Colts Continue Housecleaning by Cutting Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai and Others

Peyton Manning isn't the only player leaving the Indianapolis Colts. A few members of his former supporting cast are on their way out of Indy too.

Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star has a list of players who have supposedly been cut by the Colts:

"

Source says Colts have terminated contracts of Brackett, Clark, Addai, Bullitt. "It's a whole new team,'' source said.

— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) March 9, 2012"

In a subsequent al, Chappell noted that he missed another player:

"

Missed one. Colts also have released QB Curtis Painter.

— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) March 9, 2012"

The Colts are coming off a 2-14 season that saw them finish near the bottom of the league in offense and defense.

What It Means

Since the end of the 2011 season, the Colts have parted ways with their general manager, their vice chairman, their head coach, their superstar quarterback and several more veteran players.

Take note, kids. If you're going to rebuild, this is how it's done.

The Colts are clearly going all-out with their rebuilding process. New leadership is already in place, and now comes the process of putting completely new players out on the field. They are clearing the way for, hopefully, a youth movement that will take the place of the crusty old Colts teams that used to dominate the AFC.

The team's future in the short-term is ugly, but it wouldn't have been any prettier had the Colts chosen to keep the latest casualties around. 

What Happens Next

Now that the Colts have destroyed their old team, it's time to get to work building a new one in its place.

The Colts are obviously going to be a big player in the draft. They have the No. 1 overall pick, and it's a virtual lock that they'll take Andrew Luck. After that, they'll put their scouting department to the test to find talent in the later rounds.

It's doubtful that the Colts will be a major player in free agency this year, as they're just not going to be able to draw any big-name players to come join in the fun that is Indy's rebuilding process. The Colts need to build a solid foundation before they can do that.

That process has only just begun.