FanHouse RobMorris

It's a tough business, this National Football League. One year, you're kissing the Lombardi Trophy. The next year, you end up on injured reserve, can't pass a physical and end up on the scrap heap.

That's what happened to Indianapolis Colts linebacker Rob Morris and defensive lineman Anthony "Booger" McFarland today. Both of them suffered nasty injuries last season that put them on IR, and after failing their most recent physicals, the Colts released them.

That's a tough break for Morris, who did so much to strengthen the Colts' run defense when he moved to the strong side in 2006. He suffered a knee injury last September that required surgery, and it appeared he wasn't going to be ready for training camp this year. That was also the case for McFarland, who tore his patella tendon in the preseason and didn't play all year.

The Colts freed up $8 million in cap space with those two cuts, though I suspect the guys that end up replacing Morris and McFarland won't be quite as good as they were in Tony Dungy's defense. Then again, Bill Polian has surprised us before with his moves. Maybe he has another ace up his sleeve.

If the Indianapolis Colts hope to regain their Super Bowl form in 2008, they might have to do it without some key players.

GM Bill Polian told the press yesterday that wide receiver Marvin Harrison, defensive end Dwight Freeney, linebacker Rob Morris, defensive tackle Booger McFarland and super safety Bob Sanders could be unavailable for training camp in July because of the injuries they suffered last season. Harrison, Morris and McFarland all suffered knee injuries last season, while Freeney suffered a Lisfranc injury and Sanders had arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder after the season ended.

If that's the case, perhaps the Colts would do best to prepare for the season as if these players weren't going to be there, because some of them might not be. They certainly won't be 100% -- especially Freeney, whose torn ACL could rob him of much of his pass-rushing speed for a season.

Polian said is usually very good about finding replacements for players that leave as free agents, but he'll have a hell of a time finding players to fill one whole side of the front seven, plus All-Pros at receiver and safety. The Colts can't afford to slip up now -- not when they're in the toughest division in the AFC.

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Rob Morris is done for the season after having surgery on his knee today.

This is a tough loss for the Colts' improved run defense, which was helped a bit last season when Morris, who was benched at middle linebacker for Gary Brackett in 2005, was re-inserted into the linebacking corps on the strong side. Losing Morris means the Colts have lost not only a starting outside linebacker, but also their backup middle linebacker. Rocky Boiman is expected to replace Morris in the lineup.

As for the remaining injured Colts, including Marvin Harrison, Joseph Addai, Bob Sanders and Ben Utecht, team doctors have yet to clear any of them to return to action, and Tony Dungy is planning on not having any of them next Sunday against Tampa Bay, which is on a three-game winning streak. I suspect that for Colts fans, the bye week can't get here soon enough.

Last Sunday during the CBS pregame show, the handsomely coiffed Charley Casserly informed us that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was turning his attention away from dogfighting and spying to focus on a much more sinister crime: cheerleaders. Yep, no more warming up in front of the visiting teams' locker room because, well, grown men can't control themselves, apparently. Surprising, I know.

Count the Colts as one of the teams in favor of the rules change. During their Week 2 game in Tennessee, some of the players complained of the very distraction Casserly described.

"...it was like something from a movie," said Indianapolis Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson. "You come into the locker room and they're lined up stretching. I was like, 'What's going on here?' It's like something from 'The Longest Yard.' They're in here stretching. We're trying to get warmed up. I think that's a good rule to have."

"The Longest Yard"? Really? Is Jackson saying that the Titans' cheerleaders looked like Tracy Morgan, or is he just confusing his movies?

Whatever, SBM and Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden said he's not affected:"You might (do a double-take) but you're more focused on the task at hand." And the married guys are even less affected: "I don't know anything about it. If I did, I probably wouldn't care to comment on it," said Colts linebacker Rob Morris, with a laugh. "I didn't even know there were cheerleaders in the NFL." At least cheerleaders that resembled Tracy Morgan, anyway.

I'm sure that none of you want to read the entire Colts' draft history, so I'll keep it to their first round picks of the last 12 years.

Ok, so let's go through the list...

2006 (30) Joseph Addai: Obviously we don't know yet

2005 (29) Marlin Jackson : He's still very young. We'll give him one more year to prove himself.

2003 (24) Dallas Clark: One of the top 5 tight ends in the league

2002 (11) Dwight Freeney: Best DE in the league? Not even picked in the top 10...

2001 (30) Reggie Wayne: Besides LT, this was the steal of the 2001 draft. If it wasn't for Marvin he would be the #1 WR on one of the best teams in the league. Actually, he did have more catches then Marvin last year. Don't believe me? Look it up...

2000 (28) Rob Morris: Can we leave this one out? I almost didn't even put him in here in hope that you guys would miss it.

1999 (4) Edgerrin James:"BOOOO!! Over Ricky Willams?! What are you guys thinking?"

1998 (1) Peyton Manning: I don't even have to comment on this one. Ryan Leaf?

1997 (19) Tarik Glenn: Still one of the best tackles in the league

1996 (19) Marvin Harrison: In the year of the all-star WR's Marvin somehow slipped down to 19th

1995 (15) Ellis Johnson: 33 sacks with the Colts from 1995-2001

1994 (2) Marshall Faulk: One of the best RB's to play the game...when he was healthy.

(Note: The Colts didn't have a 1st round pick in 2004 but drafted Bob Sanders in the 2nd round...steal!)

What team could be better? Feel free to prove me wrong but I don't think you can.

Going into last season one of the main questions facing the Colts was how well Gary Brackett would fill in at middle linebacker. Rob Morris had gone beyond underachieving at the position through 2004. Actually, he was pretty much useless.

The transition worked out better then anyone could have imagined. Brackett finished the 2005 campaign with 131 total tackles and 3 interceptions. Not to mention that Brackett was the one who forced the fumble on Bettis in final seconds of the Steelers playoff game. Thanks Vanderjagt...

This season, the Colts are in a nearly identical position. However, this time it is at OLB. After losing David Thorton to the Titans in the off-season, the Colts now look to Gilbert Gardner. He is the current "default" for the spot. Gardner has never played in a starting roll before so it will be interesting to see how he performs.

The odds are very low that Gardner will pull off what Brackett did last year but let's at least give him a fair chance. At some point the "fill in at linebacker every year" mentality that the Colts seem to have might catch up to them. But for now it seems to be working.