Colts Gab

The Indy Star reports today that Jim Sorgi’s backup QB job is safe:

If sixth-year quarterback Jim Sorgi takes his first snaps of the preseason Thursday at Cincinnati, he won’t be competing for his job with rookie Curtis Painter. “It’s a situation where ‘Sorge’ is our backup guy right now,” Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell said Sunday. “He’s been here a long time. He knows our system, understands it. “Obviously, Curtis has made a strong statement, but right now it kind of lines up the way it was when we first got started with Peyton (Manning) at the helm and Sorge backup to Peyton and then Curtis.”

Pro Football Weekly says that there’s a game of survivor going on for a spot on the Colts D-Line:

Indianapolis coaches are treating their DT situation as a gridiron version of “Survivor,” as the club has stocked its roster with hoards of bodies at what was their weakest position last season. All are being given honest shots of winning starting jobs or prominent roles in the rotation. Because the club lacks any headliners at the spot, a no-holds-barred competition is being utilized to hash out the lineup. Case in point is Eric Foster, a second-year pro who started 11 games as a rookie but finds himself third string. Furthermore, touted rookie Fili Moala, who was widely viewed as an instant impact player after being drafted in the second round, is finding it much tougher to assert himself than many expected. Despite that fact that Moala is perhaps the most naturally athletic player at the position, the team has no qualms about limiting his playing time until he learns to fine-tune his raw skills.

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An article gracing the front page of Yahoo today offers up some supposed insight into what a lot of people have noticed, that Marvin Harrison is still without a team.

While it probably goes without saying that most Colts fans who are thinking about more than nostalgia and that number 88 jersey in their closet (I know the feeling) will consider it the right move to let Harrison go, Jason Cole has decided to focus more on the personal issues of Harrision, and less on the fact that he is a 37 year old reciever, with knee issues, and high salary demands. Sure these are mentioned, but the article quickly turns another direction.

While I’m not disagreeing with the possibility that Harrison may have not always lived up to the quiet demeanor he is known for, I don’t find anonymous sources to be the best measure of Harrison’s overall legacy. Amongst the contentions is that Manning and Harrison didn’t get along, but no tangible proof is given in Cole’s article. Cole also refers to another anonymous coach revisiting a comment Harrison supposedly made back in 2006 regarding catching punts during warmups. The following is the source paragraph as taken from Cole’s article:

“Marvin smiled a little, just a little, and then said, serious as a heart attack, ‘It’s the only way to get the ball around here,’ ” the coach said of a player who set an NFL record with 143 grabs in 2002 but was limited to just 80 the past two seasons.

Read the article and decide what you think. I won’t touch the topic of the shooting incident, because that is a legal issue and a totally different scenario altogether. Its hard to see a guy who set all kinds of receiving records, not to mention the most touchdowns between a quarterback and receiver, being concerned about his touches.

Everyone knows that Manning is second to none in terms of finding the open receiver. Furthermore, calling Harrison a “diva” in the same vein as Chad Ochocinco or Terrell Owens just doesn’t have the evidence to support it. It seems unfair to label a guy, who for 13 seasons garnered the respect of seemingly everyone (at least publicly), as a prima dona based on some recent anonymous hearsay.

The Indy Star today talks about WR Reggie Wayne and how he’ll line up all over the place in 09:

There’s no denying that Reggie Wayne will be in the spotlight once the Indianapolis Colts open the regular season. Pinpointing the veteran receiver’s location might be a bit more difficult. “I hope I play a little bit of everything,” Wayne said recently. He is listed as the left-side starter, but on any given play Wayne might be split wide right, in the left slot or in the right slot. He also might be grouped in a “bunch” with Anthony Gonzalez and either Pierre Garcon or rookie Austin Collie. It’s getting as tough to pigeonhole Wayne as it has been to cover him. “I love it. I do,” Wayne said of being quarterback Peyton Manning’s moving target. “Two years ago, the best year of my career.”

The Indy Star talks today about Bill Polian’s comments about the rookie system that currently exists in the NFL:

A major, leaguewide problem exists, according to Colts president Bill Polian. A system that requires teams to throw hundreds of millions of dollars at unproven players selected in the first round, he insisted, “is crazy.” “In a game where people have to earn things on the field on merit, we should not pay the wrong people,” Polian said.

Pro Football Weekly reports that Charlie Johnson appears to be struggling on the Colts O-Line:

The Colts’ left tackle conundrum is only getting uglier. In his first preseason start, heavy-footed Charlie Johnson proved ill-equipped to handle the Eagles’ speed off the edge. Although there are no imminent plans to demote Johnson just a couple of weeks after he supplanted Tony Ugoh on the depth chart, Johnson’s lack of agility is clearly a liability in pass protection.

The Colts have released LB Adam Seward, a five-year veteran who signed this past offseason as a free agent. I guess he’ll be returning to school to finish his masters degree online. Also on Saturday, backup QB Jim Sorgi returned to practice. With Sorgi back, the Colts also released rookie QB Chris Crane on Saturday, the same day it re-signed rookie RB Walter Mendenhall

Matt Dollinger of Colts.com has reported that Gary Brackett is the winner of this prestigious award that recognizes one NFL Player whose contributions to the community and charity are especially noteworthy. Brackett is honored for his work through his own organization the IMPACT Foundation which gives opportunity to children suffering from cancer that might not normally be available. Congratulations to Gary on his recognition and his work.

Phillip B. Wilson of the Indianapolis Star has reported that Defensive Tackle Raheem Brock suffered an injury to his left hand in Fridays preseason game against Minnesota. He is currently wearing an air cast on his left hand, wrist, and arm, and Head Coach Jim Caldwell has been vague in his public statements regarding the injury.