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INDIANAPOLIS – Readers of Colts.com may submit questions during the week and have a chance to have them answered during the middle of each week. **Submit your questions here**.
Here are responses to some of the questions received recently. We thank you for your interest in the Colts.
DEVONTE E. (from Richmond, VA) I'm a long-time Colts fan and I just want to know if we are done picking guys up because I think we're good what with we got?
A: Whether we add any more players or not, we're never finished looking to get better. It would totally be out of nature for any team, particularly one with Ryan Grigson at the throttles, to coast. We didn't bounce back to 11-5 with that approach last year, and we aren't guaranteed to get there this year. We'll keep trucking with our eyes peeled, but glad you like where we are. You might not have been able to say that a year ago at this time.
JOSHUA H. (from Evansville, IN) During last season's game against Green Bay, they had a presentation on the Jumbotron thanking Jeff Saturday for all of his accomplishments with the Colts. When the Broncos come to town, what will they do for Peyton?
A: I would be surprised if we didn't do something. It will be an exciting day in the stadium, to say the least. We've honored so many past players that not doing it for Peyton would stand out, in my opinion. I would expect our crowd will be like the ones we encountered with him when we visited Tennessee. Fans were polite to Peyton, until the game started. Then, the gloves came off.
THOMAS L. (from Wabash, IN) I just have to say that I appreciate you answering our questions and your knowledge of our team is extensive to say the least, thank you. My question is, do you ever see Peyton Manning in the Colts organization again? I know he won't play here again, but I'd like to see him as a Colt in some capacity. I love the new regime and will never forget the old one.
A: We always have time for fans, and I hope readers enjoy the interaction as much as I do. In all the years I was around Peyton, I never got a real sense of what he wanted to do after his playing days. I flew an idea by him a time or two but like his offenses, Peyton kept his plans tight to the vest. He didn't tip his hand in the least. Once when a network exec asked him if he would go in their line of work, he quipped along the lines of, "My dad always told me to make as much money as possible so I wouldn't have to go into TV." I do stress the work, 'quipped.' He was having fun with an inquiring mind. I don't know that he will want to work in football. If he is to join us again, who knows? One team in the free agency chase for him last year offered a "lifetime" role. It was not Denver. No one ever will forget Peyton. We all love him. You put it best in saying you're fond of this regime and those 1998-2010 years. They were beyond special, and I hope our current time eventually is the same. I hate to give you a long, short answer, but I don't know.
R.J. E. (from Marion, IN) Let me start by saying "thank you" from all of us in Colts Nation. We appreciate your informative column very much. My question is this. We are very deep at the offensive line position after free agency and the draft. That's always a good thing, but how many roster spots are actually available for the position? Is the number set in stone, or can it be adjusted to accommodate keeping good depth? I just don't want to see a good one get away, and I feel Coach and Mr. Grigson have brought in a talented group top to bottom.
A: Nothing is set in stone. You can do what you want, but a typical number is between eight and 10 linemen. Like every position, you have to be prepared for injuries, equipment malfunctions that can come at tough times, etc. If this group doesn't work, you're almost doomed. Last year was a case in point where our intended starters only opened about four games together. More often than not, we had to make in-game adjustments and not hurt the competitive level of the team. You can bet we will carry as many as we can get away with, and we have some great prospects. We've taken major efforts through free agency and the draft to field the best unit. They will be fun to watch compete.
PHIL D. (from Los Angeles, CA) I am still scratching my head on some of our draft choices, but my unwavering belief and support for Ryan Grigson and Chuck Pagano leads me to believe that they know what they're doing. I am not familiar with Pep Hamilton's offense, but what is the "NO Coast Offense?" Will we still be aggressive on offense? Will Andrew Luck still be taking his shots downfield? And will Andrew be named a captain this year? I really can't wait for the season to start. Let's Go COLTS!!! #Always Reppin that All Blue Horse Shoe Crew
A: Your faith in Ryan and Chuck is well-placed. As far as the name, 'No Coast,' I think it's being called that just so people don't try to put a label on what we're installing. So many times one can be attached to something whether it's merited or not. Pep wants the players to have open minds as they go through the process. If Pep wants it to be a true West Coast attack, he's certainly capable of installing it since he looked at Bill Walsh's tapes when he was in San Francisco in 2006. I think you will see a mutation of it (just a guess). We will have more of a concerted effort on the ground. I think you will see tight ends used a bunch (even to stretch the field). I wouldn't be surprised if we ran 30 times a game. I don't think you will quibble with the number of shots we take down the field. We will be efficient and with Andrew Luck, and you don't hold him back. If you have Mozart, you don't limit him to "chopsticks." As for him being a team captain, that will be a player vote at some point during the season. We had six last year.
KYLE H. (from Fort Wayne, IN) HUGE Colts fan here. I have taken a lot of issue this offseason with how much Cassius Vaughn has been getting disrespected. It seems analysts and fans alike have continued to say we have a big need in the secondary when I am very happy with where we are in the secondary. The addition of LaRon Landry was perfect. I believe that was the only necessary move. Everyone keeps talking up (Vontae) Davis (whom I like as well), but I do not think he showed as much consistency as Vaughn did for us last year. I thought Vaughn was our rock at the corner position. Am I wrong for feeling this way, or is there something I am missing here?
A: Cassius will be pleased to have you in his corner, and I don't think you're missing anything. I don't think people have disrespected him so much, but I can see how you could form that conclusion because of the volume of coverage the team gets and the notion observers drew when we had a bunch of players working on the corner last year. Cassius was a competitor who had his moments. He's here and doing his utmost again. I wouldn't see him backing down from anything. Remember, performances in the secondary are influenced as well by those on other units. Criticism, however, can target players who are more innocent than meets the eye. Cassius does play a lightning-rod position. You are entitled to how you feel about him. I hope we have the answer at both corners on roster with us.
WYATT M. (from League City, TX) I read in an earlier Colts Mailbag that you can have your own brick at Lucas Oil Stadium. How does that work, and what do you have to do to get your own brick?
A: We will be starting a "Phase Two" soon for selling the next set of bricks. We will announce the campaign on Colts.com, and it will have contact information to help you. Please check back on Colts.com soon for that information. I don't know the number of out-of-staters who have bricks. We always have room for more to join. If you get one and come to Lucas Oil Stadium, the bricks are located on street level of the northeast side of the stadium, near the corner of South and Capitol Street. My family has two of them. Go Colts.
ISAK H. (from Mexico City, Mexico) I have a question regarding players such as Austin Collie, Dallas Clark, Tim Fugger, Matt Merletti and Chris Rucker. These players were cut by the team and I saw posts in social networks that wanted these players back on the team. What can you tell Colts fans about these players' situations? Collie could have been successful and Fugger was not given a real chance, but their profiles are quite intriguing.
A: Of the players mentioned above, only Tim Fugger (Arizona) is signed at the moment. He did so with them in February, and I hope he makes a go of it. I have no updates on the other guys. Matt was an interesting story with his father's background in the government. I don't know where Chris is. Austin and Dallas are unsigned, and I hope both can continue careers if they want to do so. They were great pros here and at one time, Austin's jersey was the second-best selling one we had going.
PATRICK K. (from Danbury, NC) Who is in line to become the new third receiver behind Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton?
A: It's too early to tell at this point since team work has not started full bore. Other than Reggie Wayne and Darrius Heyward-Bey, it looks like a young bunch. Anything more that I add would only be a guess.
STEVE S. (from Churubusco, IN) I enjoy your weekly Colts Mailbag thanks for answering all these great questions. I thought the (throw together) O-line did pretty good last year. How do you rate this year's O-line with the new picks in free agency and the draft? Oh yeah, Pat McAfee is the man.
A: The line last year was put together with thought, and I don't think you meant how you described it disparagingly. I thought they performed under extreme injury situations. I believe the additions of Gosder Cherilus and Donald Thomas are good moves. The prospects of Hugh Thornton and Khaled Holmes are interesting, and they both looked good in the rookie camp. You could see why we took them where we did. You truly want to hit on every draft pick because those are guys who could have an extended period of time with the team. It's too early to guess but with Ryan Grigson's O-line pedigree, I think we'll be fine. Also having Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen in second seasons will help. Wes Saunders and Justice Cunningham are players fans should watch. As for Pat, if he would ever just come out of his shell and show us some personality……. Seriously, the "Boomstick" hit Indianapolis in full chatter, and we're better for it.
PATRICK M. (from Mount Vernon, MO) I'm curious why the Colts let A.Q. Shipley go. IMO and many Colts fans feel Shipley out-performed Samson Satele. It's kind of disheartening to see Shipley go. Thanks.
A: I don't want to rate Samson Satele against A.Q. Shipley. I think both were tough battlers. A.Q. jumped in when Samson was hurt and acquitted himself well enough that we got a conditional pick from Baltimore for him. With Matt Birk retiring, A.Q. may have a real shot to contribute. If you're getting a potential pick for a player who joined you as a free agent, you have to feel good about the job Ryan Grigson did. I like A.Q. as a player and person and hope he does well. I like Samson, too. We added a good center prospect in Khaled Holmes. Thanks for weighing in on A.Q. Hope he sees it.
PAUL C. (from Illinois) Just wanted to send a note thanking you for acknowledging my questions about Andrew Luck's contract. I completely understand that you cannot address those issues in the Colts Mailbag. Suffice to say that I'm incredibly optimistic about the Colts' future with Luck. I think if they are aggressive and creative with Luck's contract, the Colts can have a manageable salary cap AND Andrew Luck for 10 years. Then, in the words of LeBron (James), they can win not one, not two, not three... (Like I said, I'm incredibly optimistic!) Anyway, thanks again for acknowledging my questions, and great job as always on answering all the fans' questions.
A: I am confident we will do what it takes to keep Andrew in the fold for years and with an eye toward having his offense stocked along with having a full team to compete. In the vernacular, "He ain't goin' anywhere." As smart as Colts fans are, I know they realize how fortunate we are to have transitioned from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck so quickly. Some teams have spent generations trying doing that without success. We were that way from 1983-98, going from John Unitas (1956-72) and Bert Jones (1973-81) until Manning. Keep the enthusiasm, but let's get the first title before looking too far down the road.
PATRICK J. (from Norfolk, NE) Do you know what happened to safety Ray Ray Armstrong from Miami? He went undrafted.
A: Armstrong signed as a free agent with St. Louis after not being drafted.
MYLES L. (from Richmond, IN) We traded A.Q. Shipley for a conditional 2014 pick. Would you have any information of the deal and what round the pick is in?
A: I'm not at liberty to say what it is. Let's just hope all conditions are met and we get the pick. That would be a win-win-win for us, the Ravens and A.Q.
ALEXCIA B. (from Los Angeles, CA) I know we have good depth in the cornerback position, but what are the chances of RG1 picking up Charles Woodson on a one-year deal? He can be a good mentor to our young CBs and just a good vet presence in general. He still hasn't visited any teams but the 49ers, and we can most likely get him at a bargain price. Thanks for keeping us posted with this mailbag, this is my first question ever posted but I read it every week.
A: Charles Woodson has been an outstanding pro, but I don't think you will see him here. I don't disagree with what you said about him as a player and leader, but coming here would be a surprise after what we've done this off-season. Thanks for reading the mailbag, and feel free to pose more questions. I do like the nickname for Ryan, but I'll just call him Ryan.
CONOR M. (from Ireland) I love what you do here. It gives us outside fans a chance to keep up to date with our favourite team! I'm a lone Colts fan over here out of my friends but I'm a big supporter. I try to track every move!!! I was wondering if the team will ever be going to Wembley or maybe even the home of our great national games, Croke Park, for a game?? All the best for the new season all the way from across the water! #buildthemonster
A: Coner, thanks for writing from a great part of the world! Glad you keep up with us, and it sounds like you need some running buddies who have a real taste in NFL teams. Ditch 'em and get some new ones. As for Wembley, I don't know that it would happen. I know it's not scheduled at the moment. Croke Park looks like a sweet spot (OK, I Googled it.). There's nothing to say we won't play over there sometime since playing abroad is a huge NFL initiative. There's nothing in the contract with Jacksonville that precludes a division game being played over there, but I know they would prefer to keep AFC South games here for competitive reasons. I hope we get over there sometime. Thanks for the support and watching us build the monster. Should we come over, I'll let you buy dinner.
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AUSTIN S. (from Virginia) How much do you think the defense and offensive line will improve this season from last season with the new additions to the club?
A: I think you will see a difference on both. The additions offensively came through an aggressive approach, and the drafting of Bjoern Werner and Montori Hughes will complement the additions of Erik Walden, Lawrence Sidbury and Ricky Jean-Francois. There are a lot of new components, as well as the hopeful return to full health of Brandon McKinney and Josh Chapman.
That's a roll call approach to an answer, but we have a lot of new faces. Strong line play can tell a big part of our story this year. We'll be just as different offensively, too.
IVAN K. (from Zagreb, Croatia) Hi! I love visiting colts.com on a daily basis, and appreciate the effort you guys make to make this site the best possible. I do have one suggestion, though. Since it's a very long off-season, why not post short highlight videos of the mini-camps and off-season workouts, like other teams do? It would be awesome to watch and listen to the monster being built, even for a minute or two. Go Colts! BTM!
A: Ivan, thanks for the note and for keeping up with us. We have made a better effort recently on the site to do just that. We put up video on occasions and like to provide readers behind the scenes access whenever we can. We know that's a popular thing for our fans, so keep checking back in. We know the appetite is year-round and video is an important component.
MARY H. (from Martinsville, IN) When will the schedule for the "Make it Personal" and "Fan Fest" tour stops be released?
A: The team just announced this week its Fan Fests/Tailgate Tour Schedule. It starts on Tuesday, June 4 in Columbus, Indiana and will have nine stops in the state (also Kokomo, Fishers, Terre Haute, Crawfordsville, Vincennes, Fair Oaks, Fort Wayne and Evansville) and one in Louisville, Kentucky before concluding on July 15. This is the tenth year the Colts have done this, and it is a wonderful way for fans to interact with team personnel, including players and cheerleaders. The schedule for the events, which are free, can be found on www.colts.com/events. We hope fans throughout the state and region will be able to participate.
JORDAN B. (from New Jersey) When do the Colts release their first official depth chart for the 2013 season?
A: The team does not issue one generally until the first preseason game. Even then, it's written in pencil. You will have a while to wait. We haven't even put on pads at this point of the year.
RICO W. (from Tulsa, OK) I see that Mr. Luck always has on a knee brace! Does he have a problem there or just to be safe? Thanks.
A: No worries, just SOP. In other words, "Darn the defenders, full speed ahead."
