First, I want to thank the Colts on a
great year. I also want to thank them
for paying attention to fan feedback.
Being a season ticket holder I was invited to take several online
surveys throughout the year. Not sure if
it was a result of those surveys, but I appreciated the Colts doing the T-shirt
toss in the upper deck (600 section) and also getting “Blue” to visit the upper
deck as well during the last home game.
Hope the attention to the upper deck fans continues next season. I also entered a Facebook contest for season
ticket holders and was priviledged to have lunch at the Colts complex on 56th
St and see Grigson, Bob Lamey and three players. Rather cool to visit with other Colts season
ticket holders and hang out at the complex.
Nice touch. Now on to the theme
of this blog, building the roster monster.
This past year was supposed to be a rebuilding
year, though the team didn’t want to admit that at the beginning of the season
nor did they want any part of the word rebuild.
With all the roster turnover and young players added, it definitely had
the look and feel of a work in progress, a very early work in progress. Well, our team surprised everybody. Though I think the team was provided extra
motivation by Coach Chuck Pagano’s illness, and successful battle with
leukemia, I think the foundation for their motivation, mentality and
professionalism was founded by our new GM Grigson and coaching staff,
particularly Pagano, in training camp.
Given the roster, new coaching staff and schemes, I predicted a 5 win
season, 7 as the best-case scenario.
When you look back at the schedule, roster and add all the injuries to
key positions like the Offensive Line and the Defensive Line, 11 wins seems
pretty remarkable. Granted a lot of
their 2012-23 opponents didn’t play up to their pre-season expectations, namely
Detroit, Kansas City, Buffalo (all wins) and NY Jets. The schedule may prove to be a little tougher
next year with the likes of Denver, San Francisco and Seattle all on the
schedule, but it sure will be fun to watch out team compete.
Given this team played as well as they did
and gained not only experience, but playoff experience, and the fact that
they’ll have nearly $47 million to spend on re-signing and signing new players,
the future looks bright especially with the new rookie scale in place. So, where is that cash spent and most needed? Let’s take a look at the roster position by
position and rank where help is needed the most. Whether that means the talent will be
available in the draft or via free agency is a topic for a future blog.
Priority
#1: Offensive Line, Offense Line and Offensive Line. Namely, Right Tackle (RT) & Left Guard (LG)
and depth.
Seems like an old story that started even
before the dreadful 2-14 season, but Grigson did a pretty decent job of getting
affordable bodies in last year to at least get things started in the right
direction. However, due mostly to
injuries this group never gelled. Having
only played about four games together, it showed as Luck never had time to
throw for an entire game all season. 41 sacks isn’t getting it done. There were good quarters or halves, but never
a full game. With our future pinned to Luck
the line has to be addressed. Castonzo
was the only real spot locked up.
Ijalana was expected to battle for a starting job, but yet again was
placed on IR before the season began.
Though McGlynn, Justice and Satale were all very serviceable they never
really ever gelled as a unit, which I expected in a first year together, but
injuries didn’t even allow them to play that much together as a unit. I think the biggest issue was that they never
really played even two straight full games together. From years past, we’ve seen what a group of
average guys can look like if they just get to play together and get some
consistency and comfortability together, albeit Manning was good at covering up
weaknesses. I don’t dislike any of the
three and if any are replaced as starters, I think any of the three would be
great to have as backups. The real
question mark was at Right Guard (RG).
Sorry, but even if they weren’t playing merry-go-round being in/out of
the lineup due to injury, I just don’t see any of the three Reitz, Linkenbach
or Olsen as week to week starters and really, barely backups. Just getting a new starting RT & LG would
be a major upgrade. With Castonzo at LT,
McGlynn at RG and Satele as the C. Maybe
G Ijalana can come back from his injuries, but I don’t think we can keep
waiting on him. Hills and Sowell were
only brought in after injuries popped up as well as C Shipley. Looking at the only other possible body from
the roster is 2 year OL Ziemba who was on the practice squad and signed to a
future contract at season’s end. There
might be 4 guys who could/should(?) be brought back and think we need to be on
the lookout for a new starting RT, LG and backups at all positions, with maybe
the exception of C where Shipley wasn’t horrible…most of the time. Justice is a free agent, so may not be back
anyway. If he’s back, I think he’d serve
better in a backup role. In other words,
we’ll need to draft or find replacements in free agency and guys who could
backup more than one position would be preferable.
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LT
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Castonzo, Anthony
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??
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|
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LG
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??
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Reitz,
Joe(RFA)??
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|
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C
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Satele, Samson
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Shipley, A.Q.?
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|
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RG
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McGlynn, Mike
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Ijalana, Ben??
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|
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RT
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??
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Justice, Winston(FA)
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Priority
#2: Safety (S) starter and depth.
Zbikowski was alright, but alright didn’t
cut it. The guy is just too slow, but
still is serviceable as a backup and in special teams. After “Z” and Bethea, well there’s
nothing. Bethea is still good, but also
getting older and has a bigger contract.
If Bethea is retained, we’ll still need a backup. So, I see a need for at least two players
here, starting S to replace “Z” and a better backup to Bethea. Lefeged is, well Lefeged. He seemed to shine this year as a special
teamer, but we really need help when the Defense is on the field. “Z’s” backup Brown was best known for his
whiff in the last play at home vs. Jacksonville. Still haunts me thinking about that one. There were no S’s on the IR or practice squad,
so no prospects from either of those, so we’ll need to use the draft and free
agency to address these positions.
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SS
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??
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Zbikowski, Tom
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|
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FS
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Bethea, Antoine
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??
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Lefeged, Joe??
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Priorty
#3: Outside Linebacker (OLB)
Freeney is the big question mark here,
well sort of. He is a free agent, his
contract is huge and his lack of quality play through mid-season will likely
end his tenure as a Colt. I’m a huge
Freeney fan, so am sad to see this and would like to think by the way he played
the last few games of the season, he’d played better had it not been for an
injury in the first game of the season against the Bears. But, that’s the issue with him…injuries. That coupled with his age and contract value,
he’s become expendable. Now the issue is
replacing him. Not an easy task, but
knowing the defensive scheme, will make it easier to target a player. Hughes has long been a wait and see guy, but
I don’t think this management and coaching staff is in a wait and see mode. Seeing the team outperform expectations, I
think there’ll be a bit more urgency to let’s win this thing now attitude. If he’s kept through camp, he’ll need to make
some major steps to up his game to avoid becoming a camp/preseason
casualty. Maybe starting on the right
side in Freeney’s spot will be his moment.
I don’t have a lot of confidence in that happening. With Mathis the sure starter at LOLB/SLB and
after Hughes, that only leaves Westerman on the roster. I hated to see the Colts completely give up
on Fuggar, but guess they couldn’t wait on him or thought his injury was going
to slow his progress down too much. He
was picked up by Arizona after being waived.
Hickman was another rookie the Colts had, but was placed on IR. There are a few prospects at LB the Colts had
on the practice squad or signed to future contracts in Jake Killeen, Shawn
Loiseau and Monte Simmons, but I suspect that’s what they are…prospects and I’m
not sure any of the three except Simmons could play at the OLB position. That’s not what you need to replace a player
like Freeney or as quality depth. So,
the draft and free agency will need to be turned to, to fill this need.
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LOLB/SLB
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Mathis, Robert
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Hughes,
Jerry?
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|
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ROLB
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???
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???
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Priority
#4: Defensive Linemen DL, DE. Starters
and depth.
Redding was what I expected. He was more than adequate on the line and a
great leader on/off the field. The guy
added a fire to the D that I haven’t seen since Freeney’s hey days. But Redding seemed to be alone most of the
year in most games. I really liked
Moala’s progress, but his injury halted that and at a really bad time for the
Colt’s D. And while he was making
progress, he just doesn’t seem to be made of starter material. In addition, he’s a free agent. Add that to coming back from injury and I’d
like an upgrade. Matthews is the only
other guy on the roster at D-Lineman who started the season there. He’s another serviceable, affordable rotation
player, but not starter material. Guy,
Tevaseu, Geathers and Heard all were brought in due to injury. None of them wowed me, but filled in
admirably. I think one or all of them
made a case for themselves to compete for a backup position on next year’s
roster, but still none are starting material, at least didn’t show they were
this season. So, at the very least, a
starting DT and backup DE is needed.
For Nose Tackle (NT) let’s not forget
McKinney who went on IR before the season started. I liked the thought of him at the Nose Tackle
(NT) position and Redding at DE. Of
course, McKinney will be entering his 8th season and coming off an
injury now, so who knows at what level he can play now. Also on IR was Nevis and rookie
Chapman. The Colts seem high on Chapman
before the injury. Johnson the starting
NT for the year was serviceable and his contract is friendly, he also seems to
be in the same category of rotation player.
I’d like Johnson behind McKinney and Chapman assuming he’s healthy.
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DE
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Redding, Cory
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??
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|
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NT
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McKinney,
Brandon?
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Chapman, Josh
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Johnson, Antonio
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DT
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???
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Moala,
Fili(FA)
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Nevis, Drake
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Priority
#5: CB, namely depth but possibly starting RCB if Powers is not re-signed.
I thought the acquisition of Davis, though
costly (#2 selection in this year’s draft), was a good move. At the time, the Colts were still a young,
rebuilding team with no real thoughts of playoffs. That meant they had time to develop
Davis. He came out of shape and a
history of attitude and motivation issues.
I thought, ok, he’s got a season to get it right. The out of shape issue did seem to bite him
as he was injured and missed some time.
Not completely unexpected.
However, when he returned he started to show flashes of why he was
coveted coming out of college. I think
an offseason of regular workouts and being around this Colts team and staff
might just be what he needed to be the player everyone thought he’d be. I’m I wishful, sure. But, the guy has skills. If he can keep his body in shape and his mind
on the game, I think we have our starting left corner for years to come. The big question mark will be if Powers is re-signed
since he’s a free agent. He is coming
off an injury and has a big contract. If
kept, we have our starters and a decent group of guys to compete for backup
positions. If he is not re-signed, I
don’t think the starter is on the current roster. Vaughn proved he isn’t that guy, though has
value as a backup. Butler maybe found a
home. He doesn’t have it to be a
starter, but showed some games where he stepped up and don’t forget he led the
team in pick-sixes. Gordy also proved to
be serviceable. Marshay Green was the
only prospect that was on the practice squad and would be at best, competing
for a backup position, particularly if he can play special teams. If Powers is retained, I’d drop CB to a lower
priority as I’m comfortable (not quite doing a pick-six dance) with this group
especially given their contract values.
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LCB
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Davis, Vontae
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Vaughn, Cassius
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|
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RCB
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Powers, Jerraud(FA)
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Butler, Darrius
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Gordy, Josh
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Priority
#6: RB, particularly the 2nd RB and depth
RB Ballard solidified his spot as the
starter toward the end of the season, but after him what do they do. Brown will be coming off injury, but still
might be ok as the #2 or a changeup guy/backup. Injuries are starting to be a concern and
while it doesn’t seem he’s had a fair chance behind this year’s or previous
offensive lines that were primarily built for the passing game, just how long
can we keep saying that. He’ll be in
year #5, so it’s getting to the do or be cut time for him. Carter didn’t do anything to help his cause
when he was in. Maybe a nice play here
or there and maybe he can hide behind the O-Line issues too, but then again,
Ballard did ok with the same line. The
only others on the roster are Moore, who was cut during the season and only
brought back when Brown went to IR.
Karim was also brought back and while he looked good in the return game,
his RB skills are still to be seen. Colts
seem to really like Alexander, but was the expendable every time they needed to
cut a RB. He was on/off the practice
squad nearly all year and they did sign him after the season, which shows they liked
something about him. However, there’s
mixed reports on him. Espn.com NFL
transactions on January 10th shows him as signed by the Tennessee
Titans and also the Colts on the same day.
NFL.com shows him as a Titan.
Colts.com has him listed as being signed in their news report on January
10th. Whether he’s ready to
be a 2nd or 3rd RB in the lineup is still TBD. The Colts also signed Davin Meggett who ended
the year on the practice squad. While
the starter might have been settled by Ballard’s performance, the #2 spot and
backups are still up for grab. I think
if there’s a player worth taking a flyer on in the draft in the mid rounds,
they take him or look to free agency to add to the competition. Of course, fixing priority #1 – Offensive
Line – could help solve the RB priority faster.
A better line will always help the RB.
That coupled with several prospects, especially young prospects is why I
have RB this low on the list.
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RB
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Ballard, Vick
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Brown, Donald?
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Alexander, Alvester
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Priority
#7: ILB, depth
ILB Freeman and Angerer are both quality
starters. Freeman showed he is a
tackling stud. Angerer’s foot injury
caused him to miss several games and when he came back, it either was bothering
him or at least limited him. If one
could play at the RILB position that would a nice starting duo. Conner was ok and got lots of playing time
which helped boost his experience, so I think would be a quality backup. Injuries to Freeman and Angerer also cause a
question mark and raise the need for depth.
Either one being out for any time would mean the importance of this
position would move up this priority list.
Fokou and Harvey were ok, but we couldn’t depend on either as
starters. Edds and Lutrus were on
IR. Neither seemed like starter material
and both will be coming off injury.
Loiseau is the only prospect the Colts had on the practice squad, but
not sure if he’s an inside or outside LB.
Seems the Colts have starters in Freeman and Angerer and several guys to
compete for the backup roles, which is why ILB is this low on the priority
list.
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RILB
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Angerer, Pat
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Conner,
Kavell
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|
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LILB
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Freeman, Jerrell
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???
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Priority
#8: WR, depth, possible starter
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WR
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Wayne, Reggie
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Hilton,
T.Y. Whalen, Griff
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WR
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Avery or FA vet?
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Brazil, LaVon
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Palmer, Nathan
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Priority
#9: Returners, particularly kickoff (KR)
Hilton seemed to settle in as the punt
returner (PR) and most likely the job is his.
However, if he’s moved up to #2 WR, that could change this thought. Brazil might get another opportunity and
maybe he’s ready this time around. He
didn’t do well when given a chance early in the season. He had too many bad judgments. Maybe that was just rookie jitters and
another year helps. If not, Hilton will
be the guy unless someone else steps up or is brought in. Karim came in late in the season and was
given a shot. He didn’t disappoint in
the last home game vs. the Texans taking one to the house. But, let’s not get carried away. That was one return for one game. If he can make a splash as a backup RB and
keep up his upward trend in the kick return game, maybe we found our guy. Only other guy the Colts listed as a backup
for both positions is Zbikowski. I like
this attitude and toughness, but he just doesn’t have the speed.
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KR
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Karim, Deji?
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Hilton, T.Y.
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Brazil,
LaVon
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|
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PR
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Hilton, T.Y.
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Brazil,
LaVon
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Priority
#10: Kicker (K) and Punter (P) – but
only if either is let go or not re-signed.
These are the wildcard positions that
could shoot up the priority list if either are not kept or re-signed. Though Vinatieri started the season slow, he
did perform well over the course of the year.
However, you can’t ignore his age and contract. Vinatieri is under contract, so we’re good
there. Financially, he’s a big hit. However, are there any other quality,
dependable kickers available? If there’s
another younger K who’s more affordable and as solid, this could be a position
that might see a change to join the trend of going younger. As far as punter, we just need to resign
McAfee, period. If we don’t, punter
moves to #1 which I think weakens the team considering where we are at with the
Offensive and Defensive lines. Let’s
also not forget he’s our kickoff guy too, not Vinatier,i and he’s been
good. Not only good, but seems to be getting
better with both his kickoffs and directional punting. Overton was solid in his first year, so we’re
good with long snapper (LS).
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PK
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Vinatieri, Adam
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McAfee, Pat
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P
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McAfee, Pat
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|
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H
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McAfee, Pat
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|
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LS
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Overton, Matt
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Priority
#11: Quarterback, BACKUP - possibly
With Luck as the starter…well, need I say
more. He was expected to be good, but
this soon and that good? He showed he
had poise in the pocket and could deliver with his arm and more importantly
brain. He showed mobility, more than I
really expected and major stamina & guts.
The guy was sacked 41 times and took some monster hits. And if not for his legs, it would have been
many more. Remember the hit in the Green
Bay game? And he got up smiling. Damn, I like our QB. The only knock was learning to take a sack vs.
INT and/or making better decisions when throwing the ball away. I think those INTs/fumbles late in the season
came as a result of being told to get rid of the ball if the pocket is closing
in. He just needs to know when to do
either and that taking a sack isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Well, unless it’s 41 times. Let’s not forget, this was his FIRST
year. The only question would be for the
backup QB position. Stanton is solid, if
he’s ok with remaining a backup with so many teams needing starters and backups
where the backup is surely to get playing time (can you say, J-E-T-S, Jets,
Jets, Jets? or the QB-less Cardinals?).
If I were Arizona, Jacksonville, Buffalo, NY Jets, Oakland, Kansas City,
Philadelphia, and possibly Chicago if they can’t fix their O-line to keep
Cutler upright. If Stanton leaves/is
traded (which might be a valuable option), we’ll need a backup and is the only
reason this is next to last vs. last in the priority list. Personally, I hope we keep him. Of course, we also have Harnish who spent the
latter half of the season on the practice squad. If he’s ready to make the jump to a full time
backup, then maybe Stanton does indeed become trade bait on draft day.
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QB
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Luck, Andrew
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Stanton, Drew or Harnish, Chandler
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Priority
#12: Tight End (TE)
The Colts hit home runs with the rookies
they drafted last year. Allen is going
to be a stud. His big size compliments
our WRs very well and can line up as a Full Back (FB). Fleener just needs to work on his hands, but
his first year showed lots of promise. Behind
them were a cast of guys who were brought in after Fleener got hurt. Saunders is young and looks to have some
promise. The Colts seem to like D Jones
as well. He was on/off the roster and
practice squad and was signed after the season to a future contract. Martell Web was another guy that was on/off
the practice squad but was signed by the Tennessee Titans. Kyle Miller was also a guy that was on/off
the practice squad and signed with the Miami Dolphins.
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TE
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Allen, Dwayne
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Fleener,
Coby
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Saunders,
Weslye/Jones, Dominique
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I’ll
continue searching and reading and report updates here. Next blog, I plan to start evaluating free
agents available that the Colts might take a look at to fill the open spots
just mentioned in the priority roster monter list.
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