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The Colts have added their third offensive linemen since the start of free agency, inking Oakland free-agent center Samson Satele.

“Samson is an experienced, productive and highly competitive offensive center,” general manager Ryan Grigson said in the team’s news release announcing the addition. "He has all the necessary traits to be one of the top centers in the NFL. He is not only a great player, but a great person and family man as well. We wanted him and we got him. We couldn’t be happier that he will now be a Colt for years to come and help us reach our ultimate goal.

Said Satele: “It’s a brand new team. In talking with Coach [Chuck Pagano] and everyone else, it feels like a family. It’s a fresh, new start for me and a fresh, new team. I can’t wait to get this rolling.”

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. says Satele isn’t real strong, but has shown steady improvement.

“He’s a finesse, movement guy, which is odd, considering that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians came from a power scheme with big, heavy O-linemen,” Williamson said.

Satele joins right tackle Winston Justice, who was acquired from Philadelphia in a very cheap trade, and interior lineman Mike McGlynn, signed away from Cincinnati.

The Colts have Anthony Castonzo locked in at left tackle and will piece together the rest of the line from a group of those three newcomers, along with holdovers including Joe Reitz, who finished the 2011 season as the team’s left guard, Jeff Linkenbach, who finished the season as right tackle and Ben Ijalana, the 2011 second-round draft pick who tore an ACL a month into last season.

“It’s a C group all together, but I really like Castonzo,” Williamson said. “Also, they will add another piece in the draft at some point. Calling it functional might be a bit generous.”

Kevin in Houston writes: Why is it taking so long to sign Chris Meyers, Mike Brisiel, Joel Dreessen and Neil Rackers? It's fairly clear the Texans were not going to be able to sign/afford Mario Williams. Did this not clear up enough room to get some of these key players back? It just feels like the Texans just don't care.

Paul Kuharsky: Teams don’t operate on fans’ timetables.

The Texans have re-signed Arian Foster and Chris Myers now. Brisiel, Dreessen and Rackers are nice pieces, but hardly urgent. So you let them see the market. If they hit the lottery, you say congrats. If they don’t, you wind up in a favorable position to get them back.

Why make the jump to “they don’t care?” Why wouldn’t they care?

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Chris in Washington, D.C., writes: Your Tennessee bias has been on astounding display over the past week. Could you make it any clearer that you hope Peyton goes there? Last I checked, this is an AFC South blog, not a Titans blog. You should write accordingly. As a journalist, I don't have a whole lot of respect for your coverage right now. Or maybe ESPN "bloggers" should be held to a lesser standard?

Paul Kuharsky: Peyton Manning is the biggest story in sports right now. He’s not considering playing for Jacksonville or Houston. The Colts cut him, so any post about his potential landing spot is of interest to Indianapolis. I’d be writing a great deal about him even if one of his primary suitors was not in the division. But it is.

I’ve written about the goings on with other teams.

None, right now, have nearly as much going on as the Titans do.

That’s how it works -- the biggest story and most active team gets the most attention. When the Texans were in the playoffs, it was them. When the Colts were deciding on Manning, it was them. As the Titans court Manning, it’s them.

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Bo from Spearfish writes: With Jax signing a decent WR (Robinson) and Mincey to stay at DE, what’s their first-round priority? CB? Or do they protect Gabbert with an OL pick. I personally would still prefer another set of hands opposite Robinson.

Paul Kuharsky: You can’t force a priority on a first-round pick, but they still need a big time pass-rusher and a corner. But wide receiver trumps all in my eyes, especially if Laurent Robinson is all they do in free agency.

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Scott in Missoula, Mont., writes: Winston Justice? Really? Why in the world would the Colts take an overpaid, backup OT and give up their position in the sixth round, disregarding for a moment the fact they have Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana, instead of trying to court Evan Mathis, Ben Grubbs and/or Chris Myers, who are proven upper-echelon offensive linemen? Seems like the only positive move Ryan Grigson has had thus far is keeping Reggie Wayne to be Andrew Luck's #1 WR. Your thoughts?

Paul Kuharsky: I think we give Winston a chance, just like we give Grigson and all the newcomers a chance. Ijalana’s hardly a sure thing himself. Grubbs and Myers were pretty costly and the Colts don’t have much money. And swapping sixth-rounders with Philly for Justice was hardly any cost at all.

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Barry in Indy writes: I see where some teams offered a 1st or 2nd round tender offer to their FAs. Do you know if the Colts did this with Pierre Garcon? At this point, the Colts need all the draft picks they can get. Thanks in advance!

Paul Kuharsky: Tender offers are for restricted free agents. Teams are able to retain them with a tender offer, which gives them the right to match any offer sheet they might sign or get the draft pick attached to the tender as payback for not matching.

Teams have no power to attach anything to unrestricted free agents. The only thing they stand to get back later is a compensatory draft pick, third round or later, if the sum of their free-agent losses outweighs the sum of their gains. And those come in the draft the following year.

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Michael from Cypress, Texas writes: No disrespect to Manning, but I think he'd be a great QB coach at Houston. Can you imagine TJ Yates and Matt Schaub getting tips from Peyton?

Paul Kuharsky: Actually I can’t imagine it at all. Why would he want to do that? He’s going to make a ton of money playing and has a chance to try to win another Super Bowl.

The Colts' recrafting of their offensive line group is now two deep. A day after trading for Winston Justice, the team has a deal with free agent Mike McGlynn, according to a tweet from McGlynn.

But while Justice looks to be a favorite to start at right tackle, McGlynn played sparingly for Cincinnati last season, mostly because of injury and Bobbie Williams.

Justice started the Bengals final three regular-season games and their playoff game at right guard, and was also listed as the backup to Kyle Cook at center.

Four of the Colts' top five interior linemen from the end of last season are not under contract: center Jeff Saturday, guard Mike Pollak, guard Jamey Richard and Ryan Diem, who shifted inside last year after a long tenure as the right tackle.

Ben Ijalana, who missed his rookie year with an early knee injury, could be in the guard mix going forward, particularly if Justice proves solid at tackle.

Will McGlynn be more than depth?

We’ll have to see who else Indianapolis winds up with and how they all play.

The Indianapolis Colts intend to beef up their lines and field a bigger team for Chuck Pagano.

Today’s trade for offensive tackle Winston Justice is a move toward that.

With a simple exchange of sixth-round picks in this year’s draft, Indianapolis got Justice from Philadelphia. He’s a player general manager Ryan Grigson is familiar with, as Grigson came to the Colts from a front-office post with the Eagles.

The Colts inherit a guy due a base salary of $3.225 million in 2012.

“I’m not sure exactly what it cost them, but I very much like the move,” said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. “He isn’t great, but he is a solid right tackle and has had success in this league. It looks like they have their offensive tackles in place (with Anthony Castonzo and Justice) and that is at least something to help Andrew Luck out. And Ben Ijalana could potentially turn into a high end guard ... maybe.”

I think it’s a good move that forecasts the type of thing we can expect from the Colts.

Mel Kiper hass gone back and reconsidered the grades he gave each NFL team after the 2011 draft, regrading after seeing everyone’s rookie season.

A look at his take on the teams of the AFC South:

Colts

Then: B-

Now: C+

Kiper: “[Anthony] Castonzo hasn't been spectacular, but at least he has made it to the left side and looks like the future there. What can he be? Well, if he does a good job of protecting Andrew Luck, the grade certainly will get a bump. But we don't know yet. Ben Ijalana hasn't shown a lot. Drake Nevis has had moments but mostly got good reps for a bad defense.”

Kuharsky: It’s also important to note what they didn’t draft: sufficient help for the secondary.

Jaguars

Then: C-

Now: D

Kiper: “Suffice to say, I don't think throwing [Blaine] Gabbert in there with a lack of legit passing targets given his developmental needs was a great idea. I still think Gabbert has a shot because he has a lot of good physical tools and can be very accurate, but I hope the experience of this season is something he grows from and isn't a developmental setback. Elsewhere, there isn't much.”

Kuharsky: Guard Will Rackley was not great. The Jaguars’ big additions were in free agency, not through the draft. This draft’s grade will always hang on Gabbert.

Titans

Then: C

Now: B

Kiper: "The Titans got some really good early returns and value. Jurrell Casey and Karl Klug, picked in the third and fifth rounds, respectively, have been very good (Klug really got after quarterbacks), and so has Akeem Ayers, which wasn't much of a surprise. It's hard to up the grade too much until we know whether Locker is indeed the future, but a year out, it looks like the Titans planned and scouted well overall."

Kuharsky: Considering we haven’t seen Jake Locker, the top pick, start a game yet, it’s hard to get much more out of a rookie class than the Titans did.

Texans

Then: B

Now: A-

Kiper: "If you consider that Houston got 11 sacks out of a combo of [Mario] Williams and [Brooks] Reed, the injury to Super Mario doesn't seem so terrible. Of course, the big steal here was to find T.J. Yates in the fifth round after he wasn't even invited to the combine."

Kuharsky: J.J. Watt proved the most impactful pick in the entire division and this class had a big hand in reshaping the Houston defense.

John Lloyd from Yulee, Fla., writes: I count 24 players on jag IR. How did you get 27?

Paul Kuharsky: They placed a couple on IR that they eventually reached a settlement with. That means they can release those players while they're still injured. So they disappeared from the roster. But their seasons ended when they were put on IR.

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Jason from Philadelphia writes: You get 10 Colts players to keep next year, who are they? Top 5 in order, 6-10 doesn't have to be. Manning doesn't count. Freeney Mathis Castonzo Bethea Nevis Angerer Ijalana Wayne Clark Collie. Picked the tackles and Nevis because they are new draft picks and have shown promise when healthy. I've always stayed positive but that list was harder than I thought it would be. The talent level has really dropped off. I almost put McAfee in there.

Paul Kuharsky: OK, Manning doesn’t count and I am really concentrating on having the best team I can next year. I’ve changed this a bit from when I emailed you back.

I’d go: Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Antoine Bethea, Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pat Angerer, Anthony Castonzo, Ben Ijalana, Drake Nevis and Jerraud Powers. Donald Brown just missed. I think he can actually run and will get out of the doghouse if there is a new regime. I think Dallas Clark's injuries are starting to mount and I don’t know if you can expect anything close to a full season from him.

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Jimmy Bagley from Philly, Pa., writes: Looking at your rankings, I am trying to figure out why you have Houston so low.... Why wouldn't they be at the number 4 spot? Green Bay, obviously number one with a bullet. Baltimore, number two ok. N.O. should be 3 and the Texans at 4... At this point in the season, why aren't the tie breakers used to figure these in.... Houston holds the tie breaker over both Pit and NE.... They were the first team in the AFC to clinch, and have the best divisional record of all the teams.... Not to mention the number 2 defense in the league and a top 3 running game.... They have managed to win in all types of circumstances.... After last week’s come from behind win I thought for sure it would win over critics waiting for them to choke... What else is going to take for the respect to come in.

Paul Kuharsky: What you are looking for, apparently, is the official playoff order for the league right now. (If we do that, what’s the point?) What the power rankings are looking for is my opinion on where teams stand. The official playoff rankings of the moment don’t take into account a third-string quarterback as the starter. No matter how impressive T.J. Yates has been, we have a very small sample size so far. And I have a tough time ranking a team he’s leading ahead of one led by Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger, who’ve won Super Bowls. The one case you can make is that the Texans should be ahead of Pittsburgh based on having beaten them. But the Steelers are a much better team now than they were then.

Also you suggest I should rank the Texans higher because they clinched earlier and have a better division record. So they get a reward for the Colts and Jaguars stinking and the Titans being average?

I have Houston sixth. I think we differ on whether that’s good or bad. I think it’s quite good.

I am continually amazed by how people regard the issue of respect. I think, universally, analysts are impressed by what the Texans have done and think they are a very good team. Apparently some of you think we should be holding parades for them and telecasting half-hour specials about their greatness.

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Scott Freistat from Hermitage, Tenn., writes: ESPN's latest ranking poll states that if the playoffs were to start today (12/13) the Texans would have the No. 1 seed. How is that possible considering they have the same records as the Ravens (10-3) and the Ravens own the head-to-head matchup? Please explain.

Paul Kuharsky: In a three-way tie, head-to-head results aren’t the top tiebreaker because it does nothing to factor in the third team. The Ravens win a tiebreaker over the Steelers being from same division. Then it’s Texans-Ravens-Patriots. If one team has swept the other two, it wins a tiebreaker. If not, then it’s conference record. The Texans win that right now.

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Brian Vining from Douglas, Ga., writes: Who is Matt Williamson? So I guess this so called expert wants to give up on a first round QB who has no weapons except for Maurice jones-Drew. Gabbert was not even going to be the starter this year. He is a young QB who needs time to develop. With a good coach and a couple of WR who can catch the ball Gabbert will be great. I'm not saying the Jags is the best out of the three but if I were a coach and could go to a team with a young up and coming QB. A great RB in MJD and a much improved defense I would jump on it. That's not even to mention Gene Smith who has the right philosophy to build a team who can contend for years. National media at it again. Gabbert sucks, the Jags can't fill the stadium, Jags are moving to LA. Maybe if some of them would actually do a little homework they would know none of this is true.

Paul Kuharsky: Williamson is a former NFL scout who knows as much about current personnel as anyone in my business.

Your logic falls apart here: “Gabbert was not even going to be the starter this year.” Then why is he the starter this year? Nothing catostrophic happened. The team chose to cut David Garrard and it chose to bench Luke McCown. Those moves made Gabbert the starter. If you don’t want him starting, arrange for him not to start. I don’t know how we can say he was not supposed to start and offer amnesty based on that. They are starting him. As promising as Gabbert may be, it’s not at all inaccurate to say he’s been horrible this season.

I like Smith, but the rebuild is not moving at a fast enough pace. His philosophy starts with foundation-building and two good lines. Three years in, I don’t see two good lines, do you? And where is anything close to a late-round home run?

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Mike M. from Houston writes: The next man up approach only works if the next man up has talent. The Texans have shown that they have talent beyond the 22 starters on the roster. Most have been draft picks, UDFA's, or were low level free agents when acquired (like Kevin Walter or Jason Allen). Does this make Rick Smith the front runner for executive of the year???

Paul Kuharsky: That’s an excellent point, that the next man up has to be equipped to do the job. Lots of teams without good depth get hurt and fall apart.

But let’s not make it like Rick Smith is at the powerful end of the spectrum of GMs in terms of decision-making. It’s a joint operation and he’s not bringing in anyone Gary Kubiak doesn’t sign off on. Wade Phillips had great influence on what they did in the draft and then free agency as well.

Indianapolis' offensive line and interior defensive line are so thinned out by injuries that Jeff Saturday joked with Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star about deviating from the team’s next-man-up mantra.

"We (are) going to have to start bringing in some next men," Saturday said.

Monday night in a loss at Tampa Bay, defensive tackle Eric Foster dislocated his right ankle. Tuesday he had season-ending surgery. Starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo left the stadium with a boot on his left foot and walking with the aid of crutches and his replacement, Ben Ijalana, had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter after damaging his left knee, Chappell says.

According to the report, Ijalana could be out for the season with ACL damage.

The team is expected to elevate one of the defensive tackles from its practice squad, Ricardo Matthews or Ollie Ogbu.

The Colts were already thin on the offensive line before Monday night’s game, with Ryan Diem out and Joe Reitz hurting. They signed offensive tackle Mike Tepper from the practice squad Monday afternoon. He wound up playing right tackle after Castonzo and Ijalana went down.

We’ll learn more about the offensive linemen today.

But things are certainly a mess on the injury front. Again.

UPDATE, 12:15 p.m.: The Colts put Ijalana and Foster on IR and waiveed linebacker Nate Triplett. They signed offensive tackles Michael Toudouze and Quinn Ojinnaka as well as Mathews.

Indianapolis knows it. Colts devotees know it. Those who follow the league closely know it. Fantasy football owners with Colts in their lineups know it.

The rest of football-watching America is scheduled to find out Sunday night that the Indianapolis Colts are not good.

Typically a great national draw, Indianapolis plays its first game of the season on national television on "Sunday Night Football" when it hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers.

No team in the NFL had the capacity to come so undone by the loss of its best player like the Colts have without Peyton Manning. At 0-2, they’re talking about seeing incremental improvement. But they’ll have to make a giant leap from how they played at Houston and against Cleveland to have a chance against the Steelers.

A week later, they’ll play in Tampa Bay on "Monday Night Football." Then there is Oct. 23 at New Orleans (Sunday night), Dec. 4 at New England (Sunday night) and Dec. 22 against Houston (Thursday night).

The Colts will be a candidate to be flexed out of those late Sunday night games instead of being flexed into more. (Flexing starts the weekend of Nov. 20, so that New Orleans game is locked in.)

Five prime-time games for a team now expected to be among the NFL’s worst could make for some painful viewing. Let’s remember, however, that plenty of matchups that look bad turn out to be good games to watch and plenty of good-looking matchups turn out to be lopsided duds.

There really is no predicting, except that the networks and the people watching them won’t be seeing what they expected when the schedule came out: The Colts with Manning.

Three thoughts on the status of the Colts as they approach their 49th meeting with the Steelers:

1) Originally, I set out to write about moves the Colts could make to try to patch things up.

But the fact is, there simply isn’t much they can do with what they’ve got.

I thought Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. put in eloquently in our email exchange this week when I asked him what he would do to fix things.

“That is the problem,” he said. “They are built in such a manner that they really cannot adapt. It isn’t like their offensive line can all of a sudden switch to a power running game and starting pushing people off the ball. Or that the defense can get bigger and more physical to play the run. They are built for speed on D and for shootouts. But this O isn’t getting in any shootouts.”

The Colts have been dismissive of the idea that they are built to play from ahead, citing all of Manning’s last-minute comebacks. Sure, there have been glorious exceptions.

But against lesser teams, they’ve spent a lot of time out in front. Clearly it’s the best scenario for them. It allows two of their best players, ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, to focus solely on terrorizing quarterbacks. It allows their secondary to keep things in front of them and concentrate, most of all, on not allowing big plays.

Other teams, with more physical defenses and offenses that seek to wear opponents down, are better equipped to stand toe-to-toe for 60 minutes than the Colts are, even when healthy.

2) Coach Jim Caldwell has hinted there could be some lineup changes, but there is nothing major the team can really do. Ten guys besides Manning missed practice Wednesday, so injuries may dictate some alterations.

One move Caldwell said isn’t coming is Ben Ijalana into the starting lineup at right tackle.

Why not? When the Colts spent their second-round pick on Ijalana, more than one person who scouted the draft for an NFL team told me he thought Ijalana was going to be a better player than the team’s first-round pick, tackle Anthony Castonzo. Castonzo’s been starting on the left side.

Unless Ijalana is really stinking it up in practice, the Colts should accept that any fall off from Jeff Linkenbach to the rookie should be made up in relative short order if Ijalana is who they thought he was.

It’s OK to acknowledge that, given the season’s circumstances, you’re willing to change course and accelerate Ijalana’s timetable. Maximize the chance to have a good line for Manning in 2012.

Again, why not?

3) Two games into the season, Manning’s injury is hardly the only one the team is concerned with.

Thirteen players were on the team’s Wednesday injury report. Questions about why the Colts can’t stay healthy have been around for a long time, and there aren't any easy answers.

They are, by design, built with faster guys who are smaller than a lot of the competition. Surely that’s at least a small factor.

But they’d be wise to track who’s injury prone and who’s not and to make it more a part of their philosophy more often to steer away from guys with long injury résumés -- both in re-signing their own and in making their draft picks.

Manning had the league’s longest consecutive starts streak before his neck knocked him out. Reggie Wayne has played 16 games in eight straight seasons. Neither is the biggest or most rugged guy at his position. They’re stars, of course, but they are stars who’ve had a knack for staying healthy enough to play.

If the team philosophy and construct remains the same, somehow the personnel folks need to do better at finding those kinds of guys. Waiting on your luck to change isn’t a great strategy.

You see them in headphones, walking into the stadium, heading from the locker room to the field, as they stretch and run and get ready for kickoff.

Before the iPods are turned off and put away, what’s the last song the Titans listen to in order to get in the right frame of mind?

Build a playlist based on this if you dare:

Tight end Jacob Tamme: Black Eyed Peas, “I Got a Feeling”

“It’s got a nice little beat. And the lyrics, ‘Tonight’s gonna be a good night,’ there is nothing wrong with that type of thinking before you hit the field.”

Linebacker Kavell Connor: Pastor Troy, “Vice Versa”

“It just gets me into a zone where I focus, where I am ready to go to battle, ready to go to war.”

Cornerback Jerraud Powers: Explosions in the Sky

“It sort of calms me down, helps me focus. But I’ve got the new Jay-Z and Kayne West, I’m pretty sure I will be bumping that too."

Kicker Adam Vinatieri: Incubus, "The Warmth"

"Great, great pregame song. Best all-time pregame song. Listen to the lyrics. The lyrics are fantastic. It starts off slow, there is a little bit of an upbeat to it. But the lyrics are where it's at. It gives you chills."

Cornerback Kevin Thomas: DMX, “Where My Dogs at”

“It just gets you in the mindset of getting rowdy, getting hyped and pretty much playing at full speed, reckless.”

Linebacker Gary Brackett: Marvin Sapp, “Never Would Have Made It”

“It’s an inspirational song. It’s an affirmation of why I am here.”

Running back Joseph Addai: Bob Marley, “No Woman, No Cry”

“I need to be able to relax to play. Dealing with Peyton [Manning], you’ve got to be able to relax. I need to calm my nerves, be ready for Peyton.”

Safety Antoine Bethea: 2Pac, “Dear Mama”

“It just gives me focus and let’s me know why I am out there. If it wasn’t for my mom, I wouldn’t be here. It’s just something that really mellow me down, doesn’t get me too hyped too early.”

Running back Delone Carter: Young Jeezy, “Handle my Business”

Offensive lineman Ben Ijalana: Lupe Fiasco, “Kick, Push”

“At my position, the calmer I find myself, the better I play.”

And the outliers who don't have one song or don't have a music routine:

Center Jeff Saturday: “I don’t really listen to music pregame. It used to be me, [Charlie Johnson] and Ryan Diem would listen to ‘Cult of Personality’ by Living Color. Chuck’s gone. He was the guy who played it. We’ll see who rises to the forefront with the music. I’ve been at this a long time, I don’t really need a lot of external motivators. I pretty much show up ready to get it done.”

Defensive end Dwight Freeney: “Every year is different, I find a different one. I’m a guy who doesn’t have one particular song. I kind of go out and shuffle through it. This song got me going today.”

Receiver Reggie Wayne: “My last song is just really hearing the crowd roar. I don’t really have a song to get me going. I like to hear that 12th man screaming, that’s when I know it’s time for battle.”

Left tackle Anthony Castonzo: “To tell you the truth, I don’t listen to any music on game day. I just close my eyes and picture things I just prefer silence. I just kind of go into my own brain and start to picture myself doing things properly.”

Quarterback Kerry Collins: He dabbles in writing country music songs and has friends in the business in Nashville, but said he doesn't listen to music as part of his pregame routine.

Ten questions worth pondering about the Colts without Peyton Manning:

1. Who’s under the most pressure?

The obvious answer is Kerry Collins, but if the expectations are unreasonable for the 39-year-old quarterback, that’s not on him. He can still be effective, but consistency is an issue and he tends to start games slowly. That’s a problem for the Colts, who are built to jump to leads and let defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis pursue quarterbacks who are trying to throw to catch up. Those successful two-minute drills that Manning has run at the end of a half or a game won't happen as often with Collins.

2. What will we learn about Colts head coach Jim Caldwell and offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen?

Jokes about Manning coaching the team tend to be over the top. But he certainly makes more pre-snap decisions on the field than any other quarterback in the league. Even if Collins winds up making some of those reads and determinations, Caldwell and Christensen must show they can plan effectively for him in a way they weren’t always responsible for with Manning at the controls.

3. Is the line ready to play better?

A lot of people not that familiar with how the Colts play look at the sack numbers (16 allowed in 2010) and judge Indianapolis to be one of the league’s best pass-protecting offensive lines. It’s not. The Colts spent their top two draft picks on offensive linemen Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana. Castonzo is slated to start at left tackle, and left guard Joe Reitz has not played in an NFL regular-season game. Ryan Diem appears to be moving from right tackle to right guard as Jeff Linkenbach, undrafted last year, takes Diem’s long-time spot. Collectively, the group must offer Collins reliable protection and block more effectively for a running game that must do more.

4. How does Collins handle blitzes and pass pressure?

Teams typically paid for blitzing Manning, but defenses will certainly try to do more to get to Collins. He didn’t move well when he was younger, and it’s certainly not a big piece of his game now. He’s not afraid to throw it away and live for another day. And former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, who coached Collins the past five years in Tennessee and game-planned against the Colts twice a year from 2002 through 2010, said Indianapolis will be equipped to counter extra blitz pressure with screens to Joseph Addai.

5. Who has a chance to shine?

Even if Manning were around, I expected the Colts to try to get the ball to rookie running back Delone Carter in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He’s different than fellow running backs Addai and Donald Brown and seems like a player who can find a tough yard even when things don’t get blocked as they should. That offensive line can get a lot of attention if it plays well. And Brody Eldridge, more of a blocking tight end, could see more time if the Colts feel like they must sacrifice three-wide sets for additional protection or run-game help.

6. Can the defense help more?

As we mentioned, it’s a team built to pass rush against an offense that must throw. The Colts have not been a good run-stopping team and the defense didn’t fare well at it in the preseason. Indianapolis is slated to face a bunch of top-level backs. We could see two veteran additions at end, Jamaal Anderson and Tyler Brayton, get chances to contribute on run downs and help keep Freeney and Mathis fresher to rush. Rookie tackle Drake Nevis can help too. Overall, the philosophy of limiting big plays and making teams move it a little at a time has worked well enough. It’s not like they can make a dramatic change in it now.

7. What about special teams?

It’s been a neglected area for much of the Manning era. The offense is good at driving the ball down the field and doesn’t often get a good return to set up field position. While Manning makes big dollars, so do the team’s other stars: Freeney, Mathis, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Gary Brackett and Antoine Bethea. Dedicating a lot of pay to that core means the team doesn’t have a lot of veteran backups, and veteran backups make up the backbone of good special teams units. This also is an area where things can’t really be changed because they are dictated by personnel.

8. What if Collins goes down?

Curtis Painter, a sixth-round draft pick from Purdue in 2009, is the third quarterback. The team is very defensive about him, but it’s an organization that works very hard to defend draft picks. But the fact is, in his limited regular-season action and in the preseason, Painter has been ineffective. If the Colts lost their backup quarterback and had to turn to Painter, they’d be in giant trouble. I can’t see Indianapolis going after another veteran now. David Garrard, released by the Jaguars this week, should find a job better than what the Colts might have to offer. I don’t see Indy being interested in him anyway.

9. Will the offense slow down?

As experienced and as wily as Collins may be, it’s difficult to imagine him being able to play at Manning’s pace, snapping the ball to catch defenses with too many men on the field or flapping his arms while changing, or pretending to change, what’s about to unfold. The Colts, however, benefit from locking defenses into personnel groupings. If Indy doesn’t huddle or take the time to substitute, the opponent can’t either. Whether they can, or want to try to, maintain that as an advantage remains to be seen. If they huddle more, they allow defenses to adjust more, too.

10. If the season is a total bomb, would they want Stanford QB Andrew Luck in the draft?

The deal Manning just signed is for five years. But if Indianapolis vice chairman Bill Polian had a chance at a guy who’s regarded as the best college quarterback to come out since, perhaps, Manning, I don’t see how the Colts wouldn’t take him and let him learn under Manning. But a four-year wait for Luck to play couldn’t happen either, and the Colts would have to craft a long-term plan.

With Kerry Collins on the roster and poised to take over as the primary backup to Peyton Manning, Curtis Painter fared much better working with the Colts’ offense.

In a 24-21 loss to Green Bay at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday night, the Packers utilized one defensive element Manning typically helps Indianapolis avoid: the blitz.
Manning is masterful at making teams pay when they subtract from coverage to add to the rush. But Green Bay rolled out a steady stream of blitzes, many of which featured cornerback Charles Woodson, with no fear of such repercussions from Painter.

Indy’s offensive line is still being sorted out, and the group didn’t do particularly well or get particularly good help in minimizing the pressure. Painter didn’t get hit so much as he had to hurry, and he was hardly at his best in such circumstances.

Desmond Bishop got flagged for roughing on one blitz, and Painter threw a ball away when Woodson looped between left tackle Anthony Castonzo and left guard Joe Reitz untouched. Another time, the quarterback made a nice throw to Reggie Wayne, who had a favorable matchup as Woodson came untouched.

No. 2 running back Donald Brown actually did reasonably well in blitz pickups, I thought, managing to keep himself between rushers and the quarterback on a couple of occasions. Still that rusher frequently contributed to a closing pocket.

The right side of the starting line, guard Ryan Diem and tackle Jeffrey Linkenbach, struggled with Clay Matthews, whose speed was more than they could handle.

Not every team is equipped to blitz the way the Packers are. But if it’s Collins instead of Manning on Sept. 11 in Houston, odds are the Texans will blitz more often and with less fear. And the Colts and Collins will have to be prepared to handle it.

Some other thoughts on what was nearly a rare Colts preseason win:

• While Painter was better, it took a blown coverage that left Wayne wide open for a 57-yard touchdown to get him going. His second touchdown pass, to Chris Brooks, was very nice. Earlier Painter suffered because of a drop by Wayne and another by Pierre Garcon.
• Ernie Sims was active in a lot of first-half action, his first since he signed with the Colts. Tommie Harris played for the second time, and made some plays with a sack and a tipped pass.
• Jermichael Finley's touchdown catch on Pat Angerer was great. Angerer was tight but not turned. There aren’t many linebackers who could make a play against that.
• According to CBS, Robert Mathis injured his hamstring in the first quarter hamstring and did not return. His counterpart at end, Dwight Freeney, made things very difficult on Green Bay tackle Chad Clifton, bulling over him a few times before using the patented spin move.
• Diem, who false started too much last season at right guard, got called for one. An injury forced him from the game for a time, but he returned to action. Mike Pollak stepped in briefly. Jeff Saturday was the lone offensive lineman who didn’t play into the third quarter, as Pollak replaced him. Then the second-team offensive line was, left to right, Michael Toudouze, Kyle DeVan, Jamey Richard, Mike Tepper and Ben Ijalana. Richard was flagged for holding but it was declined.
• I expect good things out of rookie running back Delone Carter, mostly because I very much like the idea of Carter. This team needs a short-yardage goal-line back. He was hardly working against front line defenders, I understand. But he not only got a tough yard -- converting a third-and-1 when there was nothing there -- but he had a couple of nice longer runs. A lost fumble was overturned by challenge, and a wide run with a spin move suggested he can be more than just a between-the-tackles pounder. He did look lost in one pass-protection situation.
• Defensive back Chip Vaughn was waved off the field by Jim Caldwell after back-to-back penalties. After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty worth 15 yards and a taunting penalty worth 11 yards, the Colts gave up a touchdown and a two-point conversion, lost an onside kick and saw Green Bay move to a game-winning field goal. Vaughn will not have a good weekend. And the Colts just about refuse to win in the preseason.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

Ben Tate’s future is in flux, says Jerome Solomon.

Anthony Hill wants to be the primary blocking tight end, says Craig Malveaux.

Johnathan Joseph has a groin injury and without him there was quickly a leadership void, says John McClain.

Indianapolis Colts

Rookie linemen Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana are ready for their first tests, says Mike Chappell.

Don’t tell the backup quarterbacks these games are meaningless, says Chappell.

What to watch for in Colts-Rams, from Phillip B. Wilson. (Video.)

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars stuck to their plan in the loss at New England and the plan meant a lot of time for the guys at the back of the roster, says Vito Stellino.

Updating the status of David Garrard and Luke McCown, from Tania Ganguli.

Matt Turk’s not worried about a wobbly debut, says Ganguli.

Tennessee Titans

Jake Locker is making strides with his accuracy, says Jim Wyatt.

Previewing Titans-Vikings.

ANDERSON, Ind. -- It’s trendy to call the Colts aging and to view the Texans and even the Jaguars as up-and-comers in the AFC South.

But if Indianapolis is healthy, it’s awfully risky to be ahead of the curve regarding its demise.

This is a team that lost a ton of talent to injury last season and still won the division at 10-6. It’s added some nice pieces on defense through bargain-basement free-agency. It drafted two offensive tackles who should be pillars, and also selected a short-yardage back.

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about a big rebound year, and most teams aren’t even talking rebound when it comes to following a division title.

“I think it’s really the same team,” middle linebacker Gary Brackett said.

The same team is a major threat to win the division and compete for home-field advantage in the playoffs. Should it break through for the third Super Bowl appearance of the Peyton Manning era, a huge prize awaits: The game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Manning’s health.

He spoke after signing his contract and has been seen around the team a couple of times during training camp at Anderson University. But like in 2008 following offseason knee surgeries, he’s not practicing.

This time it’s a result of neck surgery in May. It’s the second year in a row Manning had a neck procedure after the season. But he and the team have expressed confidence that all he needs is time and rehabilitation. It’s unlikely that a five-year, $90 million contract would have gotten done if the medical staff and management had any doubts.

While the Colts move forward without Manning, his absence also puts them in limbo. No matter how strongly they spin Curtis Painter’s performance, the defense isn’t being pushed in practice the way it would be if Manning was running the other side.

And no matter how precise the routes, how good the blocking or how well-timed the play, the offense will still need to sync it all up with the star quarterback once he returns.

That knee in 2008 limited him early, when the team struggled out of the gate. Coming back from a neck injury, Manning is less likely to have any sort of mechanical issues or physical limitations that affect his passing. That’s one case for expecting a better start after so much missed time.

The timetable for his return is unknown. You know the drill: They say he’s progressing well, that they are optimistic, etc., and no one outside a very tight circle has any real idea when he will re-emerge. He was spotted once throwing with what a witness called “decent velocity.” Hey, encouraging news is encouraging news.

2. Is the secondary deep enough?

Last season, the Colts were stretched virtually everywhere. Aaron Francisco wasn’t on the team for opening day, ranking as the fourth or fifth option at strong safety, and he played a good share of the season as the starter.

Behind free safety Antoine Bethea and re-signed and healthy strong safety Melvin Bullitt, there are unproven options including Al Afalava, Joe Lefeged, Mike Newton, David Caldwell and Chip Vaughn.

And after the top three corners -- Jerraud Powers, Justin Tryon and Jacob Lacey -- there also isn’t proven depth.

“At the safety position, I’m confident that we’re going to get two guys that will emerge there,” Colts vice chairman Bill Polian said. “We see enough signs to know that there is quality in that group.

“I also think there is some quality in the backup corners. Kevin Thomas is one of them. There are some interesting guys, and they’ll play themselves on or off the roster based on the preseason. But based on what I’ve seen thus far, I’d say we’ve got a good group and one or two guys will emerge.”

They will all benefit, of course, from a better pass rush. And if Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are better supplemented by Jerry Hughes and Jamaal Anderson on the edges and Tommie Harris provides a solid nickel push in the middle, they could have one.

3. Will the passing game have enough consistent weapons?

The ability of the 2010 Colts to get production from the likes of tight end Jacob Tamme and receiver Blair White was remarkable.

But if they can’t count on often-injured receiver Anthony Gonzalez or Austin Collie, who was shut down last season after concussion issues, it will be harder to make things go again.

Reggie Wayne is in fantastic shape and working hard, and will be a key target for Manning as always. Dallas Clark is back from a wrist injury. If the Colts are calling plays for those two and Pierre Garcon, Collie and Gonzalez, they can be potent. If the group shrinks, the effort is more exhausting.

Manning averaged 6.92 yards per attempt in 2010. That’s the lowest mark in his career outside of his rookie season (6.5). The Colts need to find more big plays and move the ball with a little less effort to be the kind of team they want to be.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

If the Colts get a significant contribution out of Anderson, Harris or linebacker Ernie Sims, it’ll be a win. All three signed cost-effective one-year deals that amount to low-risk, high-reward scenarios. Polian said in a normal year, the market wouldn’t have given the team an opportunity to sign players like these, veterans who are all ideally suited for Indy’s defense. If they get something from two of them, it will make for a home run. Three-for-three amounts to a grand slam. Harris looks very good so far, while Sims is recovering from an appendectomy.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Polian was singing Philip Wheeler’s praises and saying that while the team loves starting strongside linebacker Pat Angerer, it loves Wheeler too. But he failed to hold the job last season and should be able to win and hold a starting job by now. Brody Eldridge gets a mention, too. He had knee surgery after last season, and a setback means he hasn’t seen the practice field yet. They need him to be part of the run game.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Delone Carter is coming into a perfect situation as a rookie. He’s unlike any of the Colts' other running backs and should get chances in short yardage and goal-line situations. If Javarris James ran for six touchdowns last season, Carter could run for 12 this fall. The Colts can continue to praise Donald Brown, but with Joseph Addai back and Carter in the fold, when does Brown get on the field?
• It was a surprise to find Lacey as the No. 2 cornerback at the start of camp. He was better as a rookie than in his second season. And he can be an effective piece of the secondary. But I’d bet on Tryon passing him before opening day.
• After one long and hot afternoon practice session, two players stuck around to catch machine-thrown balls: Wayne and Bethea. Those are some solid veterans and the kind of guys any team would like to have leading the way.
• Manning didn’t react well to TV crews that saw a recent throwing and running session. My understanding is that the Earth is still spinning, however. I understand being private, but everything and everyone cannot always be controlled. Did I miss the catastrophic outcome?
• The buzz is good on Hughes, and with him and Anderson in the mix, the Colts may pace Freeney and Mathis better. That could make for fresher stars in December and January.
• They won’t talk until after the season, but as of now I’d expect the Colts to try to keep both Wayne and Mathis with new contracts.
• Jacques McClendon or Joe Reitz could be an upgrade over Kyle DeVan at left guard. The big question on the line to me -- presuming Anthony Castonzo takes over left tackle reasonably quickly -- is right guard. Mike Pollak has had sufficient opportunity, and the team can aspire to be better there. Couldn’t they be better with Ben Ijalana there until he’s ready to displace Ryan Diem at right tackle?
• 'Tis the season for Garcon to prove he's a consistently reliable threat. He had too many drops and too many lapses last season. He needs to be more than fast. He spent more time with Manning this offseason, before the neck surgery, than he did last offseason.

ANDERSON, Ind. -- Some items of note from conversations I had this morning with Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell. (Name dropping, one can’t help it during training camp.)

The 46th spot: Game day active rosters will now be 46 players, not 45 plus a designated third quarterback. Ultimately it will give a team like the Colts an extra special teamer.

But at the start Polian said it’s probably going to be used in an unexpected way.

“In our case, now because of Peyton [Manning's] situation, we’ll probably have to carry a third quarterback,” he said. “We’ve never done it before really, we’ve had that guy on the practice squad. Absent an injury to one of your quarterbacks I think the 46th guy is a good thing for the game, it gives you primarily an extra guy to play special teams.”

Polian said Curtis Painter has been “terrific” as Manning’s fill-in, making every throw. (I've seen him make a lot of good throws, but a lot of hard throws that haven't found the intended target.) Dan Orlovsky is the head candidate for a third spot right now.

Ben Ijalana: Polian said he doesn’t expect second-round offensive linemen to play any guard. He’s running as the No. 2 right tackle to Ryan Diem.

“I think you put him at tackle and let him go,” Polian said. “The young ones will ready when they are ready, and then they will get on the field. They certainly have enough talent, that’s obvious.”

Caldwell, though, said there are no absolutes, and left open all possibilities. He said it’s about getting the best guys on the field and reminded me that Diem played guard before he shifted over to tackle.

I think it’ll depend on how Diem and whoever the right guard is are doing.

Adding free agents: The labor agreement created a market that was advantageous for the Colts and allowed them to add three defensive free agents on one-year contracts.

The addition of Jamaal Anderson, Tommie Harris and Ernie Sims “shore some things up with more firepower,” Caldwell said.

Polian said the market was simply one that allowed the Colts to go a place that usually couldn’t, or that usually doesn’t exist.

“Guys were looking for jobs,” Polian said. “Agents weren’t looking to make markets, guys were looking for jobs. It was a different situation; we recognized it and these are three guys that fit perfectly for us.”

“I’m not sure that that presents itself in a more stable, traditional marketplace.”

Nose tackles: Polian said he felt good about Antonio Johnson and Drake Nevis as the team's nose tackle, suggesting he isn't looking for anyone else.

ANDERSON, Ind. -- The Colts are not afraid to start a rookie offensive lineman.

Just last season, Jeff Linkenbach, an undrafted rookie out of Cincinnati, started in a Week 3 win at Denver and again in regular-season games against New England and San Diego and in the playoff loss to the New York Jets.

But they amounted to spot starts, created by injury situations.

The team’s top two draft picks, Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana, are running with the second team now. They need to be pillars of a revamped offensive line for the last, five-year act of Peyton Manning's career.

But how soon will they be ready to move from understudy to lead?

"It's not going to be easy, obviously it's going to take a pretty unique guy who can catch on quickly and both of them have obviously the capabilities of doing so,” Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. “They are both very smart guys and guys that have also taken advantage of the break in time when we were so apart from one another and tried to learn as much as they possibly could. It takes a guy that's highly motivated. But it can be done. It's not an impossibility. But it's going to be difficult."

The Colts must be confident that Castonzo and Ijalana can protect Manning before they see the field. But let’s be honest, they aren’t trying to dislodge Tarik Glenn. Linkenbach is working as the starting left tackle, and he’s pretty raw himself. Veteran Ryan Diem took less money to remain with the team, but his game slipped significantly last year in his 10th season.

“You’ve got to go play against another team,” center Jeff Saturday said. “That’s the one thing you have to see. How they match up against each and every other end, what they look like when you are going through checks and different progressions and when you are going to audibles, and all those things that you really haven’t gotten into in the first week.

“Things are pretty basic right now. We’re beginning to add on to the foundation. But you haven’t seen any of those kind of reactions as of yet.”

At 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds, Castonzo matches Joe Reitz as the team’s tallest offensive lineman. At 317 pounds Ijalana is among the heaviest of the starting line candidates. The two bring the combination of size and athleticism the Colts haven’t had enough of at a high level in recent years with a largely patchwork line.

Indianapolis clearly has confidence that the two can contribute soon. They aren’t drafting projects in the first two rounds when Manning has only so many prime years left chasing another Super Bowl.

Dwight Freeney has plenty of experience against young tackles. Two years ago in the season opener against Jacksonville, he taught Jacksonville’s Eugene Monroe quite a bit.

“Our young tackles are definitely good, have a lot of potential, but it’s going to take some learning still,” Freeney said. “Offensive linemen, you don’t become really good until your third or fourth year. That’s always been my opinion. Your first year, you’re just trying to get used to your stance and the system. Then you really come into who you are going to be.

“It’s kind of a needy position, you obviously drafted them for a reason. But I know they’re not going to be as good (this year) as they’re going to be ultimately.”

Castonzo said his first practice work against Freeney was beyond a nightmare.

“I saw Freeney my first day in pads and that was really ugly, it really was,” he said. “He beat me every time he lined up against me. I’ve gotten a lot better since then, but obviously I’ve still got a lot of work to do. It’s definitely awesome to go against those guys every day in practice …”

What would it take for Castonzo to start on opening day in Houston?

“It basically comes down to communication and technique,” he said. “Once I know exactly what I am doing with the communication, it just comes down to trusting your technique, doing what the coaches tell you to do. I think if I can get those two things down, then I will be ready to go.”