Bill Polian's Firing, Colts' Lack of Backup Plan Means Indy Drafts Andrew Luck

In an article by ESPN News Services, with info from the Associated Press and Adam Schefter, Bill Polian states the No. 1 reason why he was fired:

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"I've always told the staff that our approach should be to hope for the best but plan for the worst, and I didn't do an adequate enough job of planning for the circumstances we were in."

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That being said, at least Polian is being honest, because he is correct. You must have a plan no matter how far-fetched it seems that the impossible will happen.

Obviously, had Peyton Manning not sat out the entire year, it would be a much easier route to plan for his replacement via retirement (whenever that may be). Unfortunately for the Indianapolis Colts however, that was not the case and their 2011 season was a catastrophic breakdown.

Perhaps this season was also a blessing of fortunate events in disguise. Let's face it, no matter how great a team is for however long, there will always have at least one rebuilding season eventually, if not a few.

The Colts haven't had to rebuild since the late 1990s, so it's getting to be about that time once again.

The good news is that Andrew Luck waited one year to enter the NFL Draft, and is once again the top college prospect.

Peyton Manning is 35 years old right now, and will be 36 before the 2012 season begins. So, even if Manning is healthy enough to put the pads back on, it's clear that there's limited time left for him under center.

So, Indy must draft Andrew Luck.

After all, the Colts do have the No. 1 overall pick, and being that they have no reliable backup QBs, why not give a guy who's already better than Curtis Painter and Kerry Collins a chance?

As we've learned from teams like the Green Bay Packers (Matt Flynn) and Denver Broncos (Tim Tebow) this season—as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers (Charlie Batch/Dennis Dixon) from 2010 and the New England Patriots (Matt Cassel) from 2008—it significantly helps to have a well-prepared backup QB.

And, if Manning is not healthy enough to play in 2012, just look at what some rookie QBs have done in recent history. Both Joe Flacco (Ravens, 2008) and Mark Sanchez (Jets, 2009) led their respective teams to within one game of the Super Bowl, and Cam Newton hit over 4,000 yards this season.

Cincinnati's Andy Dalton got the Bengals back to the postseason, and Houston's T.J. Yates kept the Texans rolling along. If all these guys can have success, Andrew Luck can do just as well if starting from day one.

With a solid receiving corps, reliable tight ends, a capable ground game and a synergistic offensive line, Luck would fit perfectly in Circle City.

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