Jean-Paul Bergeaux - Saintsgab.com

Peyton Manning QB Indianapolis

There are three keys to winning. O-line, D-line and QB. If you get those three right, you have a solid team. Peyton Manning, therefore, is the one guy that makes a difference on the field. It is no secret that he is the offensive coach on the field, calls his own plays often and single handedly makes the Colts a top 5 team every year. Even at 32 Peyton has several good years left. He’s too smart to get hurt, he will age like a fine wine, getting better even as his physical skills start to fade.

John White - Catcrave.com

Tom Brady QB New England

There are a number of factors that would play a role in my decision making process. A franchise player should not only have the physical tools and the athletic ability to make plays consistently but should also be young enough to remain with the franchise for a number of years. Therefore, I’m ruling out the Peyton Mannings, Tom Bradys and LTs of the league. I want a guy who is this side of 30 - preferably no older than 28.

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By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

AFC South Predictions

1. Indianapolis Colts

Hard to pick against five consecutive division titles – especially if the defense continues to perform so well.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

If they were in the NFC, they would maybe be the Super Bowl favorite.

3. Houston Texans

Capable of winning 10 games if everyone stays healthy, but they’re in an unfortunately tough division.

4. Tennessee Titans

The offensive and defensive lines have both taken a step back. Thus, this team gets doubted for another year.

Best Offseason Move

The Titans franchising defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, ensuring another contract-year effort from the star and forcing him to prove his long-term value.

Worst Offseason Move

The Titans allowing guard Jacob Bell to get away in free agency.

Biggest Question

What force is needed to disrupt the status quo that has come to define this division?

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By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Predicted: 1^st

2007 Record: 13-3 (1^st AFC South)

Head Coach: Tony Dungy (7^th year)

Roster Quick View

*rookie

**new veteran

Offense

QB: Peyton Manning Thirty-two and approaching his 11^th season as a pro. So far, he’s done alright.

RB: Joseph Addai Excellent fit in Tom Moore’s system. Might be one of the five best running backs in football.

WR: Reggie Wayne Coming off career-high 1,510-yard season. Has supplanted Harrison as Indy’s No. 1 receiver.

WR: Marvin Harrison Finally showing signs of mortality after a knee injury wiped out 11 games for him last year. Can you believe he’s almost 36?

WR: Anthony Gonzalez Looks like he’ll be a key figure in this offense for the next 10 years.

TE: Dallas Clark Became the highest paid TE in football over the offseason.

LT: Tony Ugoh Survived the fires of his rookie season. Skills are there and he’s proven capable of developing. Be patient––he’ll be a good one.

LG: Ryan Lilja Was chosen over Jake Scott to return in 2008. Excellent run-blocker, particularly at the second level.

C: Jeff Saturday Thirty-three and in the final year of his contract. Oh, and playing ahead of two rookie centers. Not slowing down, so could still return next season.

RG: Charlie Johnson Surprisingly was anointed the starter during minicamp. A better utility backup, but capable of surviving with good vets around him.

RT: Ryan Diem Huge frame and quick power makes him one of the elite RT’s in football. Highly underrated.

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QB: Jim Sorgi Nice guy but absolutely no one in the Hoosier State ever wants to see him have to take the field for the Colts.

RB: Dominic Rhodes A football speculator: Won a ring in Indy, went to Oakland for a year and made a quick $3.5 million, then humbly returned to Indy.

H-back: Jacob Tamme* Will line up in the backfield but is strictly a receiving option. He actually played WR at one point. He also long-snaps.

WR: Devin Aromashodu A picture of Indy’s health situation at wideout: if he’s on the field, then someone’s hurt. If he’s on the sideline, then everyone’s fine.

TE: Gijon Robinson* Will have a chance to contribute right away as an extra blocker on the line or out of the backfield.

OL: Mike Pollak* A center in college, will begin his career at G. Only a matter of time before he starts.

Defense

LDE: Robert Mathis So small, he almost looks like someone’s humorous Create-A-Player on the Madden video game. But he can sure play.

DT: Raheem Brock Serviceable player who is deserving of his reps in a rotation. Will occasionally draw a double team.

DT: Ed Johnson Undrafted a year ago because of character concerns, but has been well-behaved and, honestly, absolutely outstanding. The Colts rolled a seven here.

RDE: Dwight Freeney Perhaps the most destructive pass-rusher in football when healthy. How will he perform coming back from a Lisfranc (foot) injury?

LOLB: Tyjuan Hagler Shows a good burst. Can be physical and is effective in space. Must continue to build awareness as he develops in the system.

MLB: Gary Brackett Don’t be fooled by his pudginess. This guy is smart, productive against the run and adroit in pass defense.

ROLB: Freddy Keiaho Indy’s best LB; should really come into his own in 2008.

CB: Kelvin Hayden Lacks strength and will get picked on at times, but quickness makes him a good starter.

SS: Bob Sanders Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. And now the game’s most well-compensated safety. Key for him, as always, is staying healthy.

FS: Antoine Bethea Went to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement last season. Doesn’t have dominating tools, but certainly does his job well.

CB: Marlin Jackson Physical presence who can play anywhere in the secondary. Colts like to slide him into the slot in nickel situations.

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DL: Jeff Thomas High-energy player who you can plug in on defense and stay above water.

LB: Clinton Session Flashed stimulating signs of potential as a fourth-round rookie last year. Will be a starter someday, maybe even this season.

NB: Tim Jennings Absurdly short (5’8”) but performs well when called upon because he trusts the Cover 2.

Key Acquisitions

RB Dominic Rhodes (Oak)

Key Losses

LB Rocky Boiman (Phi)

TE Bryan Fletcher

G Dylan Gandy

DT Dan Klecko (Phi)

DT Anthony McFarland

LB Rob Morris

G Jake Scott (Ten)

TE Ben Utecht (Cin)

This was the first time in several years that Indy did not take a major hit in free agency. It was wise to bring back Rhodes, especially for less than $1 million. Of the players lost, Fletcher and Gandy were the biggest surprises. Both were expected to have bigger roles in 2008 and both were suddenly given the ax after the first minicamp. Makes you wonder if the team knows something we don’t. Morris and McFarland are finished after knee injuries. Scott was solid for the team, but they couldn’t afford to keep both he and Ryan Lilja.

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The career of quarterback Kelly Holcomb is over, as the 13-year-pro announced that he is retiring. Last season Holcomb played for the Vikings, and appeared in three games, throwing two touchdowns and one pick in throwing for 515 yards. He started his career with the Colts, where he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played in five games in 97, staring one.

His career really took off after the Colts released him in 2000 and he signed with the Browns. After a few years as a backup, he eventually took the role of starter away from former number one pick Tim Couch. He started a few games early in 2004, but then suffered a broken bone in his leg, and then the season went south and by the time he knew it, the team was headed for a bad season. He backed up Jeff Garcia his last season with the team.

From there he went to Buffalo, and played half the games the first season, and then last season didn’t play a game. He went to Philly in 2007, never played, and then was moved to the Vikings where he finished up his career. He will now become the game-day radio reporter for his alma-mater, Middle Tennessee State.

“It’s something I always wanted to do, radio and TV,” Holcomb said. “People ask me if I plan to coach, and I have no aspirations to do that right now. But I like looking at the game from the radio and TV angles. “I’ve done some of that with ESPN and Fox. I like it and I think I could be pretty good at it. I’m happy to do it with (MTSU).”

The investigation into Marvin Harrison’s potential involvement in a Philadelphia shooting continues to raise more questions than answers. The case has been open for over two months and we have no idea what role, if any, the eight-time Pro Bowl receiver played.

Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, most Colts fans can’t believe that Harrison could be connected with anything close to the accusations that are coming from Pennsylvania. What Colts fans may be shocked to learn is that this seems to be more in line with the Harrison that law enforcement has come to know.

Trouble has seemed to follow Harrison since 2003, but it would take a trained detective to find it. Matthew Prior was a ballboy for the New York Jets and was working the game against Colts on January 5, 2003. According to this New York Times article, Harrison became upset when footballs that were being kicked by punter Matt Turk entered an area where he was warming up. Prior would retrieve the balls and throw them to another ballboy who would return them to the punter. Once, when one of Prior’s throws fell short, it bounced into the area where Harrison and Manning were warming up. According to Prior, Harrison picked up the ball and “gunned it” in his direction. Harrison then proceeded to run over to Prior and accuse the boy of intentionally disrupting his warm ups. Prior apologized to Harrison and attempted to walk away. Harrison then grabbed the boy, threw him to the ground, and placed him a choke hold.

Security was quick to separate the two and Prior was immediately taken to lock down where he was questioned by NFL security. Prior had marks on his neck made by Harrison that had to be checked by the EMS Staff on site. Prior was upset by the incident and threatened a lawsuit against Harrison. According to Prior, he was told by the NFL and the Jets that it “would be in his best interest” to not press charges. Prior was left with the impression that any legal action by him would cost his dad and brother their jobs with the organization. Prior believes that the NFL attempted to cover up the incident. No action was ever taken by the NFL against Harrison.

In 2005, at the NFL Pro Bowl, Harrison again found himself at the center of an altercation. According to a story here published by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Harrison was approached by some teens that wanted to get an autograph and take pictures of the star receiver. Harrison, who was on the phone, seemed to signal for the teens to wait until he was finished with his phone call.

The article states that two men approached the boys and told them that there would be no autographs and not to take pictures of Harrison. The boys were then attacked by the two men and, according to the lawsuit, Harrison. Once again, according to the article, Harrison placed one of the boys in a “potentially deadly choke hold”. The story was covered only briefly locally and has not been discussed much since.

That brings us to May of 2008. Harrison allegedly got into an altercation with a regular at a bar that he owns in Philadelphia called “Playmakers”. According to several news reports, shots were fired shortly after by a gun that Harrison owns. When police initially questioned Harrison he denied his involvement with the shooting. He claimed that he did own the gun that was connected to the shooting, but claimed that it had never left his house. Once again, similar to his previous encounters with law enforcement, it appears that this story has grown cold. Two months into the investigation we appear no closer to having a suspect or any charges made against Marvin Harrison.

Several questions remain. What will come of the story out of Philadelphia? If Harrison is actually charged, what will that do to the Colts’ season in 2008? What impact will this have on his Hall of Fame credentials? And, perhaps most importantly, were we all deceived by the quiet nature of Marvin Harrison?

We gave you the positives of the defensive side of the ball the other day here on Gridiron Gab, and now it’s time to break down the best offenses of the league. There are plenty to choose from, but below are the teams we feel are going to light it up with high-powered offenses in 2008.

1. New England - This offense is simply sick. From a QB that threw for over 4800 yards and 50 touchdowns, to a wide out that caught 23 TD’s to another that had a league high 112 catches, the Pats are as unstoppable as they come. This is not to say that they need to tweak some things, like improving on the O-line as well as getting some more help from the running game. Overall though, it’s hard to think that the Pats will take much of a step back in 2008.

2. Indianapolis - If there is a team that can match New England from an explosion standpoint, it’s probably the Colts, who still employ Peyton Manning and a wealth of talent all over the offensive side of the ball. They averaged close to 360 yards per game, and Manning is still one of the top 2-3 QB’s in the game, if not the best. Look for an even better season for RB Joseph Addai, and for TE Dallas Clark to build on his best season of 2007 with a career high in catches, yards and TD’s.

3. Dallas - While it was their offense that in the end cost them against the Giants in the playoffs, there is not denying the talent that the Cowboys bring to the table on the offensive side of the ball. Tony Romo is telling people that his focus is on the team, and not bimbo blonde Jessica Simpson, which is good. Jason Witten is a stud at TE, Terrell Owens has 1-2 good years left, and the running game should have a solid 1-2 punch with Marion Barber and rookie Felix Jones.

4. San Diego - When healthy, this offense can match just about anyone points for points in the league. RB LaDainian Tomlinson is as good as they come, and Philip Rivers proved his toughness gutting it out in the AFC Title loss to the Pats. The WR core is a little on the weak side, but they do have a great TE in Antonio Gates to fill the void and get Rivers out of trouble on a lot of plays. Bottom line is the Chargers are another explosive team.

5. Cleveland - It’s a big year for the Browns, who are being counted on to make another serious run at the playoffs and this time finish the job. Derek Anderson combined with WR Braylon Edwards is a solid 1-2 punch, and combine that with TE Kellen Winslow, and the running of RB Jamal Lewis, the Browns can put up points. Last season they had games of point totals of 51, 41, 33, and three games where they scored 27, showing how good they are and can be.

The Colts are hoping that their defense will get a lift as both Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders will be ready to go by the teams opener vs the Bears in September.  For now though, it looks as if with camp closing in the pair will start training camp on the PUP list.  Mike Chappell of the Indy Star reports today that they, along with Tyjuan Hagler, who tore his pec working out, will be on the list at the start of camp.

Both Freeney and Sanders feel themselves that they will be ready to go for the opener, and the Colts will take their sweet time in making sure they are both 100 percent at the start of the regular season.  The team cannot afford for either of those players to be out long-term.  As for Hagler, he may miss up to two months, which puts him on a time table to be ready to go right about for the opener as well, which would be a lift.

The Colts defense was very good in 2007, allowing 279.7 yards per game.  Many talk about the Colts offense, but take into account the defense last season only allowed four games where their opponents scored over 20 points.  Pretty good, but again, being healthy could be their biggest key this season to make it even further into the playoffs.

The Eagles and Colts made a trade earlier today, as the Colts have sent fullback Luke Lawton to the Eagles for a 2009 conditional draft choice. The deal really means nothing to either side unless Lawton makes the Eagles roster, which if he does, then a choice will go to the Colts for him. The 27-year-old has been on the Giants and Bill practice squads, and played in 4 games for the Jets back in 2005, and 11 games for Indy last season.

He has never started a game, but last year did score a TD vs the Jags on a 1-yard shovel pass from Peyton Manning. The Eagles are moving DT Dan Klecko to fullback, but would like to have some more players in the position that have a bit more experience, which is why the did the deal. They had Thomas Tapeh at that position, but he moved from Philly to the Vikings as a free agent this past offseason.

Yesterday free agent linebacker Roosevelt Colvin talked to the Texans, but as today’s Indy Star points out, the Colts have not ruled out bringing the LB to their roster, or possibly another veteran free agent.  “I don’t know where we are in the process, but we’d probably like to get it settled one way or the other pretty quick,” coach Tony Dungy said during a recent break in the team’s ongoing summer school. “We’re still investigating some things, so I wouldn’t say anything is out of the picture.”

The 30-year-old Colvin was with the Pats last year, and was let go on February 26th as he was set to cost the team $7.6 million in 2008.  That number would have been second on the team only to Tom Brady, who will make a base salary of $5.5 mil this season.  Colvin has played his 9-year career with the Bears and Pats.  He spoke about two teams recently having some interest - the Browns and Jets.

The Star says that the Colts are looking at Colvn as a pass-rush specialist, something they were looking for late last season.  The did select DE Marcus Howard in the 5th round, but could use some more help in that area.

The city of Indianapolis and their new stadium - Lucas Oil Stadium, are making even more of a push for Super Bowl XLVI, to be played in 2012.  Organizers of the cities bid say that local companies have pledged $25 mil in hopes of landing the mega event to their city.  The decision on who gets the big game will come Tuesday at the owner meetings in Atlanta.  Right now the three cities up for the event are Indy, Phoenix and Houston.  Lucas Oil Products Inc. owner Forrest Lucas, who paid $122 million for the naming rights to the Colts’ new home, agreed to contribute $1 million.