The NFL Scouting Combine is coming to a close today. No more clinging to the constantly rising and falling stock of the stars of tomorrow as they run around the practice field in shorts and a t-shirt (or state of the art spandex). No more stories about how teams love a certain player, followed by stories from the media telling us that most of those stories are just lies created to throw off other teams.

If you can't tell, I'm not a fan of the combine. In fact, since the NFL Network turned it into a "made for TV" event, I've caught exactly 1 workout: Andrew Luck's. The truth is, I don't know how to decipher half of what I'm seeing, and the half I can decipher - being able to read plain stats such as 40 times and bench press - seem utterly inane to me in the context of football. Really, does it matter how fast I can run in a straight line while not wearing pads? [Spoiler Alert: No]

That said, it is a popular event, so let's talk about some of the bigger news items from the past weekend.

One of my favorite "advanced" stats is wide receiver drop rate.

It's really fairly simple, taking the number of drops and dividing them by the number of targets a wide receiver receives. Unfortunately, most NFL stat places don't keep track of how many of those targets are catchable, and which are not, which is critical when looking at drop rate. 

Fortunately, Pro Football Focus has kept track of that since 2008, making a drop rate that is extremely useful when comparing wide receivers. 

After an extremely frustrating year for Colts wide receivers in terms of drops, I started playing with PFF's wide receiver numbers and decided to take a look back into the past five years and look at the Colts' numbers. The final product was fascinating, at least to me. 

I've been pretty clear about what I thought the Colts should do with Dwight Freeney.

In case you're too lazy to click the link, I've been a big proponent of letting the Classic Colt walk in free agency. The logical reasons are all there, it makes sense. He doesn't fit well, he's aging, and there are better targets out there. 

Then there was some talk of the Colts possibly re-signing Freeney, and I was scared they might. I was scared they'd pass up the chance to pick up a younger, more natural fit at the position, holding on to the past. 

But last week they announced that they'll let the 33-year old pass rusher go. I let out a sigh of relief. The Colts wouldn't make the mistake I so feared, letting nostalgia and past accomplishments cloud their judgment. 

But now, I kind of wish they did.

Having started examining potential free agent additions with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe a week ago, i've opted to continue in the same vein by putting another receiver - Greg Jennings - under the microscope this week. Out of the lauded trio of Bowe, Jennings and Wallace, Jennings is my personal favourite by some considerable distance.

An incredibly savvy route runner with rare zone-busting skills, Jennings has always struck me as a Colts style receiver, similar to a Reggie Wayne or a Marvin Harrison in that his fundamentals are completely sound - he doesn't waste steps with his footwork, he's got heightened awareness on the field which is helped by his experience, and he's made absolutely huge catches on the big stage in the past.

However, injury concerns have limited Jennings to 21 starts in 32 games the past two years, leading to questions regarding his durability as he moves into his 30s (he'll be 30 in September). Furthermore, the ease with which Randall Cobb and James Jones seemed to replace Jennings' production is the reason why he's even going to be available in this free agency period - the Packers believe they have readymade replacements at a much cheaper price. As I've stated, I see Jennings as an option worth pursuing if we're going to target WRs in Free Agency, and now I hope to illustrate why.

I'll try and keep it to a semi-chronological order, so i'll start with the biggest stage of them all - the Superbowl. It's Packers vs. Steelers from 2011, and it's a 1st and 10 from the PIT 21, with 2:41 remaining in the 2nd quarter.

Jennings starts the play in question in the slot, prior to motioning to the opposite side of the formation. The motion allows Rodgers to potentially identify coverage (man vs. zone, if an opposing player were to track him), and if he has an idea about manipulating the picture in front of him already, so much the better for taking advantage.

No.

Thanks for joining us for this week's episode of "Common Sense and Sensibility"!  Tune in next week as we discuss wearing helmets, cups, and cleats!

Wait, I'm contractually obligated to write more?  Fine.

How exactly do you replace the franchise's all-time sack leader?

You don't. 

How do you replace an aging pass rusher who didn't fit the current scheme well or offer much against the run? 

Well, now that is a different question entirely. 

No matter your personal opinion about Dwight Freeney, a few things are certain. 

1. He will finish his career as one of the greatest Colts of all time, and the second-most important Colt of the Manning/Polian era (Marvin was the second-greatest, but Freeney is the second-most important). 
2. Even though Robert Mathis has a chance to pass his franchise sack record (he's just 16 behind with three more years on his contract), Freeney will always be the first one mentioned of the duo. 
3. He will always be more comfortable in a 4-3 than a 3-4. 
4. He's a liability against the run. 
5. The Colts made the right decision to let him go. 

The Colts are committed to one veteran pass rusher already, and it simply didn't make sense to try to hold on to another one, again, one that simply didn't fit well. 

So now what? 

Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday, around 1:30 PM, Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz reported that the Colts would not be re-signing Dwight Freeney or Austin Collie.  Both players are set to become free agents at 4:00 PM on March 12, when the new league year begins. 

Both players have given Colts fans some incredible memories, but their situations are very different.  We’ll take a look back at each player and at his prospects for the future, and then finish up with a few links to some great video highlights. 

Look, I know it's only February. I know that coachspeak in the offseason means little. 

That being said, Pep Hamilton's first press conference had a few hot button issues that left a sour taste in my mouth. Not everything was bad, quite to the contrary, but these were a couple things I wanted to look in-depth at. 

The first, and most important topic, was the continuous mentions of Donnie Avery. Throughout the press conference, Hamilton described Avery as a weapon and referred to him as somebody who would feature in to the Colts' 2013 plans. It's no secret that Grigson like's Avery, specifically his speed and his deep threat ability. 

After holding back the offense for much of the 2012 season, it seemed all but certain that Avery would be gone in 2013. Now, it's looking more and more likely like he'll be back in Indianapolis. 

April 9, 2011; San Francisco, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton (left) and quarterback Andrew Luck (12) talk during the Cardinal & White spring game at Kezar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

New Offensive Coordinator Pep Hamilton’s press conference yesterday began in a decidedly straightforward manner: “Well, I’m Pep Hamilton. I’m the new offensive coordinator, of course, for the Indianapolis Colts. I’m excited to be here.”  Hamilton eased the some people’s worries that the Colts might altogether abandon the deep passing game, discussed some of the offensive looks – ruling out few if any – we might see this year, and talked some about his experience so far coming back to the NFL.   

The Colts’ New-Look Offense

The hiring of Pep Hamilton, who’s job title at Stanford was the “Andrew Luck Director of Offense,” signaled a change in philosophy that could translate into fewer sacks and a higher completion percentage, but also brought concerns that the deep passing game could all but disappear from the offense.  Hamilton, who has virtually lived at the Colts complex in recent weeks, alleviated some of those worries and sounded like a coach who wants to work toward the strengths of the players on the roster – something Tom Moore excelled at as the OC in Indy.  

On Tonight's Episode Laura, Rohan, and Greg will break down Super 47, the outcome, and the myriad storylines that emerged from the game. We'll also discuss the latest off-season news and notes from Colts HQ. Live at 8pm ET!