Indianapolis Colts

I have to say that it was a lot of fun attending the Colts Mini Camp. I came away with a few things from the camp. 1. DHB is much faster than I ever thought. He busted out along the sidelines on one play and kicked in the after-burners. He is possibly the fastest receiver the Colts have ever had. If he has the hands to go along with that speed, then this guy is going to be an incredible receiving threat. That play looked like a man with something to prove. It was like, "Let's see anybody even try to match my kinda speed." 2. I never realized what a beast Cory Redding is. Number 90 just looked awesome on the field. It was especially evident when he was working on plays with all of the rest of the big boys where they had to run through a series of pilons and hit down the pilons. No one was able to hit them with anywhere near the kind of force that Cory did. I always knew he was a great pickup from the Ravens last year. But it wasn't truly evident until you get to see this guy in practice. 3. Hasselbeck is very good at short passes. This works great if the Colts run a West Coast offense and he needs to fill in. 4. Harnish is very accurate. It showed in the numerous passing drills that Harnish was running. 5. Reggie can catch almost anything. He just catches the ball with such ease. 6. LaVon Brazil looked pretty good in a deep pass route. He has some good speed. 7. Whalen quickly stepped into the lineup on one play and went for a deep route with Luck. He bobbled the ball a little and looked like he struggled a little due to the height disadvantage to his defender. But he brought in the pass and pulled off a nice reception. Whalen seems to catch everything thrown at him, but his short height may hurt him some. 8. It looked like they were utilizing Williams a lot on returns and for runs. He looked pretty descent. 9. Thanks to all the players for coming out and signing things for the fans. Werner was especially nice to talk to. I guess in Germany they make their 9's somewhat like pound signs (#). 10. Special thanks to WR Palmer of Elkhart. He came out to say hi to his family afterwards and was the only player I saw signing stuff for the fans after the practice. I wish Palmer the best of luck on making the 53 man roster! I have to say that it was a lot of fun attending the Colts Mini Camp. I came away with a few things from the camp. 1. DHB is much faster than I ever thought. He busted out along the sidelines on one play and kicked in the after-burners. He is possibly the fastest receiver the Colts have ever had. If he has the hands to go along with that speed, then this guy is going to be an incredible receiving threat. That play looked like a man with something to prove. It was like, "Let's see anybody even try to match my kinda speed." 2. I never realized what a beast Cory Redding is. Number 90 just looked awesome on the field. It was especially evident when he was working on plays with all of the rest of the big boys where they had to run through a series of pilons and hit down the pilons. No one was able to hit them with anywhere near the kind of force that Cory did. I always knew he was a great pickup from the Ravens last year. But it wasn't truly evident until you get to see this guy in practice. 3. Hasselbeck is very good at short passes. This works great if the Colts run a West Coast offense and he needs to fill in. 4. Harnish is very accurate. It showed in the numerous passing drills that Harnish was running. 5. Reggie can catch almost anything. He just catches the ball with such ease. 6. LaVon Brazil looked pretty good in a deep pass route. He has some good speed. 7. Whalen quickly stepped into the lineup on one play and went for a deep route with Luck. He bobbled the ball a little and looked like he struggled a little due to the height disadvantage to his defender. But he brought in the pass and pulled off a nice reception. Whalen seems to catch everythi

Indianapolis Colts fans everywhere should be happy about the recent acquisition of veteran running back Ahmad Bradshaw. The only person probably happier than the fans is sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck.

Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy is writing another book.

Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck. Well, that's about it for the preview of the quarterback position. Thanks for reading! Ok, I kid, I kid - but only because of this minimum word count I need to reach. Seriously, though, no position on the entire Colts roster is more set than the quarterback position, and no player on the entire Colts roster is better than the starter at the quarterback position, Andrew Luck. As a rookie in 2012, Luck put together one of the best quarterbacked seasons that I have seen in the NFL in a long time.* He made the pro bowl (albeit as an alternate), led a bad Colts team to 11 wins and a playoff berth, and posted very impressive individual numbers (including rookie passing records) while enduring an insane amount of pressure due to a terrible offensive line. In 2012, Luck completed 54.1% of his 627 passes for 4,374 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions while averaging 7.0 yards per attempt. He also added 255 yards and 5 scores on the ground rushing. Perhaps the most impressive part of Luck's game last year was in the final minutes, where the rookie quarterback quickly established himself as one of the best (if not the best) in the league. He led 7 game winning drives and 4 fourth quarter comebacks, constantly pulling a win out in the final minutes of a close game. There's no reason to think that he won't be better in 2013. Equipped with a new but familiar offense, a retooled offensive line, and better receiving threats, Luck could take the league by storm. Perhaps it is unfair to say this about a guy entering his second year, but I fully expect him to emerge as one of the NFL's best signal callers and I expect him to enter into the MVP race in 2013. Yes, I'm serious. This guy is as good of a young quarterback as I have ever seen - in fact, I have never seen a guy have a more impressive rookie season than Luck did. His numbers absolutely will improve in 2013 and his play will too. He will be the unquestioned leader of a team with playoff expectations from fans and Super Bowl expectations from themselves. Some (like me) think they will win the AFC South. All of these expectations revolve around one player, and that one player is Andrew Luck. If you think this is way too high of expectations for a second year quarterback, you are absolutely right. But if you look at Andrew Luck and take away his experience factor, he has all the makings of a quarterback ready to burst onto the scene even more than he did last year. Ok, my love fest on Andrew Luck is over. The team has two other quarterbacks on their roster, both of whom are very intriguing options. Despite having two capable backups, there is zero percent of a competition for the number two spot. None. Zilch. Zero. Matt Hasselbeck has the overwhelming hold on the number two quarterback spot. I mean, when you're paying your backup quarterback close to $4 million a year, he should be! And Hasselbeck will indeed be the number two guy. The Colts signed him this offseason, and though it was surprising, it was still a good move. As I outlined in my free agent profile on Hasselbeck, there is three ways that this move will help the Colts: It will help Andrew Luck learn the ins and outs of being a successful NFL quarterback and gives him a tremendous mentor everyday in the meeting room - someone who has played well and won at this level. Hasselbeck will be a great influence on Luck and will be a key figure, albeit behind the scenes, to Luck's continued development as a signal caller. It will help Chandler Harnish, the team's other quarterback. Harnish is also entering his second year, and Hasselbeck will likely be even a bigger help to Harnish than he will be to Luck. If Harnish wants to make it as a quarterback in the NFL, he would be very smart to be paying very close attention to Hasselbeck. The opportunity to learn from a good veteran will be huge and is key to Harnish developing into the quarterback I think h

Jake Roth USA Today Sports One thing that knowledgeable NFL fans and analyst could agree with regards to the Oakland Raiders, as run by the late Al Davis and that is through the draft or free agency, to expect the unexpected. I mean, this is a franchise that drafted a kicker in the first round of the draft. A kicker. No offense to Sebastian Janikowski, but no one, fan, head coach or skill-position player thinks much of kickers. Al Davis did. As a result, that 11th overall pick in the 2000 draft is still active on the Raiders roster and his is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league. As wacky as a kicker going with first-draft pick my sounds, for Davis, it wasn’t wasn’t a one time thing. The man that embodied the phrase, “Commitment to Excellence” looked for other qualities. Davis, being a numbers guy, was known to be absolutely flabbergasted and astonished by pro prospects with impressive size and/or speed. In to fit the bill, the Raiders have brought in players such as Louis Murphy, Fabian Washington, Darren McFadden and Darrius Heyward-Bey, to varies degrees of success. In Heyward-Bey’s case, what attracted Davis to the wide out, in large part, was do to his 4.3 second 40-time at the combined. In a game where speed kills, Heyward-Bay was expected to step into the Black Hole and slay opposing defensive backs for touchdowns. Instead, what the Raiders got from the University of Maryland standout in the 2009 and 2010 seasons with the franchise was a combined 35 receptions for 490 yards and two touchdowns. To be the seventh pick in the first round means that Heyward-Bay was regarded highly within the organization with the assumption that he would develop into an All-Pro receiver. Although Heyward-Bay improved by leaps and bounds from year two to three as well as the dearly departed 2012 season, the Raiders decided against retaining the services of Heyward-Bey. With his independence from the Raiders, Heyward-Bey signed a one-year deal worth up to $3 million with the Indianapolis Colts to catch passes from Andrew Luck. If Heyward-Bey was a borderline number-one receiver for the much maligned Raiders, than for the playoff contending Colts, the speedster, is a third receiver. The five-year receiver will enter training camp penciled into the third receiver slot behind veteran play maker, Reggie Wayne and second-year wide out T.Y. Hilton. With a one year deal, Heyward-Bey has to prove himself to his new Colts teammates that his previous stellar seasons what just a case of more things to come, which along the way again reinforces the late Al Davis’s philosophy that  ”you can teach a great athlete to be a football player, but you can’t each a football player to be an athlete.” M. Quann Boyd is a writer for RantSports.com Follow him on Twitter @MQuannBoyd. “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.

In years past, the Washington Redskins would usually get the nod as the team who "won" the offseason, making free agent moves, trades, and entertaining draft selections that - despite their silliness in terms of logic and execution - would provide excitement-generating fodder for the ever-evolving NFL news cycle. This year, I think it's safe to say that the Indianapolis Colts are the winners of the 2013 offseason. No team signed more free agents in 2013 than Indianapolis has. 13 veterans were brought into the franchise via free agency or via trade. And that's not counting corner Darius Butler, who played for the Colts last year but was re-signed after the new league year began. Add in rookie free agents like Josh McNary, Sheldon Price, Dan Moore, and others, and the 2013 Colts are almost as unrecognizable from the 2012 version as the 2012 team was from the 2011 one. As many as nine new starters could emerge from the free agent additions, and if rookies Hugh Thornton or Khaled Holmes make an impact along the Colts offensive line during training camp and preseason, that number could grow to 11. 11 new starters! That's nearly half the starting lineups for both offense and defense! However, just like last year, every decision that involved bringing in a new player was done with the mindset of getting the team better. Overall, I think it's safe to say that the goal was accomplished. From a talent standpoint, the 2013 Indianapolis Colts are much better than the 2012 version. In fact, you can make an argument that they are one of the more talented teams in the NFL. On paper, they rival the Broncos, Ravens, Patriots, and Texans. Note: If papers champions meant anything, the Redskins would have 20 Super Bowl trophies by now. Still, that's not meant to demean and diminish the great work second-year general manager Ryan Grigson and his front office have done this offseason. Real quick, take a look at this article I wrote back in January. I outlined five critical need positions heading into the offseason: Running back, offensive line, defensive end, outside linebacker, and safety. Using just free agency alone, Grigson upgraded each position grouping. Running back: Ahmad Bradshaw Offensive line: Gosder Cherilus, Donald Thomas Defensive end: Ricky Jean Francois Outside linebacker: Erik Walden Safety: LaRon Landry Then, during the 2013 NFL Draft, Grigson reinforced these positions: Running back: Kerwynn Williams (6th round) Offensive line: Hugh Thornton (3rd round), Khaled Holmes (4th round) Defensive end: Montori Hughes (5th round) Outside linebacker: Bjoern Werner (1st round) Safety: John Boyett (7th round) If that's not attacking your needs, I don't know what is! Grigson also addressed second tier need positions - such as corner, back-up quarterback, nose tackle, and wide receive - by inking free agents Greg Toler, Matt Hasselbeck, Aubrayo Franklin, and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Finally, he cut away the dead weight, shipping 2010 draft bust Jerry Hughes off to Buffalo in exchange for inside linebacker Kelvin Sheppard. Per reports from minicamp, Sheppard has already begun to make an impact, working with the starting unit along with 2012 gem, Jerrell Freeman. In fact, when you step back and look at who was brought in to play this year, and who they are replacing from last year, it really is amazing just how much improved this 2013 roster is. Back-up Quarterback Last year: Drew Stanton This year: Matt Hasselbeck Analysis: Stanton is a quality veteran, but Hasselbeck is a former starter with significant experience running an NFL team. Significant upgrade. Running Back Last year: Donald Brown This year: Ahmad Bradshaw Analysis: Brown is one of the worst backs in football at pass blocking. Bradshaw is one of the best. Significant upgrade. Wide Receiver Last year: Donnie Avery This year: Darrius Heyward-Bey Analysis: Avery rejuvenated his career in Indianapolis last year, but Heyward-Bey is a bigger, faster, stron

Colts Coach Chuck Pagano tapped for Halas Award - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Football Writers honor Colts coach Pagano

The Pro Football Writers of America announced today that Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano has been awarded the 2013 George Halas Award. This award is given to an NFL player, coach, or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed. According to Colts.com, Pagano is the the third head coach and fourth member of the Colts organization to receive the award. Tony Dungy also won this award in 2006. Jim Harbaugh was selected in 1997 when he was still quarterbacking the Colts. Pagano's cancer diagnosis in late-September of 2012 forced him to take a leave of absence from the team while he underwent treatments. Replacing him as head coach was now-former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. Despite the treatments, Pagano remained in contact with Arians, his assistants, and the players. He also made a very emotional return to Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 9, giving his now-famous "I've got circumstances" speech after the Colts defeated the Dolphins 23-20. Bruce Arians guided the Colts to a 9-3 record before handing the reigns back to Pagano for the Colts' Week 17 match-up against the Texans, a game the Colts won 28-16.

Chuck Pagano has won the George Halas Award from the Professional Football Writers Association for overcoming adversity. Hired in January 2012, Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia in September and took a leave of absence. The team began winning under offensive coordinator Bruce Arians while Pagano underwent treatment for 12 weeks. Pagano worked from his hospital bed on game plans and analyzing practices even as he was recovering from the disease. After a Week 9 victory against Miami that he attended, Pagano gave an emotional postgame speech to the team. “I’ve got circumstances,” Pagano he said. “You guys understand it, I understand it. It’s already beat. It’s already beat. My vision that I’m living is to see two more daughters get married, dance at their weddings and then hoist that Lombardi Trophy several times.” Indianapolis kept on winning. Pagano watched a victory over Buffalo from owner Jim Irsay’s suite and saluted the crowd, leading to a rousing ovation from the fans. He returned to coach the final regular-season game, a victory over Houston that gave the Colts an 11-5 record. They lost their first playoff game, at Baltimore.