AFC South: Mike pollak

Colts' O-line filled-up with subs

December, 28, 2008
12/28/08
1:52
PM ET
Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts got a couple guys dinged early and they've been called questionable. While receiver Pierre Garcon returned after it was announced he had knee and ankle injuries, odds are against comebacks for two other more prominent players.

Receivers Anthony Gonzalez (hip) and guard Mike Pollak (ankle) are out.

The offensive line has been filled in with backups beyond Pollak's: Left to right, we've now got starters Tony Ugoh and Charlie Johnson along with Jamey Richard, Steve Justice and Dan Federkeil.

All those subs got experience early this season while the team dealt with injuries.

Tony Dungy has never been shy about playing reserves in games like this that have no bearing on the Colts' playoff positioning.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Off to Jacksonville this morning. Look forward to talking with you from there...

Houston Texans

  • DelJuan Robinson's overcome heart surgery and the death of his brother, writes Jerome Solomon.
  • The Texans defense is locking down on third down, says Megan Manfull.
  • Houston added cornerback David Pittman and wide receiver Darnell Jenkins, according to Manfull.
  • Richard Justice says the Texans are growing up fast.
  • Alex Marvez makes a Pro Bowl case for Steve Slaton.

Indianapolis Colts

  • Tony Dungy can become the first coach to go to the playoffs 10 consecutive years with a win tonight, says Mike Chappell.
  • Running backs coach Gene Huey will work his 271st game as the Colts running backs coach tonight, the longest stint as an assistant in franchise history, writes Phil Richards.
  • A look at some guys Huey has had ready to step in, from Richards.
  • Safety Bob Sanders, tight end Dallas Clark, center Jeff Saturday and punter Hunter Smith were named alternates to the AFC Pro Bowl team.
  • Maurice Jones-Drew brings the Jaguars major versatility, says Phillip B. Wilson.
  • A look at Mike Pollak's high school career, from Chappell.
  • A win tonight means Dungy will rest people against Tennessee next week, says Richards.

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Tonight in prime time the Jaguars can sweep a division rival, snap the Colts' seven-game winning streak and prevent them from clinching a playoff spot, writes Vito Stellino.

Tennessee Titans

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Tony Ugoh has been back from a groin injury for three weeks. Since his return, he's been watching Charlie Johnson do his job.

Ugoh

As injuries have forced the Colts to turn to all sorts of offensive line contingency plans this season, one thing they weren't planning on was a demotion for Ugoh. But that appears to be what's happened.

When camp opened, veteran Charlie Johnson was supposed to battle rookie Mike Pollak for the starting right guard spot that opened with the free-agency departure of Jake Scott to Tennessee.

But Pollak was out of the picture for the first three games with a knee injury. And Johnson started the first two games at left guard, where Ryan Lilja remains on the PUP list.

For the last three weeks, the line has settled down and been the same. Left to right: Johnson, Jamey Richard, Jeff Saturday, Pollak, Ryan Diem.

"We'll see what happens," Johnson said. "I think finally we've had a group of five guys who've been able to play for more than a week at a time. Hopefully we can get a core group like that and try to play it out. But we'll just see what happens... I feel like I've played well, I feel like I've kept the quarterback clean."

The leader of the line, Saturday, doesn't know that any sort of shakeup is on the horizon. (That makes me a little weary; the way the Colts operate we could now see multiple changes Monday night).

"I think Chuck is playing well," Saturday said. "I think we kept the pressure off Peyton [Manning] pretty much all night [in Green Bay]. Charlie did a good job blocking down the left side. It's tough when guys are playing that well to take somebody out of the rotation... Whoever is in there is going to play well for us, and right now that's Chuck."

Ugoh got a ton of credit last season for stepping in as a rookie and replacing the retired Tarik Glenn.

Why might Ugoh have fallen out of favor? The Colts are largely a finesse team, but a couple scouts have told me even in that context Ugoh can be too soft.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

ATLANTA -- Greetings from Georgia, where I'm lined up to have another look at the Titans tonight.

While Tennessee is downplaying the struggles of Vince Young last week and his inconsistency through camp, the Titans would still like for their quarterback to look sharp tonight and quash some of the exterior concerns. If he's outplayed by Matt Ryan, the amplitude of the debate over Young's progress -- or lack of it -- will rise again in Nashville.

Now for a pregame waltz around the division.

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans

Camp Wrap: Indianapolis Colts

August, 15, 2008
8/15/08
11:05
AM ET

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

 
 Andy Lyons/Getty Images
 Marvin Harrison looks to rebound from an injury-marred 2007 season.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The Colts officially wrapped up training camp this morning, with players and staff moving out of the dorms and offices at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Here are thoughts on some key topics that the team carried into and out of camp:

Injuries have tested depth.

Fans here saw a lot of the Colts depth tested as quarterback Peyton Manning (knee), defensive end Dwight Freeney (foot) and safety Bob Sanders (shoulder) didn't take a single snap. A couple of other key players were also out all of camp: guard Ryan Lilja, linebacker Tyjuan Hagler and rookie tight end Tom Santi. There was no sense of panic around a team that's been pretty good at plugging in replacements and moving forward, though being without so many stars at once was certainly disconcerting.

Marvin Harrison is back.

The one good development on the injury front was the return of Marvin Harrison. Back from a knee issue, he was cutting sharply on the first day of camp and at the end, with an appearance in the team's second preseason game in between.

Reserve running backs are still up in the air.

Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes are set as the top two backs, but there is still time for the rest of the roles and roster spots to be sorted out. Mike Hart's been impressive with a 12.2-yard average on 12 carries through two games. Kenton Keith is not a great pass protector or pass catcher, which could mean he loses out to Clifton Dawson. Chad Simpson looks like he's en route to the practice squad.

Could there be a third quarterback?

While Jim Sorgi's role as Manning's primary backup does not appear to be in jeopardy, the Colts did sign two veterans in time to help handle the camp load. Might Quinn Gray or Jared Lorenzen be on the opening day roster if the Colts decide to carry a third QB for the first time in years? If so, it might be the biggest indicator that the team carries lingering concerns about Manning into the regular season.

Right guard is still undecided.

Veteran Charlie Johnson has started both preseason games but then quickly rotated with rookie Mike Pollak. Johnson would provide more versatility if he winds up the backup, but it's too early to say for sure which way the Colts will go.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Since I was en route from Terre Haute to Houston Sunday morning, this morning I sifted through what I found from Sunday and Monday.

Did I miss something good? Have a question? Hit my mailbag.

Houston Texans

  • Meghan Manfull of the Houston Chronicle wondered if Mario Williams is becoming the league's best defensive end. He's using his hands better and showing better instinct, two signals that tackles and their help are going to struggle to keep their quarterbacks on their feet. I got only a glimpse of Williams Sunday, and am looking forward to seeing him work up close this morning across the street from Reliant Stadium. (You'd think a building that big would cast the sort of shadow that would make sunscreen unnecessary, but it doesn't).
  • John McClain of the Chronicle assesses things in Houston after the first five practices, predicting rookie cornerback Antwaun Molden will end up a starter this season. I watched Molden and chatted with him on Sunday, sharing some impressions here.
  • Anna-Megan Raley of Chron.com gives us a video report on a mini-kicking contest. With advice from Texans kicker Kris Brown, Houston Dynamo defender Craig Waibel hit from as long as 63 yards, earning free soccer tickets for charity. Waibel offers pretty good commentary about how it's easy when you have a big leg and an expert tinkering with your form.
  • Steve Campbell of the Chronicle tells us Xavier Adibi couldn't believe he lasted until the fourth-round. He should be a key special teamer because of his experience at Virginia Tech. He's also a bookworm who plays chess.

Indianapolis Colts

  • Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star has been tracking Raheem Brock, and the versatile defensive lineman is on the move again -- to left end in the base defense, with a shift inside as part of the nickel package. The move should help Brock hold up better over the course of the season, but injuries could always dictate more time at tackle. Freddy Keiaho blamed a too-big hit on Mike Hart Saturday on his frustrations related to California traffic. (Look out for him on the 405).
  • Chappell also writes that while at 285 Jared Lorenzen is bigger than two-thirds of the Indy's defensive linemen, he's very much a quarterback.
  • Pete Prisco of CBS Sports.com, who's super at identifying and debunking NFL myths, visited the Colts while I was also in Terre Haute, Ind. Here are his five things to know about Indy.
  • Michael Marot of the Associated Press looks at Mike Pollak's move from center to guard.

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union thought if the 57th pick in the 2006 draft, Devin Hester, asked for and got a new contract, maybe the 60th pick, Maurice Jones-Drew, would want one, too. But MJD said "I'm fine" and will wait for his turn.
  • Stellino also looks at a camp highlight that will unfold this evening, the Oklahoma Drill -- a hard-hitting one-on-one between an offensive and defensive lineman. I wish I could see it for myself. Next year I will schedule for the crowd-pleaser. With Jerry Porter (hamstring) and Reggie Williams (knee) already out and Mike Walker (knee) limited to one practice a day, the Jags were already quite thin at receiver. Now Dennis Northcutt is day-to-day with a strained back. They could look at Terry Glenn but another injury question mark probably won't solve their issues.
  • Florida-Times Union practice highlights here give us a name to track. Running back Anthony Cotrone was undrafted out of Maine.

Tennessee Titans

  • Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean says Jevon Kearse thinks these Titans have a Super Bowl feeling like it's 1999, that David Thornton also participated in his first practice Sunday, that Stephen Tulloch's impressed Albert Haynesworth and that Ryan Fowler says he's got no news on the league's steroid accusation.
  • Joe Biddle of The Tennessean ponders Good Albert vs. Bad Albert after Haynesworth got to camp.
  • Christopher Smith of Titansonline.com says Jeff Fisher thinks Justin Gage and Justin McCareins are doing well to set a standard for the rest of the Titans receivers, who are constantly hearing from the outside about how the Titans failed Vince Young by not replacing them.
  • Gary Eswick of The Tennessean talked to LenDale White about topping last year, something that will take him staying healthy. The running back scored a lot of points with the Titans for showing toughness and playing through a knee injury and they'll need him to do it again because they don't have another guy who can handle the bulk of the work. We get his listed weight, 235, but not an update on what his real number is right now, always a point of interest.

Colts position battles

July, 23, 2008
7/23/08
11:00
AM ET

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Right guard: Mike Pollak vs. Charlie Johnson

The spot opened when Jake Scott jumped to Tennessee as a free agent. It was hard to read tea leaves about right guard based on OTAs. Johnson's been a versatile fill-in for the Colts, starting five games at left tackle and then five at right tackle to close out 2007. When Ryan Diem was hurt in Super Bowl XLI and Johnson replaced him, it took Peyton Manning a few series to even notice. The Colts don't defer to draft status as strongly as some other teams, so second-rounder Pollak, still unsigned, might not qualify as the favorite. But Indianapolis certainly doesn't worry about inserting a rookie into its offensive line -- see Tony Ugoh at left tackle last year and early work from Ryan Lilja (six starts as a rookie) and Jake Scott (nine) in 2004.

Intensity index: Hot

Nickelback: Tim Jennings vs. Dante Hughes and T.J. Rushing

Jennings was a second-rounder in 2006 and played a good deal last season as the third corner. But he'll face a strong challenge from Hughes and Rushing. Jennings was a second-rounder in 2006, Hughes a third-rounder in 2007 who finished his rookie season on IR with a shoulder injury and Rushing was a seventh-rounder in 2006. Hughes may not have track-star speed, but he tends to show up around the ball a lot and in Rushing's chances he's shown a propensity for getting his hands on the ball.

Intensity index: Hot

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

A quick tour around the division this morning.

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

  • The Colts' second-round draft pick, their top pick this season, is a hard worker and an accomplished guitar player. The Indianapolis Star gives us a nice look at guard Mike Pollak. Though he isn't signed yet, his agent said "A deal is on the horizon and he'll be in camp on time."
  • Rookie tight end Tom Santi, who will start camp on the PUP list, is recovering from the same surgery that Peyton Manning had -- an infected bursa sac was removed from his knee.

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Virtually every coach and GM in the league is talking confidently about getting their rookies into camp on time. That's the case with Jack Del Rio regarding his team's top two picks -- defensive ends Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves, according to the Florida Times-Union.
  • The team's last rookie holdout was quarterback Byron Leftwich in 2003. Like Leftwich, Harvey is represented by CAA. But there are CAA clients on the Jaguars roster, too.
  • Despite his recent arrest on drug charges, receiver Matt Jones will be with the team when camp opens Friday, Del Rio said on his radio show.

Tennessee Titans

  • The Titans have added lights to one of their three outdoor practice fields, allowing for outdoor night practice without having to go inside or to LP Field, The Tennessean reports.
  • Vince Young and Kevin Mawae say the Titans aren't young and inexperienced anymore. (One aside, Eugene Amano and Leroy Harris are competing to replace the departed Jacob Bell, not Jacob Ford, who's a defensive end and still around).

AFC South impact rookies

July, 7, 2008
7/07/08
5:20
PM ET

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

It's no surprise that when my colleague Bill Williamson pieced together a list of the 10 rookies he expects to make the biggest impact in the league this season, he did not include a player from the AFC South.

The division, after all, produced three playoff teams and a last-place team with a .500 record.

The only reason any of the four teams drafted higher than 18th was because Jacksonville traded up to No. 8 to get Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey. Without that move, the division's top pick would have been No. 18 by Houston. But the Texans moved back as Baltimore made its move to get Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, and Houston's first pick wasn't until 26.

Nine of Williamson's top 10 impact rookies were off the board by the time the AFC South made its second pick -- Tennessee took East Carolina running back Chris Johnson at No. 24.

By then even the first of Williamson's three honorable mentions, running back Felix Jones, was also gone.

So who stands to make the biggest impact among AFC South rookies?

In Indianapolis, if Mike Pollak beats out veteran Charlie Johnson in the battle to replace free agent departure Jake Scott, he could be a big contributor. No, right guard isn't left tackle, but remember how nicely the team slid Tony Ugoh into retired Tarik Glenn's spot as a rookie, a year ahead of the plan?

Johnson is going to get the ball in his hands on some crucial downs for Tennessee and add a new dimension of speed, sometimes lined up wide.

Steve Slaton may have a chance to do similar things in Houston.

But my gut feeling says if he's healthy, it'll be Jacksonville's second-round pass rusher, Quentin Groves, not Harvey, who makes the bigger splash and qualifies as the division's top rookie when the season is over.