This is a ongoing run-on sentence of thoughts as they occur to me.

I wonder if Kiper still thinks two defensive linemen will be drafted in the first round? I see six minimum. ... People are saying that Adam Meadows, Chad Bratzke, Brock Huard, Walt Harris and Detron Smith were cut to make room for Manning. Baloney. They all would have been cut if manning made the league minimum, they simply made more than their production warranted. ... According to the esteemed CT, the Colts have spoken with defensive tackles Darnell Dockett, Mondre Dickerson and Marcus Tubbs, defensive end Antoine Odom, cornerbacks Dunta Robinson and Will Poole, tight end Keith Willis and safety Stu Schweigert at the combine. Add to that list defensive tackles Chad Lavalais and Tim Anderson, who they spoke with at length at the Senior Bowl. Although they may not draft any of those guys, it shows they are seriously looking to upgrade their defensive line and secondary. Note that there are no linebackers on this list. The interest in Willias indicates that offensive needs are still being entertained and that we realize Marcus Pollard can't last forever. I don't think Schweigert's interview was a courtesy, his coverage ability fits the Cover-2. ... Of those players: Dockett is perfect player for the system and needs, if he's available, he is the pick; Dickerson has tools but needs to prove he's no punk; Tubbs could be the big man they've been missing since Steve Wisniewski; Odom gets to the passer, but needs to be rotated at least at first; Robinson is a future star who needs to get serious about technique; Poole is probably my favorite defensive back in the draft, very much like Robinson but tougher; Willis is an excellent, under-rated prospect who could be a mid-round steal and we all know Schweigert. ... The Colts spoke with Tennessee DT Mondre Dickerson at the combine. A 6'5, 305-pound former end, Dickerson has limitless athletic potential, but so far has shown a 50-cent brain to go with his million-dollar body. At this point he's a middle rounder at best, but has been drawing lots of interest. Being cleared of rape charges has boosted his stock. I read an interview with him and he seems to me to be a total idiot. ... Wow, the Dolphins acquired AJ Feely. Brilliant move. Remember, he went 3-0 as a starter for the Eagles, is young, strong armed and mobile. He's no Tom Brady, but he could be a Trent Green and that's pretty good. ... The team added another offensive-line prospect yesterday, Marshall guard Steve Perretta. A college linemate of the Colts' Steve Sciullo, Perretta is a typical Howard Mudd reclamation project. Smarter than he is physically gifted, Perretta does a better job with his initail pop and controlling flow than he does getting on his horse and blocking on the move. Will compete for a swing inside backup job with guys like Tupe Peko (unless he starts) and Joe Iorio. ... With Mark Brunell going to Washington, it's only a metter of time before Patrick Ramsay heads to Miami and Phillips Rivers drops to the second round. ... Many published reports say the Colts were looking at Troy Vincent at the Pro Bowl, but most intimate that they were not among the front-running suitors. I think Champ Bailey, Chris McAlister and Charles Woodson are out of the question, but the Colts could well pull in a new (and legitimate) No. 1 starter at cornerback from the free-agent pool. After the Manning situaion is ironed out, of course. ... It's looking more and more like that conditional pick from the Rich Coady trade to the Rams won't be for a fourth rounder as the Colts originally announced, but a seventh rounder. That's a move down from No. 122 to No. 219.* Gotta fix my draft. ... Thinking about Tusculum's Ricardo Colclough (which is, for some reason, pronounced Coke-lee) in the high rounds? Well, The Sporting News listed the ten small-school cornerbacks drafted in the first three rounds since 2000 and only two (Rashean Mathis and Will Peterson) haven't been total wastes. ... Young quarterback Tom Arth's competition for the starting job in Scotland consists of prospects from the Browns, Lions and Broncos. Nate Hybl (Cleveland) is a smart player but he doesn't have a strong arm, he floats a few passes and he is not mobile in the pocket. Curt Anes (Detroit) is a small-college star whose shortness (6'0) and less-than-stunning arm make him better suited to being a reliever and not a starter. Tory Woodbury (Denver) is raw and scatter-armed and was converted to a wide receiver when he was with the Jets. Thing look good for Tom. ... Didn't I say Ty Poole wasn't too small to be a good No. 2 corner? ... Edgerrin James will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2004 season and it would take a salary-cap miracle to re-sign both him and Marvin Harrison. A potential replacement could be West Virginia's Kay-Jay Harris, an authoritative runner and a natural receiver. He should be available at the end of 2005's first round. ... The two players the Colts' staff openly courted at the Senior Bowl were LSU defensive tackle Chad Lavalais and Ohio State defensive tackle Tim Anderson. Both are quick one-gap types with interior pass-rush ability. Anderson can also play end. Expect to see one or both wear the horseshoe this season. ... The Cardinals cut Jeff Blake and appear to have dropped out of the Drew Henson race, so it looks they will draft a quarterback with their top pick after all. ... Lots of mock drafts have the Colts selecting Texas CB Nathan Vasher. The Colts do need a cornerback badly and he has some skills, but I can't see how a cornerback who doesn't understand zones can help a Cover-2 team. ... Last year, the Colts traded their 2004 fourth-round pick to Houston to move up in the 2003 draft, but gained a better pick when they sent safety Rich Coady to St. Louis for the Rams' 2004 fourth rounder. It was a smart trade, Coady wasn't going to make the team anyway, he played sparingly with the Rams and is now an unrestricted free agent. The trading just moved the Colts down one pick in the round from No. 121 to No. 122.* In another safety-related incident, the Colts sent their sixth-round pick to Tampa Bay for David Gibson. It was a less wise trade. Gibson had some moments with the Colts, but was too slow to play the deep zones required in the Cover-2. He made his way back to Tampa and played on special teams, but he too is an unrestricted free agent. ... Of the Colts early offseason signees, keep an eye on punt returner DeAndrew Rubin and defensive tackle Tank Reese. ... Do you think Dan Marino's backing out on that Dolphins personnel gig had anything to do with Phillip Rivers? ... I rate the following unrestricted free agent cornerbacks as better than anything the Colts have: Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Chris McAlister, Antoine Winfield, Troy Vincent (though he is 33), Bobby Taylor, Fernando Bryant, Shawn Springs, Ahmed Plummer, Mario Edwards, Juran Bolden, Reggie Howard and David Barrett. Yes, even David Barrett.

*Note: draft positions reflect order before supplementary picks are doled out.