Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser takes a look at the Indianapolis Colts' roster/depth chart in the wake of this past weekend's moves to reach the NFL's 53-player roster limit and as the team prepares for its 2010 regular-season opener at Houston . . .
The Indianapolis Colts this past weekend made a flurry of roster moves to reach the NFL-mandated 53-player roster limit, and perhaps unsurprisingly, there were comparatively few surprises.
That's not unusual. This is, after all, a team with few holes entering training camp, and because they thus far have had few season-ending injuries to major players, the roster looks not significantly unlike many expected in the off-season.
The Colts did release cornerback Ray Fisher -- a seventh-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft -- this past weekend, and they kept tight end Gijon Robinson when some speculated the latter might be released with the ascension of rookie Brody Eldridge to the starting role. Some were also surprised at the release of rookie running back Brandon James after he showed potential as a kick returner, as well as the release of quarterback Tom Brandstater after a sometimes-impressive statistical preseason.
But for the most part, the surprises were of the backup, lesser-known variety, another indication that the Colts enter 2010 as a stable franchise with a clear idea of what they do and what they are about.
Whether that stability leads to similar success as last year is too early to tell.
But it should make Colts fans feel good about the season to come.
A position-by-position look at the 53-man roster:
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK (2): Peyton Manning, Curtis Painter. The Colts are obviously as good at quarterback as any team in the NFL, with Manning having been named the Associated Press National Football League Most Valuable Player four times in seven seasons, including each of the last two. He still is at the top of his game physically and mentally and has shown no signs of a dropoff. Many publicly questioned Painter after a three-interception performance in the preseason opener, but the Colts have been consistently supportive and he seems solidly entrenched as the backup entering his second season.
RUNNING BACK (4): Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Mike Hart and Devin Moore. Addai is the perfect fit to the Colts' offense – equally effective as a runner, receiver and blocker – and his overall value makes him a solid starter. Brown perhaps is more explosive in the running game than Addai, but in the Colts' scheme being able to function in the entire offense is far more important than running ability for a running back. Hart played an extensive role as a short-yardage back last season, and has shown signs that he could be productive in the short term if Addai and Brown were unavailable. Moore, a first-year veteran from Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter High School, made the team as a returner, but likely won't be a major factor as a running back.
WIDE RECEIVER (4): Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie and Anthony Gonzalez. There may not be a deeper, more talented position on the Colts' roster – and there may not be a better core of receivers in the NFL. Wayne has made four consecutive Pro Bowls, and Garcon and Collie showed last season they are capable of making big plays in big situations. Gonzalez's versatility and ability to play both the slot and outside and make big plays from either spot makes this group significantly better than last season when he missed all but one game with a knee injury.
TIGHT END (4): Dallas Clark, Brody Eldridge, Jacob Tamme, Gijon Robinson. The Colts may be better and more versatile here than they have been in several seasons. Clark caught 100 passes last season, the second-highest single-season total for a tight end in NFL history, and entering his eighth season he is very much in his prime. He may not match last season statistically, but there's every chance he is still improving. The new element at the spot is Eldridge, a rookie from Oklahoma who was drafted primarily as a blocker, but who showed surprisingly good hands and athleticism in training camp. The Colts may have found an added element -- and a long-term area of strength -- with Elrdidge in Round 5. Tamme remains one of the team's best special teams players and is a legitimate threat in the passing game if Clark is unavailable.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10): RT Ryan Diem, RG Kyle DeVan, C Jeff Saturday, LG Jamey Richard, LT Charlie Johnson, OG-C Mike Pollak, OG Jaimie Thomas, OG-C Jacques McClendon, OT Jeff Linkenbach, OG/OT Tony Ugoh. The Colts don't typically keep this many offensive linemen, but injuries have the status of Saturday, Johnson and Ugoh a bit uncertain entering the regular-season opener. It wouldn't be surprising to see a player or two off this list on the practice squad or on and off the roster sometime during the season, considering the Colts often juggle offensive linemen in such a fashion. The develop of this group, specifically its ability to improve as a run-blocking unit, will be a major issue as the season goes on, but it will need time to get healthy and develop. The high quality of the Colts' skill positions will give them that time, but the run blocking needs to improve by regular season's end.
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