http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/29439 Recent articles about Mike Hart en-us Three rookies have now signed.  One of them is undrafted. Sam Giguere, the French-Canadian wide receiver, signed a two year contract with an option for a third.  Here is the original article for all of you French scholars, and here is the poorly translated version via Babel Fish. Also, Jacob Tamme and Mike Pollak have signed.  Both of them will contend for starting jobs, so their arrivals at the beginning of camp would have been vital. UPDATE: Mike Hart, Steve Justice, and Marcus Howard have also signed.  Here is the link about the signing frenzy. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:39:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294592 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294592 Players report on Thursday, so this is one of the last days to do a roster prediction.  It feels like now is the best time for one, so here it goes.  53 players make it on the roster, 8 on the practice squad, and I will put 10 that should keep in touch if injuries take their toll. 53 Man Roster QB #18 Peyton Manning-I bet I caught you off guard with this one. #12 Jim Sorgi-Sorgi will get a chance to prove himself this upcoming year.  He better not blow it.  Adam Tafralis and Josh Betts are creeping up on him. RB #29 Joseph Addai-Another shocker. #33 Dominic Rhodes-Rhodes will be a change of pace back who should get somewhere between 100 to 150 carries per game.  He should prosper without all the pressure on him. #32 Mike Hart-I consider Hart a running back, although it seems like he will be used as a fullback/short yardage back. FB #47 Gijon Robinson-Robinson is a fantastic blocker, and he will also be able to catch the ball, as he is "officially" a tight end.  Look for him in the goal line. WR #87 Reggie Wayne-As long as he doesn't hurt himself in a meaningless basketball game, he will be Peyton's number one target, at least until Manning and Harrison get their connection back. #88 Marvin Harrison-Hopefully he can recover quickly and maybe get a few plays in a preseason game so he isn't too rusty. #11 Anthony Gonzalez-Gonzalez could have a breakout year.  Or at least I hope so.  He's on my fantasy team. #83 Roy Hall-Hall will be a surprise player and will be a major difference maker this year.  Mark that down. #14 Sam Giguere-Giguere could never make an impact in the NFL.  He could also be the biggest star wide receiver we've seen in a long time.  We know he has the talent, but can he produce on the field?  Let's give him a shot. TE #44 Dallas Clark-Clark should still be a redzone target even with the Rhodes signing and Marvin's injury recovery. #84 Jacob Tamme-Tamme is an athletic tight end who should help the passing game become even more prolific. #86 Tom Santi-It's all about blocking here.  Someone needs to take Utecht's place. LT #67 Tony Ugoh-If Ugoh would have stayed healthy last year, Joe Thomas may not have been named the unanimous best rookie lineman in the league.  Ugoh replaced a Pro Bowler, and most people would not have noticed Tarik Glenn left. #75 Michael Toudouze-We need some fillers on the offensive line after last year.  Toudouze is a fair lineman when called upon, but he shouldn't start. LG #65 Ryan Lilja-Kansas City made a bad move by waiving Lilja.  He's an unheralded star on this team who is versatile and tough at the same time. #61 Jamey Richard-Not much should be expected out of a seventh round pick.  Richard will see some action in the rotation, but he won't be a difference maker this year. C #63 Jeff Saturday-I hope we can find some legal medicine that can make him play forever.  He's the leader of the offensive line. #53 Steve Justice-In Polian We Trust.  I'm sure he had a plan when he took so many interior linemen. RG #78 Mike Pollak-I'll give him the nod right now, but maybe Charlie Johnson can be a better guard than a tackle (which shouldn't be TOO hard). #74 Charlie Johnson-I was disappointed in his play last year.  We won in spite of him.  He was hapless as a tackle.  Let's see if he can improve as a guard. RT #71 Ryan Diem-Diem needs to stay healthy so Addai and the rest of the backs can get positive yards. #76 Dan Federkiel-Like Toudouze, Federkiel is an insurance lineman. DE #93 Dwight Freeney-Freeney should recover well from his foot surgery and be drawing the usual double and triple teams play in and play out. #91 Josh Thomas-I'm not a big fan, but he can stop the run.  His pass rush is very weak, however. UT #79 Raheem Brock-Brock is unnoticed when he plays, but you know he's missing when you see mediocre backs running up through the middle and QBs having all day in the pocket.  Hopefully he can stay healthy. #96 Keyunta Dawson-Dawson is another 2nd year player who should make a big impact at defensive tackle.  He is now listed as a defensive tackle on Colts.com, so there is no doubt on where he will line up next year. #68 Eric Foster-Last year it was Ed Johnson.  This year it will be Eric Foster.  Foster was made for the Tampa 2. NT #99 Ed Johnson-Big Eddy was a magnificent signing by Polian last year.  Sexual assault, schmexual schmassault.  Ed Johnson can stop the run. #97 Quinn Pitcock-The young players run the nose tackle position.  Pitcock is ridiculously strong, and he played well last season when the offensive line was plagued with injuries. #95 Darrell Reid-This man was the last thing Chris Henry saw before his life flashed before his eyes. DE #98 Robert Mathis-With Freeney back, Mathis should return to his double-digit sack season shortly. #92 Marcus Howard-No he is not a linebacker.  And if he does well, no he is not a surprise.  I expect him to do great along with many other Colts fans. SLB #55 Clint Session-I was stuck between Keiaho and Session here, but Session is bigger and could be a better run stopper.  We've all seen what he can do in the passing game. #56 Tyjuan Hagler-He's hurt, but it won't cost him a roster spot. MLB #58 Gary Brackett-Brackett was up there with the Pro Bowl snubs last year.  He was the leader of a top-5 defense, and he will only get better. #50 Philip Wheeler-Wheeler can play anywhere at linebacker.  I expect him to be a starter in 2009.  It depends on how Session and Keiaho do this upcoming season. WLB #54 Freddy Keiaho-To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how anyone can pass on us this year.  The linebackers are all ballhawkers, and the secondary is one of the best in the league.  Keiaho is a great example of a prototypical Tampa 2 linebacker. #52 Ramon Guzman-He's here for special teams and special teams only. CB #28 Marlin Jackson-Like all Tampa 2 corners, Jackson is way underrated.  He can shut the passing lane for any QB on any team. #34 TJ Rushing-Rushing will not be a returner, but he is good enough to be a dime cornerback. FS #41 Antoine Bethea-Bethea is a breakout player who will contend for another Pro Bowl spot this upcoming year. #40 Jamie Silva-The team of dark horses and surprise players strike again with Silva.  Boston College has some good players in the pros. SS #21 Bob Sanders-70% of the Earth is covered by water.  The rest is covered by Bob Sanders. #43 Matt Giordano-After Giordano lacerated Bo Scaife's liver, John Madden had a funny quip.  "[Giordano] just knocked all of his [own] hair off!" CB #26 Kelvin Hayden-He's the same corner as Marlin Jackson.  I would love to see him get a long-term contract. #20 Dante Hughes-Hughes is expected to be a standout at nickel back.  Also, it's Dante, not Daymeion. #25 Michael Coe-Fitting that one of the fastest players on the team shares the same number as Rocket Ismail, my favorite football player of all-time. K #4 Adam Vinatieri-His leg will be better, and his accuracy will be as well. P #17 Hunter Smith-Not a big surprise he's over Adam Crossett right now. LS #48 Justin Snow-Longsnappers normally do not get any attention.  For obvious reasons. RS #35 Chad Simpson-Simpson is just the kind of player the Colts need at returner.  Someone who is extremely fast and may take a chance and not call a fair catch. Practice Squad QB Adam Tafralis RB Clifton Dawson WR Devin Aromashodu OL Corey Hilliard DL Colin Ferrell DL Curtis Johnson LB Jordan Senn DB Brannon Condren 10 Who Should Keep In Touch RB Kenton Keith WR Courtney Roby WR Pierre Garcon OL Mike Elgin OL Darren Marquez DL Jeff Charleston LB Victor Worsley DB Tim Jennings DB Brandon Foster RS Rudy Burgess Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:16:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293513 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293513 July 4th to July 23rd is a tough time.  There is nothing going on.  Besides the stupid Brett Favre rumors, the NFL is inactive all over.  So when I was searching through the blogosphere to see if there was any breaking news on the Colts, I found a fantasy football site that predicted the rushing stats for the Colts.  Fantasy Football Views made some bold predictions, and some of them were very bold.  However, there are some mistakes I have found.  Here are their predictions: Name Rush Yards TDs Fum Yard Var TD Var Joseph Addai 270 1134 16 0 12 25 Dominic Rhodes 75 300 2 1 40 75 Mike Hart 50 198 1 1 30 90 Kenton Keith 24 100 1 1 25 70 Reggie Wayne 1 5 0 2 82 0 Peyton Manning 20 -5 2 3 10 50 Jim Sorgi 5 -5 0 0 10 0 Total 445 1727 22 8 No way Addai gets 16 touchdowns.  After the injury problems he had last year, there is no way he will be used in goal line situations as much.  That is what Mike Hart is for.  Hart will be used as a fullback-like back, similar to how James Mungro was used.  Hart will be used in the goal line and short yardage situations. I don't see Kenton Keith makng the roster, so take him off.  With his history with the law and his dropped pass in the endzone against San Diego have cost him a spot on the team. Dominic Rhodes will get more than 75 carries.  He will be a major part of the team, like Addai was in 2006.  I see Rhodes having around 125 carries this season. With all that said, here are my projections for what the Colts do in the running game: Joseph Addai: 272 carries, 1243 yards, 7 touchdowns Dominic Rhodes: 125 carries, 487 yards, 3 touchdowns Mike Hart: 72 carries, 273 yards, 9 touchdowns Peyton Manning: 9 carries, 10 yards, 2 touchdowns Addai will make the Pro Bowl again, Rhodes will be a good change of pace back, and Hart will be a fantasy sleeper with all of the touchdowns. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:12:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286837 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286837 As many of you may know, I hate the fact that Baltimore Colts numbers are retired.  To be honest, I don't care about the Colts pre-1984.  I do not consider them a part of Colts history.  Currently, the Colts have 7 retired numbers, none of them are Indianapolis Colts.  However, with the star power and the recent success, that is bound to change.  In 10 years, these numbers will be hanging from the rafters of Lucas Oil Stadium. 4. Adam Vinatieri AND John Harbaugh: A dual number retirement is uncommon, but in this situation, it has to be done.  Harbaugh is the best game-manager in Colts history.  Vinatieri was the kicker for the Colts Super Bowl team, and he will finish his career out in Indy, presumably winning more championships.  Vinatieri is a Hall of Famer, and John Harbaugh is a Colts great.  Seeing Vinatieri's and Harbaugh's names under the number will look pretty cool. 18. Peyton Manning: Um, do I even have to explain this?  Seeing anyone but Peyton wearing the number 18 for the Colts would make me physically sick.  Like number 4 in Green Bay, 18 should be retired immediately after Peyton retires and becomes QB coach for the Colts. 32. Edgerrin James: I really hope Mike Hart changes his number.  James is a Hall of Famer, and his number should be preserved.  Edgerrin gained almost 10,000 yards on the ground as a member of the Colts.  He is the greatest Colts running back in history, and Hart should wear a different number so Edgerrin can be the last player to wear 32 for the Colts. 63. Jeff Saturday: Saturday will make it to the Hall of Fame when his career is done.  Comparing him to modern-era Hall of Fame centers, he matches up with the best of them.  By the end of his career, Saturday will have been named to the All-Pro team more than 5 times, and that alone qualifies him for the Hall of Fame.  Saturday is the premier center of this era, and he should be immortalized by his name and number hanging from the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. 78. Tarik Glenn: Like 32, no rookie should take this number.  Sadly, Mike Pollak is wearing 78.  I hope after roster cuts, he will change to a different number so Glenn can be the last to have 78 on his back as a member of the Colts.  Glenn was a major contributor to the dominant Colts of the 2000s, and without him, Super Bowl XLI might have been another Patriots Super Bowl.  78 should not be worn again.  Period. 88. Marvin Harrison: Another obvious one.  Harrison is a future Hall of Famer, and he is the greatest Colts receiver of all-time, Baltimore or Indianapolis.  Harrison's career will undoubtably be cut short by his knee injuries, but that will not keep him from being a first-ballot Hall of Famer.  88 is another untouchable number. As you may notice, 21, 87, and 93 are missing.  I believe that Sanders, Wayne, and Freeney all could be playing come 2018 barring injuries.  I'm not going to predict on when they will retire.  We'll just have to wait and see.  If I am not certain that in 2018 they will be playing, I won't put them on this list.  It's as simple as that. This is pretty random, but I thought this was a good time to say some info I got on Lucas Oil Stadium. 1) The Lube's stands can retract so soccer can fit on the field.  As a soccer fan who desperately wants an MLS team in Indiana, this is great news. 2) Lucas Oil is not an outdoor stadium with the option of being indoors.  Vice versa, actually.  Lucas Oil will be used as a dome that can hold outdoor events, an employee of the team said. Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:33:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282053 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282053 The Colts do not resign players unless they can be signed cheap or are absolutely indispensable.  This policy has led to the Colts losing so many players that I lost count a long time ago.  Here are the ones that I wish were still wearing blue.  I took this idea from Stampede Blue, SB Nation's Colts blog. 5. Booger McFarland: Even though Anthony's nickname is one you would most likely hear from a five-year-old, he was one of my favorite players when he played with the Colts.  Booger, like so many other players on this list, went down to a knee injury.  The steep price we paid for Booger (a second round pick) was definitely worth it, as he was exactly what the team needed come playoff time: A big body at defensive tackle who could also rush the passer.  His patella cost him his career. 4. Mike Doss: Doss was a great safety when he was healthy.  Some people forget how well he played in 2006, the year he tore his ACL.  Through six games and only four starts, Doss had 2 interceptions and 24 tackles.  He tore his ACL, and Antoine Bethea stepped up.  Doss is currently unemployed, as he was cut by the Vikings after last year.  Even though he player for THE Ohio State University, I still have mad love for Mike Doss. 3. James Mungro: Giving some love to the "fullback".  I put fullback in quotations because he was only a fullback by title.  He was more of a goal line back, and he did a damn good job at it too.  Mungro caught Peyton's 48th touchdown pass in 2004, and that was just one of many dump off touchdowns Mungro caught.  In 2002, Mungro had EIGHT rushing touchdowns while only playing in nine games, and he had seven catches in 2004, three of them being for a touchdown.  Hopefully Mike Hart can do the same, as that is why he was drafted in the first place. 2. Edgerrin James: The Edge is a future first ballot Hall of Famer, so how can you not want him back here?  Edge was absolutely unbelievable pre-knee injury, and he recovered nicely from the injury.  Sadly, the Colts couldn't retain him, as the Arizona Cardinals offered a ridiculous amount of money to him prior to the 2006 season.  His departure brought in Joseph Addai, and the rest was history.  I would love to see Edgerrin finish his career in Indy after his contract runs up in Arizona.  A running back over 30 can't ask for too much money, and he would continue the trend of signing old Colts running backs. 1. Brandon Stokley: Stokley was my favorite player when he was on the Colts.  He was unselfish, a good leader, and a good citizen.  Stokley was the perfect slot receiver.  He was fast and could turn short passes into touchdowns.  The Broncos were forced to sign him as he was killing them with the Colts, especially in the playoffs.  Stokley is remembered most for his 1000 yard, 10 touchdown season in 2004 and most of all, catching Peyton's 49th touchdown pass in that year. Note: As I was writing this, I realized that everyone of these players has had some sort of knee injury in their career.  Knees have cost the Colts so much… Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:50:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281096 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281096 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 On my previous site, Pro Colts-Stuff, I started a poll on which rookie would make the biggest impact next season.  Every rookie was an option.  Here is the results in order. Jacob Tamme: 19% Mike Pollak: 14% Mike Hart: 14% Marcus Howard: 8% Philip Wheeler: 8% Eric Foster: 6% Tom Santi: 6% Jamie Silva: 6% Rudy Burgess: 4% Steve Justice: 2% Jamey Richard: 2% Pierre Garcon: 2% Curtis Johnson: 2% Adam Tafralis: 2% I voted for Mike Pollak.  I believe he will be the starting right guard, and he will make an immediate impact.  Jacob Tamme will, however, be a quality H-back and will make everyone forget about Ben Utecht.  The most surprising pick (besides Tafralis, when someone was trying to be funny) was Tom Santi getting a few votes.  I think he will end up as 4th on the tight end depth chart behind Gijon Robinson. Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:43:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274564 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274564 I would take Mike Hart on my NFL team. Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:14:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179164 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179164 Last year's crop of running backs contained only two truly elite prospects, Adrian 'Rookie of the Year' Peterson and Marshawn 'It don't get no better than solid' Lynch. This year's class is much, much deeper, with most of the top prospects juniors. So, start day-dreaming about a few of these top-notch tailbacks dropping below the first couple of rounds, because it's going to happen. Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:59:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/148845 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/148845 MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- Rich Rodriguez says opening the books of West Virginia's private fundraising arm is the only way to determine whether his abrupt resignation as football coach harmed the school financially. Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:43:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/120674 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/120674 These are the top 12 guys comming out of college Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:27:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/99803 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/99803 Adrian Arrington declared. Ryan Mallett transferred. Jake Long, Mike Hart, and Chad Henne are gone. How's the Michigan offense going to look next year? Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:37:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/67525 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/67525 A few things learned this bowl season... Sun, 06 Jan 2008 07:02:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/61333 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/61333 Lloyd Carr, in his final game as Michigan head coach, goes out a winner as his Michigan team beat the Florida Gators 41-35 in the Capital One Bowl. Mchigan forced a 4 and out in Florida's last possesion to help secure a victory. On offense, Michigan racked up 524 total yards, which was 125 yards more than the potent Gators offense. The Michigan defense only surrendered 57 rushing yards and 254 passing yards to Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. The win is also the first bowl win for Michigan seniors Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Jake Long, and Shawn Crable. Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:21:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/58158 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/58158 Instead of mostly every game on New Years Day, the casual sports fan must now wade through three weeks of bowl games and hope you can catch maybe one or two that will remain with you until the next bowl season comes around. This year might not produce the greatest bowl game ever, but here are seven bowl games that you must tune into. Sat, 22 Dec 2007 17:33:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/51337 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/51337