Posts tagged Tom Santi
Did Injuries Affect the 2010 Colts?
Jan 19th
Colts fans are stuck in limbo. The Super Bowl is still two weeks away, so talking about the off-season seems premature. Before fans get to that point, it is worthwhile to take a look back at 2010 to gauge where the Colts franchise will be when the draft and summer activities roll around.
One of the biggest impacts on Indianapolis in 2010 was the unprecedented number of injuries the team had to play through. The Colts placed 18 players on Injured Reserve, and two others on the injured/waived list — including Taj Smith, who rejoined the Colts. This number does not include injured players who missed multiple games throughout the year, but still managed to hold onto a roster spot.
Below are three ways to examine Indy’s injuries in 2010.
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Navigating the Colts 2011 Off-Season
Jan 7th
Quarterback Peyton Manning watches as running back Joseph Addai carries the football in Denver. (Doug Pensinger | Getty Images)
Although the Colts are heading into the playoffs and will not have to worry about new contracts, free agency, and draft planning until after their playoff run ends, once it does things will start happening fast. With all of the players who have contracts ending this season, it will be important to make good choices in order to keep a very talented football team intact.
One thing about any off-season is the chance that difficult decisions will have to be made about players for whom fans have a great deal of loyalty. That is the unfortunate nature of the business of football and those kinds of decisions and observations will be included in what this writer believes is the best direction for the Colts leading up to the 2011 season.
The most important thing to do to start this process is to identify which players require new contracts in order to play football in 2011, and which players currently have contracts that are not reflective of their value to the team.
The players who will need new contracts in order to return to the Colts in 2011 are listed below, by position. More >
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Why the Colts have Struggled in 2010
Dec 12th
Peyton Manning looks ahead during the Colts Thursday night game in Tennesee. (AJ Mast | AP Photo)
Colts fans have watched in horror as a team that entered the season as one of the most talented groups Indianapolis has put together in quarterback Peyton Manning’s career has fallen into mediocrity and failed to continue an NFL record streak of consecutive 12-win seasons. Many expected the stretch of games against the Eagles, Patriots, Chargers, and Cowboys would be difficult, but dropping all four games is not something Colts teams have done in the past.
This uncharacteristic run of losses has understandably caused Colts fans to panic. The blame game is in full force, and fans are scrambling to find answers to resolve the issues in Indianapolis before the 2011 season begins. More >
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Why the Colts Future is not in Doubt
Dec 2nd
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Peyton Manning speaking gealic to his offense in Super Bowl XLI. (Jed Jacobsohn | Getty Images)
With Indianapolis struggling recently, a lot of fans are questioning the team’s future. Many complain about recent drafts and believe the young talent will be incapable of replacing the perennial Pro Bowl and future Hall of Fame talent that is starting to age.
This negative perspective is premature. As long as Peyton Manning is healthy and playing at a very high level in the NFL, the Colts future is safe. With that in mind, it makes sense to focus on the players who represent the team’s future, consider their talent level, and where that talent can take the Colts moving forward. More >
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Questioning the Toughness of Players like the Colts Sanders or Gonzalez is “Ignorant”
Nov 19th
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Dallas Clark on the sidelines prior to the Colts and Texans Week 9 match-up. (Darron Cummings | AP Photo)
Ross Tucker of ESPN wrote a story yesterday regarding an oft-discussed issue with injured NFL players, particularly ones who miss time more often than fans think they should. His response is clear, questioning the toughness of NFL players because they suffer from injuries that hold them out of long stretches of football games, even multiple times, is ignorant.
Too often fans and a lot of writers in the media, particularly fan writers on blogs, will throw around labels like “injury prone” or say things like a player is not “tough enough” to play professional football. These comments are almost always uninformed, lack depth, and are only written because those writing the comments are ignorant to the kinds of injuries players often suffer, the gravity of those injuries, and the difficulty of overcoming not only the pain but the rigorous rehabilitation processes that go along with them. More >
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Colts Forward-Looking Observations
Sep 28th
Blair White's first NFL touchdown. - Justin Edmonds | Getty Images
The Colts are in a situation that has become all too familiar for fans each year. They have suffered a rash of season-ending injuries, starting in rookie mini-camp, with third-round cornerback Kevin Thomas. The Colts added four more defensive backs to that list: including veteran safety Jamie Silva, safety David Caldwell, safety Donye’ McCleskey, and cornerback Jordan Hemby — each were lost during training camp and preseason.
Tight end Tom Santi and kicker Brett Swenson also failed to make it to the regular season. Since the season’s start, linebacker Ramon Humber has been waived due to injury and starters Bob Sanders, Clint Session, Pierre Garçon, Charlie Johnson, and Anthony Gonzalez have all suffered injuries that have kept them out of games. Starting linebacker Clint Session’s replacement, rookie Kavell Conner, suffered a broken bone in his left foot in Denver that will keep him out for weeks as well. Even 2007 second-round pick Tony Ugoh suffered a toe injury that led to his release from the club. More >
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Colts Tight End Tom Santi Placed on Waived/Injured List
Aug 2nd
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CBS Sports Rapid Reports is reporting that the Colts have placed third year tight end Tom Santi on the waived/injured list. This is a rather frustrating development, as I thought Santi had a great deal of talent and a bright future if he could stay on the field. Note: Phil B. Wilson of the Indy Star suggested in a tweet that the move was made to make room for Jerry Hughes, who signed earlier today.
The news does narrow the training camp competition at tight end, however, and places Gijon Robinson back on the bubble. Before, I was relatively sure that Robinson was going to lose his roster spot (he still might) because the three other tight ends on the team either had more potential or showed more skill in their limited opportunities.
Larry French | Getty Images
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2010 State of the Colts Franchise: Offense
Jul 4th
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With organized team activities complete and nearly a month remaining before the start of training camp, I thought it might be useful to take a look at the “State of the Franchise,” position-by-position, on both sides of the ball. Fans can then figure out what “needs”, if any, the Colts still have as a team and speculate about potential free agent signings, which will be possible on July 22nd (when the final eight rule exclusion expires), before training and preseason arrives.
Quarterback:
AP Photo
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Colts Rookie TE Eldridge Makes Positive First Impression
Jun 28th
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If one thing has proved true about the Colts it is that getting information out of the team about players, particularly when it is not required, is a rarity. Additionally, when the team sings a young player’s praises early on, the outcome tends to prove them out.
Last year, Austin Collie earned early support from the team with a strong work ethic and promising future. He went on to be the most productive rookie wide receiver in the NFL. Rookie cornerback Jerraud Powers was lauded for his uncharacteristic maturity and attention to details. He earned a starting spot that he kept throughout the entire season, when healthy. Other young players, while not in their rookie seasons, who sparked attention from Colts front office ended up playing important roles in the team’s success. These players include Pierre Garçon in 2009, Eric Foster in 2008, Melvin Bullitt in 2008, Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden in 2007, and so on.
After participating in the Colts organized team activities (OTAs) Brody Eldridge has been called a “diamond in the rough.” Pro Football Weekly reports that an unnamed source with the Colts organization stated, “He was really impressive in the OTAs. For a big guy, he is really athletic and showed a lot as a receiver. If teams forget about him, he could be a factor.”
Sue Ogrocki | Associated Press Photo
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Colts Mini-Camp Roster Predictions: Offense
Jun 5th
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Now that we have taken a look at what we have lost, let’s take a look at the 53-man roster that I feel the team would likely end up with if they had to make decisions today regarding which players will develop most and prove capable of forming the most talented roster the team can carry into the new season.
MH - He doesn't even look like Edge, JA - Nope. | Indy Star Photo
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