Once former quarterback Peyton Manning was shelved due to a serious neck injury that refused to recover before the 2011 regular season even kicked off, the Indianapolis Colts season was realistically over. The team that had been the class of the AFCo South for over a decade went winless over its first 13 games last year without Manning, and was embarrassingly fortunate to finish with a 2-14 final.

At 36 years of age, no one was truly sure how much Manning had remaining in the tank, and the worst part was that Indianapolis had to decide whether or not they would give him a $28 million bonus for the upcoming season. However, if there was ever a perfect time to have such a troublesome dilemma in Indianapolis, it was last year. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was predicted to forego his senior year of college and enter the 2012 NFL Draft. Many do not hesitate to claim that he is one of the most – if not the most – polished quarterbacking prospects of all time.

After months of nationwide speculation, the Colts finally cut ties with Manning, cutting him on March 7, confirming the widespread belief that they would draft Luck and build toward the future.

But owner Jim Irsay felt that a change in quarterback would not suffice. He went ahead and changed the entire regime by firing both head coach Jim Caldwell and general manager Bill Polian. Chuck Pagano, who served as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator last season after three previous seasons as their secondary coach, will replace Caldwell in his first season as an NFL head coach. Ryan Grigson, a former Philadelphia Eagles scout, was hired as the new general manager.

With the additions came several subtractions. Veterans such as tight end Dallas Clark, running back Joseph Addai, center Jeff Saturday, wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzales, and linebacker Gary Brackett have all gone elsewhere. Long-time wide receiver Reggie Wayne, in a surprise to many, did however re-sign with Indianapolis.

Additions that are expected to have an immediate impact include former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Donnie Avery, former Ravens defensive lineman Corey Redding, and former Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis. Draft picks other than Luck who are believed to step in and receive a significant amount of playing time include his former teammate, who was drafted in the second round, tight end Coby Fleener, tight end out of Clemson, Dwayne Allen (third round) and former FIU wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (third round).

Expectations aren’t too high in Indy as far as the win total is concerned following the period of extreme transition, but after finishing 28^th in the league in both scoring offense and defense last season at 15.2 and 26.9 points per game, respectively, the Colts main hope is to simply improve and grow as a team that could be serious AFC contenders for years to come.

Image Courtesy of   Indianapolis Colts

The article Indianapolis Colts Season Preview appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Peyton Manning era in Indianapolis officially came to an end Wednesday at noon, as the team’s 14-year quarterback held a nationally televised press conference with Colts owner Jim Irsay, who announced that the team was cutting Manning. Manning missed the entire 2011 season following multiple neck procedures and was due a $28 million bonus this month.

However, after a 2-14 season landed the Colts with the number one overall draft pick and the opportunity to bring in the highly touted quarterback out of Stanford, Andrew Luck, both sides were in agreement that it would be in their best interest to part ways.

There had been an abundance of chatter over the last few months about the possibility of Manning calling it a career due to a cloud of uncertainty about his ability to return from this serious neck surgery continuously hovering in the picture. Manning completely put that notion to bed when asked after making his speech at the press conference, however.  He stated, “Well, I don’t want to retire,” and continued, “Nobody loves their job more than I do. Nobody loves playing quarterback more than I do, and I still want to play.”

Twelve teams have already expressed interest in signing Manning, but only seven have been confirmed thus far – the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins, and Seattle Seahawks. The Jets, though, pulled out of the Manning race over the weekend after giving their young quarterback, Mark Sanchez, a three-year contract extension. Rumors have also included teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. Manning has said that he will sign with a new team within the next week.

Which team would offer Manning, not only a chance to make it to the Super Bowl next year, but the best chance overall?  The answer would have to be the Houston Texans. Although the Colts were Manning-less all year long in 2011, do not think for even one moment that the Texans’ ensuing level of success was a fluke by any means. Last season was the greatest in Texans franchise history–one in which they clinched their first ever AFC South title, playoff berth, and victory.

Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart were both placed on IR with major injuries during the regular season, but rookie third-string quarterback T.J. Yates had plenty of talent around him to win a playoff game after making his five regular season starts. Despite all of the other interested/potentially interested teams having their own share of talent, the Texans certainly boast more than anyone else.

The depth of the Texans roster begins on the outside with their wide receivers. Andre Johnson is a four-time Pro Bowler and one of the elite deep threats in the league with his lethal combination of size and speed. Jacoby Jones, a fifth year receiver, shows great promise as one of the faster wide-outs in the game.

Their starting tight end, Owen Daniels, has become one of the more consistent players at his position as well. Houston’s starting running back, Arian Foster, also gives the Texans one of the most dangerous running attacks out there. With Ben Tate behind him, the team led the league in rushing at 159.5 yards per game.

And the Houston defense? Well, they were no joke either. They ranked in the top five in the league in all defensive categories, despite missing Pro Bowler Mario Williams for much of the season, were second in both passing and rushing, and first in yards per game.

The AFC South, as Manning knows from playing his whole career there, is one of the weaker divisions in all of football. This would only improve his chances of making it to the promise land even more. Houston appears to be the way to go for Peyton.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/auroraco/

The article Houston Best Fit for Peyton appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.