire league. But that doesn't mean they're not a major Super Bowl threat. Now that Manning has won a Super Bowl, he just might decide that he likes the feeling and run off a few more.
By Mark Maske |
May 16, 2007; 9:55 AM ET
| Category:
Colts
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Posted by: pack4life | May 16, 2007 10:16 AM
Great strategy - free agency devastates your already horrendous defense, so add players to the offense...of course, there were significant losses here too.
Can't plug all the holes when you tie up so much $$$ in so few players.
Posted by: Three!!! | May 29, 2007 9:19 AM
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why not just write about manning's visit to the white house for dinner w/ the queen? or maybe just his SNL stint?
jim sorgi = g.o.a.t.