[If You Were The Colts General Manager...]

As the new GM I make myself the owner.

[If You Were The Colts General Manager...]

As the new GM I am moving as quickly as possible to find a GM with a fair amount of business savvy and a stable full of football knowledge. This person's number one skill will be the ability to surround themselves with a great staff. I will work quickly with this person to get the type of coaches I want leading my team, and they will have an unmatched passion for the game. I want him/her to have a similar vision of the direction I plan to take the team schematically. With or without Manning and/or Luck I want a team built around an elite QB that has tall, strong and fast WR's to throw the ball to. I'm talking about 4.3 speed guys that are at least 6'3" tall and weigh in at 215 lbs plus. I don't want CB's to be able to jam or reroute them, and they need big ups and good hands so they can go after the high back shoulder passes my elite QB will be throwing to them. My GM will also need to find me a basketball player type of TE or two that runs great routes, is smart, and can pick up any blitzing DE or LB. I want my QB protected by huge fast guards and tackles with good foot work and hands skills. Also, every player on offense without the ball in his hands blocks to the whistle. I need depth players that start anywhere else but don't want to leave because they are supremely confident that they will earn a starting spot on my team.

Defensively, we will look similar to the current Colts team but will be very different. We will still be considered small and we will continue to use speed to make plays, but we will not be a defense that is characterized by one scheme or type of defense. A four three defense will be the base but I want to be able to get after QB's with just 3 down linemen. My DE's won't be expected to kill themselves every down trying to get up field and after the QB because I want to see LB's coming through the middle against QB's you have to move out of the pocket. I will sign at least one LB that scares H E double hockey sticks out of QB's and ball carriers to get that type of pass rush. Cover and Tampa two defenses will be used on a very limited basis because our corners and safeties will be expected to play man at a very high level. I will also need more defensive players on my bench than offense because defense is largely about being fresh, where offense is about timing, continuity and familiarity.

I will also be looking for a completely new attitude about special teams. Opponents will have a tough choice on fourth down because our special teams will be a special threat of speed and creative blocking schemes, and if their kicker can not get it out of the endzone he may as well kick it out of bounds. My team will also have only one guy handling all of the kicking duties at a price in line with a player that may only get on the field for a dozen plays or so each week. He have one now that can kick the cover off of it, and I think actually enjoys contact with opposing players.

One other thing that concerns me very deeply going forward is the strength and conditioning of all our players. No more seasons of 15 plus players on the injured reserve list. I am no medical expert but, the high number of players that the Colts have lost to injury, seemingly year after year, can not be coincidence. This team has to find a staff that can find the perfect mix of strength training, flexibility and rest needed to keep every player ready from the first preseason game to the raising of the Lombardi.

Finally for our fans and sponsors, character means everything in my organization, and a lack of it is a deal breaker every time. It is about the brand and being an organization that sponsors are proud to endorse, but even more importantly are the fans, especially the young ones looking up to their football heroes. Those people in the stands do not shell out hard earned money to watch high paid professionals act unprofessionally, on or off the field. When my players sign contracts they represent the organization 24/7, and they will keep that in mind as they make decisions about their actions, behavior and associations.

Go Colts, Randall Thompson

[You Should Be Blogging]

As the new GM I am moving as quickly as possible to find a GM with a fair amount of business savvy and a stable full of football knowledge. This person's number one skill will be the ability to surround themselves with a great staff. I will work quickly with this person to get the type of coaches I want leading my team, and they will have an unmatched passion for the game. I want him/her to have a similar vision of the direction I plan to take the team schematically. With or without Manning and/or Luck I want a team built around an elite QB that has tall, strong and fast WR's to throw the ball to. I'm talking about 4.3 speed guys that are at least 6'3" tall and weigh in at 215 lbs plus. I don't want CB's to be able to jam or reroute them, and they need big ups and good hands so they can go after the high back shoulder passes my elite QB will be throwing to them. My GM will also need to find me a basketball player type of TE or two that runs great routes, is smart, and can pick up any blitzing DE or LB. I want my QB protected by huge fast guards and tackles with good foot work and hands skills. Also, every player on offense without the ball in his hands blocks to the whistle. I need depth players that start anywhere else but don't want to leave because they are supremely confident that they will earn a starting spot on my team.

Defensively, we will look similar to the current Colts team but will be very different. We will still be considered small and we will continue to use speed to make plays, but we will not be a defense that is characterized by one scheme or type of defense. A four three defense will be the base but I want to be able to get after QB's with just 3 down linemen. My DE's won't be expected to kill themselves every down trying to get up field and after the QB because I want to see LB's coming through the middle against QB's you have to move out of the pocket. I will sign at least one LB that scares H E double hockey sticks out of QB's and ball carriers to get that type of pass rush. Cover and Tampa two defenses will be used on a very limited basis because our corners and safeties will be expected to play man at a very high level. I will also need more defensive players on my bench than offense because defense is largely about being fresh, where offense is about timing, continuity and familiarity.

I will also be looking for a completely new attitude about special teams. Opponents will have a tough choice on fourth down because our special teams will be a special threat of speed and creative blocking schemes, and if their kicker can not get it out of the endzone he may as well kick it out of bounds. My team will also have only one guy handling all of the kicking duties at a price in line with a player that may only get on the field for a dozen plays or so each week. He have one now that can kick the cover off of it, and I think actually enjoys contact with opposing players.

One other thing that concerns me very deeply going forward is the strength and conditioning of all our players. No more seasons of 15 plus players on the injured reserve list. I am no medical expert but, the high number of players that the Colts have lost to injury, seemingly year after year, can not be coincidence. This team has to find a staff that can find the perfect mix of strength training, flexibility and rest needed to keep every player ready from the first preseason game to the raising of the Lombardi.

Finally for our fans and sponsors, character means everything in my organization, and a lack of it is a deal breaker every time. It is about the brand and being an organization that sponsors are proud to endorse, but even more importantly are the fans, especially the young ones looking up to their football heroes. Those people in the stands do not shell out hard earned money to watch high paid professionals act unprofessionally, on or off the field. When my players sign contracts they represent the organization 24/7, and they will keep that in mind as they make decisions about their actions, behavior and associations.

Go Colts, Randall Thompson