Offensive Coordinator: Tom Moore (IND OC: 1998-2008; NO RB Coach: 1997; DET OC: 1994-1996; MIN Assist. HC: 1990-1993; PIT OC: 1983-1989; WR Coach: 1977-1982)

Clyde Christensen (IND WR Coach: 2002-2008; TB OC: 2001; QB Coach: 1999-2000; TE Coach: 1996-1998)

With Tony Dungy retiring from the NFL and taking a spot in the booth during NBC’s Sunday Night Football coverage, Jim Caldwell now takes over as Head Coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Caldwell has spent his entire NFL coaching career under Dungy, beginning in 2001 as Quarterbacks Coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When Dungy was fired after that season he brought Caldwell with him to his new place of employment in Indianapolis. Caldwell spent his first three seasons with the Colts as their Quarterbacks Coach before the title of Assistant Head Coach was added to his repertoire in 2005. Prior to the start of the 2008 campaign he received another promotion and was named the teams Associate Head Coach, paving the way for the position he now holds.

While a change of guard at head coach in Indianapolis is an important one, the person in charge as offensive coordinator is just as crucial – especially as it relates to fantasy football. For the past eleven years Tom Moore has held the position of Offensive Coordinator in Indianapolis, making him the only coordinator Peyton Manning has ever worked with. But this May, Moore, along with offensive line coach Howard Mudd, retired from the Colts staff due to changes made within the league’s pension plan. A few weeks later however, both men returned to work with the Colts as team consultants.

The issue here lies in the fact that due to league rules Moore won’t be able to officially assume his role as consultant until August 1st – and that information only became known this week. Prior to then, the team and league itself seemed confused about the issue and some speculated Moore and Mudd wouldn’t be able to return until a month or two after that date. To further complicate things, Caldwell named Wide Receivers Coach Clyde Christensen, Offensive Coordinator following Moore’s retirement. If one heads over to the Colts official website however, they will find Tom Moore is still listed as the teams Offensive Coordinator with Christensen holding the titles of Wide Receivers Coach and Assistant Head Coach.

When all is finalized it appears Moore will be working in much the same capacity he has for the past eleven seasons. Indianapolis Owner Jim Irsay has stated as much about both Moore and Mudd in recent days. Clyde Christensen, should he handle the play calling duties in 2009, has experience calling plays in third down and red zone situations during his tenor with the Colts. Manning himself is also known for calling plays on his own at the line of scrimmage on a regular basis. With all this in mind, despite the confusion that has surrounded the Colts coaching staff in recent months, the offensive results on the field should be similar to what we have become accustomed to from Indianapolis over the last decade.

Quarterbacks: Peyton Manning; Jim Sorgi; Curtis Painter (R)

From a fantasy perspective there isn’t much spin to be put on the type of value one gets from Peyton Manning. Had the Colts lost Tony Dungy and Tom Moore, and hired from outside the organization, there may be reason to speculate about the numbers Manning would post in 2009. Moore is still going to offer a lot of input into the play calling though, whether it’s as a consultant or as coordinator, and both Caldwell and Christensen have worked on the Colts offensive staff for the last seven seasons.

Manning may be the best model of consistency at any position in the league. He plays all sixteen games. He throws for 4000 or more yards. He puts up 26-30 touchdown passes a year. And he keeps his interception total at a relatively low 10-13 per season. Expect more of the same from Manning in 2009.

Running Backs: Joseph Addai; Donald Brown (R); Mike Hart

If only the Colts running back situation was as much of a sure thing as their production at quarterback is. It’s been a long time since the days of Edgerrin James though, and Joseph Addai has shown he isn’t the elite back we’d hope he’d be following notable rookie and sophomore campaigns. If people weren’t already down enough on the former first round pick following his miserable outing in 2008, the selection of Connecticut running back Donald Brown in the first round of this years draft will surely cause his value to drop even further. It’s also worth mentioning Addai has recently undergone arthroscopic surgery on one of his knees – though he’s expected to recover in time for training camp.

If Addai has any setbacks caused by the recent surgery, it will open the door for Brown to steal the starting job in the backfield before the season even begins. But that would be getting too far ahead of ourselves. For the time being Addai should be, and still is regarded as the starter in Indianapolis. Draft him at your own risk though, and as no better than a number two option at running back. He comes with upside, but he has a reputation for being soft and pulling himself out of games. With Brown looming in the background, Addai owners could be dealing with a lot of white-knuckled moments throughout the season this year.

Wide Receivers: Reggie Wayne; Anthony Gonzalez; Pierre Garcon; Roy Hall; Austin Collie (R)

What’s the most notable difference to the Colts offense this season? For the first time in thirteen years Marvin Harrison won’t be lining up at wide receiver. The biggest beneficiary of this development is likely to be third year wide out Anthony Gonzalez. After posting 57 receptions for 664 yards out of the slot in 2008, his totals in ’09 should climb over the 800 yard plateau as a starter opposite Reggie Wayne. He may also see his touchdown total increase from 4 a year ago, to something in the 5-7 range this time around.

As for Wayne, he’ll continue to be among the elite receivers in the league. He’s coming off a bit of a down performance in ’08 (82 receptions, 1145 yards, 6 touchdowns), but without Harrison in the fold those numbers should be on the rise this year. The Colts slot receiver may also offer some value as a fourth or fifth option in fantasy leagues, but among the top three candidates to fill that role, none are proven.

Tight Ends: Dallas Clark; Tom Santi; Jacob Tamme

At tight end, Dallas Clark is the only option in Indianapolis worth grabbing. It would stand to reason he’d see an increase in touches following Harrison’s departure, but after reaching a career high in receptions (77) and yards receiving (848) a year ago it’s hard to say he’ll surpass those statistics in 2009. Nonetheless he’ll rank among the top tight ends in leagues this year provided he avoids the injury bug.