The Colts have hired 51-year old Chuck Pagano as their next head coach.  He has coached 10 years as an assistant in the NFL.  He was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator in 2011 and the numbers of his unit were very impressive.  The Ravens allowed 92.6 yards rushing (3.5 ypc), 196.3 yards passing (68.8 QB Rating) and 16.6 points per game (#3 in the NFL) last year.  The Colts are likely in for a culture shock as they aren’t likely to be the high flying offensive team of the past.  Look for Pagano to try to rebuild the offense right away in the NFL Draft.

The Colts have fired 57-year old head coach Jim Caldwell.  This shouldn’t come as too much of a shock based on how poorly the Colts played in 2011.  The Colts were 2-14 on the season.  In Caldwell’s defense, he didn’t have Peyton Manning in 2011 due to a neck injury.  The Colts averaged only 15.2 points per game last year while giving up 26.9 points per game.  They often looked ill prepared, especially offensively.  Caldwell was the Colts’ head coach for three years and he compiled a 26-22 record (54.2%) during the regular season and he was 2-2 during the post-season.  The Colts will certainly be able to find a better coach than Jim Caldwell for 2012 and beyond.

The Colts have claimed 29-year old PR/KR Quan Cosby off waivers from the Broncos.  Cosby played in 10 games for the Broncos this year and he returned 27 punts for 269 yards (10.0 avg) and 17 kickoffs for 457 yards (26.9 avg).  Cosby has now played 3 years in the NFL and he has appeared in 42 games in which he has caught 6 passes for 71 yards (11.8 avg).  Cosby has also returned 97 punts for 968 yards (10.0 avg) and 33 kickoffs for 740 yards (22.4 avg) so far in his career.  He also has 13 tackles in his career.  Look for Cosby to return all punts and kickoffs for the Colts this weekend against the Jaguars.

31-year old DE Dwight Freeney has been elected as a starter in the Pro Bowl.  He has played in 15 games for the Colts so far this year and he has 18 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 tackle for a loss.  I think this was a pick based on reputation because a lot of DEs have played way better than Freeney in the AFC so far this year.  Freeney has now played in 148 games in his first 10 years with the Colts and he had 285 tackles, 101.5 sacks, 43 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 14 passes defensed and 32 tackles for a loss.

The Colts have claimed 31-year old LB Kevin Bentley off waivers from the Jaguars.  He played in 1 game for the Jaguars this year and he had 1 tackle.  Bentley has now played in 133 games in his first 10 years in the NFL and he has 413 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 9 passes defensed and 2 interceptions.  The Colts have also signed 24-year old CB Brandon King off the Dolphins’ practice squad.  King played in 4 games for the Colts last year and he had 1 tackle.  The Colts hope that Bentley and King can help them out the last few weeks on D.

The Colts have placed 22-year old rookie DT Drake Nevis on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season due to a back injury.  Nevis played in 5 games for the Colts this year and he had 19 tackles and 1 pass defensed.  Nevis was a 3rd round pick of the Colts last April.  He showed solid potential when he was on the field for the Colts this year, so they hope he gets healthy soon.

The Colts have claimed 26-year old LB Zac Diles off waivers from the Buccaneers.  Diles played in 7 games for the Bucs earlier this year and he could only muster 1 tackle.  Diles has now played in 57 games in his first five years in the NFL and he has 244 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 3 passes defensed and 1 interception.  The Colts waived 23-year old rookie TE Mike McNeill to make room on the roster for Diles.  He played in 4 games for the Colts this year but he didn’t catch any passes.

The Colts have lost 24-year old cornerback Jerraud Powers (dislocated left elbow) and 25-year old Terrence Johnson (forearm injury) for the rest of the season due to injury.  Powers played in 11 games for the Colts this year and he had 49 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 6 passes defensed and 2 interceptions (one returned for a TD).  Powers has now played in 33 games in his first 3 years with the Colts and he has 168 tackles, 25 passes defensed, 5 interceptions (one returned for a TD), 10 tackles for a loss, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.  Terrence Johnson played in 10 games for the Colts as a rookie this year and he has 37 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss.  These are big blows to the Colts’ D.

The Indianapolis Colts have fired defensive coordinator Larry Coyer.  He will be replaced by linebackers’ coach Mike Murphy for the rest of this year.  Coyer deserved what he got as the Colts were giving up 29.7 points per game.  The Colts are also giving up 150.6 yards rushing per game (4.2 ypc) and 238.7 yards passing per game so far this year.  This is likely just the first shoe to drop on the Colts’ coaching staff this off-season.

The Colts have claimed 25-year old fullback Jerome Felton off waivers from the Panthers.  Felton played in 9 games for the Panthers last year and he carried the ball 3 times for 10 yards (3.3 ypc).  He also caught 2 passes for 24 yards (12.0 avg) for the Panthers this year.  Felton has now played in 51 games in his first four years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 42 times for 136 yards (3.2 ypc).  He has also caught 32 passes for 264 yards (8.3 avg) so far in his career.  This was a good move for the Colts as Felton is a solid all-around fullback.