Gazing Into the Future: Colts Offense Looking at Beginning Of Transition

The Indianapolis Colts’ 2009 season is likely to begin an offensive transition that’s been feared by fans of the Horse for years.

Those inside and outside the organization just hope beginning the process of following the Peyton Manning era is a smooth one.

That might not be as easy as it seems. Just days ago, offensive coordinator Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd—architects of two of the Colts’ greatest strengths during the last decade—both retired. Both might be able to return as "consultants" come training camp, depending on the details of their retirement agreements, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Mudd and Moore aren’t the only ones feeling their age.

Franchise quarterback Peyton Manning is 33 and lost time last summer to surgery begotten by an infected bursa sac in his left knee.

Jeff Saturday, the anchor of his offensive line, is the same age.

Marvin Harrison has spent most of the last two seasons on the fringe, starting just 20 of 32 games and tallying 883 total receiving yards.

In short, your older brother’s Colts are coming closer to extinction every day.

The key, offensively, for Caldwell and Co. will be to find someone to fill both Moore’s and Mudd's roles capably while still retaining some level of comfort for Manning and his receivers, to keep Indianapolis' high-flying offense off the ground.

At the same time, Colts coaches need to help Reggie Wayne continue to develop and flourish. Harrison’s obvious successor has broken 1,000 yards receiving each of the last five years, establishing him as a constant threat to opposing defenses.

Whatever young arm succeeds Manning in the Circle City will need a Pro Bowl-level receiver to ease the transition. Wayne would be just that.

Another component of that smooth transition would be a healthy running game. Caldwell will hope he has more success with that than his predecessor.

Edgerrin James provided Indianapolis with a Pro Bowl option behind the quarterback until 2006—it’s been running back by committee since.

Joseph Addai passed 1,000 yards each of his first two seasons, but injuries and inconsistency cut that number to just 544 in 2008.

Backup Dominic Rhodes racked up 538 yards in 15 games, but then the Colts let him join the Bills in free agency, to his surprise.

Chad Simpson, Lance Ball, and even the anonymous Kenton Keith have gotten chances in the last two seasons, but no one has stuck as a solid backup.

The Colts hope their first-round pick, UConn running back Donald Brown, can fill Rhodes’ role immediately and expand his game as his future unfolds. For now, he’s the newest passenger on the backfield carousel.

The end of Indianapolis’ current run doesn’t seem imminent, barring some catastrophic injury to the man who has made it all go since arriving from Tennessee as the first overall pick in 1998.

Moreover, the pieces are in place for sustained success post-Manning, provided Bill Polian and Caldwell can find a quarterback to replace Manning when No. 18 decides to call time on his illustrious career.

Given the pieces currently in place, the Colts have some breathing room to do that, but they had better not waste much time.