23-year old QB Andrew Luck had quite a rookie season, but he has some areas that the Colts hope he improves on in 2013 and beyond.  The Colts would like to see Luck improve his completion percentage (54.1%) and cut down on his INTs (18).  That being said, Luck has a big time arm and he plays similar style wise to Ben Roethlisberger as he tends to hold onto the ball until the last minute….which causes him to take big shots….but also allows him to make big play throws down the field.  Luck played in 16 games (all starts) as a rookie for the Colts last year and he completed 339 of 627 passes (54.1%) for 4,374 yards with 23 TD passes and 18 INTs (76.5 QB Rating).  Luck also carried the ball 62 times for 255 yards (4.1 ypc) with 5 TD runs last year for the Colts.  Luck led the Colts to an 11-5 record (68.8%) record during the regular season in 2012.  37-year old Matt Hasselbeck will be the Colts’ backup in 2013.  He played in 8 games (5 starts) for the Titans last year and he completed 138 of 221 passes (62.4%) for 1,367 yards with 7 TD passes and 5 INTs (81.0 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 13 times for 38 yards (2.9 ypc) for the Titans last year.  Hasselbeck has now played in 194 games (152 starts) in his NFL career so far and he has completed 3,029 of 5,018 passes (60.4%) for 34,517 yards with 201 TD passes and 147 INTs (82.2 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 339 times for 1,229 yards (3.6 ypc) with 8 TD runs so far in his career.  Hasselbeck is 80-72 (52.6%) during the regular season as a starting QB in the NFL.  Hasselbeck can still play at a high level and he will be able to help Luck develop as a QB.  24-year old Chandler Harnish will be the Colts’ #3 QB in 2013.  He was a 7th round pick (#253 overall) out of Northern Illinois in the 2012 NFL Draft.  He has yet to get into a game in his NFL career.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE QBs IN 2013:  B+

50-year old head coach Chuck Pagano will be the man in charge for the first time in his NFL career.  He served as the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens last year.  Pagano will be taking over a complete rebuilding project due to the fact that the Colts were only 2-14 last year under Jim Caldwell.  Gone is Peyton Manning as he has been replaced by rookie QB Andrew Luck.  The Colts spent most of the off-season improving on the offensive side of the ball.  It will be up to Pagano’s defense to hold up their end of the bargain in 2012.  The transformation from a speedy team to a power team has begun in Indianapolis.

VERDICT:  The Colts will at least double their 2011 win total, while proving to be a tough competitor on most Sundays.

The Indianapolis Colts are about to start at new era as Peyton Manning was released in the off-season, and he has been replaced at QB by 22-year old Andrew Luck, who was the #1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.  So Luck is going to be under pressure right away due to who he is replacing.  Remember though, even Peyton Manning had a rough time as a rookie.  Luck has all of the tools to be an elite QB in the NFL, but it’s going to take some time.  Luck played in 38 games (all starts) at Stanford and he completed 713 of 1,064 passes (67%) for 9,430 yards with 82 TD passes and only 22 interceptions.  28-year old Drew Stanton will be Luck’s backup in 2012.  Stanton didn’t get into any games for the Lions last year.  Stanton is 2-2 (50%) as a starting QB so far in his NFL career.  Stanton has played in 13 games (4 starts) in his first four years in the NFL and he has completed 104 of 187 passes (55.6%) for 1,158 yards with 5 TD passes and 9 INTs (63.1 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 30 times for 166 yards (5.5 ypc) with 2 TD runs so far in his career.  He is going to be a solid backup for the Colts.  The Colts drafted 24-year old Chandler Harnish in the 7th round of last April’s NFL Draft.  He played in 47 games (45 starts) at Northern Illinois and he completed 687 of 1,110 passes (61.9%) for 8,944 yards with 68 TD passes and 26 INTs.  Harnish is going to be brought along slowly by the Colts.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE QBs IN 2012:  B-

With more of a threat of a pass with Andrew Luck on board at QB, it could loosen up opposing defenses against the run.  With that in mind, the Colts need their RBs to step up in 2012.  25-year old Donald Brown will get the first shot at being the full time RB for the Colts in 2012.  He played in 16 games (2 starts) for the Colts last year and he carried the ball 134 times for 645 yards (4.8 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  He also caught 16 passes for 86 yards (5.4 avg) last season.  Brown has now played in 40 games (11 starts) in his first three years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 341 times for 1,423 yards (4.2 ypc) with 10 TD runs.  He also caught 47 passes for 460 yards (9.8 avg) without a TD grab so far in his career.  25-year old Delone Carter is a battering ram type of RB.  He played in 16 games (3 starts) in his rookie season last year and he carried the ball 101 times for 377 yards (3.7 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  Carter has also caught 5 passes for 18 yards (3.6 avg) without a TD grab.  30-year old Mewelde Moore will be a solid #3 RB for the Colts in 2o12.  He is a good runner and a pass catcher.  Moore played in 12 games (0 starts) for the Steelers and he carried the ball 22 times for 157 yards (7.1 ypc) without a TD run.  He also caught 11 passes for 104 yards (9.5 avg) with 1 TD grab last year.  Moore has now played in 113 games (15 starts) in his first 8 years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 494 times for 2,247 yards (4.5 ypc) with 6 TD runs.  He has also caught 214 passes for 1,875 yards (8.8 avg) with 7 TD grabs.  23-year old Darren Evans played in 2 games (0 starts) for the Colts last year as a rookie, but he didn’t touch the ball.  22-year old Vick Ballard was a 5th round pick in last April’s NFL Draft.  Ballard played in 25 games (23 starts) in his two years in college and he carried the ball 379 times for 2,157 yards (5.7 ypc) with 29 TD runs.  He also caught 30 passes for 293 yards (9.8 avg) with 2 TD grabs in college.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE RBs IN 2012:  C+

The Colts should be o.k. at WR in 2012.  33-year old Reggie Wayne surprisingly returned to the Colts for the 2012 season and that is a good thing for them.  Wayne played in 16 games (all starts) for the Colts last year and he caught 75 passes for 960 yards (12.8 avg) with 4 TD grabs.  Those were amazing numbers when you consider who the Colts played at QB last year.  Wayne has now played in 173 games (160 starts) in his first 11 years with the Colts and he has caught 862 passes for 11,708 yards (13.6 avg) with 73 TD grabs.  26-year old possession receiver Austin Collie will likely start opposite of Reggie Wayne at WR for the Colts in 2012.  He played in 16 games (5 starts) for the Colts last year and he caught 54 passes for 514 yards (9.5 avg) with 1 TD grab last year.  Collie has now played in 41 games (16 starts) in his first three years with the Colts and he has caught 172 passes for 1,839 yards (10.7 avg) with 16 TD grabs.  If 28-year old Donnie Avery is healthy, he will be the Colts’ #3 WR in 2012.  Avery played in 8 games (0 starts) for the Titans last year and he caught 3 passes for 45 yards (15.0 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He has now played in 39 games (28 starts) in his first three years in the NFL and he has caught 103 passes for 1,308 yards (12.7 avg) with 9 TD grabs.  22-year old rookie WR T.Y. Hilton came to the Colts in the 3rd round of last April’s NFL Draft.  Hilton played in 50 games (27 starts) at Florida International and he caught 229 passes for 3,531 yards (15.4 avg) with 24 TD grabs.  Hilton is very fast, but he’s small, so the Colts will likely be using him in the slot as a rookie.  23-year old LaVon Brazill was a sixth round pick in last April’s NFL Draft.  He played in 49 games (39 starts) at Ohio University and he caught 189 passes for 2,511 yards (13.3 avg) with 18 TD grabs.  29-year old Quan Cosby is a long shot to help out at WR for the Colts in 2012.  He played in 10 games for the Colts and Broncos last year, but he didn’t catch any passes.  Cosby has played in 42 games (0 starts) in his first three years in the NFL and he has caught 6 passes for 71 yards (11.8 avg).

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE WRs in 2012:  B-

The Indianapolis Colts spent 2nd and 3rd round picks on tight ends in the 2012 NFL Draft last April, and they are going to be the guys getting almost all of the P.T. at TE this year.  23-year old Coby Fleener came to the Colts in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft out of Stanford.  He will likely instantly become a favorite target of his college QB, Andrew Luck.  Fleener played in 13 games (5 starts) for Stanford last year and he caught 34 passes for 667 yards (19.6 avg) with 10 TD grabs.  He played in 51 games (15 starts) in his four years at Stanford in which he caught 96 passes for 1,543 yards (16.1 avg) with 18 TD grabs.  22-year old Dwayne Allen came to the Colts in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft.  He played in 14 games (all starts) at Clemson last year and he caught 50 passes for 598 yards (12.0 avg) with 8 TD grabs.  Allen played in 41 games (33 starts) in his four years in college and he caught 93 passes for 1,079 yards (11.6 avg) with 12 TD grabs.  On draft night I couldn’t help but think that the Colts are going to try to mimic the Patriots in the way they used their TEs last year.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE TIGHT ENDS IN 2012:  B

The Indianapolis Colts are going to have at least three new starters on the offensive line, but the question is…..Will that make them any better?  At left tackle will be 24-year old, second year player Anthony Castonzo.  Castonzo has a nice upside which he displayed in his 12 games (all starts) for the Colts last year.  But, he has trouble with speed rushers and that doesn’t bode well for Andrew Luck.  27-year old Joe Reitz will likely be the starter at LG for the Colts in 2012.  He played in 11 games (9 starts) and he’s pretty much an average player at best.  27-year old center Samson Satele will be the best player of this motley crew on the O-Line.  He played in 15 games (all starts) for the Raiders last year and he’s nasty.  He’s a much better run blocker than pass blocker.  27-year old Mike McGlynn will be the likely starter at RG.  He’s a fiery player who is best when run blocking.  He played in 7 games (4 starts) for the Bengals last year.  28-year old Winston Justice will be the right tackle for the Colts in 2012.  He never lived up to his billing with the Eagles.  He played in 6 games (1 start) for the Eagles last year.  25-year old Jeff Linkenbach will be the top backup at OT for the Colts in 2012.  He started all 16 games for the Colts last year.  26-year old OG Seth Olsen will be the top backup inside for the Colts in 2012.  He played in 6 games (1 start) for the Colts last year.  24-year old rookie Justin Anderson (7th round pick out of Georgia) and 31-year old OT George Foster will also likely be in line for some P.T. off the bench in 2012.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE OFFENSIVE LINE IN 2012:  C-

The starting nose tackle job is going to be earned in training camp due to an open audition.  27-year old Antonio Johnson would seem to have a small edge heading into camp.  He played in all 16 games for the Colts last year and he had 22 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 2 passes defensed.  Johnson has now played in 53 games in his first four years in the NFL and he has 95 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 tackles for a loss, 1 fumble recovery and 2 passes defensed.  23-year old rookie Josh Chapman will also get a shot to show what he can do.  He was a 5th round pick out of Alabama last April.  He played in 55 games (25 starts) in college and he had 88 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks.  28-year old Brandon McKinney played for Coach Pagano in Baltimore.  He played in 12 games for the Ravens last year and he had 14 tackles and 1 forced fumble.  He has now played in 61 games in his first six years in the NFL and he has 60 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass defensed.  26-year old Jason Shirley played in 4 games for the Panthers last year and he had 4 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble.  He has now played in 7 games in his first two years in the NFL and he has 8 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 tackle for a loss.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE NOSE TACKLES IN 2012:  D+

With Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney moving to outside linebacker in 2012, the Colts are going to need some guys to step up in 2012.  31-year old Cory Redding will start at one end spot for the Colts in 2012.  He played in 15 games for the Ravens last year and he had 43 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 6 tackles for a loss, 1 fumble recovery and 2 passes defensed.  Redding has now played in 131 games in his first 9 years in the NFL and he has 306 tackles, 25.5 sacks, 43 tackles for a loss, 4 forced fumbles, 9 fumble recoveries, 12 passes defensed and 1 interception.  He should have no trouble adjusting to the Colts’ new D as he played under Colts’ new head coach Chuck Pagano in Baltimore.  23-year old Drake Nevis is likely to the be the other starter at DE for the Colts, as long as he can stay healthy.  Nevis played in 5 games for the Colts last year and he had 19 tackles and 1 pass defensed.  He has a nice upside.  27-year old Fili Moala and 24-year old Ricardo Matthews will be the top backups at DE for the Colts in 2012.  Moala played in 14 games last year for the Colts and he had 22 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 tackles for a loss.  He has now played in 40 games in his first three years in the NFL and he has 55 tackles, 2 sacks, 7 tackles for a loss, 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass defensed.  Ricardo Matthews played in 12 games for the Colts last year and he had 19 tackles, 1 sack, 2 passes defensed and 1 tackle for a loss.  He has now played in 20 games in his first two years in the NFL and he has 20 tackles, 1 sack, 2 passes defensed and 1 tackle for a loss.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE DEFENSIVE ENDS IN 2012:  C

The Colts have signed 26-year old DT Jason Shirley.  Shirley is a 6’5″, 345 pound mountain of a man.  He played in 4 games for the Carolina Panthers last year and he had 4 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble.  Shirley has now played in 7 games in his first two years in the NFL and he has 8 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 tackle for a loss.  Shirley will be a reserve if he makes the Colts’ final roster out of training camp.

UPDATE:  (9/2/2012) – The Colts have waived Jason Shirley.