looking at the potential of our defense

[CR91]

we all know mathis and davis and redding and landry, but there could be some real potential in hidden gems

 

josh chapman- this is gonna be the first year he is the starter, he showed a lot of potential stopping the run and made probably one of the amazing stops ive ever see on the lawfirm that the refs got wrong. chapman, jones, and redding are really gonna help us stop the run

 

bjoern werner- looking back to jerry hughes, he didnt get his first sack for two years and werner got 2.5 in limited action so its something to build on. he did seem like a liability in the run and couldnt set the edge, but more time to work with mathis and more playing time and I think he can get that sack total up to 7 or 8

 

montori hughes- he only played a limited amount of snaps before he got hurt, but it was obvious to me the guy had a nicke of getting in the backfield and with him and chapman rotating inside we can have a duo of very good NTs.

 

delano howell- the guy was becoming a fan favorite before he got hurt. his tackling leaves much to desire, but he did play decent coverage and had a nice impact against the 49ers in his first game. rather hes the starter or not, he could be someone to watch for. 

 

daniel adongo- probably the most interesting project to look at. he obviously looks the part as he and mathis seem to have the same physique now its just seeing if he understands the concept of football and can make an impact. 

[BlueCollarColts]

I am a big Delano Howell fan, and I think he will actually be an improvement for our defense over Bethea due to his superior coverage skills and him being younger with expectations for him to improve 

 

 

Please don't make me look dumb Howell! 

[TKnight24]

Josh McNary & Josh Gordy I'd add to that solid list

[21isSuperman]

My eyes are solely on Werner.  I didn't like the pick when it was made, and I still don't like it.  Polian took a 3-4 OLB to play in a 4-3; Grigs took a 4-3 DE to play in a 3-4.  I'm really hoping Werner proves me wrong, but I was severely underwhelmed by his play.  His pass rush was satisfactory for a rookie, but he had a lot of trouble against the run.  Here's hoping he really picks it up next year

[Jason_]

Josh McNary & Josh Gordy I'd add to that solid list

 

I don't know about the "solid" list for McNary.  I'd put him on the "intriguing, let's see how much he can improve" list.  If there is one. lol

 

As for the comments on Werner, yeah he did struggle against the run early in the season, but after he healed from his injury and shook the rust off I thought he showed quite a bit of improvement in that area.  Especially when considering it was not in the original plans to have him play SamLB but due to injuries, he wound up playing there the majority of the time when he was in the base defense.  I am very excited to see how he progresses from year 1 to year 2.

 

As for the overall potential of the defense....I think to last season before the injuries to Reggie and Toler and think about how the defense was playing.  They shut San Fran completely down.  They held  Denver to one of their fewest point outputs of the season.  They were playing much better than I thought they would early on considering the number of new players that were added.

 

Now, though, we have a veteran Mike LB in the mix.  We have Arthur Jones in the mix which greatly improves our overall DL depth.  Hopefully Toler stays healthy but if not, at least we know we can survive with either Butler or Gordy out there instead of Vaughn, and that's not including the potential to add a talented CB in the draft or the possible improvement Price might have made.

 

Add in  some talented players hopefully in the draft plus the development of McNary, Adongo, Muamba, Hughes and Werner and I'm very excited to see what they can do.

[TKnight24]

My eyes are solely on Werner. I didn't like the pick when it was made, and I still don't like it. Polian took a 3-4 OLB to play in a 4-3; Grigs took a 4-3 DE to play in a 3-4. I'm really hoping Werner proves me wrong, but I was severely underwhelmed by his play. His pass rush was satisfactory for a rookie, but he had a lot of trouble against the run. Here's hoping he really picks it up next year

Mathis has trouble against the run as well

[TKnight24]

I don't know about the "solid" list for McNary. I'd put him on the "intriguing, let's see how much he can improve" list. If there is one. lol

As for the comments on Werner, yeah he did struggle against the run early in the season, but after he healed from his injury and shook the rust off I thought he showed quite a bit of improvement in that area. Especially when considering it was not in the original plans to have him play SamLB but due to injuries, he wound up playing there the majority of the time when he was in the base defense. I am very excited to see how he progresses from year 1 to year 2.

As for the overall potential of the defense....I think to last season before the injuries to Reggie and Toler and think about how the defense was playing. They shut San Fran completely down. They held Denver to one of their fewest point outputs of the season. They were playing much better than I thought they would early on considering the number of new players that were added.

Now, though, we have a veteran Mike LB in the mix. We have Arthur Jones in the mix which greatly improves our overall DL depth. Hopefully Toler stays healthy but if not, at least we know we can survive with either Butler or Gordy out there instead of Vaughn, and that's not including the potential to add a talented CB in the draft or the possible improvement Price might have made.

Add in some talented players hopefully in the draft plus the development of McNary, Adongo, Muamba, Hughes and Werner and I'm very excited to see what they can do.

No, your list is invalid

[21isSuperman]

Mathis has trouble against the run as well

I think Mathis is slightly underrated against the run.  Werner looked completely lost against the run.  He would get washed away by blockers and had difficulty setting the edge.  And even if Mathis isn't great against the run, he's excellent as a pass rusher.  Werner has lots of room to grow, so I'm hoping for good things

[akcolt]

Werner, McNary, Chapman, Hughes, should all be better. I like Gordy to keep getting better too.

 

Howell is going to surprise a lot of people. There were times I thought he was our best S last year.

 

RJF will be healthy and hopefully start to earn that money. He miss 6 and play on 1 leg to end the yr. I really think this could be the year it all comes together on DEFENSE finally. I have wanted the Colts to have a nasty mean D that just crushes people for so long. I think we are going in the right direction. If we can avoid the injuries.

 

We add a couple more pieces in the draft and after June 1st cuts. There are vets out there that could still help if Grigs wanted to bring them in. Both Spencer and Williams are floating around. Williams would add even more beef to the middle and Spencer could move along slowly while recovering from his knee surgery doing nothing more than situational pass rushing for us. Of course those guy's would have to agree to deals that match their roles. Just saying there are options if we choose.

 

I wouldn't get to excited on Adongo except on special teams. They started easing him in last year to get him used to the speed of the game. He is a project. We will see how far he has come in the preseason.

 

We have Muamba from the CFL too. See what he can bring. I am pretty excited about the potential on the roster.

[Smonroe]

I think Mathis is slightly underrated against the run.  Werner looked completely lost against the run.  He would get washed away by blockers and had difficulty setting the edge.  And even if Mathis isn't great against the run, he's excellent as a pass rusher.  Werner has lots of room to grow, so I'm hoping for good things

Mathis is actually very good against the run. It's just not his job, he's there to put pressure on the QB.

Got to give Werner, and all the rooks a chance to show their true colors. Most players don't come into the NFL and become immediate stars.

[akcolt]

That doesn't even take in to account the upgrade Jones and Jackson add to the middle. Keep building love to see an all D draft.

 

Lamarcus Joyner to play where ever S or CB  and just crush people I know it would be a slip for him but one can hope he is there at 59. Then grab our corner of the future Desir or I really like Exum. Really excited about the D this year.

 

Funny since we gave up a basketball score our last 2 game combined.

[21isSuperman]

Mathis is actually very good against the run. It's just not his job, he's there to put pressure on the QB.

Got to give Werner, and all the rooks a chance to show their true colors. Most players don't come into the NFL and become immediate stars.

Agreed.  Last year, he was able to sit behind Walden and Mathis and learn the system and speed of the game.  I'm looking for him to make an impact this year

[TKnight24]

That doesn't even take in to account the upgrade Jones and Jackson add to the middle. Keep building love to see an all D draft.

Lamarcus Joyner to play where ever S or CB and just crush people I know it would be a slip for him but one can hope he is there at 59. Then grab our corner of the future Desir or I really like Exum. Really excited about the D this year.

Funny since we gave up a basketball score our last 2 game combined.

While i agree with you on the all defense draft, the reality of that happening is slim with Mr. Grigson as our GM

The man is flat out unpredictable so all we can do is watch & enjoy the ride

[CR91]

While i agree with you on the all defense draft, the reality of that happening is slim with Mr. Grigson as our GM

The man is flat out unpredictable so all we can do is watch & enjoy the ride

I wouldn't be surprised if he took dri archer. Man loves speed

[TKnight24]

I wouldn't be surprised if he took dri archer. Man loves speed

How'd you draw up the conclusion he loves speed?

Ty Hilton

LaVon Brazill

K Willy

Those are the only ones I can think of who have speed that he drafted

[Dark Superman]

McNary and Muamba also have my eye.

As well as the tandem of Jackson and Freeman

[NewColtsFan]

For me, the biggest issue for Howell is not the level of his play -- though I certainly wouldn't expect him at Bethea's level his first year as a starter -- but it's his ability (or INability) to stay healthy.

 

Delano has always had a problem staying healthy.  

 

I know the stats say he played most games at Stanford.    Let's just say he might've started,  but rarely finished many of those games.    His body breaks down often.     And I'd expect that to continue on the NFL level.

 

That's my concern...........

[TKnight24]

For me, the biggest issue for Howell is not the level of his play -- though I certainly wouldn't expect him at Bethea's level his first year as a starter -- but it's his ability (or INability) to stay healthy.

 

Delano has always had a problem staying healthy.  

 

I know the stats say he played most games at Stanford.    Let's just say he might've started,  but rarely finished many of those games.    His body breaks down often.     And I'd expect that to continue on the NFL level.

 

That's my concern...........

 

Being as how you're a Stanford fan, I'll take your word on that evaluation

[throwing BBZ]

I think Mathis is slightly underrated against the run.  Werner looked completely lost against the run.  He would get washed away by blockers and had difficulty setting the edge.  And even if Mathis isn't great against the run, he's excellent as a pass rusher.  Werner has lots of room to grow, so I'm hoping for good things

 

! Mathis has always been a TARGET against the run. Hopefully he plays a lot less 1st downs in our future. He is a PR Specialist!

Redding got abused against the run in the Playoffs. It was UGLY!

[CR91]

How'd you draw up the conclusion he loves speed?

Ty Hilton

LaVon Brazill

K Willy

Those are the only ones I can think of who have speed that he drafted

Neither Brazill or Williams were draft needs.

[SteelDragon]

I'm not exactly in love with this defense.  I get it, Grigson started a rebuilding process only two years ago and he's made the most of what was available within that short time frame.  Also, there's still the draft.  But, there are a lot of unknown quantities here. I mean A LOT!  I hope the young guys make the second year leap, and I hope the FAs from last year improve.  

But so far, only Mathis looks like a play-maker and he's getting long in tooth and short on longevity.  Davis has the potential to be a game-changer.  If nothing else, he's paid like a top-tier CB.  The rest of this cast looks mediocre.  This defense is short on studs!

If nothing else, I want these guys to be quasi-competent against the run and semi-reliable on getting the opposing offenses off the field on third downs.

My mind's eye suspects the offense will have to be elite for the Colts to hoist a Lombardi this season.

[unvrsty07]

While i agree with you on the all defense draft, the reality of that happening is slim with Mr. Grigson as our GM

The man is flat out unpredictable so all we can do is watch & enjoy the ride

 

His drafting is unpredictable I would agree but his free agents not so much. We needed ILB help so he got Jackson, we needed a receiver so he got Nicks, we needed Satele gone so he was cut, brought in a new C and picked up a DE/DT hybrid in Jones. Not really any surprises. We obviously need a S, OL depth, and a CB. Who Grigson drafts at those positions is certainly debatable but I am pretty confident those positions will be drafted in May. So perhaps not as unpredictable as you (myself included) think.

[TKnight24]

His drafting is unpredictable I would agree but his free agents not so much. We needed ILB help so he got Jackson, we needed a receiver so he got Nicks, we needed Satele gone so he was cut, brought in a new C and picked up a DE/DT hybrid in Jones. Not really any surprises. We obviously need a S, OL depth, and a CB. Who Grigson drafts at those positions is certainly debatable but I am pretty confident those positions will be drafted in May. So perhaps not as unpredictable as you (myself included) think.

But what I'm saying is, what us fans & the NFL network losers think will be filled come draft day..... Grigson may not fill

Like for example, let's say we're all watching the draft waiting for a S to come off the board to the . Let's say that doesn't happen, the forum goes into an uproar cause they don't know who'll be at safety. Then a couple days later, Grigson signs a safety from the CFL

Just little things like that is what makes him unpredictable in my opinion

[akcolt]

Howell and Landry will be playing S. Maybe a S is drafted but I don't see any rookies starting unless it is on the O Line barring injuries. . That is a good thing. It means we have a good team and can draft best available player to continue adding depth.

 

I would be surprised if a rookie started on O Line maybe Lance Louis wins a job especially if Thomas is slow to recover. I think Thorton will be much improved and more comfortable back at RG. Holmes v Costa winner is our C.

 

If everyone is healthy i just don't see someone coming in at 59 and starting over what we have. I can see rookies potentially contributing as rotational or situational players and on special teams but to crack the top 22 don't see it. 

[BlueCollarColts]

So our defense is looking like this currently right?

 

 

Corners: Toler and Davis (Butler as nickel)             

 

Safeties: Delano Howell and LaRon Landry (Big Howell fan here, I think he can be a very good player)

 

MLB: D'Qwell Jackson and Jerrell Freeman

 

OLB: Robert Mathis, Erik Walden, and Bjoern Werner (all 3 will rotate quite a bit)

 

D-line: Arthur Jones, Josh Chapman, and Ricky Jean-Francois/Cory Redding

 

 

Looks pretty good to me, hopefully Toler can stay healthy

[NewColtsFan]

How'd you draw up the conclusion he loves speed?

Ty Hilton

LaVon Brazill

K Willy

Those are the only ones I can think of who have speed that he drafted

 

Here's another.....   not drafted, but pursued and signed as a free agent.

 

The one....    the only.......

 

Darrius Heyward-Bay.

 

That's speed!

[Valpo2004]

So our defense is looking like this currently right?

 

 

Corners: Toler and Davis (Butler as nickel)             

 

Safeties: Delano Howell and LaRon Landry (Big Howell fan here, I think he can be a very good player)

 

MLB: D'Qwell Jackson and Jerrell Freeman

 

OLB: Robert Mathis, Erik Walden, and Bjoern Werner (all 3 will rotate quite a bit)

 

D-line: Arthur Jones, Josh Chapman, and Ricky Jean-Francois/Cory Redding

 

 

Looks pretty good to me, hopefully Toler can stay healthy

 

If I had to guess though I think we'll likely be drafting heavy defense.  If Grigs is happy with our interior line as it is now then there is really no reason to draft offense at any position unless you get a player who is just too good to pass up.  

 

So I expect Grigs to go BPA on defense for at least the 2nd and 3rd rounds.  And I would not be surprised at all if every draft pick is a defensive player.  

[ProblChld32]

I think they will show a HUGE improvement against the run with additions of D-Jax and Jones. These two gentleman right here are going to do some amazing things for the Defense. Jones t me will be a huge component in this Defense he's great against the run and while not a "Sack Master" his ability to penetrate and force QB's out of the pocket is outstanding as well. Im looking forward to this defense forcing a bunch of 3 and out's, Sacks and TO's!!!!!

[MikeVander]

It will be difficult to assess. While the defense may be better, so will jacksonville and houston.

[dudeski]

I think Mathis is slightly underrated against the run. Werner looked completely lost against the run. He would get washed away by blockers and had difficulty setting the edge. And even if Mathis isn't great against the run, he's excellent as a pass rusher. Werner has lots of room to grow, so I'm hoping for good things

not true at all

[HGRekks]

Neither Brazill or Williams were draft needs.

They were 6th and 7th round picks, respectively. Just finding a contributor in that range is typically the goal. You don't typically think you'll fill a 'need' in those rounds.

[HtownColt]

Just stats I came across on Toler pre injury

@Colts_Comments: Greg Toler in 2013 (before injury):

38 Targets

21 Receptions

55% Completion Percentage

264 Rec. Yards

3 TDs

1 INT

4 Pass Def