Now lets be honest, Andrew Luck played great, but he is not necessarily the only option the Colts have. He is probably the most NFL ready quarterback in the draft with his ability to read coverages and his throwing ability. However, with such a deep quarterback class, the Colts don't have to dedicate their first pick to him unless Peyton doesn't return to the team. If Manning returns to the team, the Colts will have a prime opportunity to boost two spots on the offensive side of the ball that desperately need fixing.
The Colts running game was not overly impressive during the 2011 season. The leading rusher for the team was Donald Brown with nearly 700 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns. The benefits of having a strong running game would put the Colts back to being a power house like in previous years. With Trent Richardson declaring for the NFL Draft the Colts could give their backfield a strong boost for years to come. Richardson ran for over 1600 yards and 21 touchdowns in the high-powered Alabama Offense. Richardson's ability to break tackles while also having good vision and speed makes him a prime prospect for any pass friendly organization. Richardson also blocks well out of the back field which would give Manning or whoever the quarterback is, that little bit of extra time to make the passes that were missed during the 2011 season.
Now the question comes up of what the Colts do about the possible quarterback problem should Manning be hurt again. The answer lies within their first pick in the second round. The only quarterbacks that will be taken in the first round are Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III from Baylor, and possibly Ryan Tannehill out of Texas A&M. Should Tannehill fall into the second round, which could very well be possible, the Colts would then have the chance to draft him as their future quarterback. Tannehill threw for 3,800 yards and 29 touchdowns and his only downside was the 15 interceptions. He shows great pocket presence and arm strenght with decent accuracy. Though not NFL ready, he would be given the opportunity to learn under Peyton Manning, which could make Tannehill the quarterback of the future. It would be the same situation the Packers had in 2005 when they drafted Aaron Rodgers to learn from Brett Favre and look how that turned out. The New England Patriots followed in their footsteps by drafting Ryan Mallet in the 2011 NFL Draft to back up and learn from Tom Brady.
Should the Colts decide to take this route, though highly unlikely given the interest in Luck, the Colts would have strengthed two positions while also building for the future. Peyton would be the perfect teacher for Tannehill while Richardson would be a power house out of a backfield that hasn't seen a truely successful running back since Edgerrin James. Look for the Colts to be working around the clock to solve the puzzle that is the future of the organization. Though with the talent available there are many routes to go. Draft Day 2012 should be one for the ages.
