Colts Gab

After six years backing up Peyton Manning, Jim Sorgi was released by the Colts about a week ago. But it doesn’t mean he can stay away from Manning. It’s not Peyton we are talking about anymore: it’s Eli.

The New York Giants have signed Sorgi to a one-year deal. He served pretty well backing up Peyton. Sorgi will be competing with Rhett Bomar for the No. 2 spot. Sorgi was placed on IR last season with a bad shouler. After trying out for New York, he said his shoulder felt fine.

Sorgi has 929 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception in his career with the Colts. We’ll just have to wait and see what he does in New York now.

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed safety Marlin Jackson to a two-year deal. Jackson was just recently released by the Colts after this continuous runs of injuries throughout the season.

Jackson’s last good year was in 2007 when he put up 87 tackles. His most important contribution to the team’s franchise was during the 2006 AFC Championship, ending the game with an interception on Tom Brady. Jackson will be entering his sixth year next season and looks to be battling for the starting spot in Phily.

I see Jackson winning if stops with the injuries. The Eagles may have made a good decision with him. Maybe.

Right guard Ryan Lilja has been shown the door by the Colts, as PFT announces he has been released by the team today. He was on the O-line that team president Bill Polian said didn’t play very well in the teams recent Super Bowl setback to the Saints:

Colts center Jeff Saturday disagreed with President Bill Polian’s suggestion that the team’s offensive line struggled in the Super Bowl.

But Polian is the one that makes personnel decisions, and he spoke loud and clear by releasing starting guard Ryan Lilja Monday, according to Alex Marvez of Fox.

Lilja was due a $1.73 million bonus soon, but the move is still surprising. He started every game for the Colts last season and is only 28 years old.

Ultimately, the Colts need better run blockers and Polian decided Lilja was only going to get in the way with a hefty base salary. Polian trusts the team’s ability to develop players and he’s usually right.

That trust allows Polian to make strong statements in print and on the transaction wire.

The Colts have had a busy day letting guys go, as they not only let backup QB Jim Sorgi go, but also gone is Raheem Brock:

Apparently, Raheem Brock wasn’t kidding when he Tweeted yesterday that the Super Bowl might have been the last time we see him play in a Colts inform. According to USA Today’s Howard Balzer (via Twitter), the Colts have released Raheem: “Indy cuts DE Raheem Brock and QB Jim Sorgi.” Brock was one of the first players brought in after Tony Dungy was hired as head coach in 2002.

According to Pro Football Weekly, the Colts have released backup quarterback Jim Sorgi. Sorgi was Manning’s backup for some years, but after his injury last year, Painter took his role as the backup. Sorgi was expected to have $275K bonus but is now released.

The available backups left are Curtis Painter and Drew Willy, who spent time with the practice squad last year.

The Colts will have linebacker Gary Brackett back, as reports say he has inked a five-year deal to say with the club as their defensive captain. Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting the deal. Brackett is the defensive captain and a leader in the Colts locker room.

The only downside of inking Brackett is that as one of the final four teams (along with the Saints, Vikings and Jets), the Colts can only sign an unrestricted free agent after they lose one. And Brackett was the only unrestricted free agent they had a chance of losing.

The Colts probably don’t feel too bad, as Brackett was the player they wanted from day one, so getting him back is a win for the team, despite the fact they are hamstrung inking any other players.

The Colts have announced that quarterback Peyton Manning has undergone surgery on his neck in Chicago due to a pinched nerve. They say it isn’t so bad. It won’t be much of a big deal and it won’t interfere with his offseason workouts or anything.

“This condition has existed intermittently for the past four years, but at no time did it interfere with his training, practice or playing regimen,” the team said. “While it never has affected Peyton’s activity on or off the field, the Colts’ medical staff, after post-playoff examination, thought it best to resolve the situation now.”

Manning has recently come off two MVP awards in a row and looks to lead the Colts to the Super Bowl again, this time winning. Let’s hope this neck injury won’t be a bother. In my opinion, it won’t. Manning’s tough. He’ll get past it.

The Colts have been, shall I say, suckish on the run for these past two seasons. Now more defenses know each play it most probably be Manning dropping back to pass besides Joseph Addai or Donald Brown going up the middle. And even if a running play is called, Manning will either audible it, or if they do the play: get stuffed behind the backfield or get a small gain more often than not. This is why the Colts are in the low 20s and 30s in the ranks of rushing yards per game.

But during the Super Bowl, I saw hope for next season. Joseph Addai and Donald Brown ran fabulously during  that game. Addai had his longest run of 30 yards or more since his rookie or sophomore year in the NFL. That’s how crazy it was for this horrible rushing team. After witnessing that game on the run, there will be hope for next season in 2010-11.

Which is why I say the Colts will be back to their old rushing ways where how Addai played between the years of 2006-07. And with a hopeful Donald Brown, this team can be flourished on the running side of the ball. I am telling ya, it could happen. That Saints team was a tough, old defense and the Colts ran right all over them.

So Colts’ fans, I see a really different year during 2010. We all know the passing will be good no matter what receiver Peyton has (we saw that this year with Garcon and Collie). But the question is, how about the run? The Colts’ rushing game has drastically improved in their last few games of the season. It’s going to be totally different next year.

So a little note to those defenses: it’s time to watch out. This Colts’ team is going to get those passes on you…and the runs!

Though ESPN has recently predicted that the Colts’ chances of drafting Florida Gators’ quarterback Tim Tebow in the draft coming in April is low, there are still rumors going on that it still can happen. Hey, you never know. The Colts got an unexpected superstar running back from Michigan out of Mike Hart in 2008 in the sixth round. Anything can happen.

But I doubt it. But if it indeed does happen, what would do the Colts do? To me, it would be a smart idea if he would actually be available in the second or third round for Indy to get him since they’re most probably eying someone else in the first round. I think it would be great for Tebow. Extremely beneficial.

He can learn from a future Hall-of-Famer in Peyton Manning. Manning will mentor him a lot and when he retires, Tebow will most probably be the guy to count on. Tebow would be the future of the franchise, no doubt. The Colts could mentor him for about 2-6 years until Manning retires. It could be a smart idea for Indy.

But most likely, another team might snag him, and it could actually be in the first, you never know. But if the Colts do get him, I wouldn’t be surprised if they mentor him and turn him to an already-starter after Peyton Manning leaves.

It was rumored that the Colts would tag one of their players and it would most likely be linebacker Gary Brackett, who has been very important to the team’s defense for the past few years. It turns out those rumors are false as Indy announced they will not franchise him.

President Bill Polian hopes to resign Brackett, though, according to AP:

Brackett can become an unrestricted free agent March 5. Colts president Bill Polian said Wednesday he still hopes to re-sign Indy’s defensive captain to a long-term deal before that date.

The Colts need Brackett back in my opinion. I hope they do in fact bring him back. If not, they would have to look into free agency or the draft.