1. Justin Tuck- Stout against the run and can bring the heat too. Just a monster who has also mastered the art of the strip sack.

2. Julius Peppers- Makes everyone around him that much better and does everything as a player. Peppers can even tip passes regularly on the line (9 PDs last season).

3. Justin Smith- You have to take into account that this guy is a 3-4 end, and he is a beastly one indeed. Nobody brings pressure as regularly as he does from the three technique spot; just watch what he did to Matthew Stafford last week.

4. Dwight Freeney- I don't think we can ever stop gushing about his spin moves.

5. Trent Cole- Underrated end who excels at stuffing the run, and that's why I vaulted him to the top five.

6. Haloti Ngata- Absolutely destructive force.

7. Jared Allen- Gets a lot of sacks, but it's not really about the sacks. Still, there aren't many guys better than Allen.

8. Charles Johnson- The contract has helped him shed the underrated role, although he hasn't been quite as unstoppable as he was last year. But hell, he's been damn good this season too.

9. Terrell Suggs- He has a majority of his well-deserved snaps at defensive end.

10. Ray Edwards- I love his ability to get pressure and is one of the best 4-3 ends in the game.

11. Richard Seymour- So difficult to beat with that upper body strength and gets a ton of pressure on the inside. Not only that, but he also plays the run even better.

12. John Abraham- One-dimensional, but he is overpowering in that dimension.

13. Robert Mathis- He and Freeney will spend their days roasting offensive linemen together for the rest of their careers (I hope).

14. Jason Babin- Although he makes far too many penalties, their is no doubting his ability to put the QB to the ground.

15. Osi Umenyiora- Worse than the stats indicate, but the stats are off the charts.

Top 5 End

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, NFL Rankings, DEs, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Antonio Garay, Richard Seymour, Jason Babin, Trent Cole, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Charles Johnson, John Abraham, Ray Edwards, Julius Peppers, Jared Allen

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9/2011 Colts top 20

September 14th 2011 15:29

1. QB Peyton Manning
2. WR Reggie Wayne
3. DE Dwight Freeney
4. DE Robert Mathis
5. FS Antoine Bethea
6. WR Austin Collie
7. TE Dallas Clark

8. C Jeff Saturday
9. WR Pierre Garcon
10. SS Melvin Bullitt
11. LB Gary Brackett
12. LT Anthony Castonzo
13. RB Joseph Addai
14. LB Pat Angerer
15. CB Justin Tryon
16. TE Jacob Tamme
17. K Adam Vinateri
18. DT Tommie Harris
19. DE Jamaal Anderson
20. CB Jerraud Powers

Among most agile ends

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, NFL Rankings, NFL Team Top 20s, Colts, Adam Vinateri, Anthony Castonzo, Antoine Bethea, Austin Collie, Dallas Clark, Dwight Freeney, Gary Brackett, Jacob Tamme, Jamaal Anderson, Jeff Saturday, Jerraud Powers, Joseph Addai, Justin Tyron, Melvin Bullitt, Pat Angerer, Peyton Manning, Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, Tommie Harris

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8/2011 Team Scope: Indianapolis Colts

August 8th 2011 14:08

The Colts aren't contenders anymore, but I still think they will edge out the Texans and win the AFC South. Although the Texans got much better in the secondary with the additions of stalwarts Jonathan Joseph and Danieal Manning; I don't think their defense has the right personnel to successfully run the 3-4. I also think the Colts' offense is far more consistent and more potent. Even though the Colts don't have a dynamic back like Arian Foster, Joseph Addai is a more than capable player.

I don't think I even need to talk about the Colts' at quarterback. Peyton Manning is a beast, and he's going to play every game this season. If he somehow doesn't; then Curtis- well, we don't need to talk about that either.

I love the receiving weapons around Peyton because they are so diverse. Reggie Wayne is one of the best five receivers in the NFL, Pierre Garcon is a nice deep threat, Austin Collie is the best receiver out there at catching, and Blair White is a nice fourth option. We all know that Peyton loves to use his mind to create mismatches. Well, he's got two of the best receiving tight ends in the NFL to use to confuse and over-match defenses.

As far as the running game goes, the Colts need Addai to be healthy. He's really the only thing they have at running back, and he is a very underrated player. People are writing him off, but Addai is one of the top 20 backs in the league right now. Donald Brown and Mike Hart, on the other hand, are two liabilities in the running game. I've basically given up on Brown as a starting-caliber running back- or even a decent number two- in this league.

The offensive line, however, is a mess. Manning helps mitigate the concerns on the line, but the front office certainly knows how bad the guys blocking for Manning are. I should have said "the guys blocking for Addai", because it is Addai who suffers the most from the incompetent blocking up front.

Anyway, the Colts drafted Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana, and they are both starters on the left side of the line. They both look like decent players, but they only good player on this line is veteran center Jeff Saturday. The other two starters, Mike Pollak and Ryan Diem, are liabilities.

The other line has improved from last season, and there's no doubting who the two most dangerous players on that line are. Newly signed backup end Jamaal Anderson has the versatility to play inside, as does backup end Eric Foster. Antonio Johnson, Fili Moala, rookie Drake Nevis, and recent signing Tommie Harris will get snaps at defensive tackle. Harris's career went on a strange decline, and it will be interesting to see how he does in Indy.

Clint Session moved on and is now playing with the Jags- I have no clue why they played only an average LB that much. It doesn't really matter much to the Colts, because they're already solid at the position. They signed Ernie Sims, but he's a subpar player who is worse than Session. He was terrible last year with the Eagles, but he is a legitimate downhill run-stuffer.

Gary Brackett is a leader on defense and a fixture at MLB. Young, speedy linebackers Pat Angerer and Philip Wheeler will both get significant playing time on the outside.

The Colts only have one corner that I like, and that's nickel corner Justin Tyron. He's a solid player who is their best player in coverage. Jerraud Powers is physical and can make plays, but he's a liability in coverage. I'm not a fan of Jacob Lacey, or really any other corner on this roster for that matter. I think the Colts are really going to struggle to hold down the opposition, because this defense just doesn't look that good.

Melvin Bullitt is a solid player who can hit and make tackles, but he can't cover all that well. Antoine Bethea is one of the best safeties in the NFL, and he is far and away the best player in this terrible Colts' secondary. Although he does have lapses in coverage, he can actually cover and makes a ton of plays. Bethea makes mistakes, but he is a difference-maker on defense.

As always, the Colts are going to score points, but they will also give up their fair share of points. And as always, their offense will score enough points for them to be a playoff team. The Colts aren't what they used to be, but they are still a good team with a high-powered offense.

Can he turn up the heat?

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3/2011 Scouting Reports: Justin Tuck and Matt Light

March 24th 2011 16:01

Justin Tuck DE New York Giants

Tuck has the full package as far as pass rushers go. Tuck is incredibly strong and is also explosive. He is mainly a player that bullies offensive lineman all day, instead of guys like Dwight Freeney that use an arsenal of spin moves to get around their blockers. Tuck dictates the point of attack extremely well, and his teammates really do feed off of him.

Justin Tuck is such a monster, and it is very difficult for coaches to make a gameplan against him. He is a handful for offensive linemen, and a fearsome player that quarterbacks just don't want to face. Tuck's ability to draw double teams frees up room for his teammates that are also more than competent pass rushers. He is a player that is able to force the fumble. Justin Tuck is a leader on his team, and he handles the media well with his good interviews. He is one of the best players in the game, and he certainly showed it after last year's incredible showing.

LT Matt Light New England Patriots

Gone are the days when Light was a feared foe to every pass rusher in the NFL. Age has gotten to his once dominating pass protection, and he is far too slow to keep up with the edge rushers in this league that get faster each progressing season. Still, Light is a proven leader that is a solid player even though the years are taking a toll on him. The Patriots should try to help him out by swapping him with Sebastian Vollmer, thus making Vollmer the blindside guy. This would ease some pressure off of the veteran.

Although Light has lost his speed, he is still a solid player in this league that really brings a lot of intangibles to the table with this invaluable leadership and experience. He's still a guy the Pats need to re-sign, especially with Stephen Neal gone and Logan Mankins's future with the team up in the air. There were times, such as week 16's dominant run blocking performance, where Light showed you games of the old. Then, there were the ugly games like week 13 where Light got blown in pass protection. However, if Light hits the free agent market, he will be one of the premier tackles. A team will definitely give him an offer. I am confident though- granted there is a free agency- that Matt Light will be re-signed.