New Colts Draft (Post Pagano Hiring)

[BProland85]

I really think Peyton is looking like he is gone. He may not know by the time March 8th rolls around whether he'll be ready to go or not, so therefore Irsay will have to release him.

Also, now that we have a creative and aggressive defensive coach in Pagano, I could see us drafting bigger players who are more physical as he wants this team to be more physical than it has been in the past.

1st round- QB Andrew Luck (Best QB in a few decades. We're set at QB for the next 13 or so years.)

2nd- NT Dontari Poe (Pagano needs a true NT for this defense since we may see a more hybrid defense involving the 3-4, and Poe slips a little due to him being a little raw, but he can be coached up.) Alternative picks include: WR Mohamed Sanu, WR Alshon Jeffery, DT Devon Still, S Mark Barron, CB Janoris Jenkins.

3rd- TE Dwayne Allen (The TE class isnt very good this year so they could fall a bit but getting Allen who is arguably the best TE at the top of round 3 is a good value and gives Luck a good weapon since I think Clark could be gone.) Alternative picks include: CB Casey Hayward, CB Jayron Hosley, OG Kevin Zeitler, NT Josh Chapman.

4th- CB Leanord Johnson (We need a good CB to pair with Powers, and Johnson is very underrated and Pagano could do some great things in coaching him up.) Alternative picks include: DE Cam Johnson, DE Chandler Jones, WR Reuben Randle

Rest of draft - BPA

I also could see us either restructuring Freeney's deal and cutting Brackett, Wayne, and possibly Addai so with the freed up cap room along with not bringing back Manning, I would like us to dip into FA to get guys like OG Carl Nicks and CB Ladarius Webb.

[swifty1812]

Love the Leonard Johnson pick, I think he will be a great Cover Man. I think we can get a TE later in the draft so I would rather go with Chapman here at DT, also Poe is jumping up boards so fast, he will be gone mid 1st.

[fvantagio]

3rd- TE Dwayne Allen (The TE class isnt very good this year so they could fall a bit but getting Allen who is arguably the best TE at the top of round 3 is a good value

I dont get that logic. If its a weak class, then less talented players would go earlier then normal, while a team will be willing to reach on the talented ones. Allen will go first round. Same with Poe.

[WSO]

Good mock draft but I dont think Clark will be gone. But then again Tammee is a F/A so maybe they might look into replacing him. I like the TE's they have over in NY like Ballard. Big guys who can block but have good hands.

[GrizzColt]

The only problem is Tamme has experience, can do the job and he doesn't cost much. Plus, he's taller than average and a little faster than you think.

[coltsblue1844]

The only problem is Tamme has experience, can do the job and he doesn't cost much. Plus, he's taller than average and a little faster than you think.

Personally, and let me say that i like Clark a lot...but if i were making the decisions i would release Clark and sign Tamme and then also draft a TE. Tamme's production isnt far off from Clark's and Dallas has struggled to remain healthy, all while costing the team a significantly higher price tag than Tamme will garner.

[CR91]

Personally, and let me say that i like Clark a lot...but if i were making the decisions i would release Clark and sign Tamme and then also draft a TE. Tamme's production isnt far off from Clark's and Dallas has struggled to remain healthy, all while costing the team a significantly higher price tag than Tamme will garner.

agreed. hes bascially a clark clone. he does everything dallas does plus like you mention he wouldnt cost as much.

[Playoffs2013]

I would like to see us trade up for a playmaker like floyd or jefferies

[Playoffs2013]

I also wouldn't mind fleener in the 3 rd

[BOTT]

agreed. hes bascially a clark clone. he does everything dallas does plus like you mention he wouldnt cost as much.

tamme isn't near as good as clark. he doesn't get seperation and does very little after the catch. think of all the times dc caught the ball 2-3 yards short of the first down, but managed to get the extra yardage even when it looked like there was no way he was going to.....tamme can't do that. clark might have to go, but don't fool yourself into thinking tamme=clark

[KyFan18]

Luck is the best QB in a few decades? You realize that would mean he is better than Peyton Manning, right? And since, by "a few", I assume you mean at least three decades, that would also put him above Elway, Troy Aikman, Marino, etc. This guy better be great to live up to all this hype.

[CR91]

tamme isn't near as good as clark. he doesn't get seperation and does very little after the catch. think of all the times dc caught the ball 2-3 yards short of the first down, but managed to get the extra yardage even when it looked like there was no way he was going to.....tamme can't do that. clark might have to go, but don't fool yourself into thinking tamme=clark

never said he was as good as clark. i said he can everything clark does plus hes cheaper

[David Wagner]

If I were luck I would tell the colts not to draft me. the new head coach is a defensive guy. defensive guys do not like offense period. you can say tony D was a defensive guy but the fact is he played qb in college and became a db in the pros. The new head coach comes from baltimore where they have a very solid qb but they do not want to let him stretch his legs so to speak. If youw ant to see the future of the Colts look to Balitmore. The days of throwing the ball with manning are done. it will be 3.5 yds and a cloud of dust for the future. Same thing is happening in pittsburgh. the steelers plan to make big ben a kerry Collins or trent dilfer care takeer qb and he is not happy. Tomlin let the OC go and plans to hire a ground and pound style OC.

[UndecidedFrog]

If I were luck I would tell the colts not to draft me. the new head coach is a defensive guy. defensive guys do not like offense period. you can say tony D was a defensive guy but the fact is he played qb in college and became a db in the pros. The new head coach comes from baltimore where they have a very solid qb but they do not want to let him stretch his legs so to speak. If youw ant to see the future of the Colts look to Balitmore. The days of throwing the ball with manning are done. it will be 3.5 yds and a cloud of dust for the future. Same thing is happening in pittsburgh. the steelers plan to make big ben a kerry Collins or trent dilfer care takeer qb and he is not happy. Tomlin let the OC go and plans to hire a ground and pound style OC.

FYI, Luck comes from Stanford, a pro-style power running, run-first football team. You can't get more ground and pound than that. Yet he managed to throw for all those yards and TDs to raise eyebrows everywhere.

[CS Colts Fan]

+1 Frog... as I have said before with Luck we will have to have a running game.. he has one in Stanford.. sounds like we may have a complete team in a couple years and maybe the most complete team in years.. I for one am excited... sorry for PM and the way the FO is NOT handling him..but it is questionable if he will be back..

[Boiler_Colt]

I think we might take a look at a lot more defensive players that we would not have thought of before the Pagano hire. A 3-4 D requires a lot of interchangable parts and depth at linebacker and defensive line. Every year there is projected first round talent that slips into the early second. Also every year their is a run on certain positions, I think there could be a run on corners this year knowing how the league has become so pass happy. I could see us trading our 2nd round pick back into the first to grab a defensive player that Pags and Grigson have targeted. It may infact be Poe or Burfict or maybe a DE/OLB hybrid like Whitney Mercilus, they fit the Ravens mold and I think could play in either scheme. I also think if we have to go all-in with Luck, Fleener in the 3rd if he is still available makes a great deal of sense.

[Ramblinwreck7]

agreed. hes bascially a clark clone. he does everything dallas does plus like you mention he wouldnt cost as much.

That's not true, Jacob Tamme is not a good blocker, he's too small at 6'3" 236 lbs. Dallas Clark is a better blocker and also a better receiver. I like Tamme as a backup though, but you can't say that he does everything that Clark does.

[CR91]

That's not true, Jacob Tamme is not a good blocker, he's too small at 6'3" 236 lbs. Dallas Clark is a better blocker and also a better receiver. I like Tamme as a backup though, but you can't say that he does everything that Clark does.

clark isnt that great a blocker and tamme has shown he can be a threat in the passing game.

[BmoreColt]

If you go back and look at mock drafts, I was the first one to speak about Poe and Leonard Johnson, and now everyone is on it. And those same people call me crazy when I talk of trading the pick, yet they draft players I have called studs!

[Ramblinwreck7]

clark isnt that great a blocker and tamme has shown he can be a threat in the passing game.

When healthy Clark is a good blocker, or at least that's what I've read.

[Ramblinwreck7]

If you go back and look at mock drafts, I was the first one to speak about Poe and Leonard Johnson, and now everyone is on it. And those same people call me crazy when I talk of trading the pick, yet they draft players I have called studs!

I guess they can only call you halfway crazy right now lol.

When I joined this forum, I was honestly expecting to find more reasonable people on here, the kind of people that got banned at Stampede Blue. Turns out they are few and far between. You don't have to want to trade the #1 pick to be reasonable by the way. You just have to be able to think, be mature, and not act like you know everything. There aren't that many people who do that though, which is disappointing... I am tired of arguing this Andrew Luck and the #1 pick stuff, it is getting very boring and annoying.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Luck is the best QB in a few decades? You realize that would mean he is better than Peyton Manning, right? And since, by "a few", I assume you mean at least three decades, that would also put him above Elway, Troy Aikman, Marino, etc. This guy better be great to live up to all this hype.

Don't bother. I've been tilting at this windmill for about 2 months now. Everyone seems convinced that some rookie is going to come in here, grab that football from Creaky Neck Manning, and be the salvation of this football team. It is just laughable. The more hype the guy gets the more scared I get of him. This much undeserved attention cannot be good for the psyche of a young player with an awful lot to learn.

[UndecidedFrog]

I guess they can only call you halfway crazy right now lol.

When I joined this forum, I was honestly expecting to find more reasonable people on here, the kind of people that got banned at Stampede Blue. Turns out they are few and far between. You don't have to want to trade the #1 pick to be reasonable by the way. You just have to be able to think, be mature, and not act like you know everything. There aren't that many people who do that though, which is disappointing... I am tired of arguing this Andrew Luck and the #1 pick stuff, it is getting very boring and annoying.

Especially since, none of the arguing will result in the Colts drafting him or not. The Colts management will decide what to do based on their own reasons.

Don't bother. I've been tilting at this windmill for about 2 months now. Everyone seems convinced that some rookie is going to come in here, grab that football from Creaky Neck Manning, and be the salvation of this football team. It is just laughable. The more hype the guy gets the more scared I get of him. This much undeserved attention cannot be good for the psyche of a young player with an awful lot to learn.

Luck is not responsible for any of the hype that surrounds him. He is a pretty humble guy, from all the interviews I have read/seen. His college career speaks for itself. The scouts and the media have access to his games on tape. Nothing they say, positive or negative should scare you. If you do not trust what they say, you also have access to the tape, so that you can make your own judgment. Luck has dealt with the pressure of being the 1st overall pick for more than a year, and as the front-runner of the Heisman for about a year. I think he is capable of handling the pressure.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Luck is not responsible for any of the hype that surrounds him. He is a pretty humble guy, from all the interviews I have read/seen. His college career speaks for itself. The scouts and the media have access to his games on tape. Nothing they say, positive or negative should scare you. If you do not trust what they say, you also have access to the tape, so that you can make your own judgment. Luck has dealt with the pressure of being the 1st overall pick for more than a year, and as the front-runner of the Heisman for about a year. I think he is capable of handling the pressure.

I did not say it is his fault but it will definitely affect him (how could it possibly not?) and honestly it is not fair to the proven players he gets compared to for no good reason nor is it fair to Andrew Luck. He needs to be the next Andrew Luck and not have people fitting him for a gold jacket before he even touches an NFL football.

[KyFan18]

Don't bother. I've been tilting at this windmill for about 2 months now. Everyone seems convinced that some rookie is going to come in here, grab that football from Creaky Neck Manning, and be the salvation of this football team. It is just laughable. The more hype the guy gets the more scared I get of him. This much undeserved attention cannot be good for the psyche of a young player with an awful lot to learn.

Yeah, I love the logic a lot of the fans on here (and possibly even the front office, given recent events):

1. The Colts were good with Manning.

2. Without Manning, the Colts were terrible.

3. In order to make the Colts good again, the only thing to do is to get rid of Manning.

[chad72]

I would like a draft like this for setting the tone for a hybrid defense.

Round 1 - Andrew Luck

Round 2 - assume Dontari Poe is gone, so trade No.34 and No.65 to Eagles for No.46 and No.51

Round 2 No.46 - Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson/Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama (whoever is available out of the two)

Round 2 No.51 - Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina/Chase Minnfield, CB, Virginia (whoever is available)

Round 4 - Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas / A.J.Jenkins, WR, Illinois who compares to Brandon Lloyd (I expect one of them to be there)

Round 5 - Akiem Nicks, 3-4 or 4-3 NT, has the measurables at 6'5", 324, 4.98 speed, Regina (my sleeper pick )

Round 6 - Donte Paige Moss (OLB/DE), North Carolina (6'4", 260, 4.67, this is where we can take a flyer on a questionable character guy, IMO)

Round 6 compensatory pick for Clint Session - B.J.Cunningham, WR, Michigan State (6'1", 209, 4.59, reminds me so much of Jerrico Cotchery as a possession wideout in the middle, makes tough catches every time I have watched him, plays quicker than his timed speed, and gets YAC like Anquan Boldin)

Round 6 compensatory pick for Raheem Brock - Darius Fleming, OLB, Notre Dame (6'2", 255, 4.65)

Round 6 compensatory pick for Charlie Johnson - Asa Jackson, CB, Cal Poly, 5'10", 193, 4.40 (read this: http://www.gopoly.com/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/20120123dciurg)

Round 7 - Antoine McClain, OG, Clemson (6'5", 335, 5.34)

Maybe we can add Cory Redding, who is a free agent, from the Ravens to the D-line too.

[UndecidedFrog]

I did not say it is his fault but it will definitely affect him (how could it possibly not?) and honestly it is not fair to the proven players he gets compared to for no good reason nor is it fair to Andrew Luck. He needs to be the next Andrew Luck and not have people fitting him for a gold jacket before he even touches an NFL football.

Luck has his golden jackets from college (Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, Maxwell, Walter Camp). Those are college awards. He comes into the NFL as a draft prospect. He does not compare himself to Manning, or Elway. Scouts do that. He does not listen to the scouts as evidenced by his humble approach for all his college career. He is mature beyond his years. If you want evidence of this, I suggest you listen to the short interview right after RG3 won the Heisman. Luck appropriately re-directed the ESPN interviewer's focus back to RG3 and how RG3 deserved the award. I doubt any hooplah, including the recent media circus, will affect him. He has demonstrated strength of character.

[UndecidedFrog]

Yeah, I love the logic a lot of the fans on here (and possibly even the front office, given recent events):

1. The Colts were good with Manning.

2. Without Manning, the Colts were terrible.

3. In order to make the Colts good again, the only thing to do is to get rid of Manning.

I think the logic goes more like this:

1. The Colts were good with a good QB.

2. Without a good QB, the Colts were terrible.

3. In order to make the Colts good again, get a good QB (preferably younger, and without any health concerns) under center for now and the near future.

[David Wagner]

FYI, Luck comes from Stanford, a pro-style power running, run-first football team. You can't get more ground and pound than that. Yet he managed to throw for all those yards and TDs to raise eyebrows everywhere.

In 2011 the Stanford Cardinals did not have any wr talent yet Andrew Luck threw for 3500s. IN 2010 He threw for 3350. so them being this power run team was a load of hog wash.

[doogansquest]

I think the logic goes more like this:

1. The Colts were good with a good QB.

2. Without a good QB, the Colts were terrible.

3. In order to make the Colts good again, get a good QB (preferably younger, and without any health concerns) under center for now and the near future.

That is so far off.

The Colts didn't have a "good" QB. They had the best QB in football. He played the last 3 years in pain from a nagging nerve injury. He's had surgery to fix that pain. Now it's just a matter of time for complete regeneration. Keep in mind, he also just went a full year without taking a single hit. His body will be fresh. Andrew Luck will likely not have a season anywhere near what Peyton's average numbers were, and that was with a horrible team.

Getting a college kid doesn't mean we're getting a good QB. It means we're getting an unproven college kid who just so happens to play QB.

[UndecidedFrog]

In 2011 the Stanford Cardinals did not have any wr talent yet Andrew Luck threw for 3500s. IN 2010 He threw for 3350. so them being this power run team was a load of hog wash.

In 2010 Stepfan Taylor, the Cardinal's leading RB had 1137 rushing yds and 15 TDs

In 2011, Stepfan Taylor had 1130 rushing yds and 10 TDs

In 2010, the entire Cardinal team accumulated 2779 rushing yds.

In 2010, the Cardinal had 535 rushing attempts, and 379 passing attempts, which translate to a 59/41 run/pass ratio.

In 2011, the entire Cardinal team accumulated 2738 rushing yds, and ranked 18th in the nation for rushing yards in college football.

In 2011, the Cardinal had 518 rushing attempts, and 417 passing attempts, which translate to a 55/45 run/pass ratio.

[Dustin]

In 2011 the Stanford Cardinals did not have any wr talent yet Andrew Luck threw for 3500s. IN 2010 He threw for 3350. so them being this power run team was a load of hog wash.

No it's not. They do have a power run game. You can't judge how a team plays by a single player's stats.

Drew Brees set the NFL Record for passing yards. You would think they had a bad run game. But, in reality they were ranked #6.

[UndecidedFrog]

That is so far off.

The Colts didn't have a "good" QB. They had the best QB in football. He played the last 3 years in pain from a nagging nerve injury. He's had surgery to fix that pain. Now it's just a matter of time for complete regeneration. Keep in mind, he also just went a full year without taking a single hit. His body will be fresh. Andrew Luck will likely not have a season anywhere near what Peyton's average numbers were, and that was with a horrible team.

Getting a college kid doesn't mean we're getting a good QB. It means we're getting an unproven college kid who just so happens to play QB.

Actually it isn't far off at all.

What is far off is this claim you make without any evidence to support it: "Now it's just a matter of time for complete regeneration." You don't know that. It may be wishful thinking, but certainly, at this time, it is not fact.

I doubt that Luck, if he starts for the Colts for his rookie season, will do any worse than Peyton did in his rookie season (apples to apples comparison).

Yes, Luck is unproven. But then so is any rookie.

What we do know for fact, is that Luck is a highly-rated NFL draft prospect, thought of by some professional scouts, as the best prospect since Elway. We also know for a fact that Luck is projected to be the #1 consensus overall player on draft boards.

Do the Colts have access this year to any other draft prospect that has a better potential to be a good QB than Luck?

Do the Colts have access this year to any FA QB that has the same or better potential than Luck and cost the same or less than Luck?

What we do know also for a fact, is that Peyton will be 36 years old this season, and is coming off 3 neck surgeries.

We also know for a fact that Peyton cannot play at the expected level forever.

[GrizzColt]

Actually it isn't far off at all.

What is far off is this claim you make without any evidence to support it: "Now it's just a matter of time for complete regeneration." You don't know that. It may be wishful thinking, but certainly, at this time, it is not fact.

I doubt that Luck, if he starts for the Colts for his rookie season, will do any worse than Peyton did in his rookie season (apples to apples comparison).

Yes, Luck is unproven. But then so is any rookie.

What we do know for fact, is that Luck is a highly-rated NFL draft prospect, thought of by some professional scouts, as the best prospect since Elway. We also know for a fact that Luck is projected to be the #1 consensus overall player on draft boards.

Do the Colts have access this year to any other draft prospect that has a better potential to be a good QB than Luck?

Do the Colts have access this year to any FA QB that has the same or better potential than Luck and cost the same or less than Luck?

What we do know also for a fact, is that Peyton will be 36 years old this season, and is coming off 3 neck surgeries.

We also know for a fact that Peyton cannot play at the expected level forever.

I have to agree with this. QB's naturally start retiring from 35-40 years of age. All of them. Peyton is entering that range. When a QB that age takes a year off of anything, he doesn't come back fresh. He's fortunate to come back at all. That's just the way God made us. I am older than that and it's been true for me as well. Getting old stinks.

[Ramblinwreck7]

Luck has his golden jackets from college (Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, Maxwell, Walter Camp). Those are college awards. He comes into the NFL as a draft prospect. He does not compare himself to Manning, or Elway. Scouts do that. He does not listen to the scouts as evidenced by his humble approach for all his college career. He is mature beyond his years. If you want evidence of this, I suggest you listen to the short interview right after RG3 won the Heisman. Luck appropriately re-directed the ESPN interviewer's focus back to RG3 and how RG3 deserved the award. I doubt any hooplah, including the recent media circus, will affect him. He has demonstrated strength of character.

I think your kind of missing the point a little. Andrew Luck may be a very humble guy, but there are other very humble guys out there.

If Andrew Luck starts for the colts next year, he will have immense pressure on him to succeed and to win, even early. If we lose a lot of our veterans to go along with Manning, then we will have a shortage on talent. The colts would probably lose a lot next year and it probably would take quite a while to rebuild. All the losing, combined with the insane expectations on Andrew Luck, is not good at all for his confidence, no matter how humble he may be.

[UndecidedFrog]

I think your kind of missing the point a little. Andrew Luck may be a very humble guy, but there are other very humble guys out there.

If Andrew Luck starts for the colts next year, he will have immense pressure on him to succeed and to win, even early. If we lose a lot of our veterans to go along with Manning, then we will have a shortage on talent. The colts would probably lose a lot next year and it probably would take quite a while to rebuild. All the losing, combined with the insane expectations on Andrew Luck, is not good at all for his confidence, no matter how humble he may be.

Andrew Luck decided to go to Stanford knowing at that time Stanford just went 1-11, and just hired a new coach (Jim Harbaugh).

He redshirted his freshman academic year.

He started his sophomore (RS freshman) year and went 8-4, he missed the bowl game because of a broken finger.

His junior (RS sophomore) year, he went 12-1, winning the Orange Bowl and was the MVP of that game

His senior (RS junior) year, he went 11-2, losing the Fiesta Bowl on a last minute missed field goal.

Sure the insane expectations for him to succeed as a Colt may be great. However, I think it is good to realize that he has been tempered with expectations all his football career. Do you not think there were expectations for him to win the Heisman this year, after becoming the runner up last year and being crowned the front-runner for most of the year? Do you not think there were expectations for him to lead his team to another BCS bowl after he won the Orange Bowl last year and announced that he would be returning to school? He is not as fragile as you think.

But more importantly, he has delivered his performance, as expected.

[Ramblinwreck7]

Andrew Luck decided to go to Stanford knowing at that time Stanford just went 1-11, and just hired a new coach (Jim Harbaugh).

He redshirted his freshman academic year.

He started his sophomore (RS freshman) year and went 8-4, he missed the bowl game because of a broken finger.

His junior (RS sophomore) year, he went 12-1, winning the Orange Bowl and was the MVP of that game

His senior (RS junior) year, he went 11-2, losing the Fiesta Bowl on a last minute missed field goal.

Sure the insane expectations for him to succeed as a Colt may be great. However, I think it is good to realize that he has been tempered with expectations all his football career. Do you not think there were expectations for him to win the Heisman this year, after becoming the runner up last year and being crowned the front-runner for most of the year? Do you not think there were expectations for him to lead his team to another BCS bowl after he won the Orange Bowl last year and announced that he would be returning to school? He is not as fragile as you think.

But more importantly, he has delivered his performance, as expected.

Playing in that Pac-10/12 is a whole lot different than the NFL.

And the expectations are quite a bit higher in the NFL.

[UndecidedFrog]

Playing in that Pac-10/12 is a whole lot different than the NFL.

And the expectations are quite a bit higher in the NFL.

No doubt.

However, since we have no data with which to judge his performance in the NFL, we have to judge him how he might perform by his past performance at the college level.

Or can you suggest a better way?

[doogansquest]

No doubt.

However, since we have no data with which to judge his performance in the NFL, we have to judge him how he might perform by his past performance at the college level.

Or can you suggest a better way?

But we can only judge his collegiate performance based on those numbers. We can do no such things with regards to anticipating or projecting his NFL ability. Brady Quinn, Mark Sanchez, and Jimmy Clausen should all be Pro Bowlers by those standards.

There are intangible things we can look for; certain traits the scouts can see. Nothing matters, however, until Luck faces an NFL defense and high pressure situations, all over the course of one or more long seasons.

[CR91]

But we can only judge his collegiate performance based on those numbers. We can do no such things with regards to anticipating or projecting his NFL ability. Brady Quinn, Mark Sanchez, and Jimmy Clausen should all be Pro Bowlers by those standards.

There are intangible things we can look for; certain traits the scouts can see. Nothing matters, however, until Luck faces an NFL defense and high pressure situations, all over the course of one or more long seasons.

stats are nice to look at but they dont tell the whole story. scouts look at his mechanics, his footwork, his accurary. but what i believe makes a great qb is two things poise and response. can he get guys to rely with on him. does he fold under pressure, how does he respond to throwing a pick six, is he riddled easly, as the game keeps going how does he respond to high pressure situations. theses are questions you have research on a qb imo