The Inside Slant: Kyle Rodriguez of Colts Authority

Welcome to the Inside Slant, where each week we talk to a writer from around the AFC South.

Today we hear from one of my favorite young writers, Kyle Rodriguez of ColtsAuthority.com. Please be sure to follow Kyle on Twitter for his excellent insight and carefully written pieces.

BR: What is your opinion of the total roster overhaul in Indianapolis?

KR: I don't agree with all of the moves the new front office has made, but I appreciate the desire to make the change complete by Jim Irsay and Ryan Grigson. They decided weeks ago that a complete rebuild was necessary, and as we first saw with Peyton Manning, they are not afraid to make the hard moves to put themselves in a good position.

With the cutting of veterans, they've given the Colts great flexibility next year with cap space, a must for a team largely devoid of talent at key positions. Time will tell if they made the right decision in going for a rebuild (as opposed to re-tooling for a Manning run), but they've completely committed to the rebuild, which is commendable in itself.

BR: What is the general mood of the fanbase?

KR: In a word: excited. While the shock of Peyton Manning's departure was difficult for every Colts fan, the emotions have turned as of late. I attribute this to several factors: free-agency pickups and the new tone coming out of the Colts' facility.

The Colts have infamously (and wisely) been inactive in free agency for much of the Bill Polian era, but the new front office has signed several players since the new league year started. While most of these signings are of little consequence (re-signing Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis were the biggest moves), fans are getting excited anyway, sometimes forgetting that Bill Polian did the exact same thing when he took over in 1998.

The other factor is the new tone coming out of the Colts facility, led by new head coach Chuck Pagano. His “Build the Monster” slogan has caught on quickly with fans, who are excited to see a tough, hard-nosed philosophy put in place as opposed to the “Quiet Strength” mantra of the Tony Dungy era.

Personally, I have my concerns about the emphasis on running and stopping the run (today's game revolves around the pass), but most fans are just excited about a change that will attempt to address the biggest concerns about the Colts in the last few years.

BR: Do you think Andrew Luck is the answer in Indy?

KR: I hope so. If not, Jim Irsay just made the biggest mistake of his life, and one that could cost the Colts dearly in the foreseeable future. The Colts think he is, which is the reason they chose this total rebuild, and I can see why. Luck has all the most important qualities in a quarterback: smart, accurate, efficient, etc...

In my opinion, Luck will be a very good quarterback for a long time in the NFL. He has questions, and no draft pick is a sure bet, but if anyone was going to replace Peyton Manning straight out of college, I'd want it to be him.