Repair work an inside job

The defectors have outnumbered the imports, which would be a concern for any personnel executive. Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian is no exception, although he's not about to change his approach.

The reigning champions have taken some hits since the NFL's free agency period began in early March, with running back Dominic Rhodes (Raiders), linebacker Cato June (Buccaneers), cornerback Nick Harper (Titans), defensive lineman Montae Reagor (Eagles), and receiver Brandon Stokley (Broncos) joining new clubs. All were significant contributors.

Meanwhile, the Colts have been especially quiet in free agency, re-signing linebacker Rob Morris and backup defensive linemen Dan Klecko and Bo Schobel, while bringing back veteran offensive guard Rick DeMulling after two years with the Lions.

Why so little activity? The fiery Polian is quick with the answer.

"Mainly because we've made some big mistakes in the past, Corey Simon being the most obvious one," he said. "We've had a modicum of success in it, but not a lot. We just feel the odds are very much against you. It's not a criticism of anyone who does it, but just the way we do things. We're not good at it, so we stay away from things we're not good at."

Instead, the Colts' focus has traditionally been to plug holes through the draft, such as last year when they selected running back Joseph Addai to replace Edgerrin James.

On the flip side, Polian's forays into unrestricted free agency have been rare, and the results are too volatile for his liking. While kicker Adam Vinatieri was one of the team's most productive signings, Polian is still kicking himself for the Simon deal.

Polian thought Simon would be the answer to the Colts' run-stopping woes, so he opened the vault on a five-year, $30 million contract for the defensive tackle just before the start of the 2005 season. The deal included at least $13 million in bonuses.

Yet the team has received little return on the investment as Simon played 13 games in 2005 and missed all of last season after being placed on the non-football injury list. The situation has turned contentious. The Colts said they would not pay part of Simon's 2006 salary, and Simon in turn filed a grievance through the Players Association.

While there has yet to be a resolution, the money the Colts have tied up in Simon on their salary cap -- coupled with the big money allotted to offensive stars Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Reggie Wayne, plus franchised defensive end Dwight Freeney -- has factored into their offseason decision-making. Had the team not had Simon, for example, it might have matched or exceeded the modest three-year deal June signed with Tampa Bay.

The Colts aren't the only team to make such mistakes, but they do stand in an elite class in a different category. The team's ability to fill holes through the draft, and by developing players on its roster, is impressive.

Polian knows that trend must continue for the Colts to defend their Super Bowl crown and improve on their league-best 89-39 regular-season record since 1999.

The team will likely rely more on Addai, its first-round pick in 2006, now that Rhodes has departed. Addai and Rhodes split duties last season, similar to the Patriots' combination of Laurence Maroney and Corey Dillon.

At linebacker, 2006 third-round pick Freddie Keiaho is a candidate to replace June on the weak side, a key spot in the Colts' attacking 4-3 defense.

Marlin Jackson (first round, 2005) and Kelvin Hayden (second round, 2005) will have a shot to fill the void left by Harper at cornerback. Both came up with big plays in the playoffs -- Jackson intercepting Tom Brady to seal the AFC Championship and Hayden returning an interception for a touchdown in the Super Bowl -- which gives Polian hope that they might be ready to make the leap.

At defensive tackle, Polian believes Darrell Reid -- a third-year player who joined the team as a rookie free agent out of the University of Minnesota -- is ready to take on more responsibility with Reagor out of the mix. Meanwhile, unknown receiver John Standeford, who has spent time on the practice squad, will be given a crack to replace Stokley.

"And we always add through the draft," reminded Polian, whose team has eight choices in 2007, although no second-rounder. "There is no magic wand, no magic formula. It's always difficult, and I always worry about losing the kind of people we have.

"I worry about it from a team chemistry level, but hopefully we'll bring in the same kind of people, just not through the free agent derby. It's our intention to stay out of that as much as we possibly can."

Number of factors to discuss

The Patriots and representatives for cornerback Asante Samuel continue to discuss a contract extension, although an agreement is not imminent. The extension signed by Dre' Bly with the Broncos last week figures to add a new wrinkle to the talks.

Bly's deal is a five-year package worth $33 million, with $16 million in bonuses and guarantees. Expect Samuel's representatives to make the case that their client deserves a Bly-like deal -- reflective of the current market -- while using some of the following statistics to make their case:

Interceptions: Both players have averaged four per season.

Interceptions returned for touchdowns: Samuel has five (including playoffs), Bly eight.

Passes defended: Samuel averaged just under 11 per season, Bly a little more than 10.

Games played: Both have averaged just under 15 per season.

Of course, the Patriots could counter by saying Bly is a two-time Pro Bowler, while Samuel has yet to reach that status. Or that Bly has proven to be a top player over time (eight seasons), while Samuel doesn't have the same body of work (four seasons).

Samuel has been assigned the franchise tag, meaning he would play on a one-year, $7.79 million contract, assuming he is willing to sign that tender. The sides have until July 15 to reach an extension. After that, Samuel can only play for the one-year tender.

Patriots-Jets is a father-son game

There is a Scarnecchia on both sides of the Patriots-Jets rivalry, with Dante Scarnecchia entering his 24th season as a Patriots assistant coach, and his son Steve beginning his second year leading the video staff of Eric Mangini.

Mangini said Scarnecchia was an unsung member of the Jets' organization in 2006, helping him motivate players in unique ways.

"He's very innovative," said Mangini, who often showed the Jets tapes of boxing matches discovered by Scarnecchia leading up to games last season. "He's put together some great pieces for us outside of his normal job description, and has that creative side.

"He understands not just the game, but the other side, and how you can fuse things and teach in a lot of different ways. You might be able to draw on experience, whether it's boxing or Olympic hockey, and then teach the players a lesson that corresponds to our game."

Scarnecchia worked in the Patriots' video department from 2001-04 before spending a season at the University of Colorado.

"Just like his dad, he's incredibly hard-working," Mangini said.

Etc.

Silent treatment
The Colts' negotiations on a contract extension with defensive end Dwight Freeney are ice-cold. "Right now, they're frozen," team president Bill Polian said. "We made an offer prior to free agency and the agent chose not to respond to it. We're presuming he'll play the season with the tag. There is still time to get a deal done, the deadline is July 15, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens." Freeney was assigned the franchise tag, which would pay him more than $9.4 million on a one-year deal should he sign.

Dillon is chillin'
Patriots running back Kevin Faulk said he recently spoke to Corey Dillon and that little has changed since Dillon told the Globe in February that he planned to retire, while leaving a slight opening that he might play in 2007. "He doesn't even want to talk about it now," said Faulk, who became one of Dillon's close friends over the last three years. "Football is done. He's just thinking about his family, and if that urge to play comes on late down the line, fine. A lot of people don't understand Corey, but that's just him. He's just taking this time and enjoying being with his kids and family right now."

He doesn't want to lag behind
Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren has mapped out part of his preseason plans, and on the schedule is a three- to four-day stretch in which his players will be off after returning from the China Bowl against the Patriots. While Holmgren said he is excited for his players to experience a game in Beijing, he has concerns about the impact of such a trip. He recalled an overseas trip he took with the Packers and how the team was heavy with jet lag upon its return. "We left on a Wednesday, played the game Saturday, and came home Sunday, and you were no good for about three or four days," he said. "You just couldn't function. So I think you really have to make sure you give your team time to recover."

If Patriots coach Bill Belichick were to bring his idea of playing a non-sudden-death overtime of seven-plus minutes to the Competition Committee, he might consider going armed with the following stats: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the average length of overtime in the last five seasons was 7:01 in 2006, 7:03 in 2005, 5:55 in 2004, 6:38 in 2003, and 6:51 in 2002. There were 85 overtime games from 2002-06. Some opposed to playing a non-sudden-death overtime cite longer games as a reason, which could lead to more injuries. But as those stats suggest, even with sudden death, the overtimes are lasting about seven minutes anyway.

Former Texans quarterback David Carr is expected to make his first free agent visits this week, starting in Carolina and continuing on to Seattle. In both places, Carr would serve as an insurance policy, as Carolina's Jake Delhomme is coming off a season in which he struggled, specifically on third down, and Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck is recovering from a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Wherever Carr winds up, he'd be smart to choose the team with the best offensive line. In his five seasons in Houston, Carr was sacked a whopping 249 times, nearly 50 times per season. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was sacked just 141 times over that time.

The writing appears to be on the wall in Cleveland for former Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi, who underwent offseason knee surgery and watched as the Browns signed guard Eric Steinbach to a seven-year, $49 million contract. The Browns also signed veteran Seth McKinney, who has experience at guard and center, and re-signed interior linemen Hank Fraley and Lennie Friedman. Where does that leave Andruzzi? After two years with the Browns, he faces an uphill climb to hold on to his starting spot. "We've obviously added some people, trying to build some depth on the interior of our line," general manager Phil Savage said. "He'll be competing in that group."

With the 49ers agreeing to a lucrative four-year extension with running back Frank Gore last week -- a deal that included $14 million in bonuses and guarantees -- it was another reminder of what a steal Gore was as a third-round pick in 2005. After slipping because of injuries, Gore was picked 65th overall, the top selection in the third round. Few were mentioning Gore in the same sentence as Ronnie Brown (No. 2, Dolphins), Cedric Benson (No. 4, Bears), or Carnell Williams (No. 5, Buccaneers), but Gore finished ahead of each of them in the rushing race last season, totaling 1,695 yards, third-best in the league.

The NFL is tentatively scheduled to announce its full-season schedule on Thursday . . . The Bears weren't enamored with the Redskins' tactics last week, with Washington going public with its trade offer for disgruntled linebacker Lance Briggs before presenting the offer formally to Chicago, which probably wasn't the best way to spark trade discussions . . . Contract talks between the Patriots and free agent punter Todd Sauerbrun were at a standstill by the end of the week . . . Did You Know Dept.: The Dolphins have the longest active streak in professional sports of seasons without consecutive sub-.500 years, according to the team's public relations department. Miami last endured consecutive losing seasons in 1968-69.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.