Indianapolis Colts: What to Expect of 2012 Colts Without Peyton Manning

Now that Peyton Manning has tearfully departed Indianapolis, what can we expect from the Colts in 2012?

One thing we know for sure is that the Colts will draft All-World quarterback prospect Andrew Luck from Stanford with the No. 1 pick in April's draft. Nothing will stop that from happening.

Luck, by most "expert" accounts, is the greatest quarterback prospect coming out of college since John Elway. So, if anything, Colts fans can expect an upgrade of the terrifying three-headed monster of Kerry Collins, Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky that the Colts were forced to trot out last year.

So who is this Luck kid going to throw to? Austin Collie and Blair White are the only wide receivers on the current Colts roster with any experience.

Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzalez are all free agents. Wayne looks to be following Peyton Manning. Garcon has already turned down an offer from the Colts. Anthony Gonzalez doesn't expect to get much play in free agency after two injury-riddled seasons and a 2011 season strangely spent in Jim Caldwell's (or was it Bill Polian's) doghouse.

Speaking of Caldwell and Polian, that is one change I'm excited about. GM Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano have already brought a new fire and energy to the organization. Colts fans will no longer wonder why someone (Justin Tryon) was inexplicably cut or inexplicably benched (Anthony Gonzalez). Grigson and Pagano seem like a couple of straight-shooters, who will be replacing a dictator and a puppet.

Anyway, I say bring back Gonzalez. He'll be cheap, and when healthy, he has proven to be a reliable receiver. They'll definitely address the wide-receiver position in the draft. With Wayne and Garcon gone, there is no No. 1 receiver on this roster. Maybe they dip in to free agency? With what Jim Irsay said about the Colts' cap at Manning's press conference, maybe not.

What about the tight ends? Dallas Clark could be a cap casualty. Jacob Tamme is a free agent that I think the Colts should bring back. Luck flourished with two-tight end sets at Stanford. Wouldn't it be nice to have Clark and Tamme on the field?

The running backs? Donald Brown proved he's not necessarily a bust last year, and Delone Carter showed some promise. I'm wondering how Joseph Addai fits in. Another possible cap casualty, Addai had another injury-plagued year last season.

At this time, the offensive line looks to be worse than last year.  Jeff Saturday is contemplating retirement, but I wouldn't be surprised if he also followed Peyton Manning. Ryan Diem will retire. Last years draft picks, Anthony Costanzo and Ben Ijilana showed promise in limited action.  Everyone else is no better than reserve lineman.

The defense will be switching to some sort of hybrid 3-4, 4-3 defense. We know Robert Mathis will continue to terrorize opposing quarterbacks for the Colts, but will his "game-wrecker" (as Pagano put it) teammate, Dwight Freeney be back? Freeney's entering the last year of his contract and will be a $19 million cap hit to the Colts this year. The Colts will either re-work/extend his contract or release him.

Staying with the defensive line, the Colts are in dire need of a big nose tackle. Aren't they every year? Yes, but this year especially. A good 3-4 defense needs a big space-eating nose tackle, ala Haloti Ngata or Vince Wilfork.

The 2011 Colts secondary was a mess. Antoine Bethea and Jerraud Powers are the only two worth mentioning as starters. This area will definitely need to be addressed in the draft and free agency.

Colts Special Teams: Outside of Pat McAfee and the great Adam Vinatieri, the unit was, again, a nightmare last year. I don't have the greatest expectations for the unit in 2012 either. The roster is paper thin.

So, knowing all that, and with the draft and free agency still to come, I'm going to compare the Colts' 2012 season to the Carolina Panthers' 2011 season. There are a lot of similarities there. Like the Colts this year, the Panthers had the No. 1 overall pick in 2011 and selected a quarterback, Cam Newton.

Also like the Colts, the Panthers had a new coaching staff in place. The Panthers finished 6-10 this year. That would be a very good season for the Colts in 2012. I'll go with 6-10, then a big year in 2013 when all that dead money will come off the Colts cap, and they can, hopefully, get some quality free agents in Indianapolis.

Stay tuned, Colts fans. This is already the most unpredictable, gut-wrenching offseason in Indianapolis Colts' history. And we're in for a lot more surprises and sad feelings. But even though Peyton, and most likely, Reggie, Jeff Saturday, maybe Dallas, Joe and Dwight will be gone, the Colts have a bright and exciting future with an exciting new coach, front office and Andrew Luck at quarterback. Keep your heads up.

This article is from The Hair of the Dog Sports Blog.

Follow me on Twitter @coldy4goldy.