INDIANAPOLIS —
Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne feel young again.
The few, proud remaining Indianapolis holdovers are getting acclimated to dozens of new teammates, a brand new coaching staff, revised playbooks and redefined roles. It’s like they’re rookies all over again.
While the trio recognizes this marks the start of a major transition in Indy to the Andrew Luck Era, none of the three will accept anyone in this locker room using the R-word.
“I don’t feel like rebuilding is in our repertoire,” Mathis said this summer. “I feel like we’re just as dangerous as any team in the league.”
Clearly, this is not the same cast Peyton Manning turned into a playoff regular and an annual Super Bowl contender. The only four-time MVP in league history and the longtime face of the franchise was released in March after missing all of last season after neck surgery. His successor, Luck, gets an immediate chance to start building for the future.
Team owner Jim Irsay, general manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano made it a complete overhaul. In addition to Manning, Indianapolis cut a handful of key veterans — defensive captains Gary Brackett and Melvin Bullitt, running back Joseph Addai and tight end Dallas Clark — because of high salaries and long injury histories. Longtime right tackle Ryan Diem retired.
Receivers Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzalez, tight end Jacob Tamme and center Jeff Saturday all departed in free agency. Indy didn’t bother bringing back any of last year’s starting quarterbacks, Kerry Collins, Curtis Painter or Dan Orlovsky, putting Luck in charge of one of the league’s youngest rosters.
More than three dozen Colts, including Luck, have fewer than two years of NFL experience. Even veterans such as receiver Donnie Avery, center Samson Satele, safety Tom Zbikowski, defensive linemen Brandon McKinney and Cory Redding, quarterback Drew Stanton and offensive linemen Winston Justice are newcomers to Indianapolis.
So it seems like 2012 will be another lost season in Indy — to everyone but the Colts.
“I don’t think anybody is viewing it as a rebuilding season,” Luck said. “There are great players on this team, guys that have made playoffs for X amount of years in a row, and then maybe missed out last year, so I know they are hungry. I just hope that I can help them achieve that goal.”
It will take a lot more than Luck to get back to the postseason. Pagano and Grigson have repeatedly said they want to put power back in Indy’s running game and have revamped the offensive line with bigger bodies to help give former first-round pick Donald Brown a chance to meet his potential.
But changing styles won’t fix all of Indy’s ills. The Colts need Avery to return to his pre-knee injury form so he can provide a deep threat opposite Wayne. They’re counting on Wayne’s experience and leadership along with Luck’s already strong relationship with second-round pick Coby Fleener, a college teammate, to smooth the transition to the rigors of the NFL for the two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up.
“I think anytime you have the timing already there from having practiced together for so long is beneficial” tight end Fleener said. “It’s still something we need to work on and we’ll be doing that.”
The changes will be just as massive on defense. Pagano will switch to a 3-4 scheme, a stark contrast to the Tampa 2 system Tony Dungy brought to Indy in 2002. The change means two of the league’s most feared pass rushers, Freeney and Mathis, will be wreaking havoc as outside linebackers.
“It feels great,” Freeney said. “It is something new and something that is proven. We have guys (like Redding) to help me out and make sure I am in the right place.”
Are the Colts making the right moves? After going a league-worst 2-14 in 2011 with an aging, high-priced roster, Irsay didn’t feel he had much choice but to start over. This year’s mass exodus created challenging salary-cap constraints this year, but should free up money for the Colts to become a big player in free agency in 2013.
Meanwhile, Luck, widely considered the most NFL-ready quarterback to enter the league since Manning in 1998, will have a year to get acclimated to the NFL, all those new receivers, and the confusing defenses Manning spent years dissecting.
Irsay has pleaded for patience and reminded fans that Manning went 3-13 as a rookie and didn’t win a playoff game until his sixth season in the league. But the returning Colts veterans insist they can do better in both respects.
“It’s not set in stone that we’re going to suck. Who knows, we might shock the world. This time next year, you might be writing that these Colts are some bad boys,” Wayne said after taking less money to stay in his adopted hometown. “I guess we’ll be in tune to find out what happens. Until then, I’m just going to sit here with the guys we have and keep working at it. Hopefully we can get something going real soon.”
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AP file Indianapolis Colts defensive ends Dwight Freeney (left) and Robert Mathis celebrate a sack during the second quarter of an NFL game against the Carolina Panthers in Indianapolis. The few, proud remaining Indianapolis holdovers are getting acclimated to dozens of new teammates, a brand new coaching staff, revised playbooks and redefined roles. It's like they're rookies all over again.
Discussion
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IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, stands in his team pit box as he waits for the start of the final practice session for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Four Indiana State athletes advance to NCAA outdoor track and field championships
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Wichita State shuts out ISU to force elimination-game rematch
Indiana State starting pitcher Greg Kuhlman did his best.
Actually, he did far better than he ever has previously in an ISU uniform, but while Kuhlman’s gutty pitching effort spoke volumes, ISU’s bats remained ominously silent. -
BOYS TRACK REGIONAL: North gets three winners, South two at Evansville
Terre Haute North had three winners, Terre Haute South two, and the Patriots and Braves finished second and third respectively at the Evansville Regional for boys track on Thursday at Evansville Central.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman's Evans honored as Great Lakes' top athlete
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Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play
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Softball sectionals up for grabs
All three Vigo County high schools and Northview appear to have a realistic chance of winning sectional championships in softball this week.
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Indiana State baseball series canceled
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman baseball to play DePauw on Thursday after Tuesday's rain
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman's Evans honored as Great Lakes' top athlete
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Freshman Hambrock, THS seek semistate tennis title
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Sycamores bow out of MVC Tournament
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Metro Sports: Chalk up No. 5 for Liz Evans
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Four Indiana State athletes advance to NCAA outdoor track and field championships
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Wichita State shuts out ISU to force elimination-game rematch
Indiana State starting pitcher Greg Kuhlman did his best.
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Indiana State baseball now one win from MVC Championship
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Sycamores bow out of MVC Tournament
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Sunday promises to be big day in Indy
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Luck having fun with his first OTAs
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Luck having fun with his first OTAs
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Consultation: Rex manager Brian Dorsett talks with his pitcher and players during a time-out Sunday, July 15, at Sycamore Field. (Tribune-Star file/Bob Poynter)
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
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Luck having fun with his first OTAs
A year ago, quarterback Andrew Luck was unable to attend the Indianapolis Colts’ organized team activity practices due to school commitments at Stanford.
Luck, though, went on to have a stellar year for the Colts despite the lack of summer work with the team. Still, in a sense, he is a rookie during this year’s OTA workouts.
“These are my first OTAs. I missed these last year, so I think it’s great. It’s great to get on the field with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff. Obviously, some of us ran some of this stuff [offense] at Stanford [under new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton]. But to get out there with the defense and trouble-shoot some stuff is good,” Luck said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its first week of on-field voluntary practice sessions. - Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
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Luck having fun with his first OTAs
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IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, stands in his team pit box as he waits for the start of the final practice session for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Top guns, again
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