Edgerrin James may be gone, but the Indianapolis Colts are prepared to move on without him. The Colts signed first-round draft pick Joseph Addai to a five-year deal worth over $11 million. Addai, a running back from LSU taken with the 30th overall pick, will compete with veteran Dominic Rhodes for the starting job. "Compete" may not be the right word though, since there is a chance that both men will split carries to begin the season, at least. Addai's agent, Ian Greengross, wanted to get a deal done as soon as possible.

"It was more about the numbers over the last couple of days, and today it was more about each side talking its final position," Greengross said.

The Colts will probably be throwing the football more often this year, which could really benefit Addai as a rookie. If defenses are focused on the pass too much, then Addai could find it easier to see holes in the ground game.

"He can't wait to get [out] there," Greengross said.

Addai only started for LSU as a senior this past season due to injuries. Since he only had one year to showcase himself, he was only ranked as the fifth best back in the draft. Addai is a very elusive runner. His quick feet allows him to slip by defenders and he also has good power to get a few yards after contract. He usually runs the ball north and south but will occassionally take it to the outside. He is a solid blocker and can usually be depended on to protect the quarterback.

The major concern about Addai is that he never really carried the ball as much as a starting running back should. He may turn out to be a good supplemental back to come in on third-down situations, especially since he is a good receiver out of the backfield. He has had some injuries during his career, but has put those behind him for the most part.