The Colts hope the RBs step up in 2010 to give the offense a little more balance.  27-year old Joseph Addai will likely be the main man again for the Colts this year.  Addai has played in 15 games (all starts) for the Colts last season and he carried the ball 219 times for 828 yards (3.8 ypc) with 10 TD runs.  He also caught 51 passes for 336 yards (6.6 avg) with 3 TD grabs last year.  Addai has now played in 58 games (42 starts) in his four years with the Colts and he has carried the ball 861 times for 3,525 yards (4.1 ypc) with 34 TD carries.  He has also caught 157 passes for 1,231 yards (7.8 avg) with 9 TD grabs in his NFL career.  The Colts need Addai to get back to the kind of back he was in his first two years with the Colts.

23-year old Donald Brown showed glimpses of potential as a rookie but his season was cut short due to injuries.  Brown played in 11 games (1 start) for the Colts last season in which he carried the ball 78 times for 281 yards (3.6 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  He also caught 11 passes for 169 yards (15.4 avg) last season.  Brown could seriously push for Joseph Addai’s starting job in training camp and if nothing else he will cut into his playing time in 2010.

24-year old Mike Hart will likely have one more season to try to impress the Colts’ front office and coaching staff.  He played in 9 games (0 starts) for the Colts last season and he carried the ball 26 times for 70 yards (2.7 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Hart also caught 5 passes for 54 yards (10.8 avg) last season.  Hart has now played in 14 games (0 starts) in his two years with the Colts in which he has carried the ball 28 times for 79 yards (2.8 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He has also caught 6 passes for 72 yards (12.0 avg) in his career so far.  Hart was a very good back in college but his skills haven’t transferred to the NFL.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE COLTS RBs in 2010:  B

34-year old QB Peyton Manning is the Cal Ripken of Pro Football as he has never missed a start in 12 years.  He played in 16 games for the Colts last year and he completed 393 of 571 passes (68.8%) for 4,500 yards with 33 TD passes and 16 INTs (99.9 QB Rating).  Manning also carried the ball 19 times for -13 yards (-0.7 ypc). last year.  He has now played in 192 games in his career with the Colts and he has completed 4,232 of 6,531 passes (64.8%) for 50,128 yards with 366 TD passes and 181 INTs (95.2 QB Rating).  Manning also has carried the ball 328 times for 704 yards (2.1 ypc) with 17 TD runs in his NFL career.  Manning is #4 all time in passing yards (50,128) in the NFL but he will likely pass John Elway this year, health permitting.  He is also #3 all time (366) in TD passes in NFL history.  The Colts are a stunning 131-61 (68.2%) in games started by Peyton Manning.

24-year old Curtis Painter likely has the inside trade for the #2 job despite playing horrible in his first NFL action at the end of last season.  Painter played in 2 games for the Colts last year and he completed 8 of 28 passes (28.6%) for 83 yards with 0 TD passes and 2 INTs (9.8 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 3 times for 4 yards (1.3 ypc) last season.  One more year like that and he might be out of the NFL.

2nd year man Drew Willy and undrafted rookie Tim Hiller out of Western Michigan will likely battle for the #3 job but it’s not impossible that one of them could bump Painter down the depth chart with a good training camp.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE COLTS QBs in 2010:  A+

Peyton Manning started last season slowly as he was recovering from major knee surgery, but, he finished strongly and appeared to be at full strength the 2nd half of the season.  Manning has never missed a start in his NFL career even playing with a broken jaw.  The offensive line is pretty solid for the Colts which helps keep Manning upright despite his lack of mobility.  The Colts will be without Marvin Harrison this season but they expect Anthony Gonzalez to step up and the offense not to miss a beat.  Still, Manning is not happy with the new coaches to this point and they must gain his trust soon.  Manning has a very quick release and he can still rifle spirals all over the football field.  The main reason that Brett Favre wants to keep playing is to make it hard for Manning to catch his all-time records.  Jim Sorgi will be the #2 QB this season for the Colts but the team would be in trouble if he were forced into action.  Despite having solid career stats backing up Peyton Manning most of his success is because of the supporting cast of the Colts.  Rookie Curtis Painter could battle Sorgi for the backup job this season.  More than likely the Colts will bring him along slowly.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2009 SEASON:  A+

The Colts did not get what they expected out of kicker Adam Vinatieri in 2007 and they hope he rebounds in 2008.  The 35-year old Vinatieri is starting to look his age for the Colts.  Vinatieri played in all 16 games for the Colts last season and he made 23 of 29 field goals (79.3%).  He also made 49 of 51 extra points for the Colts last season.  Vinatieri is a borderline Hall of Famer as he has been one of the best clutch kickers of all time but he needs a couple of more good years just to make sure.  I think he will rebound in 2008 for the Colts.  Vinatieri has now played in 189 games in his NFL career and he has connected on 311 of 378 field goals (82.3%).  He has also nailed 454 of 463 extra points (98.1%) in his career.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A-

The Colts don’t use a fullback much in their offense preferring to go with 2-TE sets when they want to run the ball.  The Colts will have a new look at TE behind Dallas Clark who should be the primary receiver of the bunch.  Clark has the speed to get down the field and he was Manning’s go-to receiver near the goal line as he led the Colts in TD receptions in 2007.  Clark played in 15 games for the Colts last season and he caught 58 passes for 616 yards (10.6 avg) with 11 TD grabs.  He also carried the ball 2 times for 29 yards (14.5 ypc) last year.  Look for Clark to catch even more passes this season as long as he can remain in one piece.  Clark has now played in 67 games in his NFL career and he has caught 179 passes for 2,234 yards (12.5 avg) with 25 TD grabs.  He also has carried the ball 2 times for 29 yards (14.5 ypc) in his career.

Rookies Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi will battle for the #2 TE job for the Colts this season.  Tamme might have the edge in passing downs.  He is a converted receiver who is on the small side at 6’3″, 234 pounds but he has great hands.  Tamme played in 13 games (12 starts) last season at Kentucky and he caught 56 passes for 619 yards (11.1 avg) with 6 TD grabs.  Look for Tamme to catch more passes than Santi this season for the Colts.  Tamme played in 48 games (35 starts) at Kentucky and he caught 133 passes for 1,417 yards (10.7 avg) with 11 TD grabs. 

Tom Santi is a big TE at 6’5″, 250 pounds and he has a mean streak in the running game.  Santi doesn’t really have many weaknesses in his game so he should get on the field a lot for the Colts this season.  He played in 12 games (8 starts) for Virginia last season and he caught 36 passes for 418 yards (11.6 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  Santi finished up his career at Virginia having played in 47 games (28 starts) in which he caught 97 passes for 1,184 yards (12.2 avg) with 6 TD grabs.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  B

The Colts are essentially only three deep at WR and one of them (Marvin Harrison) has a bad wheel.  Reggie Wayne emerged as Peyton Manning’s go to receiver last season after Marvin Harrison went down to injury.  The 29-year old Wayne has great hands and he can scoot down the field.  Wayne played in all 16 games for the Colts last season and he caught 104 passes for 1,510 yards (14.5 avg) with 10 TD grabs.  Look for Wayne to be the Colts’ main target again this season in the passing game as Marvin Harrison can’t be counted on.  Wayne has now played in 109 games in his NFL career and he has caught 494 passes for 6,984 yards (14.1 avg) with 47 TD grabs.  Wayne should have a huge 2008 season for the Colts.

35-year old Marvin Harrison got banged up for the first time in his career missing 11 games.  He also has had some off field issues that could cause him problems later on.  Harrison has made a career of making good catches and avoiding big hits and that will be more important than ever with him coming off knee surgery.  Harrison played in only 5 games for the Colts last season and he caught 20 passes for 247 yards (12.4 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Harrison is a first ballot Hall of Famer as anything he does now is just gravy, but, for the Colts’ offense to purr like in the past they need him healthy and productive.  Harrison has now played in 175 games in his NFL career and he has caught 1,042 career passes for 13,944 yards (13.4 avg) with 123 TD grabs.

#3 WR Anthony Gonzalez will be a very important player this season for the Colts.  He will likely be more involved in the passing game as the Colts try to lessen the load on Marvin Harrison.  Gonzalez has big time speed and he has the courage to roam over the middle of the field.  He played in 13 games as a rookie for the Colts last season and he caught 37 passes for 576 yards (15.6 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  Look for Gonzalez to possibly double his numbers from his rookie season in 2008 for the Colts.

Roy Hall appears to be the #4 WR as it stands right now for the Colts.  He has good size at 6’3″, 240 pounds but he didn’t do too much as a rookie last season for the Colts.  He played in 3 games and didn’t catch any passes and had 2 tackles on special teams.  He could either help the Colts offense this year or be out of the league…..it can go either way.

25-year old Courtney Roby is looking to get his career back on the right path.  He is likely in a battle with Roy Hall for a roster spot.  He did not play last season due to injury.  He has now played in 25 games in his NFL career and he has caught 23 passes for 317 yards (13.8 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He has also carried the ball 3 times for 19 yards (6.3 ypc) in his career.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  B

The Colts went into last season with a bunch of question marks behind Joseph Addai but that’s not the case this season as Dominic Rhodes, Kenton Keith and rookie Mike Hart are now behind him.  Joseph Addai stepped up last season and it made the offense even more potent than when Edgerrin James was the main back because of his speed.  Addai can score from anywhere on the field and he’s tough enough to run between the tackles.  He also has soft hands and is a solid receiver out of the backfield.  Addai played in 15 games (all starts) last season for the Colts and he carried the ball 261 times for 1,072 yards (4.1 ypc) with 12 TD runs.  He also caught 41 passes for 364 yards (8.9 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  Look for Addai to even have better numbers in 2008 for the Colts.  Addai has now played in 31 games (15 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 487 times for 2,153 yards (4.4 ypc) with 19 TD runs.  He has also caught 81 passes for 689 yards (8.5 avg) with 4 TD grabs.

Dominic Rhodes is returning to the Colts after signing on as a free agent.  He still runs the ball hard and he should be fresh as he was in the Raiders’ Dog House last season.  He played in 10 games (2 starts) for the Raiders last season and he carried the ball 75 times for 302 yards (4.0 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also caught 11 passes for 70 yards (6.4 avg).  Look for Rhodes to get more action than that this season unless Kenton Keith steals some of his playing time away.  Rhodes has now played in 81 games (29 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 625 times for 2,576 yards (4.1 ypc) with 20 TD runs.  He also has caught 101 passes for 719 yards (7.1 avg) with 1 TD grab.

Kenton Keith came out of nowhere last season and he played well for the Colts as Joseph Addai’s caddy.  Keith will have to battle Dominic Rhodes to get his job back as the #2 RB on the Colts in 2008.  Keith played in 16 games (1 start) for the Colts last season and he carried the ball 121 times for 533 yards (4.4 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  He also caught 13 passes for 77 yards (5.9 avg) with 1 TD grab.

Rookie Mike Hart was a big time player at Michigan but he slipped into the 6th round for some reason.  He could challenge Keith for the #3 job at running back.  He averaged 1,260 yards rushing and 10.3 rushing TDs per year in 4 seasons with the Michigan Wolverines.  Hart has a nice upside.

Clifton Dawson will have a hard time making the roster this season despite being the #3 RB last year for the Colts.  Dawson played in 11 games (0 starts) for the Colts last season and he carried the ball 30 times for 64 yards (2.1 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also caught 2 passes for 15 yards (7.5 avg).  Don’t look for him to make the team unless the Colts suffer injuries ahead of him on the depth chart.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A-

Peyton Manning continues to amaze as he keeps playing at a Hall of Fame level.  He did so last season without one of his buddies (Marvin Harrison) who missed most of last season due to a knee injury.  Manning did a good job of spreading the ball around last season which helped essentially replace Harrison’s production.  He might not have the best arm in the league and he’s not the most mobile but Manning and Tom Brady stand alone at the top of the heap as far as NFL QBs go.  In fact, Manning has a good shot to break all of the All-Time NFL records that Brett Favre set last season as long as he can stay healthy and he’s never missed a start in his 10-year career.  Manning started all 16 games last season for the Colts and he completed 337 of 515 passes (65.4%) for 4,040 yards with 31 TD passes and 14 interceptions (98.0 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 20 times for -5 yards (-0.3 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  Look for Manning to be even better than he was last season with Marvin Harrison hopefully healthy.  Manning has now played in 160 games (all starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 3,468 of 5,405 passes (64.2%) for 41,626 yards with 306 TD passes and 153 interceptions (94.7 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 289 times for 696 yards (2.4 ypc) with 16 TD runs.

The Colts really hope that Peyton Manning stays healthy or the season will go straight down the tubes.  Jim Sorgi has a lot of limitations due to arm strength and he’s also not to good at avoiding the pass rush.  Sorgi played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Colts last season and he completed 18 of 36 passes (50%) for 132 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 interceptions (68.3 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 6 times for -4 yards (-0.7 ypc).  Sorgi has only played in garbage time late in games so it has been hard to evaluate him so far in his career.  He has now played in 14 games (0 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 77 of 126 passes (61.1%) for 751 yards with 6 TD passes and 1 interception (90.4 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 26 times for -8 yards (-0.3 ypc).

Josh Betts is the #3 QB for the Colts and they would be in deep trouble if he was ever forced into the starting lineup due to injury.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A