Indianapolis Colts
Challenge No. 1: Replace key starters in the secondary
When the Colts open camp in less than a month, they will feature a secondary with three new starters. Opting not to overpay Nick Harper, Jason David and Mike Doss, the Colts chose to stick to their previosuly successful blueprint by plugging young draft picks into those positions. By cleverly drafting potential replacements a year or two before their starters depart for bigger contracts, the Colts have been able to groom young players for starting roles on defense. Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden, the most likely replacements for the starting corners, already have logged extensive time in the Colts' nickel and dime defenses. Doss' replacement, Antoine Bethea, started eight games as a rookie last season. With newcomers Daymeion Hughes and Michael Coe in the mix, the Colts will have as many six players with three years or less of experience in the back end. Though the simplicity of the Colts' Cover Two allows for young players to play early, working through their growing pains will be the goal of the preseason.
Challenge No. 2: Improve the league's worst run defense
After finishing the regular season ranked dead last versus the run, the Colts went on an unlikely Super Bowl run fueled in large part by their improved run defense. A defense that allowed opponents to average more than 160 rushing yards during the regular season stiffened considerably during the playoffs. Holding each of their four playoff opponents below 100 yards on the ground, the Colts showed a solid gap-control defense that eliminated the big plays that had plagued them throughout the regular season. Building on the momentum of that success is a starting point for their training camp objectives. But getting a Colts' defense with several new starters to fully understand the principles of the one-gap run defense presents a major challenge. Teaching those principles will occur in practice, but developing the chemistry to make the scheme come together will have to occur during the games.
Challenge No. 3: Find out if Joseph Addai can carry the load
With Dominic Rhodes departing during free agency, Addai gets the opportunity to be the feature back in '07. Though he flashed all of the skills to be an outstanding starter during his rookie campaign, there are questions about his ability to handle more than 300 carries during a 16-game regular season. Based on his size, overall skills and production in a limited role, Addai appears to be capable of taking on the expanded role. His 1,000 rushing yards led all rookie backs last season and the three games he produced in the playoffs in which he gained more than 100 yards of total offense showed that he was capable of being the workhorse in pressure situations. The Colts obviously feel that he is ready to take on the task. With limited depth behind him, the gamble on Addai's durability and effectiveness will be one of the key factors to the Colts' success.
Colts players and coaches are due to report to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind., on Sunday, July 29.
I felt if was a pretty good read. All three things will probably be our achilles heel for the upcoming season. Thoughts?
