Who has the most to prove this season

[CR91]

There are going to be obvious names, however I am going to mention names that are not so obvious.

 

Phillip Dorsett-As obvious as it gets, but for different reasons then you might assume. It is not because he was a first round pick and statistically hasnt put up the numbers you expect from him, but rather or not he can excel at more then deep go, corner, and clear routes. People argue dorsett isn't being used right by the coaches, but I dont think that is the case rather I think dorsett just has a limited route tree. For dorsett to truly be successful, he needs to not only learn route concepts, but instill his speed to his routes. When you learn to run routes with speed instead of using speed to run routes, you put corners in a bind because now your cuts are a lot more narrow for the corner to be able to jump the route. 

 

Opinion-Dorsett is not a bust as he has shown he can be a playmaker, but he is never going to live up to his draft grade if he continues to have a limited route tree.

 

TJ Green-The reason I put green on this list is not because I am like the majority of the board and think hes a wasted pick rather I think he was drafted too early. Obviously pagano fell in love with his size and speed and felt like he can coach him to learn how to play safety and I think that is still possible. Keep in mind green was forced into the lineup last year with all the injuries we had at safety. Geathers and adams missed time along with butler so I think the idea was for green to learn by watching the first year because it was obvious the kid was lost. 

 

Opinion- Green needs time to develop and to learn how to actually play safety. The best thing for him right now is to get a few snaps where hes playing closer to the line and get a feel for the game. 

 

Haeg and Clark- We already know the left side of the line is fine and maybe the right side as well, but lets not just assume the line is as irsay has stated "fixed". There is promise, but Haeg was much better at run blocking then pass blocking as evident to luck getting hit 41 times. Not blaming Haeg for that, only stating whether or not haeg is capable of protecting luck. Haeg though did show his value being able to play at three different positions on the line as a rookie. There isnt enough tape for me to really assess Clark as he only played three games, but you saw a guy that can maul defenders at the line, had very active hands and length, and quick feet. 

 

Opinion- I will not say the line is fixed until this group has played together for longer than 3 games, but this is without a doubt the best line luck has had in his career thus far.

 

Davis Mewhort and Moncrief-Three of our best players so what do they have to prove? Well they will all be FAs next year and yes we do have the cap to keep all of them, but the question is should we bring them all back? Davis is without a doubt our best defender, but injuries continue to hamper his production. He hasn\t miss a lot of time, but with all the nagging injuries Davis deals with, he has not been able to replicate the success he had in 2014 so who knows if ballard will be willing to give a oft-injured 30 year old CB another big payday. Mewhort is arguably our best lineman, but he has had his season end on IR the last two seasons along with missing time during the season. Mewhort needs to be resigned, but he needs to prove he can stay healthy. Moncrief has star ability. He has a lot of potential to be great in this league as you see the talent, but moncrief has yet to have a 1000 yard season and his highest td total for a season is 7. His best asset obviously comes in the red zone, but Moncrief has to do more to elevate has game to be that 1 we all know he can be.

 

Opinion-I would resign all of them as I feel they are all key to our teams success, but they all have questions that need to be answered during this season to justify resigning them.

 

Andrew Luck-Now hold on put the pitchforks away and hear me out first. Yes Luck has more then proven to be everything we could have ever asked for. Hes basically peyton and big ben put together with rodgers type of athleticism. Luck has done a lot with no run game, no oline, and no defense. So why is he even on this list? One word, Turnovers. Yes the argument always used is luck is trying to make a play downfield and he has that gunslinger mentality that never say die attitude and that is why I love about his game, but I also think luck plays that way because he understands the lack of talent around him. Now I am not saying Luck has no confidence in the rest of the team, but if the team is going to win, it is going to be because of andrew luck which leads to luck thinking he needs to make every play for the team to win which then leads to turnovers.

 

Opinion-Luck needs to understand that his responsibility is not to always be the so called hero because then you will try to make plays that you really shouldn't. Instead he needs to learn that protecting the ball should be the number one priority. 

 

[RockThatBlue]

Out of that bunch? Dorsett easily. Hes the only one out of that bunch possibly facing being cut if he has a bad year. The others could have so-so years (Luck and Moncrief should have great years though) and still probably return. 

[Blueblood23]

I am worried about Hankins. Many times when a player gets the big contract with nothing to prove they get lazy and complacent. I hope he plays up to his potential.

[UKColt13]

Out of those, Dorsett. Time for him to show something. 

 

I'd agree with the above on Hankins. Want to see what we paid for. 

 

I'd also throw Pagano in there as well. Needs to show what he can do without Grigson's interference.

[ColtsFanMikeC]

2 hours ago, Blueblood23 said:

I am worried about Hankins. Many times when a player gets the big contract with nothing to prove they get lazy and complacent. I hope he plays up to his potential.

 

I don't disagree with you that it's not uncommon to see players get their pay day and then get complacent.  However, I am hoping Hankins' attitude and the fact that he's voicing his opinion that our D should be best in AFC, etc., etc. means he is as hungry as ever.

 

I would add Geathers to the list -- he's shown a lot of potential, but injuries have plagued him.  As far as I can tell, nobody is really sure how he'll heal from his neck injury (which IMO is a serious injury, any neck injury is).  If he can recover from it, he'll likely have to change the way he plays a little bit (more form tackles, laying off on the big hit a lot of times).  Hopefully this won't plague his ability to be a solid player, as his dynamic/explosive hitting is something that makes him so fun to watch, but he's a guy, IMO, who needs both get healthy and then needs to show he can stay healthy if he wants to stick around in this league.

 

I'd also add Doyle and Swoope -- the FO showed a lot of confidence in these two young, relatively unproven guys by letting Allen go and by not bringing in any real big name TEs.  If these guys both show up, I think we have our TE duo of the future.  However, it'll be the first time either of them are going to be relied on as primary targets and components of the offense going into a season. 

 

I like CR91's assessment of Dorsett -- he's got to learn to be a very good route runner with great speed, not just a speedster who can try to get away with average route running.  He's got one of the best in the game to learn from in TY, who has really developed as a route runner (IMO why he's able to put up the numbers he does given lack of size).  TY excels at reducing corners and waiting until the last second to make his explosive moves which is what gives DBs a heck of a time defending him.  With TY, Moncrief, Aken, Rogers and Bray on the roster, I almost wonder if Dorsett is going to have to show he can be counted on to play STs as a return man to really solidify his place on this roster (IMO, Dorsett is hands down a better WR than Bray but Bray may have one up on him trying to make the roster due to his return abilities -- I think Dorsett has ability to be a stud WR, but he's got to live to his potential and stay healthy and right now I don't think he has much advantage over Aiken or Rogers just as a WR).

 

I'd also add all of our LBs -- it seems to me like the competition across the board at LB is wide-open right now.  A lot of guys seem to have a lot of potential, and a lot of guys seem to have potential to be very good in limited roles (e.g., I can see Morrison being a stud against the run at ILB, but from what I saw last year I do not see him ever excelling against the pass).  Across the board, this position is pretty much wide open and full of young guys.  There will be guys from this roster at LB who get cut and probably land some where else, and other guys who may have been cut from other teams who have a shot to start for us.  It'll be interesting to see who steps up here.

[Smonroe]

All of the above and (no joke) Jeff Locke.  

 

Pat did a lot to make our STs respectable.  This guy has some big shoes to fill. 

[Blueblood23]

12 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

All of the above and (no joke) Jeff Locke.  

 

Pat did a lot to make our STs respectable.  This guy has some big shoes to fill. 

If they bring in a few guys to compete with Locke, I am not to sure Jeff will make the roster.

[CR91]

2 hours ago, Blueblood23 said:

If they bring in a few guys to compete with Locke, I am not to sure Jeff will make the roster.

 

They did. Sanchez. He's a rookie, but very strong leg

[RockThatBlue]

2 hours ago, Smonroe said:

All of the above and (no joke) Jeff Locke.  

 

Pat did a lot to make our STs respectable.  This guy has some big shoes to fill. 

I don't expect Locke to be as good as McAfee was(most punters aren't anyway), but I hope he will at least be respectable.

[AZColt11]

I was gonna say Pagano when I read the title.  Many of Grigs' mistakes have been jettisoned.  Ballard is giving Pags more to work with in just one off-season than he's had since Andy's rookie year.  *I would say it's playoffs or bust for Pags this year.

 

*Assuming Luck's good health

[superrep1967]

10 hours ago, CR91 said:

There are going to be obvious names, however I am going to mention names that are not so obvious.

 

Phillip Dorsett-As obvious as it gets, but for different reasons then you might assume. It is not because he was a first round pick and statistically hasnt put up the numbers you expect from him, but rather or not he can excel at more then deep go, corner, and clear routes. People argue dorsett isn't being used right by the coaches, but I dont think that is the case rather I think dorsett just has a limited route tree. For dorsett to truly be successful, he needs to not only learn route concepts, but instill his speed to his routes. When you learn to run routes with speed instead of using speed to run routes, you put corners in a bind because now your cuts are a lot more narrow for the corner to be able to jump the route. 

 

Opinion-Dorsett is not a bust as he has shown he can be a playmaker, but he is never going to live up to his draft grade if he continues to have a limited route tree.

 

TJ Green-The reason I put green on this list is not because I am like the majority of the board and think hes a wasted pick rather I think he was drafted too early. Obviously pagano fell in love with his size and speed and felt like he can coach him to learn how to play safety and I think that is still possible. Keep in mind green was forced into the lineup last year with all the injuries we had at safety. Geathers and adams missed time along with butler so I think the idea was for green to learn by watching the first year because it was obvious the kid was lost. 

 

Opinion- Green needs time to develop and to learn how to actually play safety. The best thing for him right now is to get a few snaps where hes playing closer to the line and get a feel for the game. 

 

Haeg and Clark- We already know the left side of the line is fine and maybe the right side as well, but lets not just assume the line is as irsay has stated "fixed". There is promise, but Haeg was much better at run blocking then pass blocking as evident to luck getting hit 41 times. Not blaming Haeg for that, only stating whether or not haeg is capable of protecting luck. Haeg though did show his value being able to play at three different positions on the line as a rookie. There isnt enough tape for me to really assess Clark as he only played three games, but you saw a guy that can maul defenders at the line, had very active hands and length, and quick feet. 

 

Opinion- I will not say the line is fixed until this group has played together for longer than 3 games, but this is without a doubt the best line luck has had in his career thus far.

 

Davis Mewhort and Moncrief-Three of our best players so what do they have to prove? Well they will all be FAs next year and yes we do have the cap to keep all of them, but the question is should we bring them all back? Davis is without a doubt our best defender, but injuries continue to hamper his production. He hasn\t miss a lot of time, but with all the nagging injuries Davis deals with, he has not been able to replicate the success he had in 2014 so who knows if ballard will be willing to give a oft-injured 30 year old CB another big payday. Mewhort is arguably our best lineman, but he has had his season end on IR the last two seasons along with missing time during the season. Mewhort needs to be resigned, but he needs to prove he can stay healthy. Moncrief has star ability. He has a lot of potential to be great in this league as you see the talent, but moncrief has yet to have a 1000 yard season and his highest td total for a season is 7. His best asset obviously comes in the red zone, but Moncrief has to do more to elevate has game to be that 1 we all know he can be.

 

Opinion-I would resign all of them as I feel they are all key to our teams success, but they all have questions that need to be answered during this season to justify resigning them.

 

Andrew Luck-Now hold on put the pitchforks away and hear me out first. Yes Luck has more then proven to be everything we could have ever asked for. Hes basically peyton and big ben put together with rodgers type of athleticism. Luck has done a lot with no run game, no oline, and no defense. So why is he even on this list? One word, Turnovers. Yes the argument always used is luck is trying to make a play downfield and he has that gunslinger mentality that never say die attitude and that is why I love about his game, but I also think luck plays that way because he understands the lack of talent around him. Now I am not saying Luck has no confidence in the rest of the team, but if the team is going to win, it is going to be because of andrew luck which leads to luck thinking he needs to make every play for the team to win which then leads to turnovers.

 

Opinion-Luck needs to understand that his responsibility is not to always be the so called hero because then you will try to make plays that you really shouldn't. Instead he needs to learn that protecting the ball should be the number one priority. 

 

IMO It's Andrew Luck hands down.

[Dark Superman]

Chuck Pagano.

[a06cc]

Andrew Luck has the most to prove. He needs to quit with those bad decisions. Someone  posted a stat that he doesn’t throw the ball away under pressure. You look the other two QB’s in Eli and Fitz. That’s not a good stat as they are also turnover prone. Get rid of the football. Don’t try to make something out of nothing. The QB coach was right about him needing to be a single digit INT QB. There are so many examples of him needing to get rid of the football. Oakland, GB, TENN games to name a few. 

[lollygagger8]

I'd say Chuck Pagano has the most to prove. 

[Blueblood23]

1 hour ago, lollygagger8 said:

I'd say Chuck Pagano has the most to prove. 

Chuck doesn't seem to think at least one or two plays ahead. When decisions need to be made he seems to become confused. Chuck is Chuck and I will be pleasantly surprised if he can improve his game day preparation and coaching yet alone halftime adjustments.

[crazycolt1]

21 minutes ago, Blueblood23 said:

Chuck doesn't seem to think at least one or two plays ahead. When decisions need to be made he seems to become confused. Chuck is Chuck and I will be pleasantly surprised if he can improve his game day preparation and coaching yet alone halftime adjustments.

While Chuck is the head coach he is not the one who calls the plays. That falls on the OC.

[chad72]

All the coaches have something to prove this year, IMO - Pagano, Chud and Monachino mainly.

 

Amongst players - Dorsett and Locke for sure.

[2006Coltsbestever]

19 hours ago, Blueblood23 said:

I am worried about Hankins. Many times when a player gets the big contract with nothing to prove they get lazy and complacent. I hope he plays up to his potential.

You must still have Corey Simon in your head but you have a great point. I think Hankins will be fine. Out of the players above I think it's Dorsett that has the most to prove. If he has a break out season we will be a much better team too.

[Blueblood23]

11 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

While Chuck is the head coach he is not the one who calls the plays. That falls on the OC.

Chuck is responsible for the total game plan and what adjustments need to be made. He can overrule any play Rob calls. The bottom line the captain of the ship is Chuck and hopefully he improves a lot.

[bleevit]

I believe Ted Monachino will need to produce quickly (within 2 years) as he is now being given talent on the defensive side. The Colts have proven they can score with a maligned O-line. If the Colts are not constantly playing from behind, the turnover ratio will improve.

 

Dorsett is in his make or break season with a nice group of receivers around him. He needs to tighten up his route running. If he does, he'll get a payday. If not, I doubt he survives another cut.

 

Clayton Geathers needs to get fully recovered from his neck injury (I'm happy he is getting time) and show that he can be available most of the time.