The Indianapolis Colts have their replacement for Gene Huey.
According to the Indianapolis Star, David Walker, who became the University ofย Maryland’s running backs coach when the school hired Randy Edsall as head coach in January, has accepted the same position with the Colts. Edsallย announced the news.
Good hire? I’d say so.
By Drew Allen
Prior to joining Edsall’s (and then Indy’s) staff, Walkerย oversaw the runners at Pittsburghย for six seasons.ย Under his watch, the Panthers’ rushers flourished. LeSean McCoy, whoย is currently tearingย it up as theย Philadelphia Eagles’ starting running back, averaged more than 110 yards per game in his two seasons asย Pitt’s feature back in 2007 andย 2008.ย Dion Lewis outdid McCoy as a freshman in 2009,ย averagingย 138.4ย yards per contest andย rushing just shy of 1,800 yards on the year.
Sure,ย both backs are extremely talented, but it’s certainly not ridiculous to attribute such consistent effectiveness to good coaching. Walker must have been doing something right.
Shifting gears back to the Colts, let’s not kid ourselves. Theย offensive lineย is largely responsible for the team’s running woesย during the last three seasons. However, itย seems as thoughย a problem might exist in the backfield as well.
Indyย made former Connecticut running back Donald Brown its first-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft (ironically, McCoy was available at the time)ย in an attempt to revamp the running gameย via competition for carriesย with incumbent starterย Joseph Addai.ย Brown showed flashes as a rookie but was unable to make much of a contribution with naggingย injuries.
Many expected Brown to break out in 2010, but other than a 129-yard effort in a homeย victory against Jacksonville in December — his first 100-yard game as a pro —ย he showed little progressย in his sophomore campaign.ย He evenย lost a position on theย depthย chart toย 31-year-old Dominic Rhodes, who was picked upย a week prior to that Jaguars game and went on to lead the Colts inย rushing in their final two games.
Brown’s been a mystery. Well, to me, anyway.ย He seemed like an intelligent, hard-workingย player whenย Indy first drafted him, and he was the most productive back in Connecticut history. How has he not panned out toย this point?
Couldย Huey have had anything to do with it? Could he reasonablyย be held responsible for Brown’sย disappointing lack of progress?
Fans haven’t seemed to want to consider that possibility. They’ve been pointing the finger at team president Bill Polian and hisย personnel decisions along the offensive line — and justifiably so — and haveย labeled Huey a scapegoat. That might or might not have been the case, butย is the offensive line to blame for Brown not finding the same holes that Addai and Rhodes seemed to find this year?
I predict developing Brown will be Walker’s top priority inย his first season with the Colts. If Brown starts living up toย his first-round selection, thenย not onlyย will Walker haveย been a brilliant addition to the staff, butย Huey’s firing will have been justified as well.
If Brownย doesn’t show some consistency in year three, it won’t necessarily be an indictment on Walker, whoย stillย could benefit fromย Indy’sย retaining Addai — if the circumstances allow. Rather, Polian will have to take the blame for missingย on the early-round pick.
Thoughts onย the Walker hire, Huey’s firing or Brown’s development? Post themย here!
