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!

Heading into this period of free agency, Colts fans have been consistently tossed three names with regard to upgrading the offense - Dwayne Bowe, Greg Jennings, Mike Wallace. When looking at our receiver depth last year, any one of the three would seem to be a real upgrade - but are they worth the contract they'll likely receive on the open market?

As I explored last week, the concept of 'value' with this current Colts team can also incorporate veteran players and the value of tuition - the benefits of having Reggie Wayne and Greg Jennings for example would I hope pay dividends in the route running of our other recievers.

When it comes to the three players in question, I'm not a massive fan of any of the three. Wallace and Bowe both have their issues with dropping the ball and concentration, while Greg Jennings has had injury issues in the past couple of seasons culminating in the usurping of his role by Randall Cobb and James Jones. Today I'll do my best to illustrate the style of Dwayne Bowe's play, along with pointing out positives and negative observations along the way.

I'll begin by showing a few of his highlights from 2012 in order to get the most recent picture of his play. An important caveat to the first three i'll show is context - all three touchdowns receptions were in garbage time or something approaching it. The first two - from the Bills vs Chiefs game in Week 3, 2012 - came with the score at 35-3 and 35-10 respectively. Make of that what you will, i'll come back to it later.

If you are a regular listener of our live podcasts, you may remember a conversation we had in the pre-season regarding Percy Harvin. The conversation revolved around rumors that Harvin and the Vikings didn't see eye-to-eye on various things - mostly money - and that the Vikings may try to move the dynamic receiver. My co-hosts, Laura Calaway and Rohan Bhasin, were steadfast in their position that the Colts should pass up any opportunity to acquire the enigmatic Harvin.

I had a slightly different opinion. Given his uniqe play making ability, I said the Colts should go for it, assuming the cost would be something less than a 1st round pick. Harvin would have far more talent than anyone in rounds 2-7, but he's not without risks. The argument ended as most do: with me being right. I tried to force a meme out of the situation: 2nd round pick and $14MM - the fake, exaggerated price I was willing to pay for Harvin - would be the benchmark for all of our player-acquisition discussions (Dwayne Bowe, Greg Jennings, Mike Wallace: worth a 2nd round pick and $14 MILLION dollars? Who they think they are, Chelsea Clinton?)

So here we are, 6 months later, and Percy Harvin's name is once again making the rounds through the rumor mill.

Nov 10, 2012; Iowa City, IA, USA; Purdue Boilermakers defensive tackle Kawann Short (93) works against Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman Conor Boffeli (59) during the third quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Byron Hetzler-USA TODAY Sports

With the season over, it's now Draft season! Mock drafts are being churned out on a daily basis, so here is a quick review of the players that have been mocked to the Colts over the past week.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com

Kawann Short, DT, Purdue

The Colts' defensive line needs a little bit of work, but there are some great options in the draft, one of which is Kawann Short. As I have written before, Short has worked with current Colts Defensive Line coach Gary Emanuel at Purdue, whilst GM Ryan Grigson remains on great terms with the staff at his alma mater. Jeremiah said “Short's effort has been called into question by some evaluators, but Indianapolis general manager Ryan Grigson played at Purdue and should be able to get to the bottom of that issue.” A great Senior Bowl week has propelled Short into first-round discussion, and he looks to be a good fit to play defensive end in our 3-4 scheme.