Matt Kalil To Enter 2012 Draft - Would Love Him If Peyton Back, Due Have Other Needs Though

[bayone]

USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil has decided to forgo his senior season and seek entry into the 2012 NFL draft.

ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen first reported Kalil's decision

Kalil, a projected top-five pick, informed Trojans coach Lane Kiffin, other staff members and teammates of his decision to turn pro. Kalil has received numerous All-American honors this year.

The 6-foot-7, 295-pound Kalil redshirted as a freshman, was backup to Charles Brown his second year and then started his final two years for the Trojans at left tackle.

In 2011, Kalil didn't allow a sack and led the USC offensive line to the lowest sack-allowed total in the country.

ESPN.com's Scouts, Inc. ranks Kalil as the No. 2 prospect in the nation at any position, behind only Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. Other top tackles include Stanford's Jonathan Martin and Iowa's Riley Reiff, although most scouts have Kalil firmly ahead of them.

PEDIGREE

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Kalil's brother, Ryan Kalil, was a second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2007 out of USC and signed a $49 million extension last summer that made him the highest-paid center in the NFL.

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/bcCKd

[rockywoj]

If I am a team builder and I have a healthy Peyton Manning returning, I look to make both the offensive and defensive lines monstrously good. To that end, I would try to work things so that I can get Kalil to be the OLT, move Castonzo to ORT, where I think he will better perform. Also, I would be highly confident that fantastic prospect Ijilana, whom many experts have projected as being best suited for OG in the pros, can indeed blossom as a future pro bowl OG, and thusly the Colts look to have a super solid top flight offensive line for the next decade to come. Hence, Manning for the next four years (and his successor thereafter), and also the running game, can again blossom into the NFL's best offensive unit.

After that, my attention would turn to defense ... shoring up DT, CB, SS, and OLB. The only distraction to this plan might be a top flight WR prospect.

This is how I see the Colts most effectively being retooled.

If Manning cannot make it back, then no brainer, take Luck. Assuming Manning can return and be, well, Peyton Manning, Then trade Luck for a bounty full of players and draft picks, with my preference being to get Kalil. I like the idea of looking to Cleveland in Trading Luck, getting Phil Taylor at DT and Colt McCoy as back-up QB ... and a couple or three premium draft picks as well.

[oldunclemark]

If I am a team builder and I have a healthy Peyton Manning returning, I look to make both the offensive and defensive lines monstrously good. To that end, I would try to work things so that I can get Kalil to be the OLT, move Castonzo to ORT, where I think he will better perform. Also, I would be highly confident that fantastic prospect Ijilana, whom many experts have projected as being best suited for OG in the pros, can indeed blossom as a future pro bowl OG, and thusly the Colts look to have a super solid top flight offensive line for the next decade to come. Hence, Manning for the next four years (and his successor thereafter), and also the running game, can again blossom into the NFL's best offensive unit.

After that, my attention would turn to defense ... shoring up DT, CB, SS, and OLB. The only distraction to this plan might be a top flight WR prospect.

This is how I see the Colts most effectively being retooled.

If Manning cannot make it back, then no brainer, take Luck. Assuming Manning can return and be, well, Peyton Manning, Then trade Luck for a bounty full of players and draft picks, with my preference being to get Kalil. I like the idea of looking to Cleveland in Trading Luck, getting Phil Taylor at DT and Colt McCoy as back-up QB ... and a couple or three premium draft picks as well.

Ricky..what makes you suggest that Anthony Costanzo would be better at right tackle?

Just asking.

[BmoreColt]

If I am a team builder and I have a healthy Peyton Manning returning, I look to make both the offensive and defensive lines monstrously good. To that end, I would try to work things so that I can get Kalil to be the OLT, move Castonzo to ORT, where I think he will better perform. Also, I would be highly confident that fantastic prospect Ijilana, whom many experts have projected as being best suited for OG in the pros, can indeed blossom as a future pro bowl OG, and thusly the Colts look to have a super solid top flight offensive line for the next decade to come. Hence, Manning for the next four years (and his successor thereafter), and also the running game, can again blossom into the NFL's best offensive unit.

After that, my attention would turn to defense ... shoring up DT, CB, SS, and OLB. The only distraction to this plan might be a top flight WR prospect.

This is how I see the Colts most effectively being retooled.

If Manning cannot make it back, then no brainer, take Luck. Assuming Manning can return and be, well, Peyton Manning, Then trade Luck for a bounty full of players and draft picks, with my preference being to get Kalil. I like the idea of looking to Cleveland in Trading Luck, getting Phil Taylor at DT and Colt McCoy as back-up QB ... and a couple or three premium draft picks as well.

I have been saying this for many weeks! And have fellow fans all over this! Kalil to LT, Castonzo who is more of a RT, to RT, Ijalana to G, as he was predicted to be able to play! And people say no no no, then we wasted last years draft! Building anything takes time! Those two draft picks last year will only solidify the offensive line and protect Manning efficiently until he retires! But I was told this idea was crazy! Also to your point abotu rebuilding the D, other than NT, CB, SS, linebacker is very important, a new middle and another outside are required!

[bayone]

I have been saying this for many weeks! And have fellow fans all over this! Kalil to LT, Castonzo who is more of a RT, to RT, Ijalana to G, as he was predicted to be able to play! And people say no no no, then we wasted last years draft! Building anything takes time! Those two draft picks last year will only solidify the offensive line and protect Manning efficiently until he retires! But I was told this idea was crazy! Also to your point abotu rebuilding the D, other than NT, CB, SS, linebacker is very important, a new middle and another outside are required!

Kalil at LT, Cast RT , Sat center , Ijlana one of the guards, take a new center next year if pollack cant make the switch, makes for a great line & just fill in another guard and reitz seems fine as of now

[BmoreColt]

Kalil at LT, Cast RT , Sat center , Ijlana one of the guards, take a new center next year if pollack cant make the switch, makes for a great line & just fill in another guard and reitz seems fine as of now

Trade back, select Kalil, and select a guard with u[side later in the draft to compete with Reitz! Thats what I was thinking, I even would go a step further and taknig Kelechi Osemele in the second round have a serious line of Kalil, Ijalana, Saturday, Osemele, Castonzo! That is SERIOUS! Peyton will upright the rest of his career, and the run game would be amazing! This is such a good strategy, but everyone says that same crap, oh we selected two tackles last year..SO WHAT! It was one tackle who is more of a right tackle, and a kid who had the potential to play guard, he could transition to LG, he is still on the left side which he knows well! It makes sense!

[Moncrief]

Plus we would have 4 LTs on our line so if one of them goes down not a big deal.

[BmoreColt]

Plus we would have 4 LTs on our line so if one of them goes down not a big deal.

With plenty of depth on the offensive line! Castonso could go back to LT, or Ijalana could play LT, and Reitz could start at G... but the idea really gets shot down, because the Colts selected to "tackles" last year, and because Polian said Ijalana isn't a Guard, then it must be accurate.

[doogansquest]

Ijalana isn't a guard. He played tackle, he was drafted as a tackle, and after pre-season and practice, was backing up our tackles. In Madden, you can throw OL guys anywhere because of their rating. In reality land, it makes a mess. The only reason scouts said he could play guard was because of his height. Nothing more.

Castonzo was projected as a LT because that's basically what he played all his life. He's also pretty good there, despite a terrible QB taking snaps and calling blocking schemes. Our run game is certainly the best we've seen in a few years.

All of that said, while the above posters are dead wrong about the reasons to take Kalil, it's a better decision than taking Luck, in my opinion. As the Steelers and Packers are quickly proving, you can never have too many good linemen.

[coltsblue1844]

_{While i agree that Kalil will likely be a very good NFL LT, i feel that Castonzo, once completely healthy and with the benefit of a FULL off season plus his experience from this season, will be a fine LT...also, provided that Ijalana completely heals from his knee injury, he has the talent and athletic ability to make a good LT or RT...}

_{If we were to take an o-lineman in the draft, i would MUCH prefer to get a starting guard...someone like DeCastro would be GREAT to have on our line.}

[BmoreColt]

Ijalana isn't a guard. He played tackle, he was drafted as a tackle, and after pre-season and practice, was backing up our tackles. In Madden, you can throw OL guys anywhere because of their rating. In reality land, it makes a mess. The only reason scouts said he could play guard was because of his height. Nothing more.

Castonzo was projected as a LT because that's basically what he played all his life. He's also pretty good there, despite a terrible QB taking snaps and calling blocking schemes. Our run game is certainly the best we've seen in a few years.

All of that said, while the above posters are dead wrong about the reasons to take Kalil, it's a better decision than taking Luck, in my opinion. As the Steelers and Packers are quickly proving, you can never have too many good linemen.

Well Doogan, leave it to you to say something about Madden scenarios, when I dont have Madden, nor a game system for that matter. Nobody who says he can paly Guard is using a Madden scenario, he was scouted to have the ability to play Guard, and his height had no part of the reason why he could be a guard, it was because of his tenacity and mulling in run blocking! So you are DEAD WRONG, making assumptions about why people view something how they do, and would you really take the word of Polian, who doesn't know talent if it fell in his lap? The previous 5 drafts should prove that... And you just said why its a good reason to take Kalil, is what I have been saying as my support, you build inside out, and you can not go wrong taking a blue chip LT, even if you took two linemen in a previous draft! Kalil is better than Castonzo, why would that be a bad thing to solidify the O line even more?

[rockywoj]

RE: Ijilana to Guard

A lot of OTs over the years have transitioned to OG and been very effective. If an OL prospect is of premium talent, generally that talent can project to either OT or OG. If Ijilana is purely an OT incapable of playing OG, even with outstanding coaching, then he must not be a very good OL prospect.

Great coaching can take great players and make them fit where a team can find them to be most useful. The Colts have what I am sure will be a very solid OT in Castonzo, but in watching him last year in college, at the Senior Bowl, and this year in the pros, to me he just looks like a guy that is better suited to RT. Hence, if the Colts have the opportunity to select a premier OLT prospect and if that OLT prospect is the best OLT prospect in years, then I say jump at the chance. Clearly the Colts still need a very good young OG, I, unlike Doogan, think that guy can be Ijilana. If, however, Ijilana can indeed be that outstanding OLT prospect that I think the Colts still need, then fine, go with a later pick for a premier OG prospect.

My own philosophy is that if you have excellent prospects that are excellent athletes, they should not be so pigeon holed as to think they are only capable of playing one position like LT, rather than them being talented enough to be effective at another position like OG. Like I said, a lot of OTs have successfully become OGs.

The Colts have a lot of needs, though, so whether they can be best by using their premier picks on a QB, DT, OT or OG, or a CB or WR or even an OLB or SS is a matter of debate. Holding such a high pick this year, though, means that they should be able to get a premier player, regardless, that will hopefully turn into a pro bowl caliber preforming player. I just have a bias toward creating beastly good Offensive and Defensive lines. Given how the Colts have been built, I'd prefer that they still give more attention to the OL so that they can go forward ignoring that unit for the next decade. At this point, given what I know of the prospects available, I see the most impactful value being in Kalil over the other OL prospects and over the DL prospects. With the Bowl games and the combine and all the other draft analysis still to come, my opinion might change, but for now, assuming a healthy Manning returns, I prefer the idea of trading the number 1 over all for a bounty of players and draft picks and under that scenario, I hope for a premier OL, CB or WR. If Wayne and Garcon can both be re-signed, then that mitigates the immediate need for a WR, which to me leaves OL, DT, and CB as the most pressing needs. If Manning cannot make it back, then clearly, to me, to simply get Luck seems like the best move.

[BmoreColt]

Great coaching can take great players and make them fit where a team can find them to be most useful. The Colts have what I am sure will be a very solid OT in Castonzo, but in watching him last year in college, at the Senior Bowl, and this year in the pros, to me he just looks like a guy that is better suited to RT. Hence, if the Colts have the opportunity to select a premier OLT prospect and if that OLT prospect is the best OLT prospect in years, then I say jump at the chance. Clearly the Colts still need a very good young OG, I, unlike Doogan, think that guy can be Ijilana. If, however, Ijilana can indeed be that outstanding OLT prospect that I think the Colts still need, then fine, go with a later pick for a premier OG prospect.

This is what I was trying to say! A great coach can coach up players! Ijalana could become one of the most ferocious guards in the NFL, with good coaching! Scouts said he could be a project because he was one of those guys with the ability to play anywhere on the offensive line! With the Kalil selection and trade down, persuming Manning is healthy, that means the offensive line will be set (excluding center) for years to come! And eventual center replacement for Saturday.. and even a guard to compete with Reitz, could make this one of the most talented lines in the NFL! But the problem is I see the Rams selecting Kalil, and they will probably be selectiong #2 overall... so that could spoil the Kalil trade back scenario...

[coltsblue1844]

This is what I was trying to say! A great coach can coach up players! Ijalana could become one of the most ferocious guards in the NFL, with good coaching! Scouts said he could be a project because he was one of those guys with the ability to play anywhere on the offensive line! With the Kalil selection and trade down, persuming Manning is healthy, that means the offensive line will be set (excluding center) for years to come! And eventual center replacement for Saturday.. and even a guard to compete with Reitz, could make this one of the most talented lines in the NFL! But the problem is I see the Rams selecting Kalil, and they will probably be selectiong #2 overall... so that could spoil the Kalil trade back scenario...

While i agree that Castonzo and Kalil on the line, along with Ijalana...even with Pollak at C and Reitz at OG, would be a MUCH improved line...the one part of your scenario that we are and likely will be sorely missing is the "good coaching"! lol Peter King, of Sports Illustrated, was quoted today as saying that Irsay and both Polians want to keep Caldwell as our coach...keeping the coaching staff that we have now, would seriously impede the progress of any players that we draft, in my honest opinion.

[BmoreColt]

While i agree that Castonzo and Kalil on the line, along with Ijalana...even with Pollak at C and Reitz at OG, would be a MUCH improved line...the one part of your scenario that we are and likely will be sorely missing is the "good coaching"! lol Peter King, of Sports Illustrated, was quoted today as saying that Irsay and both Polians want to keep Caldwell as our coach...keeping the coaching staff that we have now, would seriously impede the progress of any players that we draft, in my honest opinion.

Agreed, but I do not want nor expect Caldwell to be back next season...Imagine Kalil, Reitz/Rookie (Kelechi Osemele)/FA, Saturday, Ijalana, Castonzo

[coltsblue1844]

I hope that Caldwell is gone...But Peter King is buddies with Polian, and is normally pretty clued in to what Bill is likely to do...and he said he knows for a fact that Irsay/Polian want to keep Caldwell, that going 0-16 was the only reason they felt they would "have" to get rid of him. scary, i know, right?

[BmoreColt]

Very scary 0 wins or possibly 3 wins is still pathetic none the less!

[fvantagio]

My opinion on this, as i have said in other threads is that although Kalil is an excellent tackle, we took 2 with our first 2 picks last year. With Reitz playing decent and Saturday continuing a excellent career it makes more sense to grab a true OG. Not only are their a couple of excellent guards in this draft, but none of them will be taken in the top 10 simply because of the position they play. If they want to go Oline in the first, it makes much more sense to trade out of the top 10 grabbing players and picks along the way and draft a guard with their first round selection. This takes much less shuffling which would likely equate to the Oline playing better and faster. Plus we get more picks out if it! Its a win-win scenario.

[fvantagio]

LT- Castonzo

LG- Reitz

C- Saturday/Pollack

RG- Decastro

RT- Ijalana

Nobody is shuffled around, Decastro takes starting position of RG, opposed to moving Castonzo, Ijalana and banking on a rookie. To me that is almost like having 3 rookies on the Oline instead of the 1 that is necessary.

[coltsblue1844]

I agree, and would really really like to have DeCastro...he's one of the guys that really stand out to me...but if you read some of what Polian said today, it wont happen...

Bill basically said that he doesnt believe in trading down for multiple picks, because if those extra players turn out to be good, that we wont be able to afford to keep all of them in a few years...to me, this is complete bull^chiz^...but then again, to me, most of what Polian says these days is complete bull^chiz^

[BmoreColt]

I agree, and would really really like to have DeCastro...he's one of the guys that really stand out to me...but if you read some of what Polian said today, it wont happen...

Bill basically said that he doesnt believe in trading down for multiple picks, because if those extra players turn out to be good, that we wont be able to afford to keep all of them in a few years...to me, this is complete bull^chiz^...but then again, to me, most of what Polian says these days is complete bull^chiz^

I think its that time for Polian and family to be forced to take the walk of shame... A more compitent GM is needed, if the Colts didn't overpay for their own their would be money to add one or two veterans while stockpiling high draft picks..