Release of DT Ed Johnson makes for confusing, emotional day around Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts DT Ed Johnson (Matt York/AP Photo)

They will move forward. And they will do so successfully. If there was a consensus among the Indianapolis Colts' defensive players on Wednesday -- the strangest day to date of an otherwise comparatively smooth, happy season -- that was it.

Wednesday wasn't smooth around the Colts' Westside Indianapolis complex. Far from it. It was difficult. It was shocking. It was confusing.

And it was darned emotional, too.

Dwight Freeney, the Colts' four-time Pro Bowl defensive end, stood by his locker for several minutes on Wednesday afternoon, speaking to the media about the sudden departure of a player he considered a "brother." Ed Johnson, a defensive tackle well-liked by his teammates, had been released, the players learned that morning. And unlike the previous September, when Johnson was released in the wake of a marijuana-related arrest, this time Johnson was gone for what Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said was a more fundamental issue -- that, the talented, troubled player was just, plain not productive enough to merit a roster spot.

“Obviously, it's very, very unfortunate," Freeney said. "You never want to see a guy who's been around not here with you. As players, we can't decide who's there and who's not. I'm sure upper management had their reasons for whatever they decided to do. We just have to line up on Sundays and whoever's there we have do deal with it regardless of what we feel about it."

Freeney went on to say, "I was surprised to see it happened. Obviously, he's here today and gone tomorrow. That's part of the NFL. It's unfortunate. He's a brother. He's one of us. Life moves on and when things move on, you have to carry on. That's why the upper management – everybody has their place. That's their job, to make those decisions. Our job is to go out on the field and make plays and help this team win. That's what we're going to focus on no matter who's there or not."

Make no mistake:

This was a tough day for Freeney. This was a tough day for many Colts players. It was tough for coaches and management, too. Johnson entered the NFL having had troubles at Penn State. The troubles were why he was an undrafted rookie free agent in 2007 and not a first-day draft selection. The troubles continued in the NFL, costing Johnson the final 15 games of the 2008 season when he was released by the Colts following last September. But through it all, he was well-liked by players, coaches and management. He was quick with a smile and a laugh, always accomondating with the media -- even in difficult times -- and was constantly seen joking with teammates during both stints with the Colts. After his release, he stayed in touch with Caldwell, and when he re-signed with the team shortly after the NFL Draft, Freeney talked confidently that Johnson would take full advantage of his opportunity.

What we in the media meant when asking those questions of Freeney last spring was obvious. Did he think Johnson would have the same off-field trouble that cost him in 2008?

What we in the media never tought to ask was, "Would Johnson be motivated enough?"

That, apparently, was what cost him his position this time.

When asked about Johnson's release, Caldwell stressed Wednesday it was not character-related. It was, he said, purely a performance-based issue, and the first signs that that was the case came Monday night on Colts President Bill Polian's weekly radio show. Polian that night said, "There are areas on defense we can improve, particularly in terms of all-out hustle all the time. We had some people like [defensive end] Keyunta Dawson that really stepped up and did a great job of that, but there are other people who can improve upon what they're doing."

Polian didn't name names, but in the wake of Johnson's release, a reader at the Colts' blog 18to88.com broke down a series of plays on which Johnson played in the first half of the victory over Tennessee Sunday and did a detailed analysis concluding that Johnson was ineffective at best and very, very bad at worst. And, as 18to88.com pointed out by linking to my next-day piece on Examiner.com Wednesday, I was among those who not only assumed incorrectly that perhaps Johnson's release had something to do with character, and I was also among those who incorrectly assumed he had been playing well.

I don't mind saying I was wrong. I've had much practice. But I will say this: if the Colts' locker room was indication Wednesday, they weren't expecting Johnson's release, either. Rookie DT Fili Moala, whose role will increase dramatically, said he learned of the move when he didn't see Johnson in team meetings Wednesday. Second-year DT Eric Foster, whose role also will increase, said, "I think it surprised most guys." DE Raheem Brock, along with Freeney the most-tenured player on the Colts' defense, said, "It shocked me."

"The way our defense has been playing, for it to happen . . . I don't know," Brock said.

DT Antonio Johnson, who started alongside Johnson the last four games, shrugged. "It's just the way of the business, you know? It's the way things work. I don't have any answers. It's tough. We just have to keep moving. I wish the best for him, but we just have to keep moving forward."

That, if anything, was the theme of the day from the Colts' defensive players. From rookies to leaders, players spoke of disappointment at the circumstances faced by their friend and the necessity to "keep the train moving," as Freeney and defensive co-captain/middle linebacker Gary Brackett each put it.

"Obviously, it's a business decision coming from the top and they thought his production wasn't there," Brackett said. "It's tough as a captain and a guy on this team who was good friends with Ed, but it's then nature of the business."

I asked Brackett if the moved surprised him.

"At this point, nothing surprises me," he said. "I've been here seven years. It's not the strangest thing I've seen. I guess it just really reaffirms you don't take anything for granted. This game is the NFL - Not For Long. In my mind, every day I'm trying to prove my worth, that I belong here."

This was not Brackett being defiant. This was a veteran player saying honestly that he has seen enough in the NFL to not be surprised.

One thing that really wasn't discussed by Colts players or Caldwell were a couple of fairly obvious questions -- one being, 'If Johnson was playing poorly enough to be released why was he starting?' and the other being "Are there really four tackles on the roster better than Johnson?"

The cynics among us will believe that because of those questions there is more to the release than the Colts are saying, and perhaps that's true. But the reality is the Colts were up front in the wake of Johnson's release last season, and while the Colts aren't always as forthcoming on injuries as we in the media might like, Caldwell is absolutely not a liar. If he says production was the issue, I believe it.

With the Colts moving forward, we now will, too. As this confusing, unexpected day closes, I have written Ed Johnson just-about non-stop for 24 hours. It's time to move on, but as we do, let's consider one final truism around the Colts. It was generally assumed that Johnson's release would hurt the Colts, but because Polian isn't in the business of voluntarily weakening his roster, let's assume that's not true until proven otherwise. And until proven otherwise, perhaps we should just assume that given a second chance, what Johnson did with that opportunity was give little effort and play his way out of a career that just a few weeks ago looked a lot more promising than it turned out to be.

ED JOHNSON COVERAGE

* Ed Johnson release performance-based, Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell says. Here.

* Ed Johnson officially waived. Here.

* The ramifications of releasing Ed Johnson. Here.

* Ed Johnson reportedly released. Here.

*** A REVIEW OF COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW POST-COLTS/TITANS. PART ONE. HERE.

*** A REVIEW OF COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW POST-COLTS-TITANS. PART ONE. HERE.

*** READ COFFEE WITH THE COLTS: INDY FOOBALL REPORT EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S NEXT-MORNING LOOK AT COLTS-TITANS. HERE.

*** PRE-GAME PRIMER. INDY FOOTBALL REPORT EDITOR JOHN OEHSER PREVIEWS TITANS-COLTS. HERE.

*** THE TOP FIVE SEASONS OF COLTS QB PEYTON MANNING. HERE

*** WR PIERRE GARCON AMONG FIVE KEY EARLY-SEASON DEVELOPMENTS FOR 3-0 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS HERE ***

MAGNIFICENT SEVENS: WEEKLY COLTS THOUGHTS . . .