3. An expected reaction. Teammates answered questions this week about WR Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis about as should be expected – that the contract issues each player has with the Colts has to do with the team and that player. DE Dwight Freeney said this about Mathis and Manning said it generally on Friday. No surprise there. As motivated as Manning is to win, and as much as he emphasizes off-season preparation, players know the NFL is a business and rare is the teammate who criticizes another for seeking a bigger contract. What Polian said about the situation wasn't insignificant, and that's that the lack of a labor structure makes it difficult to know what contracts will fit in a salary structure. Polian didn't say the players wouldn't be getting a new deal, but given such uncertainty, new deals for two players with two years remaining on their contracts seem unlikely.
4. Jerry Hughes is going to be intriguing to watch. And not just because he's the Colts' first-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, either. Caldwell has talked twice this off-season about the possibility of using the rookie pass rusher in packages that also involve DE Dwight Freeney and DE Robert Mathis. When the Colts selected Hughes No. 31 overall last season, the original thought by observers was he was a third defensive end who could replace Mathis and Freeney when necessary. But while Caldwell said that will be part of Hughes' role, he also said the team is exploring ways to get Hughes on the field at the same time as the perennial Pro Bowl defensive ends. As was the case last off-season, when speculation about more aggressive blitzing intrigued fans throughout the off-season, how Colts defensive coordinator Larry Coyer utilizes college football's 2008 sacks leader this season is equally intriguing.
5. Pierre Garcon remains one of the Colts' most important players. The consensus – and correctly so – among many observers is that Reggie Wayne is the Colts' No. 1 receiver. This is true, and although it's obviously very premature to project Garcon one day into that role, it's not absurd projection. Yes, Garcon was inconsistent last season and it's certainly wise to wait for him to have a 1,000-yard, double-digit-touchdown season before we make him the go-to guy. But Garcon's rare combination of size, strength and speed – along with the fact that he made significant plays and contributions last season in not only his first NFL season, but his first season of big-time football at any level – make him the Colts receiver with perhaps the highest-end potential. However Garcon develops, it's hard to imagine the Colts not having him as a featured player however the Colts' wide receiver rotation plays out this season. You don't take players with his play-making ability off the field.
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