Gretz is suppose to be on Peterson's dime
doesn't mean what he says isn't true, but....

I don't give a shit about you. Deadbeat might be a poor choice of words you're certainly a power tool though.

Cash cap

30% rule

If he isn't offered the moon, he will re-sign in March.

Saying they spent $100 million this year a bold faced lie. They may have signed contracts worth $100 million over the life of those contracts, but they haven't spent $100 million this year. The Chiefs in August were $32 million under a personal cap of $99.5 million.

We started the year with a spending figure of 85 million or so.

Cassel had a 7.5 million dollar bonus that counts toward the cash cap

Tamba signed a deal averaging 12 million per year over 5 years that had to have a pretty big upfront bonus (though, I don't think it was reported)

Flowers signed a long term deal averaging 10 million per year and a lot of guaranteed money...surely a signing bonus of significant amount was included.

Shit, even Succop got a few million dropped into his account.

Still think we spent less than 100 million?

How about less that 110 million?

This article was published on INDYSTAR.COM on Sunday November 6, 2011. The only way to read the story, is here:

Bob Kravitz - Sports columnist for The Indianapolis Star makes a strong case for firing Bill and Chris Polian. His story clearly was a hit piece among the national media. In an earlier article, Kravitz touches on nepotism in the organization.



The Indianapolis Star

Who's to blame for 0-8 Colts? Chris Polian, for one

Bob Kravitz

November 6, 2011 ET

If I'm properly reading between the lines, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is more committed to staying the course with the Family Polian than he is coach Jim Caldwell.

Asked this week about both, Irsay thought it was "pretty radical'' to even ask the question about the Polians' future, but when asked about Caldwell, he said, in part, "When it comes to changes and Jim's status, it's something that eight games going forward, more will be revealed. This situation is always changing. But it's really going to be always what's best to give us a chance to win."

Which leads me to this question: What has Chris Polian done to assure his long-term security?

I've spoken to several former Colts people in recent weeks, and while none of them will go on the record -- many have non-disclosure agreements and fear public comment will hurt their NFL job prospects -- virtually all of them told me Chris Polian has been a toxic force who has brought this franchise to its knees for reasons other than Peyton Manning's injury.

This may be Chris Polian's first full year with complete control over the team's daily operations, but since he started moving up the organizational ladder in the early 2000s for no apparent reason other than being a Polian, he has been instrumental in hastening the exits of scouts and assistant coaches who led the Colts to previous greatness.

The following men were here in 2004 and are no longer here in 2011.

Scout Tom Gamble, gone after the 2004 season.

Scout Paul Roell, out after the 2006 draft.

Di*rector of college scouting Mike Butler, out after the 2006 draft.

Scout David Caldwell, out in 2007.

Coordinator of player personnel John Becker, out in 2008.

Area scout Ryan Cavanaugh, out in 2008.

Assistant general manager/scouting Dom Anile, pushed out in 2009. Anile was a precious resource as one of the few men who would tell Bill Polian things he didn't want to hear.

A fairly direct line can be drawn between some of those departures and the decline in the quality of the Colts' drafts.

In 2007, they drafted (in order): Anthony Gonzalez, Tony Ugoh, Daymeion Hughes, Quinn Pitcock, Brannon Condren, Clint Session, Roy Hall, Michael Coe and Keyunta Dawson.

In 2008: Mike Pollak, Philip Wheeler, Jacob Tamme, Marcus Howard, Tom Santi, Steve Justice, Mike Hard, Pierre Garcon and Jamey Richard.

In 2009: Donald Brown, Fili Moala, Jerraud Powers, Austin Collie, Terrance Taylor, Curtis Painter, Pat McAfee, Jaimie Thomas.

In 2010: Jerry Hughes, Pat Angerer, Kevin Thomas, Jacques McClendon, Brody Eldridge, Ricardo Mathews, Kavell Conner, Ray Fisher.

Then there are the longtime assistant coaches who left, in some part because of troubled relationships with the Polians, specifically Chris.

Howard Mudd, the offensive line coach, who left Indy after the 2009 season, returned to the Colts briefly, retired after the Super Bowl loss and then came out of retirement to join Philadelphia. Mudd was thinking about leaving for some time, but when Bill Polian blamed the offensive line for the Super Bowl loss, he knew he wasn't welcome to return.

Gene Huey, the running backs coach, who was shown the door in 2010.

Tom Moore, the offensive coordinator, who was gracelessly cast aside without notice or fanfare after the 2010 season. Over time, Moore was cut off at the knees, his voice no longer audible.

Tell me, what has Chris Polian actually done besides win the genetic lottery? If the Colts were doing a national search for a new general manager right now, would Irsay even glance at Chris Polian if his name was Schwartz or Smith?

All Colts decisions are made by the entire front office, but I'm told the Ugoh draft, the decision to get rid of Ryan Lilja, the failures to reconstruct the offensive line, the doomed Corey Simon signing, all of them had Chris Polian's fingerprints all over them.

Give him credit for what appears, at least now, to be a pretty solid 2011 draft class. Before they got hurt, Anthony Castonzo and Drake Nevis looked like keepers.

But beyond that?

As Chris' star rose in recent years, others in the organization bristled at what they viewed as clear nepotism. Bill would stroke his son in staff meetings, remind everybody what a huge impact he made. Meanwhile, scouts and others saw Chris getting raises and promotions without doing what they perceived to be the necessary legwork.

I can appreciate Irsay's commitment to continuity. On the face of it, there wouldn't seem to be a reason for panic, even after a horrible season that was hastened, in large part, by Manning's injury.

But Irsay has to look as long and hard, and as critically, at Chris Polian and the Polian regime as he does his coaching staff.

It wasn't Caldwell who chose to start the season with a paper-thin secondary. It wasn't Caldwell who woke up one day and said, "Gosh, I'd really like to start the season with four offensive linemen who are either starting for the first time or playing a new position.'' It wasn't Caldwell who held on to Curtis Painter, then showed so little faith in the quarterback he went out and spent $4 million on Kerry Collins.

If Caldwell is going to be judged on this season after going 26-10 his first two years, shouldn't Chris Polian?


http://www.indystar.com/article/2011...ris-Polian-one

This story published on INDYSTAR.COM by Bob Kravitz you can read online.

Kravitz: Colts owner Jim Irsay followed his gut and made the right decision in firing Bill Polian
10:14 PM, Jan. 2, 2012

Kravitz's columns where he pushes for the Colts to cut ties with Peyton Manning are interesting to read.

His column go up behind a paywall after a few days.

Kravitz is an award-winning sports columnist : http://www.indystar.com/

IndyStarSportsIndy Star Sports

Reporter Mike Chappell expects Colts to retain Jim Caldwell, announcement tomorrow or Wednesday. http://indy.st/AcKVaV

How can they keep Caldwell, when there's a great football mind like Haley just sitting there???

ROFL

OTOH

It could mean that Peyton is staying?

BossChief is worth 100 billays. Slow your roll.

Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star expects the Colts to announce by mid-week that they will retain Jim Caldwell as head coach.
Chappell admits it's "just a feeling I have," but retaining Caldwell would seem to align with the Colts' public stance that they will pay Peyton Manning's $28 million option bonus and stay the course. The idea would be to maintain some semblance of continuity while at least making one more playoff run. Caldwell is 26-22 in 48 regular-season games as Colts head coach. It was widely expected that Indianapolis would move on after appointing Ryan Grigson as GM, but owner Jim Irsay has apparently convinced Grigson that keeping Caldwell (and Manning) would be in the organization's best interest.


So are they still drafting Luck, or might they let him go to the highest bidder?

With Peyton at QB, does it really matter who HC is?

Way to try and stir old shit.