He’s a player I’ve had a love-hate relationship with. I admired Dom for filling in admirably during his rookie season for Edgerrin James. Then, the guy got hurt, suffering a knee injury of his own.

He bounced back, providing occasional relief for Edge. After James left for Arizona, the Colts drafted Joseph Addai. Though Addai was the big-money guy, the playmaker…Rhodes was deemed “the starter.” It was a label that rankled me during that season.

While Rhodes was the “starter” by name, when the Colts needed a big play, Addai usually came through. Then, something amazing happened to the Indianapolis Colts. They decided to pound the ball in the playoffs. In the postseason, the roles seemed reversed; while Addai was “the guy,” Rhodes was actually the guy. His performances in some of those playoff games are truly hard to forget, including his gutsy ground performance in the Super Bowl.

I entertained the thought, briefly, that the Colts would bring Rhodes back into their fold after he was released by the Raiders. I didn’t really think it would happen; it was the thought of a fan still punch-drunk from a Super Bowl championship two seasons ago. Through his own stupidity, Rhodes missed the first four games of the year last season after a run-in with the law. That in turn allowed other players to shine and Justin Fargas eventually became the starter. Dom wasn’t much of a factor with the Raiders after that.

It was pretty embarrassing when Rhodes was picked up for drinking and driving not long after the Super Bowl celebration. I think that episode helped convince management to let him go via free agency. If anything, re-signing him for $650,000 is a bargain by the wacky standards of professional athletes. After all, he ended up signing a typically extravagant free agent contract with the Raiders worth about $7.5 million. Rhodes now comes into a system he knows intimately. He’s with an organization that “discovered” him and gave him chances to excel.

He’ll provide consistency behind Addai. I bet this spells the end of “KK” (that’s Keith Kenton…er Kenton Keith) in a Colts uniform. I’m a little curious as to what this will mean for Mike Hart, the Colts’ rookie running back. If Addai and Rhodes split carries, will Hart get the chance to show us what he’s got?

“Should’ve entered the draft last year.”

“Would like to see a little more versatility.”

These are the kinds of things you read and hear about former Wake Forest Center Steve Justice, one of a bevy of sixth-round picks by the Indianapolis Colts. Justice, who redshirted during his first year at Wake, finished up a distinguished career with the Demon Deacons by earning a bunch of hardware. He was an All-ACC Selection and won the conference’s award for the best offensive lineman. In addition, Justice was an AP All-American. He was also in consideration for the Rimington Award, given annually to the top offensive lineman in the country.
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No, it’s not a Hanes commercial.

It’s the University of Virginia, where head coach Al Groh has made it his mission to turn tight ends into more than guys who can block and catch the occasional ball over the middle.

One of Groh’s latest achievements: Tom Santi, the senior tight end chosen in the sixth round by the Indianapolis Colts. Part of a three-man rotation, Santi was a star in the Cavaliers’ tight end-based offense. He broke out last season, reeling in 36 passes for 418 yards and three touchdowns. The yardage and TD totals weren’t just the best among his fellow tight end teammates; they were team highs.

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There’s just one thing you need to know about Marcus Howard.

He’s fast.

Really fast.

Of course, that should make perfect sense to anyone who’s familiar with the Bill Polian/Tony Dungy Era. If the Colts are going to draft an outside pass rusher, he’s going to be lightning-quick (and “undersized!”). You can almost hear Howard echo Ricky Bobby, “Momma, I’m goin’ fast!” as he shows off his 4.4 speed.

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I was glad that wasn’t the case; however, it’s not much better that he’s been questioned in the case. Something about this whole thing doesn’t quite smell right. I can’t put my finger on it. I know Harrison is quiet and enigmatic, but when things do happen to him…it’s always strange and shrouded in secrecy.

You know what I mean? After Marvin’s Mysterious Knee (that was of course compounded by the Stalin-esque level of secrecy favored by the Great Bill Polian) and that weird “Marvin Harrison put me in a sleeper hold” encounter at the Pro Bowl in 2005…I just don’t know what’s going on with that guy sometimes.
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This Jacob Tamme, he’s a smart one.

Yes, yes…that’s despite the fact he went to Kentucky (being a Hoosier, I have to take an obligatory shot at Kentucky, our neighbor to the south. It’s actually required by law, no hard feelings intended).

But seriously, Tamme earned his bachelor’s degree in three years. And he did it with a 3.82 GPA. After that, he began working on his Master’s in Business Administration. In grad school, that GPA ticked up slightly to 3.83.

He’s been named first-team Academic All-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America and chosen as the Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the SEC coaches.

Is this important on the football field?

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The Colts’ second-rounder, Georgia Tech’s Philip Wheeler, has an interesting history. He began his college career as a pure pass-rusher so obsessed with getting to the quartrback, he was easily fooled by misdirection plays. I would gather his philosophy must’ve mirrored that of another great linebacker from the South: the legendary Bobby Boucher of the South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs (”So what I do is, I-I start tacklin’ the quarterback, unless he give the ball to-to s-somebody else, in which case, I-I try to tackle that person.”).

Wheeler red-shirted during his sophomore year. It wasn’t because of an injury, however. The coaching staff wanted him to bone up on his X’s and O’s. It paid off in spades.

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Not gonna happen. Leave that to ESPN, CBS Sportsline, Rivals.com, and the ever-reluctant Bob Kravitz.

What I am going to do, however, is try to take a closer look at the new members of the Indianapolis Colts (providing that they sign with the team and make the roster, of course!). Let’s call it “Meet Your New Colts,” just for good measure.

First up, appropriately enough, is the Colts’ first pick, Arizona State’s Mike Pollak. Is there anything notable about Indy’s new center?

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As usual, it’s nothing flashy (no one would expect flashiness from the Colts), but they’ve helped address their needs.

In the second round, Mike Pollak of Arizona State will provide them with a high-quality, versatile offensive lineman. He’s a natural center who will move to guard. I like something I read in the Indianapolis Star this morning from Tony Dungy or Bill Polian; something to the effect of “we don’t draft guys to sit the bench.” Like Tony Ugoh, they expect Pollak to play almost immediately.

Their second selection (third round) is Philip Wheeler of Georgia Tech. An inside linebacker, I don’t know a whole lot about him. Depth at linebacker is a concern for Indy, so I’m glad they’re addressing it. He’s a good blitzer (apparently) and solid against the run. Some of the scouts suggest he may be suited more to a spot on the outside.
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What the Colts need to do is no mystery. I don’t think they have any glaring problem areas. They return 20 of 22 starters. Their biggest concern will be adding depth to several areas. Primarily, what I think the Colts should look for is a pass-rushing specialist. Whether that’s through a traditional defensive end or a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker, it doesn’t matter.

The next tier of concern: running back. With Kenton Keith’s recent problem  (which made for great fodder, by the way) and hands of stone, I think the Colts should go after a number-two back. It just makes sense: there’s not a lot on the roster right now and Addai thrives when he has a complementary player to help shoulder the load.
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