With regard to the recent big Colts trade everyone here in Indianapolis is generally very happy with the move. Nobody saw this coming. There are no leaks in the Colts front office, which really speaks to the high-level class organization in which they are.  Even our “tweeting” owner managed to keep his thoughts relatively quiet. That’s the sign of a quality first level franchise.

 

 

 

Trent Richardson fits exactly what the Colts want to do. Going forward, the Colts now have their QB (Luck), TE (Fleener), WR (Hilton) and RB (Richardson) now set. All of these players are under contract and 24 years old or younger. People can have different opinions about team owner Jim Irsay, but there is no question he does everything he can to try and win. And as Colts fan and season ticket holder since 1999, I really appreciate their effort. This team is reloading fast.

 

 

 

The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the biggest winners in the NFL over the last 15 years. At one point (2003-2009), they were 12-4 or better for 7 consecutive years, which is an NFL record unmatched by any team in NFL history.  They have won 10 or more regular season games 10 out of the last 11 years! They contend darn there every year in a league where free agency, the draft and the salary cap should foster level competition. The Colts have missed the playoffs just twice this decade (2001 and 2011). They won the Super Bowl for the 2006 season.  Because Indianapolis is a small non-glamour market, the team never gets the credit they deserve for the amazing excellence they bring to the field year after year.

 

 

 

The Colts are currently rebuilding now, as all teams must do eventually. But even during the rebuilding process, they had just one losing season. Last year they regrouped with a rookie QB  (Who should have been rookie of the year) and went 11-5 and made the playoffs (yet again). And management continues to be very active to do everything they can to try and win as evidenced by their shocking trade move this week. Over the last 2 years the Colts have been involved in more trade deals than any other team in the NFL.  They are smart. They are aggressive. They have an excellent track record.

 

 

 

I don’t think they gave up too much in the Richardson deal. If you look at draft picks, even first round selections are no better than 50/50 propositions. (They actually can be even less than that.) And the Colts already have a franchise QB. Where the Colts need help is along the O-line, and history shows you can find star caliber players at the O-line position in later rounds. So sending a first round pick for a player that has already proven to be a top flight RB in the NFL, and fills a glaring need, made perfect sense.

 

 

 

In addition, an argument could be made that the RB position is now undervalued.

 

It’s a passing league right?

 

Well let’s look at some of the top teams this year, shall we?

 

Seahawks-run based team

Texans-run based team

49ers-run based team

 

 

In addition, ask any Packer fan why they have not won a Super Bowl recently and they will tell you its because they don’t have a dominate rusher.  This year the Packer organization was all in to do whatever it took to find a running game. And they have Aaron Rodgers. The year the Saints won the Super Bowl in 2009 they were one of the best running teams in the NFL.  (Go ahead and Google it.) In 2011 they used their first round draft pick for RB Mark Ingram? Does anyone consider Sean Peyton stupid? Is he a man who doesn't understand modern offensive NFL football?

 

 

The Patriots despite having Tom Brady were actually a top rushing team last year. (Go ahead and Google that too.) Was Ray Rice not a key part of the Ravens Super Bowl Win? Are Foster and Tate not a huge piece of the Texans Super Bowl hopes this year?

 

 

Are we supposed to believe players like Shady McCoy, Matt Forte and Adrian Peterson are not highly valuable players?

 

But what about the Broncos? Well as a Colts fan I have seen this story many before. If they don’t find a running game, lets just wait and see if the year-end results match the current hype.

 

 

The Colts for years were the poster child for winning without a running attack. The one-year they did win a Super Bowl was the year RBs Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes played well over their heads. Most Colts fans would admit that RB Dominic Rhodes was the real MVP of their Super Bowl win.

 

 

 

By midseason, Trent Richardson is going to be a top 5 RB in the NFL.  He will not see 8 man fronts here like he did in Cleveland. For the first time in years the Colts will be a dual threat on offense.  Richardson will dominate by midseason. Starting with the Jaguar game in week 4, Richardson is going to be really good. He will also make the passing game much better. The Colts rank dead last in the NFL for RB receptions. Richardson is an excellent receiver. For the first time the Colts have a quality “check down.” The passing game will be better with Richardson on the field. A quality organization like the Colts are going to make the Browns look foolish by season's end. 

 

 

 

Being a Colts fan is great. It is very heartening to be a fan of a team that always has tremendously high expectations and truly does everything they can to be competitive. They are smart. They are aggressive. They are active. They play to win. That is a winning combination.

 

 

 

Colts owner Jim Irsay’s team is one of the top owners in all of sports. Based in a small midwestern market, he has built a consistent football powerhouse in the Nation's most competitive and popular sport.  Results matter. Everyone is accountable. This team strives to win. And with this weeks shocking move… they reminded us all of that again.

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