Wayne ready to be a leader as primary threat in Colts' passing game

With Marvin Harrison gone, you'd expect Reggie Wayne to be front and center in the plans of the Indianapolis Colts' braintrust.

That's true, figuratively and literally.

New Colts coach Jim Caldwell has rearranged the seating chart in the team meeting room, and now Wayne is right in the middle of the front row, not out at the end of one of the middle rows.

"I've been sitting in the same seat for about 71/2 years,'' the three-time Pro Bowl receiver said with a smile. "Now I'm sitting up there in the front row,'' Wayne said. "I go from the middle on the end to the front and in the middle.''

Front and center.

That's Reggie Wayne.
No longer is he half of one of the NFL's most prolific receiving tandems. When the Colts terminated Harrison's contract in February -- he was deemed too expensive with a 2009 base salary of $9 million and clearly was on the downside of a Hall of Fame career -- the baton officially was passed to Wayne. He already had escaped Harrison's immense shadow and emerged as quarterback Peyton Manning's most reliable and productive receiver.

"If you asked any cornerback,'' Manning said, "Reggie had truly established himself as a No. 1 receiver. As a quarterback, boy, what a great luxury to have two No. 1 receivers.''

But with Harrison's exodus, Wayne became the only No. 1.

Or, in Wayne's words, "I am the Marv.''
Over the past five seasons, the 2001 first-round draft pick has established himself as one of the league's elite receivers. His 6,230 yards rank first among receivers while his 432 receptions rank fourth. He and Green Bay's Donald Driver are the only players heading into 2009 with five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

Nothing Wayne has achieved has surprised team president Bill Polian. He points to Wayne's work ethic; Wayne spends much of his offseason laboring with other NFL players at the University of Miami. He also points to Wayne's consummate skills.

"He can do everything you want a wide receiver to do -- run, catch, block, run after the catch, get open, get deep,'' Polian said. "He's got incredible hands.''

nd he's durable. Including the playoffs, Wayne has started 110 consecutive games.

"You can count on him to be there on Sunday in the fourth quarter on the critical third-and-5 that you have to convert,'' Manning said. "It's just nice having a guy that can be accountable like that. Hopefully, these young receivers will follow that lead.''

Being the unquestioned focal point of the receiving corps brings additional challenges for Wayne, who's entering his ninth season with the Colts. Defensive coordinators undoubtedly will game plan more ardently to limit Wayne's effectiveness, forcing Manning to look elsewhere. And as one of the team's elder statesmen, the 30-year-old Wayne must assume more of a leadership role for a young group that includes Anthony Gonzalez, Pierre Garcon, Roy Hall and Austin Collie.

Other than having to get accustomed to Harrison's vacant cubicles next to his in the locker room, Wayne said "nothing is going to change on my end.''

He insisted he's in the best shape he's been in since college, ready for what's ahead.

"I feel like, body-wise, that I'm in my early 20s,'' Wayne said. "Mind-wise, I know I'm 30, but it's all about how you feel. I feel like I have a lot more that I can do.

"It's not just about the numbers. It's about being a complete player, helping the younger guys, being a better blocker, whatever it takes. I want to Jerry Rice this thing. I just want to do it. I want to play for as long as I possibly can.''

Wayne's world

A look at how the Colts Reggie Wayne compares with the NFL's other wide receivers over the past five regular seasons:

Top 10

Player	G	Rec.	Yards	Avg.	TDs
Torry Holt	78	446	5,876	13.2	39
Houshmandzadeh	75	445	5,062	11.4	36
Derrick Mason	80	433	5,115	11.8	22
Reggie Wayne	80	432	6,230	14.4	42
Larry Fitzgerald	76	426	5,975	14.0	46
Chad Ochocinco	77	425	6,055	14.2	37
Andre Johnson	70	420	5,403	12.9	29
Donald Driver	79	418	5,784	13.8	29
Anquan Boldin	64	401	5,119	12.8	32
L. Coles	76	379	4,389	11.6	25

Other notables

Player	G	Rec.	Yards	Avg.	TDs
Hines Ward	74	375	4,729	12.6	35
Terrell Owens	68	359	5,550	15.9	58
Steve Smith	60	357	5,212	14.6	33
Marvin Harrison	67	343	4,508	13.1	45
Randy Moss	74	318	4,826	15.2	58

(indystar.com)