Colts Draft Strategy Has Completely Changed OR Has It......

[BlueShoe]

Today, we made a HUGE trade and released Johnathan Hankins. While this is a surprise to many Colts fans, the Colts front office had this planned.

 

Could we (Colts fans) have been completely wrong about who the Colts are targeting? Many on this board love Nelson, Chubb, and Edmunds. 

 

I want to turn our thinking towards another direction. It is possible that we could covet the best defensive tackle in this entire draft, Vita Vea, He is exceptionally talented. A difference maker that we have lacked on the defensive line for years. Makes sense to move back to #6 and grab him there. I have him as a top 10 player in this draft. 

 

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/vita-vea?id=2559810

 

https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/2017-nfl-draft-washington-vita-vea-scouting-report-112116

 

https://footballdungeon.com/scouting-reports/2018-nfl-draft-scouting-reports/vita-vea-scouting-report/

 

Moving back opened the door for this pick to be several players. We were once in a confined space of players who would likely be selected in the top 3. Ward and James are even on the table now. It might be a stretch, but even Ridley could be in the discussion. My personal preference is still Nelson. I wanted us to make this deal and grab him. So far we are half way home. 

 

Ballard is not even ruling out moving back again. I am just throwing Vita Vea's name into this ring, because it makes sense now. For what it is worth, I think we have to seriously consider Vea as a player the Colts could be targeting. 

 

 

[Shadow_Creek]

yep that's what it's looking like. i hope we also look at Hercules matafa'a. i know he's not a DT but man can he play

[Hoose]

I dunno. Given the lack of FA signings at O line, Nelson sure looks good right now. Boy do they need him. 

[BlueShoe]

Just now, Hoose said:

I dunno. Given the lack of FA signings at O line, Nelson sure looks good right now. Boy do they need him. 

 

I love Nelson too. But if Denver misses on a quarterback and takes Nelson..... I think Vea is in the picture here. 

[Hoose]

I could see that. I suspect Denver still picks a QB though. Long term they HAVE to develop one, and for now he can sit on the bench and learn. 

[Indy1996]

44 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

Today, we made a HUGE trade and released Johnathan Hankins. While this is a surprise to many Colts fans, the Colts front office had this planned.

 

Could we (Colts fans) have been completely wrong about who the Colts are targeting? Many on this board love Nelson, Chubb, and Edmunds. 

 

I want to turn our thinking towards another direction. It is possible that we could covet the best defensive tackle in this entire draft, Vita Vea, He is exceptionally talented. A difference maker that we have lacked on the defensive line for years. Makes sense to move back to #6 and grab him there. I have him as a top 10 player in this draft. 

 

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/vita-vea?id=2559810

 

https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/2017-nfl-draft-washington-vita-vea-scouting-report-112116

 

https://footballdungeon.com/scouting-reports/2018-nfl-draft-scouting-reports/vita-vea-scouting-report/

 

Ballard is not even ruling out moving back again. I am just throwing Vita Vea's name into this ring, because it makes sense now. For what it is worth, I think we have to seriously consider Vea as a player the Colts could be targeting. 

 

 

But he said he wants to stay in the top 10

[Smonroe]

I don’t think so.  Vea, or any DT we draft, is not going to be noticeably better than Hankins, if at all.  A wash, most likely.  

 

So, we’d use a draft pick to save money and not really improve the team.  And there’s plenty of cap that will eventually have to be used.  

 

Makes no sense.

[NewColtsFan]

47 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

Today, we made a HUGE trade and released Johnathan Hankins. While this is a surprise to many Colts fans, the Colts front office had this planned.

 

Could we (Colts fans) have been completely wrong about who the Colts are targeting? Many on this board love Nelson, Chubb, and Edmunds. 

 

I want to turn our thinking towards another direction. It is possible that we could covet the best defensive tackle in this entire draft, Vita Vea, He is exceptionally talented. A difference maker that we have lacked on the defensive line for years. Makes sense to move back to #6 and grab him there. I have him as a top 10 player in this draft. 

 

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/vita-vea?id=2559810

 

https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/2017-nfl-draft-washington-vita-vea-scouting-report-112116

 

https://footballdungeon.com/scouting-reports/2018-nfl-draft-scouting-reports/vita-vea-scouting-report/

 

Ballard is not even ruling out moving back again. I am just throwing Vita Vea's name into this ring, because it makes sense now. For what it is worth, I think we have to seriously consider Vea as a player the Colts could be targeting. 

 

 

 

I think Vea is great...    but I think he's closer to 8-10 than 6.    I think 6 would be too high for him.    

 

But at 10 or 12,  I think he'd be great...

 

[Andrew Luck fan club]

No thanks to Vita at 6. 

[NewColtsFan]

18 minutes ago, Indy1996 said:

But he said he wants to stay in the top 10

 

Yes..    Ballard says that for Buffalo.   That way they know we value staying in the top 10...   so if we're being asked to trade out of the top-10, that team will have to pay a premium.

 

That's the message he's sending.

 

[DougDew]

I want SS James, CB Ward, or LB Edmunds.  I think they are the rangy dynamic defensive playmakers we are looking for.  I don't like Chubb's 3 cone time.  I'm probably being picky about that.

 

I'd love to have one of those three and another 2nd and 4th from either Miami, Buffalo, or Arizona  over Chubb.

 

McGlinchey would look good at RT if Arizona throws in another good pick.

[BlueShoe]

13 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

I think Vea is great...    but I think he's closer to 8-10 than 6.    I think 6 would be too high for him.    

 

But at 10 or 12,  I think he'd be great...

 

 

I don't believe it works that way. Whether or not Nelson, Vea, Chubb, or Edmunds is the guy; you don’t Skip over your top choice just because you think he should be taken a couple of spots later. 

 

As a GM you have to look at where your picking. If your guy is there then you take him. If you think you can move back and still get him then you attempt that. 

 

A team’s not going to pass on a player at No. 6 just because they think other teams might take him at No. 8 or 10. 

[Nesjan3]

yea i am not sure what direction they are taking anymore. Before Hankins release i thought we had a set defensive line, but i also thought Melvin would be resigned and corner wouldn't be a need either. I geuss it truly is a full rebuild, we need talent at almost every position on the team.

[BlueShoe]

1 minute ago, Nesjan3 said:

yea i am not sure what direction they are taking anymore. Before Hankins release i thought we had a set defensive line, but i also thought Melvin would be resigned and corner wouldn't be a need either. I geuss it truly is a full rebuild, we need talent at almost every position on the team.

 

I agree. Today changed a lot. 

 

We have opened the door for a lot of possibilities 

[BlueShoe]

7 minutes ago, DougDew said:

I want SS James, CB Ward, or LB Edmunds.  I think they are the rangy dynamic defensive playmakers we are looking for.  I don't like Chubb's 3 cone time.  I'm probably being picky about that.

 

I'd love to have one of those three and another 2nd and 4th from either Miami, Buffalo, or Arizona  over Chubb.

 

Exactly. That’s where I am going with this thread. The conversation has changed. We are in a different position now. 

[NewColtsFan]

3 hours ago, BlueShoe said:

 

I don't believe it works that way. Whether or not Nelson, Vea, Chubb, or Edmunds is the guy; you don’t Skip over your top choice just because you think he should be taken a couple of spots later. 

 

As a GM you have to look at where your picking. If your guy is there then you take him. If you think you can move back and still get him then you attempt that. 

 

A team’s not going to pass on a player at No. 6 just because they think other teams might take him at No. 8 or 10. 

 

If Ballard has Vea ranked at 6 then he'll take him at 6.   But if he has Vea at 10 then I don't see him taking Vea at 6.

 

i don't see Ballard reaching.    Other than perhaps Belichick, Ballard is demonstrating incredible discipline.   He hates signing bad contracts.  

 

So I edon't see him reaching for any player....

 

[BlueShoe]

24 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Yes..    Ballard says that for Buffalo.   That way they know we value staying in the top 10...   so if we're being asked to trade out of the top-10, that team will have to pay a premium.

 

That's the message he's sending.

 

 

I agree. I think Ballard’s intentions were to send a message to Buffalo that the price to move up will be high. 

 

That said, if the Giants take Barkley then Cleveland has all the power to influence this draft by trading back with Denver and Buffalo if they choose to. 

[Stephen]

5 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

 

I agree. Today changed a lot. 

 

We have opened the door for a lot of possibilities 

might even draft a wr at 6

[BlueShoe]

2 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

If Ballard has Vea ranked at 6 then he'll take him at 6.   But if he has Vea at 10 then I don't see him taking Vea at 6.

 

i don't see Ballard reaching.    Other than perhaps Belichick, Ballard is demonstrating incredible discipline.   He hates signing bad contracts.  

 

So so I don't see him reaching for any player....

 

 

We don’t know where Ballard has the players ranked. That’s really the point I am making in this thread. As others have said in this thread, it could be Ward, James, or anyone. 

 

Moving back opened the door for this pick to be several different players. 

 

We are not in a confined window (of players perceived to be taken in the top 3) that we once were with the 3rd overall pick. 

[BlueShoe]

1 minute ago, Stephen said:

might even draft a wr at 6

 

You you might be joking, but Ridley is on the table now. He likey wasn’t at No. 3 overall. 

[coltsfanatic24]

I think there will be better talent available at 6. 

[NewColtsFan]

3 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

 

You you might be joking, but Ridley is on the table now. He likey wasn’t at No. 3 overall. 

 

I don't see Ridley as a top 10 player.   Any team that might take him there I think is reaching.     

 

I've read one description of Ridley as an elite WR2.    Seriously.    I think he lasts to the teens....

 

[Narcosys]

21 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

 

A team’s not going to pass on a player at No. 6 just because they think other teams might take him at No. 8 or 10. 

But didn't they do just that by trading back from 3 to 6?

[BlueShoe]

1 minute ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

I don't see Ridley as a top 10 player.   Any team that might take him there I think is reaching.     

 

I've read one description of Ridley as an elite WR2.    Seriously.    I think he lasts to the teens....

 

 

It’s  possible. I had him going to Chicago in my first 2 mocks and then dropped him to Baltimore in my last mock 

 

Most people didn’t think receivers would be taken high last year either, and they were surprised when it happened. 

 

Ridley is this years best WR. That said, there are several receivers in this draft that I like. I don’t think we will take Ridley at No 6 overall, but he is in the conversation now, whereas he was not at No. 3 overall. 

[BlueShoe]

5 minutes ago, Narcosys said:

But didn't they do just that by trading back from 3 to 6?

 

Because the opportunity was there and the Colts must feel that no matter how the draft plays out, they will get a player that have highly ranked at No. 6 overall. 

 

Teams don't always (probably rarely) move to the exact spot they have a player ranked. Sometimes the opportunity to do so just isn’t there and the risk of losing the player is too high. 

[VaAllDay757]

It really has changed since the trade we know chubb won't be available by the 6th pick so the main focus is probably nelson right now

[jameszeigler834]

1 hour ago, Shadow_Creek said:

yep that's what it's looking like. i hope we also look at Hercules matafa'a. i know he's not a DT but man can he play

He had a very poor combine performance.

[DougDew]

14 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

 

We don’t know where Ballard has the players ranked. That’s really the point I am making in this thread. As others have said in this thread, it could be Ward, James, or anyone. 

 

Moving back opened the door for this pick to be several different players. 

 

We are not in a confined window (of players perceived to be taken in the top 3) that we once were with the 3rd overall pick. 

Excellent point.  Because that small window included 2 players who's talent exceeds their positional value and a DE with a 7.37 3 cone.  Being at 6 allows us to select someone of a better talent/value balance.

[bananabucket]

Vea is absolutely a top 10 talent.  However releasing one of our better players just to replace him with our top 10 pick seems incredibly pointless. 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

4 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Excellent point.  Because that small window included 2 players who's talent exceeds their positional value and a DE with a 7.37 3 cone.  Being at 6 allows us to select someone of a better talent/value balance.

 

Interesting point, haven’t thought of that. 

[NewColtsFan]

10 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

 

It’s  possible. I had him going to Chicago in my first 2 mocks and then dropped him to Baltimore in my last mock 

 

Most people didn’t think receivers would be taken high last year either, and they were surprised when it happened. 

 

Ridley is this years best WR. That said, there are several receivers in this draft that I like. I don’t think we will take Ridley at No 6 overall, but he is in the conversation now, whereas he was not at No. 3 overall. 

I also had Ridley as possible for either Chicago or SF...    but all the reviews say he's the best WR of a very disappointing and lack-luster draft.

 

You're right,  it doesn't mean some team won't reach and take him in the top 10.  But I'm confident it won't be Ballard...   he's not the type to do that...

 

[nburgmei]

16 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

 

It’s  possible. I had him going to Chicago in my first 2 mocks and then dropped him to Baltimore in my last mock 

 

Most people didn’t think receivers would be taken high last year either, and they were surprised when it happened. 

 

Ridley is this years best WR. That said, there are several receivers in this draft that I like. I don’t think we will take Ridley at No 6 overall, but he is in the conversation now, whereas he was not at No. 3 overall. 

I agree that it's possible, but it's very unlikely. Ridley isn't near the prospect that Corey Davis or Mike Williams was. Ross got over drafted because of that record breaking speed and...Bengals. There is barely a 1st round WR in this draft. I would be exceptionally disappointed if we went WR. 

[BlueShoe]

1 minute ago, NewColtsFan said:

I also had Ridley as possible for either Chicago or SF...    but all the reviews say he's the best WR of a very disappointing and lack-luster draft.

 

You're right,  it doesn't mean some team won't reach and take him in the top 10.  But I'm confident it won't be Ballard...   he's not the type to do that...

 

 

I am not writing Ridley off. His ceiling is Marvin Harrison. He has that kind of ability. It’s a long way up there though. 

 

Never fall into the trap of using Alabama pass catchers stats to determine their draft value. It would be a mistake.

[BlueShoe]

3 minutes ago, nburgmei said:

I agree that it's possible, but it's very unlikely. Ridley isn't near the prospect that Corey Davis or Mike Williams was. Ross got over drafted because of that record breaking speed and...Bengals. There is barely a 1st round WR in this draft. I would be exceptionally disappointed if we went WR. 

 

I would take Ridley over Davis, Williams, and Ross. I don’t think it’s even close. They would all be a second to him in last years draft or this years draft. 

[shasta519]

This was my preferred draft strategy all along. I have a handful of players I like in the 1st round...I want whichever is the best combo of talent and additional picks.

[NewColtsFan]

9 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

 

I am not writing Ridley off. His ceiling is Marvin Harrison. He has that kind of ability. It’s a long way up there though. 

 

Never fall into the trap of using Alabama pass catchers stats to determine their draft value. It would be a mistake.

 

I made no mention of Alabama or stats or anything else.    Not a word.   Just that he's the best of a bad class...

 

And did you say Marvin Harrison?

 

Hall of Famer, Marvin Harrison?   That guy?    I know if no one else who thinks that, or thinks he could be half as good.

 

Goodness...   I don't know where you came up with that one?

[nburgmei]

11 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

 

I am not writing Ridley off. His ceiling is Marvin Harrison. He has that kind of ability. It’s a long way up there though. 

 

Never fall into the trap of using Alabama pass catchers stats to determine their draft value. It would be a mistake.

I'm not writing him off in that I don't think he will succeed. I think he has a good skill set, but I definitely agree with NCF that he is FAR closer to "career WR2" than Marvin Harrison. 

 

We'll just have to disagree on the Davis/Williams vs Ridley discussion. Davis has everything: size, speed, hands. Williams is a little closer, but I still think most teams would draft him higher. People don't even agree this year if Ridley is a better prospect than Sutton (I go Ridley), and he's a project.  I agree he's over Ross though. The Bengals just got excited over something shiny. 

[deedub75]

The only thing that changed today is that we went from probably rebuilding to full blown rebuilding. 

[nburgmei]

4 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

I made no mention of Alabama or stats or anything else.    Not a word.   Just that he's the best of a bad class...

 

And did you say Marvin Harrison?

 

Hall of Famer, Marvin Harrison?   That guy?    I know if no one else who thinks that, or thinks he could be half as good.

 

Goodness...   I don't know where you came up with that one?

NFL.com's draft profile has it as his comp! I don't think I've seen a more exaggerated comp. Barkley comped to Barry isn't even as galling. 

[LJpalmbeacher2]

47 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

If Ballard has Vea ranked at 6 then he'll take him at 6.   But if he has Vea at 10 then I don't see him taking Vea at 6.

 

i don't see Ballard reaching.    Other than perhaps Belichick, Ballard is demonstrating incredible discipline.   He hates signing bad contracts.  

 

So so I don't see him reaching for any player....

 

 

If a GM loves a player it shouldn't matter if he's picked @#6 or @#8.... You dont pass up "your guy" because of a couple spots....thats stupid. Maybe try trade down a couple spots and get him there but that's risky.

 

Personally, i predict we trade down at least once more and get all the picks we can, especially top 50.