There hasn’t been such a tumultuous time for the Colts since they moved to Indianapolis in 1984. In the past 72 hours, the Colts finished the 2011 season with a record of 2-14, earned the number one pick in the 2012 Draft, and fired team president Bill Polian. Looking at those three feats, it’s hard to figure out which is most significant. This is a franchise that has gone to the playoffs the past nine seasons and has won 12 or more games for seven consecutive seasons. All of that consistency and success came to a screeching halt, or perhaps a terrifying crash and burn.
Bill Polian has been a part of the Indianapolis Colts since 1997. His first move, and most infamous, was drafting Peyton Manning in the 1998 Draft. That began a relationship that Manning and Polian both treasured. It was also why Manning said he was “surprised and shocked” that Polian was fired.
Polian was also involved in drafting or signing these Pro Bowl players: Edgerrin James, Jeff Saturday, Reggie Wayne, Mike Vanderjagt, Dwight Freeney, Dallas Clark, Cato June, Bob Sanders, Robert Mathis, Antoine Bethea and Joseph Addai. Those are all great players, and Polian deserves credit for realizing their potential. His downfall came in recent drafts, where he has acquired players such as: Anthony Gonzalez, Tony Ugoh, Mike Pollak, Fili Moala, and Jerry Hughes. None of those guys have done anything to better the Colts.
I wrote back in Week 10 of the NFL season that everybody in the Colts front office had failed at their job. I also did a ton of research that I had been waiting to use, and this is the perfect time for all of that. My biggest pet peeve about who the Colts draft is they NEVER get anybody from the best conferences in college football. In the six drafts since 2006, seven players came from the SEC, three from the Big 12, eight from the Big 10, and five from the Pac 12. Nobody is from Alabama, Oregon, Florida, Penn State, or Texas. Heck there’s nobody from Notre Dame! Enough with drafting players like Pierre Garcon, Donald Brown, Joe Lefeged, and David Caldwell who played for schools that don’t have strong football programs. None of them have the talent necessary to play in the NFL.
Irsay may not be done cleaning house yet. Head coach Jim Caldwell may be the next to get fired. If Caldwell goes, then there’s a good chance most of the coaching staff goes with him. Irsay has already begun the search of finding a new president. Some of the candidates for the job include: John Dorsey (Green Bay's director of college scouting), Reggie McKenzie (Green Bay’s director of football operations), Eric DeCosta (Baltimore's director of player personnel), Jason Licht (New England's director of pro personnel), and Jeff Fisher (former Tennessee Titans head coach).
Whoever gets the job, they will have to make some quick decisions that will impact this team for years to come. The Colts have the first pick in every round of the 2012 Draft, and they will all need to be used to get great players.
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