Stampede Blue

The Colts Should Do HBO's Hard Knocks In 2012

2012-05-25T16:43:05Z

The outstanding HBO series Hard Knocks is still looking for an NFL team to profile during training camp for 2012. According to Michael Shain of the New York Post (via SportsBusiness Daily) , HBO wants to know who the team will be by June 1st (which is a week from today).

For months, Mike Florio of PFT has been saying that the Indianapolis Colts should be one of five or six teams that should vie for the show's spotlight. Florio stated recently that he has a feeling it will be the Cowboys.

Sorry, but we've seen the dysfunctional Cowboys on Hard Knocks before, and there is only so much of Jerry Jones' plastic face that I can tolerate.

For this upcoming season, Jim Irsay and the Colts should push to be on Hard Knocks. The reasons for doing so are obvious, with the most glaring one being that the Colts are losing money and need to grab the center of attention once again from the normally fickle, fair weather fanbase that defines the state of Indiana.

Season ticket renewal rate this off-season for the Colts was just 87 percent, six percentage points below last year’s rate. For whatever reason, some people in Indianapolis feel "betrayed" by Jim Irsay for cutting Peyton Manning. These same people will likely point to Manning's renewed health in Denver during the preseason and say Irsay made a mistake releasing a 36-year-old QB with four neck surgeries in two years. With each practice in August, each preseason game, Peyton Manning will dominate the headlines.

This will promote the Broncos while diminishing the Colts.

For those of you who think that winning cures all ills, think again. Look no further than the Indiana Pacers, who had a good team this year, yet still struggled to sellout playoff games. Star power and headlines drive sports interest, not simply winning.

If the Colts were to star on Hard Knocks, they would be the center of attention, not Manning and the Broncos. The show would introduce casual fans to new players like Andrew Luck, Coby Fleener, and Cory Redding. New head coach Chuck Pagano, who has drawn rave reviews from local press for his openness, sense of humor, and pleasantness on camera, would represent the franchise well on the show.

There is also Jim Irsay, whose always been a maverick in league circles. He too is great in front of a camera.

The knocks against Hard Knocks are that it is a distraction; that it opens the doors into the organization, allowing for opponents to gain some sort of competitive advantage by seeing how the featured team does its business.

Please.

Paranoia is far to pervasive in the NFL. This is football. It's about blocking, tackling, throwing, catching, kicking, and running. That's it. More often than not, the better team wins. Since the Colts are clearly "rebuilding" (no matter what the team says or thinks otherwise), who cares if people see more of the inner workings of the franchise?

Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives. With the insanely paranoid Polian family no longer in charge of the organization, now is the time to open things up a bit more. Hard Knocks would go a long way to helping this small market team earn a few more fans. I see it as a win-win.

Former Colts Kicker Mike Vanderjagt Reportedly Assaulted A Student

2012-05-25T15:36:15Z

If you are wondering what former Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt has been doping with himself since he shanked that kick wide right against the Steelers in the divisional round of the 2005 playoffs, then this post is for you. Apparently, the product of Canada who, at one time, was the most accurate kicker in NFL history, has been coaching middle school kids in Naples, FL.

However, things apparently have taken a turn for the worse for Vanderjagt.

According to a story from Cheryl Ferrara at the Naples Daily News, Vanderjagt recently went all Bobby Knight on a student, grabbing him by the throat for taunting him with "wide right" comments in a parking lot.

The incident took place on March 12 when Marco Island Police responded to a call from Mark Albanese, dean of students at the school, who reported an adult male grabbed a student by the throat. Since the incident happened at the end of day, the student involved and witnesses had gone home.

Police investigated the following day, talking to students at the scene and to Vanderjagt. One student was taunting Vanderjagt by yelling "wide left, wide left" through a rolled-up poster board that acted as a megaphone, according to a Marco police report.

"During his career, he missed a very important field goal attempt during a playoff game," the report stated. Vanderjagt played for the Indianapolis Colts and was one of the most accurate place-kickers ever in the league.

Vanderjagt, a school parent and volunteer, was walking through the parking lot when he overheard the comments. One student alleged Vanderjagt walked up to him, grabbed him by the throat and started cursing at him, according to the police report. Another student corroborated his story.

Immediately after the incident, Vanderjagt was suspended from coaching at Marco Island’s Charter Middle School. At a recent meeting, the charter school board voted 4-2 to leave the leave Vanderjagt's fate as a coach in the hands of the school principal. Vanderjagt reportedly spoke to the parents of the student he allegedly assaulted two days after the incident, and he apologized.

Like Knight in 2000, if Vanderjagt did assault a student for taunting in in a parking lot, he should be fired from coaching. Mike was subject to far worse verbal abuse during his playing career, and he never ran up into the stands and tried to grab any grown men by the throat (for the simple reason that, if he did, he probably wouldn't make it out of the stands alive). That he would allegedly do it to a child does not speak well of Vanderjagt's character, just as it didn't speak well of former coach Bobby Knight's when he was recorded throttling Indiana University basketball player Neil Reed during a practice in 1997. That it took I.U. three years to fire Knight after the incident was a disgrace to the school and to college basketball. It should not take Marco Island’s Charter Middle School the same amount of time if Vanderjagt commented a similar act.

Note to coaches everywhere: Hands off the kids. If you are doing stuff like this to kids during a practice, you aren't a coach. You are bully, and you have no business teaching children anything.

Tip to Ryan Dempsey for sending me the link to this story on Twitter.

Retired Patriots Tackle Matt Light Calls Dwight Freeney 'Best Guy He Ever Faced'

2012-05-24T18:41:15Z

Even though Peyton Manning is in Denver and Bill Polian is on ESPN, it is my sincere hope that Colts fans will continue to hate the Patriots. Bill Belichick is still there. Tom Brady is still there. Jonathan Kraft (the annoying son of Bob who often enjoys trash talking the Colts) is still there. So, even though Andrew Luck is now our quarterback and Ryan Grigson is the G.M., the Pats v. Colts rivalry should continue. It's just good for the sport.

That said, just because the two franchises hate each other doesn't mean players on the team need to. Case in point, newly-retired Patriots left tackle Matt Light went on NFL Network recently and said the Colts DE-OLB Dwight Freeney was the best player he ever faced. Light was on the NFL Network set in Los Angeles during a segment when Freeney was conferenced in for an interview. During the segment, Light and Freeney acknowledged that, despite playing against each other for ten years, the two had never spoken.

"We never had a formal conversation while we played," said Light as Freeney nodded on the video screen.

Light, a Purdue grad, took the opportunity to give these words to Freeney:

Light: Thank you. Thank you so much for giving me the ability to dog cuss myself week in and week out, looking forward to your match-up. I tell you, it was an honor to play against a guy like you.

Freeney smiled and acknowledged Light's praise. Light went on to ask Freeney about his adjustment to playing OLB now after 10 years of playing DE. Freeney acknowledged that this is a pretty significant change for him.

Freeney: I know the coach is going to be yelling at me the first few weeks.

He also said that the Colts stayed in "constant contact" with him during the free agency period when just about everyone was speculating that the Colts would trade Freeney, who is in the final year of his contract.

They were in constant contact with me throughout the whole process. They let me know that I'm their guy, and I'm not leaving, and they want to kind of build the defense around me and what me and Robert [Mathis] do.

Freeney is 32 and his cap hit against the Colts is $19 million for 2012. Unless he agrees to a substantially reduced salary in 2013, this season will be his final one in Indianapolis and the Colts will find someone else to build the defense around.

That said, the interview on NFL Network was cool just to see two old rivals (Light and Freeney) talk formally for the first time. I've often felt that Light used to give Freeney fits, and that his retirement will be felt in New England. I know they have Nate Solder, but just ask Colts fans how "easy" it is to replace a bookend left tackle.

The name Tony Ugoh still gives me the shakes.

Colts Roster Update: Dwight Freeney Listed As OLB, Ben Ijalana As OG

2012-05-24T17:00:13Z

With the Colts completing their second set of OTAs this week, Colts.com decided to update the roster with all the new names and (most importantly) the positions. Now, before the crusty, get-off-my-lawn crowd starts barking that OTAs don't matter, kindly remember that your opinions on this matter are, quite simply, wrong.

OTAs do matter. They might not matter to the degree that everyone ranks them at (like the people freaking out about Tim Tebow looking terrible at the Jets OTAs), but they do matter. Offensive and defensive coordinators install roughly 75% of their systems during OTAs. Also, coaches are always evaluating, and since we have a new coaching regime reworking the entire roster, OTAs matter for the Colts now more so than in years past. As coaches Chuck Pagano, Bruce Arians, and Greg Manusky work with players during these offseason practices, we begin to get a sense as to how these coaches plan to utilize the players in 2012.

Stampede Blue reader Hetfield recently perused the roster page of Colts.com, and made a FanPost listing some of the more noteworthy changes. These changes are, from what I understand, a direct result of work being done in OTAs.

Right off the bat, for those of you who kept insisting that the Colts were NOT going to move Ben Ijalana back to his more natural OG position, y'all owe me money. Send your money orders to Mr. BigBlueShoe, c/o Smartest Football Man On The Planet, 1547 Michael Corleone Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211.

With the front office trading for Winston Justice prior to the draft, moving Ijalana to guard was just logical. I talked to lots of people both at this year's draft and last year's (including SI's Tony Pauline), and all said Ijalana was a better guard than tackle. I'm sure he can play tackle in a pinch, but this notion that he was a fulltime starter at RT was another Polian fantasy. Ryan Grigson doesn't seem to be the type to shoehorn players into roles they might not be suited for. Thus, Ijalana is a OG.

Other noted roster changes:

Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are no longer defensive ends (DEs). They are outside linebackers (OLBer).
Jerry Hughes is also listed as a OLBer. This shift might save his career..

Zane Taylor, who played guard with the Eagles, is listed as a center (which is what he played in college).
Brandon King, who the Colts listed as a safety last year, is now a corner.
Fili Moala is no longer listed as a defensive tackle (DT). He's a DE now.
Interestingly, Ollie Ogbu (305 lbs), Ricardo Mathews (314 lbs), and Drake Nevis (300 lbs) are still listed as DTs, not DEs or nose tackles (NTs).
Pat Angerer and Kavell Conner are listed as inside linebacker (ILBers).
The NTs are Josh Chapman, Brandon McKinney, and Antonio Johnson.
Chigbo Anunoby, who is so obviously a NT it isn't even funny (6'4, 324 lbs), is listed as "DT."
Ryan Mahaffey is the only fullback listed
7th round pick Justin Anderson, a tackle in college, is listed as a guard (OG).
Mike McGlynn is listed as a OG and as a center

Based solely on this new, updated depth chart (and, keep in mind, we are in late May), the starting offensive line looks to be LT Anthony Castanzo, LG Mike McGlynn, OC Samson Satele, RG Ben Ijalana, and RT Winston Justice. The starting defensive line is DE Fili Moala, NT Josh Chapman (if he's healthy), and DE Cory Redding. The linebackers are OLB Dwight Freeney, ILB Pat Angerer, ILB Kavell Conner, and OLB Robert Mathis. Hughes would seem to back-up Mathis.

Again, that's my opinion (for those of you who need that sort of stuff spelled out on an opinion blog) based on what the team is doing at OTAs. Overall, the changes make sense, and they give someone like me a little hope that we aren't in store for another 2-14 season.

SBN Studios: Colts Dwayne Allen Is A Star At Rookie Premiere In Los Angeles

2012-05-24T16:14:21Z

OK, so I've been out-of-the-loop the last two days getting over a nasty cold. This forced me to stay in bed, ponder all the mistakes I've made in my life (I'm sorry to my 5th grade basketball coach for mouthing off in practice), and watch YouTube videos on my tablet. This allowed me to catch-up on all the great stuff SBN Studios (Twitter:@SBNStudios) has been putting out of late, and by "great stuff" I really mean this content is outstanding.

As SB Nation editorial staff will tell you (especially if you buy them a few drinks), I am a stubborn bull when it comes to "pimping" stuff produced by the network on this blog. If I don't like it, think the quality isn't up to snuff, or if I just don't think it's relevant, I resist posting anything related to it. Hey, my job is to inform Colts and NFL fans, not necessarily to wave pom-poms at everything SB Nation does.

That said, the work turned out by SBN Studios in recent days has been outstanding. I've been doing more videos with them as their "NFL Expert" (a title Dan Rubenstein just made up as he would introduce me in the segments), and I truly mean this: There are some exceptional people working in that studio. Rarely will you see me get into the whole SB Nation v. THE WORLD stuff, but in my opinion the SBN Studio work destroys anything Bleacher Report does (and there are some excellent people at BR doing good video work). SBN Studios surpasses online content put out there by Yahoo! Sports, SI, and NBC Sports. That's just my opinion. My stubborn, inflexible opinion.

If you aren't checking out their content on a regular basis, you really should.

OK, enough gushing. On to the crap you care about: Colts players being awesome.

SBN Studios grabbed some great content from the NFLPA's Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles recently. I've been told by the talent and crew that the Colts' Dwayne Allen was one of the big stars of that event. Dynamic, engaging, funny, and relaxed, Allen took the microphone away from SBN Studios Dan Rubenstein and Amy K. Nelson, and he started interviewing players himself.

The results were comedy.

Here's the two most recent videos from SBN Studios featuring Dwayne Allen:

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Football Outsiders: Colts Kavell Conner DEFEATS Running Plays

2012-05-24T15:19:08Z

Gee, thanks Aaron Schatz and the folks at Football Outsiders. The day I write an article suggesting that Pat Angerer and Kavell Conner might not fit in the Colts future plans at linebacker (because they are potentially too small) is also the day I stumble across this article.

Football Outsiders' Innovative Stats. The bane of Skip Bayless clones everywhere.

This most recent article on FO's Innovative Stats (FYI: Matt Grecco normally does this stuff, but he's too busy working for IndyCar this week because, I'm told, there's a race in Indianapolis this weekend) focuses on "defeats." I'll let Aaron explain:

Defeats are defined as any play (tackle, assist, pass defensed, interception, or forced fumble) that does one of three things:

1) causes a turnover

2) causes a loss of yardage

3) stops conversion on third or fourth down

Almost every sack is a Defeat, so it is no surprise that Jared Allen, with his 22-sack season, led the NFL with 33 Defeats in 2011. Jason Pierre-Paul was second with 32, and Derrick Johnson and Terrell Suggs tied for third with 31.

Now, if you look at FO's Most Defensive Defeats chart for 2011, not a single Colts player is listed. This makes sense because... well, the Colts sucked in 2011. However, as we are all aware, there were some bright spots in '11. One of the was (for the most part) Kavell Conner, the third year linebacker who took over the starting WILL linebacker spot last season.

When FO broke down its Defeats Chart into passing and rushing, it was Conner who ranked very high on the list of rushing play defeats.

Here's Schatz discussing Conner, who was No. 2 out of all defensive players in the Most Run Defeats category for 2011:

Kavell Conner! I bet you didn't see that one coming. The 2010 seventh-round pick led the league with 13 run tackles for a loss. He made his average run tackle after a gain of just 2.1 yards, more than a yard closer than any other Colts linebacker. Mathias Kiwanuka was second with 12 run tackles for loss, and Charles Johnson of Carolina was third with 11.

It's worth noting that, once again, the Colts run defense was ten kinds of terrible last season, ranking 29th in yards-per-attempt-allowed (4.3) and 29th in total rushing yards allowed (2,303). They also surrenders 19 TDs, tied for second worst in the league. With Conner displaying such a strong knack for "defeating" run plays, along with Pat Angerer (who is pretty good against the run in his own right), the Colts inability to shutdown the run in 2011 was both a combination of scheme (Tampa 2's weakness is against the run) and inept play of the defensive tackles (Fili Moala really, really stinks).

My issue with both Conner and Angerer is whether or not they can holdup over sixteen games in the Colts new 3-4 scheme. Tiny players get hurt often, and injured players are useless players. Angerer started and played in sixteen games last season, but, when December rolled around, the Colts brass in charge at that time often expressed concern over whether Angerer could stay on the field. Conner missed four games in 2010 with injury, and another game in 2011.

In the team's new 3-4 scheme, it's assumed Conner and Angerer will both play inside backer while Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis move from defensive end to outside backer.

Colts Sign LB Jerry Brown, Trend To Bigger Players On Defense

2012-05-24T12:00:56Z

The Colts continue to trend away this offseason from small, fast, Tampa 2 linebackers. Yesterday, the club signed 6'4, 253 pound linebacker Jerry Brown. According to AP, Brown is an Illinois alumni who last played with the San Antonio Talons of the Arena Football League.

To make room for Browns, the Colts cut the 6'0, 230 pound Brandon Peguese. Peguese was somewhat of a project player that Colts G.M. Ryan Grigson signed back in February. Peguese was with the Philadelphia Eagles in training camp last year. He got cut before the season began. Grigson was with the Philly organization at that time. I think you see the obvious connection here.

Whatever the connection, it wasn't enough to guarantee Peguese a job. Bigger linebackers are needed in a base 3-4, which the Colts are switching to in 2012 after roughly ten years of running a 4-3. This makes me wonder what the future has in store for Pat Angerer and Kavell Conner. Both at at the 6'0 range between roughly 230-240 lbs. That's too small to play this defense, especially when you consider that other inside linebackers that Colts defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and head coach Chuck Pagano have worked with before are roughly in the 6'1-6'2, 250 pound range.

Though, Patrick Willis in San Francisco is 6'1, 240 lbs. Manusky coached Willis from 2007-2010 while in SF as the defensive coordinator.

Manusky also stated recently on SIRIUS NFL Radio that he is impressed with Pat Angerer during OTAs. I just wonder is the 6'1, 230 lbs Angerer can hold up. He's a good Tampa 2 backer. Not so sure if he fits this defense. We shall see.

Stampede Blue- Video Mailbag And Podcast

2012-05-24T00:24:58Z

Stampede Blue- Video Mailbag And Podcast

I sent these questions out on Twitter, and I wanted to do the same here. Basically, I wanted to gauge how folks would feel about a weekly Stampede Blue video mailbag. This would work as such: I solicit readers for questions; they provide them; I research or follow-up with contacts (or both); I answer the questions in a video posted on the site.

Some on Twitter have requested this mailbag get transcribed as many who read Stampede Blue at work have video blocked.

The other item would be the return of the Stampede Blue Radio podcast. This too would be once a week. Because SB Nation also uses me as an "NFL Expert," I might need to slant the podcast to being more NFL-related than strictly Colts-related.

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Would you like this kind of stuff going forward? Comment below.