Kaspers Korner

The Indianapolis Colts have a huge problem on their hands.  That problem is replacing the void left by the departure that center Jeff Saturday has created.

Saturday is a free agent come the open of the Free Agency period.  Even at age 33 Saturday will get some offers as he is one of the best centers in the National Football League.

It is mind blowing that Colts President and general manager Bill Polian has let Saturday walk, considering how important a center is to the team.

A center has to be on the same page as the quarterback as he makes all the offensive line blocking calls and has to adjust the blocking scheme accordingly with the play that is audibled to as well as what the defense is running.

Replacing centers can be a very hard thing to do.  Just ask the Buffalo Bills as they have not even found a player close to the caliber of former center Kent Hull who retired in the late 1990’s.

Lance Ball RB exclusive resigned with team $310 thousand
Buster Davis LB exclusive resigned with Colts one year $385 thousand
Dan Federkeil OL exclusive resigned with team one year $460 thosand
Matt Giordano S unrestricted

Tyjuan Hagler LB unrestricted

Kelvin Hayden CB unrestricted resigned with team 5 yrs $43 million $23 guaranteed
Freddy Keiaho LB restricted

Daniel Muir Dt exclusive rights free agent resigned with the Colts
Keiwan Ratliff CB unrestricted

Darrell Reid DT unrestricted signed with Broncos three year $6.8 million
Dominic Rhodes RB unrestricted

Jeff Saturday C unrestricted resigned with team
Hunter Smith P unrestricted

Josh Thomas DE unrestricted

It was thought that with the Jim Caldwell being the successor to former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy that the transition would be smooth.  The transition is far from that, and Caldwell is doing the right thing.

It is being reported that defensive coordinator Ron Meeks has been fired by Caldwell.  Meeks joined the team in 2002 when Dungy was hired by the Colts.

Under Meeks the rushing defense highest ranking was 15th in 2007.  However, in 2006 and 2007 the Colts passing defense was ranked second in the league.

Now, Caldwell needs to bring someone in that has success at running defenses in a Jim Haslett.
The problem is that when your run defense is poor teams are going to just run the.  That then limits the number of chances that the offense has to score.

The change was long over due for the Colts.  When your run defense is consistently bad for that long with two potential Hall of Famers in strong safety Bob Sanders and defensive end Dwight Freeny then something is wrong with the philosophy of the coach.

Then if the coach is not willing to change his philosophy then he needs to be given the boot, which is exactly what happened today.

The Indianapolis Colts lost again in their first playoff game of the post season, and had a bad game against a defense that is without star outside linebackr Shawn Merriman.  The fact of the matter is that it is time for change.

ESPN Radio’s Cplin Cowherd had the best take on the situation.  Phil Jackson inherited Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant, and won nine championships with him.  Colts head coach Tony Dungy inherited quarterback Peyton Manning, and has only won one.

The problem is clearly coaching with the Colts.  For some reason they have never found it necessary to establish a dominant running game.  The reality is that until the Colts develop one they will never be that good as it could be.

The mind boggling thing is that general manager Bill Polian knows that any offense needs to have a dominant running game.  That is why they brought in running back Joesph Addai.

Addai in 12 games this year rushed for 544 on 155 carries.  That comes out to an average of 13 carries per a game, and that is not going to get a running game going.

Yeah part of the problem is Manning himself.  He is allowed to call plays at the line of scrimmage, and audible freely.  However, that is up to the Colts coaching staff to correct Manning, and tell him to stop changing to passing plays all the time.

As everyone has said seven seasons under Dungy with a future hall of fame quarterback in his prime, and only one Superbowl, is simply unnacceptable. 

Unless Dungy, and the offensive coaching staff make a concerted effort to change philosophies, then it is time for Dungy to step aside. 

The Indianapolis Colts are a virtual lock for the playoffs, since three of their four remaining games are against bad teams.  The question is how good will the Colts be in the playoffs.

The Colts are getting older, and injuries are starting to take a toll on the team.  Also, the injuries are to several key players on the team.

Strong Safety Bob Sanders last played in week ten, and has missed a total of eight games this season.  Center Jeff Saturday missed this past Sunday with a calf injury.  Also, leading tackler linebacker Gary Brackett is out until the playoffs with a cracked fibula.

On top of that add the diminishing skills of wide receiver Marvin Harrison.  Harrison is on pace to have his worst full season as a pro, with 64 catches, and 674 yards receiving.

Also, it is not like the Colts can cruise into the season, because two teams are on the tails of the Colts.  Them being the New England Patriots, and the Miami Dolphins.  So, there is plenty of time to suffer more injuries, which is inevitable.

So, even if the Colts make the playoffs they will be most likely bounced out in the first round.  Unless they can stay healthy, and get the three injured players back for the playoffs. 

The Indianapolis Colts came in with renewed confidence from its front office that everything will be the way it was in previous years.  That is not the case as the Colts are 3-4, which is the same record as the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Houston Texans.

The proff is in the performance of Marvin Harrison.  As Harrison has 23 catches for 270 yards, which is fourth in both categories behind wide receiver Reggie Wayne, tight end Dallas Clarke, and second year wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez. 

Also, quarterback Peyton Manning’s performance has suffered as well.  Manning has many interceptions, which is nine, as touchdowns, which is ten.

On top of that you can add a large amount of games missed by starters.  Put those together and you have a receipe for disaster.

It is going to take time for many to find a new go to guy.  For a decade the two have been a tandem, but now that seems to be coming to an end.  

It will take time for the Colts to get back up to the top again.  They are going to have to cut their losses with Harrison, and strong safety Bob Sanders if they are ever going to get near it again. 

Simply, Harrison is over the hill, and Sanders is injury prone.  Add in a lot of money, and you have another reason for problems.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning had a infected Bursa Sac removed a little more than a month ago.  With its removal Manning could face his career being shortend, due to it.

As Si.com’s Peter King pointed out in his Monday Morning quarterback column the Bursa Sac lubricates the knee joint.  Now, with it gone the knee will face bones going up against each other.

That is not good at all.  What it means is that the knee will deteriorate faster than what is normally expected.  Also, there is going to be a boat load of pain that Manning will have to face. 

So, what it means is that Manning will even be less mobile now.  That means Manning will face more hits, and possible injuries.  Thus, shortening his career.

Manning could easily walk away right now, and nobody will blame him.  He has a Superbowl Ring already, and with the health of many former football players in their 40’s and 50’s deteriorating faster than a normal person.  One has to start wondering how long can a person play without cutting their life expectancy in half.

All eyes will be on Manning if he is going to start the regular season or not.  After all it is basically just around the corner.

The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the best teams in the AFC for several years now, along with winning the AFC South the past five years.  With five starters starting training camp on the physically unable to perform list; it looks like the Colts downward slide into oblivion is starting.

The five starters are wide receiver Marvin Harrison, who turns 36 in August, saftey Bob Sanders, 27, defensive end Dwight Freeney, 28, linebacker Tyjuan Hagler, 27 in December, and most importantly quarterback Peyton Manning.

It is only a matter of time before all the extra playoff games take a toll on a players body.  Sanders is good, but is constantly hurt.  Of his four seasons he has only twice played in more than fourteen games.

Harrison is simply on the downside of his career.  Even the ledgendary Jerry Rice could not stop father time from catching up.  How effective Harrison will be this year reamains to be seen, as he missed most of last year.

Freeney missed nine games with a Lisfranc injury.  It usually takes surgery to heal, which he did do.  However, according to about.com one complication of the injury is post-traumatic arthritis.  It is a more accelerated version of degenerative arthritis, and may neccesitate fusion of the joint to prevent debilitating pain. Such a proceedure would end his season, again.

Hagler tore a pectoral muscle while lifting recently.  According to the Tribstar.com the pectoral injury is only the latest in a variety of injuries, since Hagler arrived in 2005 as a fifth round draft pick.

However, all eyes will be on Manning.  Manning had a infected Bursa Sac removed, which is known as Septic Bursitis.  According to medical websites it is common to think that a infected bursa sac is just inflammed, because the symptoms are similar.  

The fact that Manning had surgery to deal with it means two different things.  Either the bursa sac was hard to get to, or it was a sevre infection.  The reason being the most common way to treat Septic Bursitis is with draining it with a needle, and then a round of antibiotics.

The numerous injuries are troubling, and if they continue into the season, then the Colts could miss the playoffs for the first time in years.

The Indianapolis Colts earlier this offseason had an unsual disturbance during a period of time that is quiet for them.  However, things have gotten back to normal; but that is not really the case.

In most cases it would be a typical offseason for the Colts, as pretty much there is no new news in regards to the Colts.  The only new thing is that Colt’s preseason tickets went on sale.

However, that is not the case for most Colts fans, as there is a quiet murmur amongst them.  That being for several reasons.  First, thid id head coach Tony Dungy’s last year,  The shooting outside of wide receiver Marvin Harrison’s bar has not moved foward., and finally, nobody knows how will Harrisons knee will respond this season.

Each incident by itself could be a distration for the Colts.  Now, add two more in, and now you have a receipe for disaster.

The only question that thre is now is how will each one affect the Colts during the season.

 http://boomp3.com/listen/d6w4xav/kk-indianapolis-may-fifth

The football world has been rocked with the news that Marvin Harrison could be involved in a shooting.  What makes matters worst is that Harrison could wind up serving more jail time then Mike Vick.

Vick is serving 23 months in jail for his role in the dog fighting ring that he established.  It is estimated that Vick will serve about 18 months, and then will be released to a half way house. 

The unfortunate thing is that Vick could have served more jail time, but Surry county Virginia’s lcoal prosecuter Gerald Poindexter has been slow with it.  Apparently, if it was not for a recently fired sheriffs deputy Bill Brinkman Vick would be serving no jail time at all.

In Harrison’s case the complete opposite might just happen in Philadelphia thanks to a killer.  Police in Philly are hunting for a cop killer, and that is not good news for Harrison.  For you see if Harrison is charged with the shooting then look for the district attorney’s office to use Harrison as the message that nobody is above the law.

With that being said Harrison could wind up serving more jail time then Vick.  Harrison killed nobody, nor any animal, unlike Vick, but still could serve more jail time.

Is it fair no, but if Harrison did do the crime then he still needs to serve the time.