Colts poised -- are they ready?

Rookie RB James, better 'D' could hold key to season

Cool Colt: Peyton Manning may be all wet during camp, but he wants to stay red hot after a strong rookie season. AP

The Indianapolis Colts, who finished last in the AFC East in '98, opened their 1999 training camp at Rose-Hulman Institute in Terre Haute, Ind., on July 22. Here are a few questions from Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z, followed by CNNSI.com's perspective on some of the issues facing the Colts this season.

Dr. Z wants to know

1) Last year as a New York Giant, Chad Bratzke went from a teeth-gritting, blue-collar defensive end to a sacko supremo who could command a $30 mil package from the Colts. Did Bill Polian go way overboard for just another sturdy banger, or did he pull off a master stroke in attempting to shore up a defense that finished 29th in the NFL and 18th in sacks?

2) Ditto Shawn King, who's projected as the wingman on the other side. He picked up a $6 million package, all on the come. Could this pair come through with, say, 20 sacks, or is this all smoke?

3) Drafting running back Edgerrin James over Ricky Williams with the fourth pick on the board raised some eyebrows, but how will history evaluate this controversial move? (Please, no extraneous mishaps, such as injuries, to cloud the picture, O.K.?)

4) And Part 2 of this question: Will James' emergence justify dumping Marshall Faulk, who had such a fine year in '98?

5) And Part 3 (we like questions with lots of parts), has the offensive line, which allowed an AFC-low of 22 sacks last year, really emerged? And can it provide James & Co. a springboard to success, or should there have been some offensive line moves through the draft or free agency?

The Colts might make the playoffs if: James proves to be the right choice; Bratzke can inject life into the pash rush; veteran linebacker Cornelius Bennett can still bring it when he lines up on the strong side; and Peyton Manning stays healthy. New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio imports an aggressive, attack-style defense and plenty of zone blitzes, so Bratzke, Bennett and Co. will have plenty of opportunities to earn their keep.

Colts Facts 1998 record: 3-13 (fifth in AFC East) Coach: Jim Mora (96-87 overall, 3-12 in one season with Colts) Stadium: RCA Dome (56,500, artificial) 1998 rankings: Offense -- 26th run, sixth pass, 12th overall. Defense -- 29th vs. run, 16th vs. pass, 29th overall. Depth chart 1998 results 1998 player statistics 1999 schedule CNN/SI Projection: 8-8

Pivotal games: Sept. 19 at New England; Jan. 2 at Buffalo. To challenge for a wild-card spot, the Colts will have to improve their performance against intra-divisional foes. They were 1-7 against the AFC East in '98 -- and 0-8 on the road. Four of the Colts' first five games are with division rivals. But even if they get off to a strong start, they play at Miami in December and finish up with Buffalo.

On the hot seat: One controversial rookie and a pair of pricey veterans. The Colts' felt James, their first-round draft pick, made three-time Pro Bowl tailback Marshall Faulk expendable. Indy also passed on scooping up Heisman Trophy winner Williams, deciding that James was a better fit in their offense because of his pass-catching ability. He's got speed, size and good hands and might work well in an offense that's being built around Manning. Meanwhile on defense, cornerbacks Tyrone Poole and Jeff Burris are still trying to prove they're worth the rich contracts -- five years, $20 million for each -- they received before last season.

Up-and-comers: Three of the five starters on the offensive line are third-year players. Tackle Tarik Glenn (6'5", 335 pounds) and guard Steve McKinney (6'4", 297) shore up the left side for Manning and were a big reason the Colts yielded only 22 sacks after giving up a team-record 62 the previous season. After an often-shaky rookie year at guard, Glenn moved to his natural position last season and thrived, while McKinney enjoyed a stellar rookie season and may be the team's best blocker. Adam Meadows returns for a second season at right tackle. Glenn and McKinney, both of whom are just 23, should be fixtures on the line for the next decade. The only question mark is at right guard. Third-round draft pick Brandon Burlsworth was expected to challenge Tony Mandarich for the starting spot, but was killed in a car accident in April.

Player Movement Unrestricted Free Agents Restricted Free Agents Players Lost Chad Bratzke, DE, from NYG Stoney Case, QB, from Ari. Chad Cota, S, from N.O. Darick Holmes, RB, from G.B. Sale Isaia, G, from Bal. Ray McElroy, CB-S, re-signed Mark Thomas, DE, re-signed Scott Greene, RB, re-signed Chris Gardocki, P, Cle. Tim Hauck, S, Phi. Torrance Small, WR, Phi. Jeff Zgonina, DT, Stl.

1999 Draft Picks Round Overall Pick Player Pos School 1 4 Edgerrin James RB Miami (FL) 2 36 Mike Peterson OLB Florida 3 63 Brandon Burlsworth OG Arkansas 4 96 Paul Miranda CB Central Florida 5 138 Brad Scioli DE Penn St. 7 210 Hunter Smith P Notre Dame 7 250 Corey Terry DT Tennessee