INDIANAPOLIS -- As the Colts awaited their chance to look at a fifth-round defensive tackle last year, some fans started weaving a funny tag line through the conversation: Josh Chapman will save us.
Indianapolis definitely needed a defensive line boost. It didn't come, and Chapman never got on the field. The ACL tear he suffered in his final year at Alabama never healed enough to allow him to play.
But the team expects him to be a factor in 2013 as it continues to look for pieces that better fit their still-new 3-4 front.
Saturday at the NFL combine, ESPN injury expert Stephania Bell spoke with me about Chapman's recovery. We also talked about how Adrian Peterson set a ridiculous bar for guys like Chapman, Kenny Britt and Brian Cushing as they recover from similar knee injuries.