http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/1922 Recent articles about Dwight Freeney en-us I loved Prisco's top 50, but there were definite faults in it.  Even though he did a great job tackling the Brady v. Manning topic, some of his picks were, how do you say, questionable.  Here is my attempt at naming the top 50 players in the NFL.  With 1696 players on the active roster, cutting it down to 50 is tough, but here I go. 1. Tom Brady/QB/New England Patriots (Prisco Ranking-1): Ugh.  I hate this.  I hate putting Brady at number one.  50 touchdown passes does qualify him for this spot though.  This doesn't feel right.  Do I have to put Patriots players on my list? 2. Peyton Manning/QB/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-2): Ah, this feels better.  Manning in his downyear through for more than 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, got his team a first-round bye while missing his top wide receiver for most of the year.  Scary to think of what he can do with the whole team in his "great" years. 3. Randy Moss/WR/New England Patriots (Prisco-4): When he's not bumping traffic cops, he's pushing off of cornerbacks and safeties to break the receiving touchdowns in a season record (although that title is complete bogus).  He should do well again this year, but not 20+ touchdowns. 4. LaDanian Tomlinson/RB/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-3): LDT is a Hall of Fame running back, but there are other backs in the league that are catching up to him.  Tomlinson can do it all: run, catch, and even pass.  He's the definition of an all-around back. 5. Bob Sanders/S/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-7): Sanders is definitely the best defender in the league.  No other defensive player changes a game in the way that Sanders does.  We've all seen what the Colts did on defense in 2007 as opposed to the Sanders-less 2006. 6. Jared Allen/DE/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-12): Legal matters aside, Allen has moved into the category of a healthy Julius Peppers and Dwight Freeney as the game's premier pass rushers.  He got 15.5 sacks in 14 games last year.  It is crazy to put him out of the top 10. 7. Antonio Cromartie/CB/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-NR): I have no idea how Antonio Cromartie was not ranked by Prisco.  Cromartie led the league in interceptions, returned a missed field goal for a touchdown, and he recovered 2 fumbles.  He was definitely the best corner in the league last year. 8. Adrian Peterson/RB/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-15): Peterson exploded onto the scene last season, running for over 1300 yards, leading the league in rushing yards per game, and taking home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. 9. DeMarcus Ware/OLB/Dallas Cowboys (Prisco-9): Last season, Ware had the best season of his career.  He had career-highs in sacks and tackles, and he is only going to improve. 10. Walter Jones/OT/Seattle Seahawks (Prisco-16): Even though the Seahawks have no offensive weapons, the Seahawks have a top 10 offense.  How is it possible?  This man is the reason why. 11. Nnamdi Asomugha/CB/Oakland Raiders (Prisco-29) 12. Brian Westbrook/RB/Philadelphia Eagles (Prisco-20) 13. Reggie Wayne/WR/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-22) 14. Steve Hutchinson/OG/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-19) 15. Albert Haynesworth/DT/Tennessee Titans (Prisco-14) 16. Terrell Owens/WR/Dallas Cowboys (Prisco-13) 17. Jeff Saturday/C/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-NR) 18. Champ Bailey/CB/Denver Broncos (Prisco-5) 19. Shawne Merriman/OLB/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-11) 20. Kevin Williams/DT/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-10) 21. Dwight Freeney/DE/Indianapolis Colts (Prisco-25) 22. Ed Reed/S/Baltimore Ravens (Prisco-23) 23. Jason Peters/OT/Buffalo Bills (Prisco-27) 24. Richard Seymour/DE/New England Patriots (Prisco-30) 25. Braylon Edwards/WR/Cleveland Browns (Prisco-34) 26. Devin Hester/RS/Chicago Bears (Prisco-50) 27. Andre Johnson/WR/Houston Texans (Prisco-26) 28. Chad Johnson/WR/Cincinnati Bengals (Prisco-28) 29. Asante Samuel/CB/Philadelphia Eagles (Prisco-37) 30. Patrick Willis/MLB/San Francisco 49ers (Prisco-43) 31. Antonio Gates/TE/San Diego Chargers (Prisco-24) 32. Osi Umenyiora/DE/New York Giants (Prisco-42) 33. Tony Romo/QB/Dallas Cowboys (Prisco-NR) 34. Tony Gonzalez/TE/Kansas City Chiefs (Prisco-46) 35. Steven Jackson/RB/St. Louis Rams (Prisco-33) 36. Patrick Kerney/DE/Seattle Seahawks (Prisco-NR) 37. Mario Williams/DE/Houston Texans (Prisco-6) 38. Ernie Sims/OLB/Detroit Lions (Prisco-39) 39. Larry Fitzgerald/WR/Arizona Cardinals (Prisco-31) 40. Ben Roethlisberger/QB/Pittsburgh Steelers (Prisco-17) 41. Lofa Tatupa/MLB/Seattle Seahawks (Prisco-40) 42. Adrian Wilson/S/Arizona Cardinals (Prisco-NR) 43. Shawn Andrews/OG/Philadelphia Eagles (Prisco-38) 44. Tommie Harris/DT/Chicago Bears (Prisco-36) 45. Pat Williams/DT/Minnesota Vikings (Prisco-NR) 46. Aaron Kampman/DE/Green Bay Packers (Prisco-45) 47. Drew Brees/QB/New Orleans Saints (Prisco-35) 48. Brian Urlacher/MLB/Chicago Bears (Prisco-32) 49. Larry Johnson/RB/Kansas City Chiefs (Prisco-NR) 50. Plaxico Burress/WR/New York Giants (Prisco-NR) Unranked Players On My List That Are On Prisco's List: Carson Palmer (8) Charles Woodson (18) Steve Smith (21) Vince Wilfork (41) Kellen Winslow (44) Marcus Trufant (47) Wes Welker (48) Fred Taylor (49) Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:49:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284878 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284878 3 interior linemen drafted apparently didn't cover the need.  According to Colts Power, the Colts signed Doug Datish, a second year center who recently got waived by the Falcons.  Of course I can't read the article since Colts Power is an "insider" blog, so we who don't pay are unworthy of the information they put out.  Charging someone to read something on the Internet is plain stupid. The Sporting News speaks the obvious truth: The Colts are not done. In case some of you haven't been paying attention, Michael Coe, Ryan Lilja, Bob Sanders, Marvin Harrison, and Dwight Freeney won't be doing much at training camp. That's it.  Wow, the offseason is boring.  Training camp starts in 25 days. Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:50:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284000 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284000 Pete Prisco off of Sportsline.com recently listed his Top 50 NFL players, something he does anually during the offseason. I think it is a great idea, so I figured I'd make a list of my own.  My list only has 20 players but I will add more if you guys want to see it, but [...] Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:30:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283740 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283740 Don't you hate it when the media doesn't set themselves up for being ridiculed?  That's a pet peeve of mine.  Bloggers are always there to correct the media, but Pete Prisco has made his top 50 list near-perfect.  I'm sure you know who the top 2 players are. Prisco dives into the very dangerous waters of Brady v. Manning.  I hate comparing these two, but Prisco does a great job.  Prisco has had Peyton as his number one player for a few years now, but that has changed after Brady's MVP season.  However, he doesn't say the idiotic "Peyton's on the downside of his career" crap I've heard since the San Diego game. Manning had an off year, by number standards, in 2007. All he did was go over 4,000 yards passing for the eighth time in his career, throw 31 touchdowns and complete 65.5 percent of his passes, much of that without receiver Marvin Harrison on the field. Most quarterbacks would kill for those numbers. The great thing is we expect Manning and Brady to do it again in 2008. Why not? Brady has his entire offense back, a coach who lets him throw it around at will, and another year's experience on his résumé. Manning expects to have Harrison back, and third receiver Anthony Gonzalez isn't a rookie anymore. The first man to 40 touchdown passes wins. I agree completely.  Although I despise the New England Patriots and anything associated with them, I agree that Brady deserves the top spot.  For now.  The first one to 40 TDs wins.  I could see this be a Sosa-McGwire type fight for the TD pass record.  Both of them have enough weapons to get the job done. Prisco has a total of four Colts on his top 50 list.  Here is his take on the Colts players: 2. Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts: Even Manning's down seasons are sensational. If Marvin Harrison is back this year, watch out. And Marvin will be back. 7. Bob Sanders, S, Indianapolis Colts: The only thing holding him back is the injury issues. When he's on the field, the Colts have a different defense. His injury issue didn't come into play last year, and *knock on wood* hopefully it doesn't come into play this year.  Sanders is the best defensive player in the league.  No team has found a way to stop him. 22. Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts: When Marvin Harrison was out last season, Wayne emerged as the team's go-to receiver. The guess here is that is that it stays that way. He's a true star now. I don't like Prisco having Wayne ranked lower than Steve Smith, but at least he recognizes his star power. 25. Dwight Freeney, DE, Indianapolis Colts: He's coming off a serious foot injury, which is a concern. It's why his ranking is down. When he's truly healthy, he's a top 15 player. Unlike others, Prisco doesn't think Freeney's foot was amputated and he'll never be the same again.  It's good to see logic in the mainstream media. His top 10 was Brady, Manning, LaDanian Tomlinson, Randy Moss, Champ Bailey, Mario Williams, The Eraser, Carson Palmer, DeMarcus Ware, and Kevin Williams.  5 defensive players and five offensive players.  Palmer is ranked a little high, though. My biggest beef in this article is the lack of Jeff Saturday.  I guess the multiple All-Pro appearances doesn't make him a top 50 player in this league.  Not even an honorable mention.  I guess no one is perfect, not even one of my favorite writers. Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:11:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283647 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283647 A big deal has been made about Freeney's injury, but Pro Football Weekly, the best site on the Internet for football news, has heard that his foot will be no problem when the season starts. This is "The Way We Hear It" from today: According to a team insider, Colts DE Dwight Freeney is well on his way to be back in playing condition by the start of the regular season. Freeney has been nursing a Lisfranc (foot) injury throughout the offseason program, but we hear there's little cause for concern. While the injury generally takes between 9-10 months to fully recover from, doctors have told him that he's, if anything, ahead of schedule with his return. In fact, there's a slight concern around Colts camp that Freeney may try to come back too soon. Fortunately for the Colts, their star end is also heeding advice from recently retired Michael Strahan and former teammate Brandon Stokely, both of whom have nursed the injury and have implored Freeney to take it easy. Word is Freeney has opted to stay in Indianapolis through OTAs and minicamp rather than rehab remotely. This is great news.  Freeney's injury could be the only thing holding us back from another ring.  If Freeney is healthy, this team will be an unstoppable force next year.  You've had your run, New England.  Get ready for the Colts dynasty. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:08:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283216 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283216 A big deal has been made about Freeney's injury, but Pro Football Weekly, the best site on the Internet for football news, has heard that his foot will be no problem when the season starts. This is "The Way We Hear It" from today: According to a team insider, Colts DE Dwight Freeney is well on his way to be back in playing condition by the start of the regular season. Freeney has been nursing a Lisfranc (foot) injury throughout the offseason program, but we hear there's little cause for concern. While the injury generally takes between 9-10 months to fully recover from, doctors have told him that he's, if anything, ahead of schedule with his return. In fact, there's a slight concern around Colts camp that Freeney may try to come back too soon. Fortunately for the Colts, their star end is also heeding advice from recently retired Michael Strahan and former teammate Brandon Stokely, both of whom have nursed the injury and have implored Freeney to take it easy. Word is Freeney has opted to stay in Indianapolis through OTAs and minicamp rather than rehab remotely. This is great news.  Freeney's injury could be the only thing holding us back from another ring.  If Freeney is healthy, this team will be an unstoppable force next year.  You've had your run, New England.  Get ready for the Colts dynasty. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:08:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283216 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283216 Right now, I'm watching the Netherlands-Russia game on ABC, and the suspense is killing me.  However, it is that short break between the end of regulation and extra time, and Naptown's Finest is looking uncreative.  Maybe The Landry Hat-Black & Teal feud is making this blog feel boring.  Well, I was bumming around the Interwebs, and I found a 2009 NFL Mock Draft Database on Walter Football.  Let's see who the "experts" think the Colts will take in 2009. Sen'Derrick Marks/DT/Auburn: 5 Al Woods/DT/LSU: 2 Darrius Heyward-Bey/WR/Maryland: 2 Chase Coffman/TE/Missouri: 2 Peria Jerry/DT/Ole Miss: 2 Derek Pegues/S/Mississippi State: 1 Demonte Bolden/DT/Tennessee: 1 Maurice Evans/DE/Penn State: 1 Brandon Spikes/LB/Florida: 1 Tyson Jackson/DE/LSU: 1 Jeff Owens/DT/Georgia: 1 CJ Spiller/RB/Clemson: 1 Jeremy Maclin/WR/Missouri: 1 Derrick Williams/WR/Penn State: 1 Jermaine Cunningham/DE/Florida: 1 Trey Covington/DE/Maryland: 1 Marcus Freeman/LB/Ohio State: 1 Vance Walker/DT/Georgia Tech: 1 Greg Middleton/DE/Indiana: 1 Michael Johnson/DE/Georgia Tech: 1 Alex Boone/OT/Ohio State: 1 Demetrius Byrd/WR/LSU: 1 Greg Hardy/DE/Ole Miss: 1 Ricky Sapp/DE/Clemson: 1 Darrius Heyward-Bey is the obvious choice if he is left.  He's a great receiver, and that is definitely the Colts' biggest need this year.  A lot of defensive linemen were picked.  Strange since that is the deepest position for the Colts and all.  Michael Johnson would be a great pick for the Colts, though.  He reminds me of Dwight Freeney.  Johnson is a phenomenal pass rusher, and he runs a forty yard dash around 4.6.  He is 256 pounds, but he is faster than a lot of defensive ends. Out of all of these players, Heyward-Bey and Johnson are the two I would want the Colts to take. Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:50:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281095 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281095 Indianapolis, Indiana. Headquarters of the NCAA, state of the movie Hoosiers, and home to one of the most potent offenses of the last 5 years, the Indianapolis Colts. 2007 somewhat saw the passing of the torch. For years we've waited for the decline of Marvin Harrison and the "breakout" of Reggie Wayne. Those banking on 2007 being the year of Wayne's movement from elite WR2 to elite WR1 were handsomely rewarded with a season of 102 receptions, 1510 yards, and ten touchdowns. Harrison, on the other hand, suffered through a lingering knee injury that frustrated fantasy owners for the majority of the season, finishing with a line of 20 receptions, 247 yards, and a whopping one touchdown. 2007 was also the emergence of Joseph Addai as a fantasy asset, though he likely disappointed some owners. Entering his first year as a featured ball carrier, the LSU product battled nagging injuries all year, and experienced a late season fade as he finished with fewer than 75 rushing yards in each of his last eight games. Still, despite that fade and missing his week 5 matchup, Addai totaled 1072 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns. Point-per-reception leagues also enjoyed his 41 receptions for 364 yards. Dallas Clark also became a hot commodity as the loss of Harrison resulted in the former Hawkeye nearly doubling his reception total from 2006. Finishing with 58 catches for 616 yards, Clark led the Colts in receiving touchdowns with 11. Peyton Manning was Peyton Manning, and despite everyone's infatuation with golden boy Tom Brady (who disgusts me by the way), Manning garnered 4040 yards, 34 total touchdowns, and every endorsement on the planet. Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:26:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280507 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280507 As Colts fans, we all know how good Polian drafts.  Some players like Reggie Wayne take longer to blossom into stars, but some reveal their greatness the first time they put on their pads.  As the 2008 season approaches with high expectations placed on this rookie class, let's look back at the greatest rookie season performances by Colts draftees. 5. Dominic Rhodes, Undrafted Free Agent, 2001: While all of the players that will follow were actually drafted, Rhodes wasn't thought to be a top 246 player in this draft.  When Edgerrin James tore his ACL in the sixth game of the season, Rhodes came in and proved every critic wrong.  Rhodes became the first UDFA to rush for over 1000 yards, gaining 1104 yards while scoring 9 touchdowns on the ground.  His rookie season is the greatest ever for an undrafted free agent running back, and he is back in Indy to try to repeat his dominant performance in his rookie year, which was not seen over the past six seasons. 4. Dwight Freeney, Round 1, Pick 11, 2002: Freeney was drafted because of his phenomenal pass rushing skills, and he definitely improved the Colts pass rush in his rookie year.  Freeney, although he only started 8 games, had 13 sacks, 9 forced fumbles, and 45 tackles.  His rookie year was arguably his best season, and he was ripped off on the Rookie of the Year award, which went to Julius Peppers.  Freeney has had a Hall of Fame-worthy career so far, and he is expected to come back from his injury stronger than ever. 3. Duane Bickett, Round 1, Pick 5, 1985: Before there was Patrick Willis, there was Duane Bickett.  Like Willis, Bickett did not take long adjusting to the pro game.  As the starting right outside linebacker in 1985, he had 141 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception, and 6 sacks.  Bickett took home the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 1985, and he kept on improving until his career in Indy ended. 2. Marshall Faulk, Round 1, Pick 2, 1994: Faulk won the Rookie of the Year in 1994, and looking at his stats, there is no question why.  Faulk had 1282 rushing yards, 12 total touchdowns, and 552 receiving yards.  Faulk was a main reason why the Colts were one controversial call away from making it to the Super Bowl in 1996.  Though he is remembered more for his career in Saint Louis, his rookie year established him as an NFL great and a future Hall of Famer. 1. Edgerrin James, Round 1, Pick 4, 1999: Did you expect anyone else?  Edgerrin's rookie year may be the greatest debut in the history of offensive rookies.  Edgerrin led the league in rushing with 1553 yards.  He also had 17 total touchdowns and helped the Colts have the biggest turnaround in NFL history, going from 3-13 to 13-3 in only one season.  Edgerrin may have left for less green pastures in Arizona, but his early years with the Colts were strong enough to get him into the Hall of Fame, possibly on the first ballot. Photo by Matthew J. Lee from the Boston Globe Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:53:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279238 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279238 Long title, short blog.  In some lucky news, Rosevelt Colvin passed on the Indianapolis Colts to sign with the Houston Texans.  This surprised me, as Indianapolis is his home town.  He even has a house in the area.  The money was almost certainly the deciding factor.  My guess is the Colts offered him a veterans minimum contract while the Texans offered one of a much higher value.  I'm glad he passed on the Colts.  With all of the injuries the Colts had last season, adding an injury prone player seems like a bad move, especially since it could keep someone like Curtis Johnson, a good UDFA, off of the roster. To cut the roster down to 80, the Colts waived running back Justice Hairston, defensive lineman Dan Davis, kicker Shane Andrus, and center Pat Ross.  Coach Dungy was a fan of Hairston, so that is the only surprise.  The rest all played at positions that are incredibly deep and/or strong.  The Colts had to get it cut down to 80, and there was no big news here. Here's an updated roster prediction after the loss of Colvin, trade of Lawton, and the cuts. 53-man Roster QB: Peyton Manning, Jim Sorgi RB: Joseph Addai, Dominic Rhodes, Mike Hart WR: Marvin Harrison, Roy Hall, Sam Giguere WR: Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez TE: Dallas Clark, Jacob Tamme (H-back), Tom Santi, Gijon Robinson LT: Tony Ugoh, Dan Federkiel LG: Ryan Lilja, Jamey Richard C: Jeff Saturday, Steve Justice RG: Mike Pollak, Charlie Johnson RT: Ryan Diem DE: Dwight Freeney, Josh Thomas, Curtis Johnson DE: Robert Mathis, Marcus Howard, Keyunta Dawson (also plays UT) DT: Ed Johnson, Quinn Pitcock, Darrell Reid UT: Raheem Brock, Eric Foster, Colin Ferrell SLB: Tyjuan Hagler, Ramon Guzman MLB: Gary Brackett, Philip Wheeler WLB: Freddy Keiaho, Clint Session CB: Marlin Jackson, Kelvin Hayden, Dante Hughes (NB), Tim Jennings, Michael Coe FS: Antoine Bethea, Brannon Condren SS: Bob Sanders, Matt Giordano K: Adam Vinatieri P: Hunter Smith LS: Justin Snow Practice Squad QB Adam Tafralis RB Chad Simpson WR Courtney Roby OT Michael Toudouze OG Mike Elgin DL Jeff Charleston LB Jordan Senn DB Melvin Bullitt 4 Who Should Keep In Touch RB Kenton Keith WR Devin Aromashodu WR Pierre Garcon DB Brandon Foster Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:26:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278582 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278582 DE Will Smith agreed to a monster contract extension with the team today, a six-year $70 million contract with $26 million worth in guarantees. The deal puts him only behind Vikings DE Jared Allen and Colts DE Dwight Freeney for the highest paid at the position. Great move by the Saints front office by identifying future [...] Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:00:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276903 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276903 With less than three weeks left before the 2008 NFL Draft, the drums are beginning to beat louder for teams to make certain picks. The Oakland Raiders fans may be beating the loudest drums, just not the same ones. The sounds emanating from Raider Nation sound a lot like Chris Long, Darren McFadden, Vernon Gholston, or trade down amongst others. It seems like we hear this every year, but whatever the Raiders decide to do will have a deep impact on the first round and the rest of the draft. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:06:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/234334 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/234334 As you can see the Patriots have commited just over $56 million dollars in cap room to their top 10 players. Leaving around $63 million in adjusted cap room to fill out the remainin pieces of our roster. Now take a look at the Colts: Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:07:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229474 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229474 To Bill Polian: Attaboy on Clark and Lilja - Cut Losses With Booger and Morris Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:35:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/157690 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/157690 The 1st reason is the Colts are defending Super Bowl Champs that gives an extra boost to win the games. The 2nd is Peyton Manning is way better then Tom Brady. Manning is the best QB in the league. The 3rd is The Patriots act all hot shot and so do the Cowboys when they make a big play. The Colts don't do anything like that. The 4th Reason is Marvin Harrison can beat out the Patriots Defense and The Colts should have won that Regular Season Game against the Pats. The 5th is The Colts Defense line can get at any quarterback Romo,Brady,Favre This what I hope the Super Bowl is Colts vs. Packers. My call Colts 27 Packers 17. Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:54:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/71006 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/71006