Changing of the Guard: An Indianapolis Colts Franchise

[St. Francisco]

FRANCHISE RULES​

Coaching Changes
All coaching changes will be done by me, to ensure that the appropriate coaches are retained, and the bad ones are released. Head coach candidates will include big names fired head coaches, and offensive/defensive coordinators for existing teams who have proven to be among the best statistically on their side of the ball.

Re-signing Players
I will compile a list of each team's top players who have expired contracts, and use a "dice roll" on random.org to determine if they get a new contract, or test the free agency waters. 0-33 they get cut, 34-100 they re-sign. For each team, if a high-profile player falls into the cut range, they may franchise tag him. This player must be an integral member of the team, and the use of the tag will be on a case-by-case basis. Some players may be automatically resigned if they are integral to the team's success (ex.: Aaron Rodgers), or automatically cut if they are under-performing, or are aging. Decent or project players will be resigned or cut on a case-by-case basis.

Free Agency
I will analyze each team to determine their positions of need. Let me be clear that I won't just call it a need because they have a roster hole...I'll only be doing the top free agents, so it must be a need for that position to make the list. After that, I'll make a list of the top players at each position. The teams interested in each player will be thrown into random.org, with the highest number winning the bid. Most teams will have two rolls at this. Some teams will be listed as playoff contenders, which will give them three rolls instead of two, increasing their chances of landing the player due to their chances of immediate success. Some teams will be in rebuilding mode, and will only get one roll, decreasing their chances of landing the player due to their inability to win in the near future.

Draft / Trades / Busts and Gems
The draft will be a user-controlled affair at least for the first three rounds, and possibly for all rounds depending upon how long it takes me. Each team will be analyzed again following their FA signings to determine their positions of need in the draft. If an appropriate player cannot be found at a team's pick, I will consider a trade with another team. I will use the NFL draft value trade chart for this. In trading future draft picks, the value of a future 1st round pick will be 400 points.

At the end of the draft, we'll go random again to get some first-round busts and late-round gems. OVR ratings tied to physical attributes such as speed will not be changed, only football skills such as awareness, coverage, etc.

1st Round - Nine players will be randomly selected. 3 players will get a 20 OVR ratings drop, 3 players will get a 15 OVR ratings drop, and 3 player will get a 10 OVR ratings drop.

2nd Round - Eight players will be randomly selected. 4 players will get a ratings boost to 70-80 (randomly decided) with A potential. 4 players will get a 10 OVR ratings drop.

3rd Round - Eight players will be randomly selected. 4 players will get a ratings boost to 70-80 with B potential. 4 players will get a ratings boost to 70-80 with A potential.

4th Round - Nine players will be randomly selected. 3 players will get a ratings boost to 70-80 with C potential. 3 players will get a ratings boost to 70-80 with B potential. 3 players will get a ratings boost to 70-80 with A potential.

5th Round - Eight players will be randomly selected. 3 players will get a ratings boost to 70-80 with C potential. 3 players will get a ratings boost to 70-80 with B potential. 2 players will get a ratings boost to 70-80 with A potential.

6th Round - Eight players will be randomly selected. 3 players will get a ratings boost to 65-75 with C potential. 3 players will get a ratings boost to 65-75 with B potential. 2 players will get a ratings boost to 65-80 with A potential.

7th Round - Eight players will be randomly selected. 3 players will get a ratings boost to 65-75 with C potential. 3 players will get a ratings boost to 65-75 with B potential. 2 players will get a ratings boost to 65-80 with A potential.

Roster Filling
After the draft, each team will be brought up to 53 men. To avoid headaches, I have a list of minimum players at each position that I will use for every team. 3 QBs, 3 RBs, 1/2 FBs, 6 WRs, 3 TEs, 4 Ts, 4 Gs, 2 Cs, 4 DEs, 3 DTs (3-4), 4 DTs (4-3), 4 OLBs, 3 MLBs (4-3), 4 MLBs (3-4), 5 CBs, 2 FSs, 2 SSs, 2 K/P.

Preseason Cuts
UDFAs seemed like a great idea at the time...in practice, they suck ass, mainly because the CPU is God-awful at cutting them. As such, all UDFAs for CPU teams will be cut without question in the preseason. Because of their 320K/1 year contracts, they will be easy to spot and remove. As for my user-controlled team, I will sign real UDFAs and other free agents up to the roster maximum of 75 to keep the UDFAs from populating on my team.

Regular Season Depth Chart / Coaching Tendencies / RB Splits
After the pre-season, I will set the depth chart for each team. Close positional battles will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Afterwards, each team will have their offensive tendencies adjusted to reflect roster changes, as well as the percentage of carries the backup RB gets. CPU teams will be given control to sign players during the regular season to replace injured ones, and make necessary depth chart adjustments.

In-Season Trades
Rosters will be evaluated while setting up the depth charts to determine if any realistic trades could be made. Afterwards, a list of teams with interest will be compiled, and the winner will either be randomly selected, or a team will be chosen based upon having the greatest need and best fit for the player.

Gameplay
All games will be simmed to achieve realistic season stats.

 

[St. Francisco]

The 2011 season will be simmed to bring us into the offseason. I'll do a quick recap shortly.

Side Note: I have updated the rosters, and turned pre-existing injuries off. So guys like Schaub and Cassel are alive and well, but guys like Orton are still on their new teams. The only exception is Peyton Manning, who is still injured.

 

[St. Francisco]

2011 NOTABLE FREE AGENT SIGNINGS​

[color=black][b]POS  NAME              OVR   TEAM            SALARY    BONUS   YR[/b]
WR   Terrell Owens     85    Baltimore       $6.25M   $2.25M   01
DE   Antwan Odom       84    Buffalo         $8.36M   $3.34M   01
MLB  Lofa Tatupu       84    Tampa Bay      $13.23M   $5.04M   03
QB   David Garrard     83    Washington      $9.89M   $3.03M   01
CB   Leigh Bodden      82    Pittsburgh      $7.53M   $3.01M   01[/color]

 

[St. Francisco]

 

[St. Francisco]

2011 NFL STANDINGS

 

[St. Francisco]

2011 NFL STAT LEADERS

 

[St. Francisco]

2011 YEARLY AWARDS

 

[St. Francisco]

-Calvin Johnson had 19 receptions for 289 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-13 win over the Vikings in week fourteen, ranking him 3rd in receptions and 6th in yards in a single game on the all time record books. Johnson led the league with 117 catches for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns on the year, and was voted the NFL's best wide receiver.

-The Indianapolis Colts have fired head coach Jim Caldwell after a 4-12 season that gives Indy the #1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft in a year that Lucas Owl Stadium played host to it's first ever Super Bowl. Caldwell went 29-20 in his three years with the team, including two AFC South division championships and a Super Bowl appearance.

-The St. Louis Rams have fired head coach Steve Spagnuolo after his third straight losing season. Spagnuolo went 12-36 in his three years with the team.

-The Miami Dolphins have fired head coach Tony Sparano after failing to win more than seven games in his last three seasons. Sparano went 31-33 in his four years with the team, including an AFC East division championship in 2008.

-The Chicago Bears have fired head coach Lovie Smith after the team finished with it's worst record since Smith took over the team in 2001. Smith went 68-60 in his eight years with the team, including three NFC North division championships and a Super Bowl appearance.

-The Cincinnati Bengals have fired head coach Marvin Lewis after failing to make the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six years. Lewis went 65-77-1 in his nine years with the team, including two AFC North division championships.

 

[St. Francisco]

 

[St. Francisco]

During the offseason, a damaged nerve in Manning's neck that caused weakness in his throwing arm required neck surgery...and then another one. On September 8th, the 35-year old quarterback had his third neck surgery in the last 19 months, a spinal fusion in one last effort to fully heal the ailing QB. Doctors were hopeful that he could make a return perhaps late in the 2011 season, but four months of rest have done little to fully repair Manning's neck.

It sounded as though things were going well when Manning provided reporters with his first medical update, after a checkup in early October. He was thrilled when doctors cleared him to move from the press box to the field and he started taking brisk walks around the practice field. One month later, in early November after another checkup, Manning said doctors were still waiting for the fusion to become firmly healed before letting him do more strenuous workouts. The comments prompted speculation that Manning may not recover fully from the operation. Now, in February, doctors have confirmed that his neck may never fully heal, and have strongly urged against physical contact of any kind.

"X-ray and CT examination of the surgical area shows that the fusion performed in September has not achieved firm fixation," Dr. Robert Watkins said. "There is no indication that it will fully heal in the future, and has been at a standstill for quite some time. We have advised against physical stress to prevent further damaging an already tender neck. There is no timeline for when the fusion will fully heal."

After being drafted No. 1 overall in 1998, Manning didn't miss a start in his first 13 seasons, starting 227 consecutive games including the playoffs. He holds every major passing record in franchise history, has 399 career TD passes and trails only Brett Favre and Dan Marino on the career passing list.

Without Manning, the Colts have fallen apart.

Streaks of nine straight playoff appearances and nine straight 10-win seasons have already ended, and the Colts finished the 2011 season with a dismal 4-12 record, their worst outing since Manning's rookie since in 1998, when they went 3-13.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of not only one of the greatest players to ever wear a Colts uniform, but one of the greatest players of all-time," said team owner Jim Irsay in a press conference following the news of Manning's retirement. "Peyton has been a fixture in our lives for the past thirteen years, and to know he is gone now is almost too hard to accept. We wish him a speedy recovery, and are eternally grateful for the sacrifices he made to lift this organization to greatness."

Now short a franchise quarterback and a head coach, the Indianapolis Colts will head into the offseason with the #1 overall pick and a plan to rebuild a once great franchise that turned to dust in the blink of an eye.

 

[Rylo]

Looks good man, following.

 

[St. Francisco]

-The Indianapolis Colts have hired Bill Cowher as the team's new head coach. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning Super Bowl XL. After spending the past four years as a studio analyst on TV, Cowher makes his return to coaching, and will be tasked with restoring the winning tradition in Indianapolis.

-The St. Louis Rams have hired Houston Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison as the team's new head coach. Dennison has been in Houston for the past three seasons, and recently coached the nation's top-ranked offense as the Texans won their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

-The Miami Dolphins have hired Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan as the team's new head coach. In his first year in Dallas last season, Ryan coached the nation's 2nd ranked defense, and were the best in the NFL against the pass. Ryan joins his brother Rex in the AFC East, a sibling rivalry that is sure to be a sight.

-The Chicago Bears have hired Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey as the team's new head coach. Mularkey has spent his last four seasons in Atlanta, and recently coached the league's 4th ranked total offense in 2011. This will be Mularkey's second stint as an NFL head coach after an unsuccessful two years in Buffalo in 2004 and 2005.

-The Cincinnati Bengals have hired New Orleans offensive coordinator Pete Carmicahel, Jr. as the team's new head coach. Carmichael has spent the last three years in New Orleans, leading the team to three straight playoff appearances, two Super Bowl appearances, and one Super Bowl win in 2009 against the Indianapolis Colts. Last season, Carmichael's 3rd-ranked offense helped the team clinch another NFC championship, but the Saints would lose out to the Texans in Super Bowl XLVI.

 

[St. Francisco]

-Peyton Manning finishes his career 3rd in passing yards (54,828) and touchdowns (399) behind Favre and Marino.

-Terrell Owens finishes his career 3rd in receptions (1,127) behind Jerry Rice and Tony Gonzalez, and 2nd in receiving yards (16,440) and touchdowns (162) behind Jerry Rice.

-Jason Taylor finishes his career 8th in sacks (135) behind John Randle and Richard Dent.

-Hines Ward finishes his career 8th in receptions (1,012) behind Isaac Bruce.

-Derrick Mason finishes his career 9th in receptions (982) ahead of Randy Moss.

-Kerry Collins finishes his career 9th in passing yards (43,229) behind Drew Bledsoe.

 

[St. Francisco]

 

[St. Francisco]

-The New England Patriots have traded Aaron Hernandez (TE) and their 2nd rd. pick (#27) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2nd rd. (#12) and 4th rd. (#12) pick.

FREE AGENT WINNERS

-The Cincinnati Bengals grabbed the gem of the free agency, Arian Foster, to go along with Benson in the backfield and give the team a dominant ground presence. They also picked up David Garrard, giving Dalton a veteran presence to learn from.

-The Cleveland Browns added Barrett Rudd (MLB), Dan Connor (MLB), and Dave Ball (DE) to their front seven, giving the team a major upgrade to their average rush defense.

-The Tampa Bay Buccaneers injected some experienced youth into the defense with the signing of Anthony Spencer (OLB) and Glover Quinn, Jr. (SS), while Kevin Smith (HB) will spell starter LaGarette Blount nicely.

-The Arizona Cardinals gave their passing game a jolt with the addition of Jermichael Finley (TE), and also added Kelvin Hayden to the cornerback corps.

-The Atlanta Falcons added Carlos Rogers (CB) and Antwan Odom (DE) to a defense that ranked in the bottom five last season.

-The San Francisco 49ers were a playoff team in 2011, but the addition of DeSean Jackson (WR) to their abysmal passing attack may make them a Super Bowl contender.

-The Detroit Lions added Reggie Wayne to compliment Megatron, Scott Wells (C) to the o-line, and Brandon Browner (CB) to the secondary.

-The Oakland Raiders added top defensive free agent Osi Umenyiora (DE) as well as Sione Pouha (DT), Jason McCourty (CB), and backup quarterback Kyle Orton.

-The Baltimore Ravens improved an average defense, adding Richard Seymour (DT), Kendall Langford (DE), and D'Qwell Jackson (MLB).

-The Washington Redskins were the most active team in the free agency, adding starters Alex Smith (QB), Mike Wallace (WR), Jeff Saturday (C), and Michael Bennett (DE), while also grabbing Tomlinson to help spell starting runningback Roy Helu.

-The Houston Texans may have won Super Bowl XLVI, but their defense was average at best. To help remedy that, they added Corey Williams (DT) and Jim Leonhard (SS) to the defense, as well as David Nelson to the receiving corps.

 

[Gonzo]

Awesome, I'll be checking in.

 

[St. Francisco]

1. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - ANDREW LUCK (QB), STANFORD
As expected, the Indianapolis Colts utilized their #1 overall pick to secure a long-term option at quarterback following the untimely retirement of Peyton Manning. Luck was the clear-cut option to be the top pick, and with good reason. In his final collegiate season, Luck posted a 171.6 quarterback rating, completing an NCAA-best 68% of his passes for 31 touchdowns and just six interceptions on his way to leading the 10th ranked passing offense in the nation. The Cardinal finished the regular season with a 12-0 (9-0) record, earning the Pac-10 conference championship and a berth in the BCS national championship game against #2 Michigan State, where they fell just short 28-26. Luck was named a 2nd team All-American, and finished 2nd and 7th for the O'Brien and Maxwell trophies, respectively. With limited options at the position, Luck is expected to be thrown into the fire in his rookie season.

84 OVERALL - A POTENTIAL
Speed - 82
Agility - 79
Awareness - 77
Throw Power - 88
Short Accuracy - 88
Middle Accuracy - 80
Deep Accuracy - 76​

 

[St. Francisco]

2. ST. LOUIS RAMS - JEREL WORTHY (DT), MICHIGAN STATE
The Rams had the nation's top-ranked defense in 2011, but a lack of offensive players with first round draft grades in positions of need essentially forced the team's hand. Worthy was considered by most to be one of the best players available in the draft, and in the end was a player that the team simply could not pass up. As a junior, Worthy recorded 46 tackles and three sacks as the leader of college football's 5th ranked defense, was named to the All Big Ten team, and helped his team win their first national title in the BCS era by holding the high-scoring Stanford offense to 26 points. Worthy's dominating size and power will make running the ball against St. Louis a tough task in 2012.

85 OVERALL - A POTENTIAL
Speed - 67
Agility - 66
Awareness - 84
Strength - 89
Tackle - 91
Power Moves - 85
Finesse Moves - 66​

 

[St. Francisco]

3. CINCINNATI BENGALS - JULIAN MILLER (DE), WEST VIRGINIA
In a draft heavy with highly-projected defensive ends, West Virginia's Julian Miller was seen as the cream of the crop. In his final collegiate season, Miller finished with 61 tackles, a team-high 7.5 sacks, and forced two turnovers. As a team, the Mountaineers ranked 4th in the NCAA with 39 sacks on the year, and while his primary skill set lends him to putting the quarterback on the ground, Miller will also surely help bolster the Bengals' 31st ranked rushing defense.

88 OVERALL - A POTENTIAL
Speed - 78
Agility - 77
Awareness - 74
Strength - 75
Tackle - 82
Power Moves - 74
Finesse Moves - 88​

 

[St. Francisco]

4. CHICAGO BEARS - MICHAEL EGNEW (TE), MISSOURI
Missouri's Michael Egnew was just one of two prolific pass catchers with a 1st round projected grade in this year's draft, and the Bears wasted no time in securing a long-term option at tight end that will not only bolster the team's 23rd ranked passing offense that has struggled to find a go-to target for Jay Cutler, but should also serve to strengthen the blocking for offensive workhorse Matt Forte with a few years of tutelage. Egnew finished 2011 with 40 catches for 547 yards and five touchdowns, and his imposing 6'6", 245 lb. frame should help create mismatches at the next level. Experts have questioned just how quickly Egnew will be able to adapt to the fast-paced NFL and make an impact, but should he prove to be a fast learner, the Bears could field a more balanced offensive attack in 2012.

72 OVERALL - A POTENTIAL
Speed - 83
Agility - 84
Awareness - 65
Route Running - 70
Catching - 71
Catch in Traffic - 70
Run Block Strength - 60
Run Block Footwork - 63​