Snappy one-liner analysis on every significant Colts player and offseason move.

Indianapolis Colts

Predicted: 1^st

2008: 12-4 (2^nd AFC South)

Head Coach: Jim Caldwell (1^st year)

Roster Quick View (*new veteran, **rookie)

Offense (coordinator: Clyde Christensen)

QB: Peyton Manning

Not bad.

RB: Joseph Addai

Inept last season. Must be healthy in order to regain escapability and run with more aggression. Also needs to trust his blocking.

RB: Donald Brown**

Versatility and big-play potential enticed the Colts. And remember, Bill Polian doesn’t miss with first-round draft picks.

H-back: Gijon Robinson

Squatty second-year player who can aid, but by no means, spearhead the run-blocking efforts.

WR: Reggie Wayne

Manning’s favorite target. Until posting 82 catches for 1,145 yards last season, his production had increased each year since he entered the league in ’01.

WR: Anthony Gonzalez

Ready for an elevated role. Solid route runner who can catch just about anything in sight.

WR: Pierre Garcon

Probably won’t keep fourth-round rookie Austin Collie out of this spot for long.

TE: Dallas Clark

Intelligent, valorous player who is this offense’s only source of genuine versatility.

TE: Tom Santi

Sixth-round rookie a year ago who should see more action as an extra blocker, especially given the questions with the No. 3 WR position.

LT: Tony Ugoh

Injuries have rendered him inconsistent over his first two seasons. Still, you’re a fool if you write him off. Excellent athleticism for his size.

LG: Charlie Johnson

Can fill-in admirably as a utility backup, but should not be starting. A healthy Ryan Lilja will likely recalim this job.

C: Jeff Saturday

His chemistry with Manning makes him arguably the offense’s second most valuable player. Colts were fortunate to re-sign him.

RG: Mike Pollak

A second-round rookie, who was perhaps the shoddiest starting offensive lineman in all of football last year.

RT: Ryan Diem

Should regain his underrated run-blocking prowess as long as the men around him are halfway decent.

6 OL: Ryan Lilja

Aiming to bounce back from three ’08 knee operations. Has a shot; he’s only 27 and was one of the game’s best prior to the injury.

Defense (coordinator Larry Coyer)

LDE: Raheem Brock

Savvy all-around veteran but is likely to cede some of his playing time to more talented youngsters in 2009.

DT: Keyunta Dawson

Moves extremely well for a 296-pounder. If he’s to maintain the starting job, he must play with better solidity and technique.

DT: Eric Foster

Undersized and undrafted in ’08, but his innate ability to anchor and move laterally gives him a chance at being an excellent long-term starter. No guarantees though.

RDE: Dwight Freeney

Still regularly commands double-and triple-teams. What makes him special is how he maintains strength at top speed.

3 DT: Fili Moala**

A defensive end in USC’s 3-4. Drafted because he weighs 305 and can still be a one-gap force.

3 DE: Robert Mathis

Not to be harsh, but anyone who must sit on first and second down doesn’t deserve Pro Bowl accolades. That said, if it’s just a speed-rusher you want, you can’t do much better.

SLB: Philip Wheeler

Saw minimal playing time as a third-round rookie last year. Coaches must really like him in practice because, frankly, starting him right nowin this spot doesn’t seem to make sense.

MLB: Gary Brackett

As patient a player as you’ll ever see. Linebacking core is clearly sturdier when he’s in the lineup.

WLB: Clint Session

Has made noticeable improvements last year. Fierce tackler who can win battles in traffic; he now gets an opportunity to play in space.

4 LB: Freddy Keiaho

Familiar with all three LB positions. If Colts really liked him that much, they wouldn’t have let him walk in spring.

CB: Kelvin Hayden

Now here’s a guy the Colts really like. Given a five-year, $43 million contract because quarterbacks tend to avoid him.

CB: Marlin Jackson

Physical player, but lack of speed forces him to play too far off most receivers.

NB: Tim Jennings

If he doesn’t hone his technique, his costly penalties will never go away.

SS: Bob Sanders

Good news: the injury bug only bites him in even-numbered years. Missed 10 games in ’08, 12 games in ’06, 10 in ’04. (In ’07 he missed one game, and in ’05 he missed two.)

FS: Antoine Bethea

A quietly effective run defender who also does a good job overseeing the secondary in coverage.

6 DB: Melvin Bullitt

By no means Bob Sanders, but plays with a similar recklessness that helps this defense stay afloat when its star safety is out.

Special Teams

K: Adam Vinatieri

Had surgery to correct a long-ailing right hip. Should be ready to go come September.

P: Pat McAfee**

Seventh-round rookie replaces punting cog Hunter Smith. Can also handle field goals in a bind.

RS: Pierre Garcon

Doesn’t matter––the Colts are never good in the return game anyway.

Offseason Quick Glance

Draft

RD PK (OVR) NAME POS SCHOOL

1 27 (27) Donald Brown RB UConn

2 24 (56) Fili Moala DT USC

3 28 (92) Jerraud Powers CB Auburn

4 27 (127) Austin Collie WR BYU

4 36 (136) Terrance Taylor DT Michigan

6 28 (201) Curtis Painter QB Purdue

7 13 (222) Pat McAfee K W Virginia

7 27 (236) Jaimie Thomas OG Maryland

KEY PLAYERS ACQUIRED

DT Ed Johnson: FA; terms unknown.

LB Adam Seward: UFA Panthers; 1 yr, terms unknown.

KEY PLAYERS LOST

LB Buster Davis (released; had been re-signed as ERFA).

RB Clifton Dawson (released).

WR Marvin Harrison (released).

CB Keiwan Ratliff: UFA Steelers; terms unknown.

DT Darrell Reid: UFA Broncos; $6.8M/3 yrs, SB unknown.

RB Dominic Rhodes: UFA Bills; 2 yrs, terms unknown.

P Hunter Smith: UFA Redskins; (1 yr, terms unknown.

Analysis

GM Bill Polian prefers to let players go rather than hang around too long. This year, Polian cut declining future Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison. It was time.

More important, Polian re-signed key contributors Jeff Saturday and CB Kelvin Hayden. He also broke tradition and brought back a released troublemaker: DT Ed Johnson. The undrafted rookie-turned-starter was with the team last season before getting cut after a marijuana offense. Johnson is talented enough to warrant a second chance.

But Johnson may not see many reps with rookies Fili Moala (second round) and Terrance Taylor (fourth round) on the roster. These are the first 300-pound defensive tackles that Polian has drafted since arriving in Indy.

Keeping his focus on the draft, Polian spent his first-round pick on a skill-position player (RB Donald Brown). You have to assume Brown will be a star––just look at Polian’s previous skill position first-rounders: Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez. Brown is almost a double reward because his presence will take pressure off the injury-prone Addai.

The obligatory developmental CB––Jerraud Powers––was snatched in Round Three. And in Round Four, the Colts got what they hope will be a long-term slot receiver in Austin Collie. Thanks to astute management, most of Indy’s rookies have the luxury of developing while being scantly-used backups in 2009.