CurBeatElite

May 14, 2019

3 hours ago, twfish said:

It ended up being a weird WR draft. Myself along with others where projecting atleast 3-4 going in the first then there ended up only being 2 and that was towards the tail end. Heck one of the favorites, Hakeem Butler, didnt go until the 3rd. Even one of my favorite WR's who was projected in the first a couple time didnt go until the 6th (Kelvin Harmon). So dont hold that against Campbell.

I thought the biggest reach of the draft was the Raiders selecting Clelin Ferrell (DE - Clemson) at the Number 4 pick (a lot of pundits had Indy taking him at 26).

I think that led to a very big run on front seven defensive players (we all knew that was a deep position in this draft, but I think they got scooped up a little earlier than expected the way the first 4 picks went). I think it worked out well for us in the end.

The thing about Parris Campbell, to me, that sticks out is he can run routes (David Carr and several others who watched his combine drills, etc. say he jumped off the tape with his route running). He just wasn't used as a route-runner at OSU because like Simms says in the video he could take a screen or short slant for 70+ yards.

May 13, 2019

On 5/11/2019 at 11:03 PM, Scott Pennock said:

Every year since Halloween of 1987 when I became a fan (the Dickerson trade) I've waited for an off-season like this one. This will be the first year, in my eyes at least, that there will be solid AND/OR fan favorite players released come cut down day. To me, that is a great sign that we've reached a talent level that affords that opportunity.

CURRENT OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART

Quarterbacks: Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Phillip Walker

..... Walker will be cut and likely replaced on the PS eventually.

Running Backs: Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines, Jordan Wilkins, Spencer Ware, Jonathan Williams

..... The only true competition is between Ware and Williams. If Ware is healthy he likely wins the spot.

Wide Receiver: T.Y. Hilton, Parris Campbell*, Chester Rogers, Marcus Johnson, Steve Ishmael, Penny Hart*, Devin Funchess, Zach Pascal, Deon Cain, Reece Fountain, Krishawn Hogan, Jordan Veasy, Ashton Dulin*

..... Hilton, Funchess, Campbell and Cain are virtual locks.

Fountain essentially redshirted last year and even though he dropped that TD let's not forget the double move he made to be so wide open!

The rest are all fighting with Fountain for the remaining 1-2 spots plus practice squad spots - likely Dulin and Hart.

Tight End: Eric Ebron, Ross Travis, Gabe Holmes, Jack Doyle, Mo Alie-Cox, Billy Brown, Hale Hentges*

..... Ebron, Doyle and Ali-Cox are locks. If they carry 4 then the uber athlete Travis gets the spot. Brown and Hentges to the PS.

Left Tackle: Anthony Castonzo, Le’Raven Clark, Jackson Barton*, Antonio Garcia

.... Here's where things get interesting. Will Garcia show his full potential 2 years removed from his blood cl.ots? Will they stash Jackson on the PS squad and learn and keep Clark one more year? Castonzo is the only lock.

Left Guard: Quenton Nelson, William Poehls

..... Nelson is a lock. Poehls is camp fodder, nothing else.

Center: Ryan Kelly, Evan Boehm, Javon Patterson*

..... Kelly is a lock and I believe Patterson replaces Boehm.

Right Guard: Mark Glowinski, Josh Andrews

..... Glowinski is a lock. Andrews is cut in favor of both Patterson and Haeg (asca swing tackle/guard).

Right Tackle: Braden Smith, Joe Haeg, J’Marcus Webb, De’Ondre Wesley

..... Smith and Haeg are locks. Webb and Wesley are cut though Webb makes it tough on Clark.

CURRENT DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART

Left Defensive End: Jabaal Sheard, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Carroll Phillips, Jegs Jegede*

..... Things get really intetesting on this side of the ball at EVERY level. Sheard is a lock. Muhammad, Phillips and Jegede all fight for a spot.

Defensive Tackle: Denico Autry, Tyquan Lewis, Jihad Ward, Jordan Thompson*, Johnny Robinson*

..... Autry, Lewis and Ward are locks. Thompson and Robinson are fighting for the PS.

Nose Tackle: Margus Hunt, Grover Stewart, Sterling Shippy*

..... Hunt and Sweart are locks. Shippy is fighting for the PS.

Right Defensive End: Justin Houston, Kemoko Turay, Gerri Green*

..... Houston and Turay are locks, Green will be fighting with Muhammad and Phillips for a spot.

WILL Linebacker: Darius Leonard, EJ Speed*, Ahmad Thomas

..... Leonard and Speed are locks. Thomas is fighting for 1 spot likely.

MIKE Linebacker: Anthony Walker, Bobby Okereke*, Skai Moore

..... Walker and Okereke are locks and Moore is fighting for 1 last spot.

SAM Linebacker: Ben Banogu*, Matthew Adams, Zaire Franklin, Tre Thomas*

..... Banogu is a lock with Adams, Franklin and Thomas fighting for the 6th and possibly 7th spot.

Cornerback: Kenny Moore, Nate Hairston, Chris Milton, Marvell Tell*, D.J. Killings, Shakai Taylor*, Pierre Desir, Quincy Wilson, Rock Ya-Sin*, Jalen Collins, Jamal Peters*

..... Moore, Wilson, Ya-Sin, Tell and Desir are locks. Everyone else is fighting for the last spot and possibly the PS. My money is on Collins with Adams and Taylor to the PS.

Strong Safety: Clayton Geathers, Khari Willis*, George Odum, Derrick Kindred

..... Here's the tricky part, the FO let Geathers walk and ONLY re-signed him to a 1 year contract.....Odum and Willis are Ballard's guys and Kindred is pretty talented himself. I'll go out on a limb and say Odum and Willis are locks. Kindred, Geathers and Farley are all fighting for 1 spot largely due to Tell's presence as a FS/CB.

Free Safety: Malik Hooker, Matthias Farley, Roland Milligan

..... Hooker is a lock, Milligan is a jag and Farley fights for the last safety spot - largely due to Tell' s presence as a FS/CB.

Specialists: LS-Luke Rhodes, P-Rigoberto Sanchez, K-Adam Vinatieri, K-Cole Hedlund*,

..... Same as always, Hedlund gets cut to save Vinny's leg.

So I'm predicting 42 spots are locks, leaving 11 active spots and 10 practice squad spots out of the current 90 man roster.

We all know Ballard isn't shy about signing a waiver wire player, though keep in mind we are way down on the list this year (26th vs 3rd) like we were last year.

I also believe our 20 year run of an UDFA will come to an end this year. The only perceived opportunity may be Dulin or Hart as designated kick returners/wide receiver.

Like Ballard said in the post-draft press conference: "You know you're doing it right when the guys you have to cut between 65 and 53 go on and play for other teams. I don't know if we're there yet, but we're getting close." I think we'll see at least 5 guys we cut get signed and make a 53 man roster elsewhere, which is pretty impressive.

I think the biggest unknown right now is health and whether or not some guys will be the same as they used to be. Can Cain come back fully healthy? Can Farley come back fully healthy? Can Geathers stay healthy? Will Doyle be able to step on the field early in the season? How about Jihad Ward, Ross Travis, Antonio Garcia and D'Marcus Webb? Will everyone else who has been relatively healthy remain healthy?

In terms of UDFA making the 53, I tend to agree with you that there is a strong chance of it ending this year. The few guys I think have the best shot are Hale Hentges (especially if Doyle isn't fully healthy and Ross Travis isn't back to his old self), Jegs Jegeles (I think he's a PS guy, but he literally has almost the same exact build as Autry), Jamal Peters and Shakial Taylor (these guys both fit the mold Ballard wants out of our CBs).

On 5/12/2019 at 8:30 AM, richard pallo said:

Ballard traded up 20 spots to get Willis. He likes Gaethers but he really likes Willis. Clayton can not afford to miss any time. If he does Willis will most likely secure the spot and will not give it back IMO. The best outcome is they both stay healthy and may the best man win.

With the athleticism we have on our current roster and with many of our young guys having another year of experience (we had 2 rookies and a second year player as our LBs last year, pretty remarkable), I think we'll see Eberflus throw more wrinkles into this defense (we played pretty vanilla on D most of last year, and I think a major part of that was due to lack of overall talent, which we seem to have addressed and a lot of guys being very young or playing in that specific system for the first time).

I think Geathers/Willis are likely to interchange between SS and dime CB. Both are thick and should be able to match up well with TEs 1-on-1.

Geathers was a team captain last year and Ballard really likes him. He just needs to stay healthy, that's his major issue.

16 hours ago, jameszeigler834 said:

Lynch is a HOF player if Geathers gets hurt again he will be done as a colt I believe.

If Geathers gets hurt again, he might be done in the NFL. His neck injury was no joke and at the time, a lot of people didn't know if he'd make it back at all. As more and more education comes out about long-term effects on injuries/concussions/etc. we are starting to see guys walk away from football younger knowing it's not worth it to risk the chance of not being able to function shortly after leaving the NFL.

For his sake, I hope Geathers stays healthy and is back to full form. However, for his future, if he has another neck injury it may be best to hang it up and be able to have a fully functional life throughout his 30's.

55 minutes ago, chad72 said:

This forum is way too high on Deon Cain and Fountain as well. Let us see them play and don't be shocked if both of them are sent packing.

I tend to agree. Cain had a few nice moments in pre-season, but he's never played against top NFL talent or in a regular season NFL game. He's a fairly speedy/quick WR coming off a blown knee. He'll have to prove he's fully healthy, has his physical assets back and can play with confidence he was seemingly playing with prior to injury and he'll have to stay healthy.

May 7, 2019

2 minutes ago, Irish YJ said:

I agree for the most part. If I knew their thoughts on the other TEs like MAC, and the 4 others not named Doyle or Ebron, I might have a better feel.

What I do love, is that if he was recruited by Bama, and was ranked the 3rd best TE in his class. Had a great offer list. Wouldn't be shocked if he was a diamond, just think he'd have played more at Bama had he been a stud.

He started 13 games as a junior and 15 as a senior (as a team 'permanent' team captain). Bama has always had a run-heavy offense and he was used primarily as a blocker and in red-zone receiving situations (about 50% of his receptions were TDs).

He played quite a lot, but they just utilized Irv Smith Jr. as their WR/TE hybrid guy and kept Hentges in a mostly blocking role.

Time will tell what he's actually made of, but I'm kind of high on the guy as a UDFA (we aren't expecting much from a UDFA anyway, but if he could come in and become our next Doyle in a couple years, it'd be very sweet).

May 7, 2019

Best Pick: Ben Okerere (I think he'll wind up starting or seeing the field very early, maybe not as much long term potential as Banguno, but I think he'll contribute early and often)

Worst Pick: EJ Speed (he could also be the sleeper pick -- the reason I put him as worst pick is because I think we could've gotten him later in the draft)

Sleeper Pick: Khari Willis (I will not be shocked to see him taking snaps away from Geathers or playing on the field with Geathers and Hooker at some point this season).... Josh Barton is the other one -- he's huge and seems athletic for a tackle (he needs to build some lower body strength and work on technique, but I'll be excited to see what Mudd can do with this guy, it may take some time, but I won't be shocked to see him on the field in a year or 2).... Gerri Green is another guy I expect to contribute this year who nobody seems to really talk about

Wish they could’ve got: N/A -- other than a few DL who went in the top 20, which we knew we weren't going to get, I don't think we really missed on anything throughout the rest of the draft (sure it'd be nice to have Nick Bosa, Josh Allen, Ed Oliver, etc... but I think we all knew that wasn't going to happen)

Can’t believe they passed on: N/A -- if we didn't sign Funchess, I'd say K'Neal Harry, but with Funchess we already have a big-bodied WR and I think if Funchess pans out, we're probably better off with Campbell anyway

UDFA to Watch: Hale Hentges (he reminds me of a young Doyle)... Jegs Jegede (he's raw/from a small school, but a physical freak and almost the same exact build as Autry) ... Jamal Peters/Shakial Taylor -- I doubt both make the team, but they're both good-sized for CBs and both seem athletic

Draft Grade: A-

May 7, 2019

16 minutes ago, Irish YJ said:

Pretty sure Doyle was a starter his JR and SR year and had a fair amount of yardage those two year (IIRC he had injury issues back then too). Not saying Hentges can do it, I just think he's very limited. Put me in the column signing Ebron next year to a 3 year deal, and either rolling with one of the already signed TEs, or drafting one 2nd to 4th rounds. I do want a guy who's decent at blocking, just want someone who's a little more polished receiver.

Yes, Doyle was more productive in college as a WR but he also played at Western Kentucky on a team with nowhere near the receiving depth as Alabama. Hengtes started 13 games as a junior and 3 of his 7 receptions were TDs. He was named team captain as a senior and started 15 games, with 3 of 4 receptions for TDs. He is said to have good hands, he just was used primarily as a blocker whereas Irv Smith Jr. was their receiving TE.

You're probably right that he needs some refinement as a receiver... but to start on Alabama full-time for 2 years is saying something. I am not totally sold on him making the team, he just reminds me a lot of Doyle and I imagine even if we have to stash him on the PS for a year or two and learn from Doyle and others that he can develop into a similar player as Doyle in the NFL (I don't think Doyle had more than 12 catches and was rarely used as a receiver his first 3 years before breaking out with 59 catches his 4th year).

May 7, 2019

3 minutes ago, Jdubu said:

We shall see how the team leans this season if they keep the Hentges kid and let go of Mo Allie-Cox. Imho, that will signal to me they like him and are willing to part with Doyle regardless of his cost and get younger for cheaper in the process. The nice thing about all this is the team gets a PS of testing and decide that plus they get a whole season (baring injuries) to see what they have in DF.

Im looking at the probability of future signings based on upcoming contracts outside of Doyle and Ebron though. I hope we get a few guys signed this year so we can front load a couple and allow for Lucks contract to be tolerable for the team cap space.

The team has had to try and fit in

Doyle

Ebron

Funchess

AC

Moore

TY

Mack

kelly

Wilson

not to mention the 2022 season guys (Luck and Leonard). These years will be in play a little just with contract structures. CB will have to figure out his plan. Not saying we can’t sign all the guys we want but he may have to forgo a DF or and EE for a smaller contract Doyle type guy. We can all only guess and EE does have that leadership quality and TD production so he likely gets the nod but I just can’t see us keeping EE and DF because they will both cost a lot if DF shows production in his prove it deal.

Well, TY is also getting older (not that 29 is that old for most -- but as a small WR who relies mainly on speed and agility, I don't expect him to keep producing the way he is forever -- we all saw how tough he was playing through 2 ankle sprains, but also saw when his speed is limited he becomes very limited in how effective he can be -- he was basically a non-factor in the playoff game against KC b/c he was a couple steps slower for normal). Luck is going to need weapons surrounding him -- we also saw Luck can do some pretty amazing things on his own, but he struggled a bit when defenses could limit him to one or 2 legitimate targets.

We have the most cap space in the NFL by far (Ballard has already said, he saves a lot of this to repay the guys he drafted, so yes we'll have to spend some to keep Leonard, Q, etc. in a few years). Still, I think it's very feasible if DF and EE both perform at high levels that we can bring both of them back for several more seasons. Let's just hope DF isn't the next DHB, Hakeem Nicks or Andre Johnson and actually produces for us during his time here.

May 7, 2019

6 minutes ago, Irish YJ said:

yup, haven't been the excited in a long time. i guarantee Luck is excited.

not high on Hentges making the team at all. way to slow. good blocker though, even if he strength scores were pretty bad. i just think we'll find another guy who is faster, that's also a decent blocker.

He just reminds me a whole lot of Doyle coming out of college.... Doyle was basically a back-up and a grinder (getting by on grit moreso than athletics) used for situational blocking/STs for his first 3 years in the league (after being a UDFA) before breaking out in year 4 as a complete TE. Seems to me like Hentges has a good role model, even if he needs a year or 2 on practice squad.

May 7, 2019

2 minutes ago, Irish YJ said:

Yup, injury always plays huge part in the "53", among other things. I'm fine with carry more OL, but I think we've got guys this year we know about now. If LT health is still a concern, then I'm good carrying more again.

On TE usage, Reich's 2TE sets have fluctuated by team. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw more than the ~28% of 2TE sets from last year, but I also know we have a lot more potential at WR (TY, Funch, Campbell, Cain) this year. We also play 7 of the 11 top passing Os this year, so we may need to play less possession ball, and more wide open ball. If I were going to guess, we'll see possession ball vs division foes, and more wide open vs the others.

Keep in mind Funch is a TE-lite, so I could see 2TE sets decrease just because of that. I also don't think Doyle will be back in 2020, so would not be surprised if other TEs got more reps in games where we're ahead by a few scores.

I'm still not totally optimistic Doyle will be 100% come the start of this season. I do think that Hale Hentges, the UDFA from 'Bama is about as close to a Doyle clone as you could get (Doyle is about 5 pounds heavier and 1-2 inches taller). But Hentges specializes in blocking and can be a reliable receiver in short yardage situations if needed. Both guys seem to get by more on work-ethic and toughness than pure athleticism... If Hentges makes the team, I see him almost as Doyle Version 2.0 (it may take him a year or 2 to get up to par in the passing game).

I do agree though, if Cain and TY can stay healthy, if Funchess lives up to his hype/contract, and if Campbell can adjust to the NFL game -- I think we'll see a lot of creativity on offense (a lot of ifs, I know -- but let's be optimistic here -- it's a much different WR corps than we've seen in a while and can be dangerous -- and a lot of teams should struggle body-ing up against both Ebron and Funchess in certain packages).

The nice thing is, with Andrew and his weapons, we can move the ball through the air if we need. With Big Q and the OL growing another year together, we should be able to run the ball down people's throats if we need to, as well.

This is the most exciting off-season in quite some time (IMO).

May 7, 2019

On 4/30/2019 at 8:12 AM, Colts1324 said:

Does this mean Wilkins and Williams will be cut/traded? I would expect us to only carry 3 RB's week 1.

I think we'll carry 3-4. Mack and Hines locks (as Hines can almost double as a slot WR), and Wilkins plus possibly Ware or Williams (Ware and Williams major issues have been staying healthy).

On 4/30/2019 at 8:39 AM, csmopar said:

A little bit out of the blue but not bad. Wonder what terms were/are

When it comes to adding players for depth or leadership, it seems like Ballard likes to stick with guys he or someone high on his staff have familiarity with ... Ware is one of Ballard's old Chiefs and is coming into compete as a back-up with veteran experience.

On 4/30/2019 at 11:07 AM, tweezy32 said:

I feel like I'm the minority here but I believe Wilkins is the better running back then Hines honestly and hope he gets the ball more this year. I think he was really good last year while splitting the carries between two other backs and still produced good numbers.

Hines has better receiving ability and Reich likes that in his system (see how he used Sproles as OC of Philly). Wilkins' major issue last year was the way he was holding the ball.... I think it's a fixable/coachable problem -- but look at his game logs here: http://www.nfl.com/player/jordanwilkins/2560187/gamelogs

He lost a fumble in week 5 and then he didn't touch the ball in week 6. They seemed to be working him back into the lineup until he lost another fumble in week 12, then he got put in the dog house with 1 touch week 13, 0 touches week 14, 1 touch week 15, 0 touches week 16 and 4 touches in week 17.

On 4/30/2019 at 1:19 PM, superrep1967 said:

I don’t know why they don’t like Wilkens more than they do

See above response -- he was getting quite a bit of reps until he coughed the ball up in week 5. He needs to secure the ball better, and I think he's gotta run a bit harder (that was a major knock on him coming out of college was that even though he's got very good size for an RB, he plays like a little guy).

On 5/2/2019 at 6:46 PM, JPFolks said:

I can't recall, do we always keep 4 RB's or is it sometimes only 3? If it comes down to an extra lineman, an extra WR, an extra TE or an extra RB, which would (or anyone else) choose? It seems like one or more of these areas have to cut it deeper than the others. I think I would lean towards an extra TE and an extra OL. Those are Andrew Luck security blankets. In a catastrophic injury scenario, I'd rather he have time and protection to throw to lessor WR's or hand off to lessor RB's (and often there are veterans you can bring in ala Inman) over guys who need time to gel with blocking schemes/personnel and protection packages that a back up level guy is better filling than a guy off the streets.

What are your (or anyone's) thoughts on that?

We have kept 4 both years Ballard has been here.... I expect we'll keep 4 again, in part because Hines can sort of double as a WR, and in part because Mack needs to show he can play a full 16 game season.

On 5/2/2019 at 9:41 PM, Irish YJ said:

IMO, we carried more OL last year because we were inserting 2 brand new early round picks. if everyone is healthy, we don't need to do that this year. starting positions are likely set, and it's just a matter of back ups battling it out.

TE had injury concerns. Only way I see us carrying 4 is if there are still injury concerns, or were assuming we're letting Doyle go after the season, and trying to get a good look at the other TEs.

Keep in mind that the OLs we have are versatile. Braden could literally play 4 out of the 5 spots. Q too. A lot of NFL guards have played T or C in their career. You just don't need a 1 for 1 replacement all the time. You need 2 good versatile back ups, preferably one at T, and one at G, and one of those that can play C.

As for TE, we only ran 2 TE slots around a quarter of the time, while we ran 3 WR sets more than 50% of the time. RBs block as much as TEs do, actually probably more in our O.

To answer you're Q, I'd rather Ebron go down than Mack. I'd rather Mack go down than TY.

I think we also carried more OL last year because Castonzo was banged up the first 5 weeks of the season and then we had some health/injury issues with Kelly on and off later in the season. With Q we've got a guy that can play G/C and probably T... with Smith, he can play all 5 positions on the line, and so can Haeg.... it sounds like this Jarvis Patterson and Glowinski can play all interior positions -- so I tend to think if it came down to it, if we're healthy on the OL, we'd see us carrying 9 and increasing WR/LB/DB/DL by a a digit compared to last year as those are more rotational positions and we seem pretty deep at all of them.

As far as TE goes, I think Reich really likes to run 2 TE's in his offense. Doyle missed 10+ games last year and our back-up TE's after him were Mo Alie-Cox who is very raw (though played fairly well considering he played basketball in college), Eric Swoope (who was an OK WR, but couldn't block) and some other no-names. When Doyle was healthy, we seemed to run a lot more 2 TE sets... I think Reich was adapting to his personnel when Doyle was out (do we go with TY, Inman, Grant on the field along with 1 TE or do we go with TY/Inman on the field with Ebron and Ross Travis?? kind of a rock and a hard place there... if Doyle comes back healthy, I expect we'll be much more balanced next year unless of course Funchess/Campbell/Cain are all playing like rock-stars).

May 7, 2019

On 5/3/2019 at 7:35 PM, Irish YJ said:

I'm 60/40 that we aren't done.

I'm still surprised a bit we didn't take iDL, which many thought was our biggest need.

If you listen to Ballard in the post-draft press conference he said the following (maybe not in this order or exact quotes, but close enough): (1) He expects Grover Stewart to make a big leap this year, (2) He thinks Hunt and Autry are very good in this defense, (3) Expect Tyquan Lewis to play on the inside more (I think he/Autry/maybe Ward will be counted on as our interior pass-rush, (4) Jihad Ward was playing very good ball until he got hurt......

He genuinely seemed to think we were good on the DL (but then of course, I'm sure he's not going to get up there and say "Grover Stewart's a bust who won't develop, etc."). I think Jegs Jegeles is more of a project/practice squad type guy at this point, but he has almost the same build as Autry (6'5" 273 for JJ vs. 6'5"270 for Autry).

On 5/3/2019 at 7:32 PM, Chloe6124 said:

I think we are pretty much very done. We have so much competition on this team.

I would agree, except there will be unexpected cuts from other teams and more likely than not some unexpected injuries as we go through training camp.... I doubt we'll see any big name splashes unless there's an unexpected cut or unexpected injury.

On 5/3/2019 at 9:08 PM, PrincetonTiger said:

I have a feeling that the Colts are done after seeing the roster numbers

Same as I said to Chloe... I don't think we're going to do anything 'big,' but Ballard's a mover and a shaker and I'm sure when other teams cut guys he coveted or we have injuries we'll be making some more moves.

On 5/3/2019 at 10:41 PM, Shive said:

I think we need either Al Woods back or someone to man that spot. I think 3T will have a very solid rotation between Lewis, Autry, and a healthy Ward.

Part of me understands the value of developing young talent and not putting aging vets in front of them that tend to stunt their growth, but the other part really wants Eric Berry. He's a fantastic leader and when healthy, he's a game changer. With his leadership, he may actually elevate the other guys in the safety room too, so it may be worth it.

I think Ballard/Reich/'Flus are expecting Grover Stewart to take the spot Al Woods had been playing. As much as I like Al Woods, if we're going to sign someone at/over 30 to play DT, I think it's gonna be on a 1-2 year deal and there are several guys available who are better than Woods -- and we have plenty of money to spend on a short-term deal (guys at 29 or above who I think are better than Woods include Suh, Wilkerson, and Logan --- Shelton's only 25, so I could see a longer deal for him if Ballard were to pull the trigger, though from watching the post-draft presser I was very convinced that Ballard is OK with our DL as is right now).

The guy that stuck out to me on the list was also Berry. I think he's probably past his prime with the injuries he is coming off, but it was just 2-3 years ago he was a first-team All-Pro. Ballard also seems to have an affinity for players he has dealt with in the past and Ballard was an executive in KC during Berry's prime years. We've got so much depth in the d-backfield right now, but if anyone goes down, I could see Berry becoming a similar signing to Mike Mitchell (maybe more likely, since Ballard has known him for at least 5-6 years).

May 7, 2019

5 hours ago, Smonroe said:

Heck, he scores every time he touches the ball!

He looks like a pro playing against high school kids. Kind of reminds me of Garçon. He was polished even after coming from a D3 school.

Garcon played at Mount Union which is basically like a D1 Football Program playing D3 (pretty sure their coach is the winning college football coach in history). Malone University is D-2, which I generally think of as weaker than D3 in terms of football.

I just read Malone U. has axed their football program after last year. Glad we found this guy before that happened (not that I expect him to be more than practice squad material).... he definitely got the size and speed with potential to develop... even though he's not playing top competition, it also seemed like he's got good balance, runs pretty good routes and isn't afraid to go up and get the ball.

Honestly, if the coaches can develop his natural athletic set and turn him into a football player he probably has a higher ceiling than Rogers and a couple other WRs on our current squad... hopefully he can translate into a Sunday player, that'd be cool story.

May 6, 2019

On 5/3/2019 at 10:41 AM, 2006Coltsbestever said:

I think we exposed the Texans last season and I fear the Jags defense more than I do the Texans D at this point. The Texans can't contain Hilton at all and now that we have a solid O.line, Luck has time to throw which makes Watt and Clowney less of a factor.

The additions to our OL definitely help neutralize Watt and Clowney, but if those guys are both healthy, they are scary no matter what.

I am excited that it seems like we may finally have a few good WRs to compliment TY for the first time since Reggie blew his knee out. It should make our offense much less 1-dimensional (it was obvious in the playoffs after TY's first quarter or half when his ankle started locking up that Luck didn't really have the weapons he needed to exploit the Texans D in the second half or the Chiefs D in the 2nd game).

The Jags have a very good D, but their secondary is what concerns me a little more so than the Texans D.

May 6, 2019

On 5/1/2019 at 10:07 PM, Scott Pennock said:

Multiplicity always wins in the end. FS, CB, dime back and gunner should be more valuable than a gunner. Free's up a spot elsewhere too.

No different than finding someone who can play a position AND return both kickoffs and punts. That would free up another roster spot.

I'm sure the coaching staff believes that too and is looking for someone to take the bull by the horns....

Ballard seemed to say that a lot over the past 2-3 months.... part of the reason why Q. Wilson is so valuable is because he can play outside, play nickel/dime, and if needed he could make the transition to safety. Sounds like he thinks the same about Tell... he said he wants to start him at CB, but he's got value because he's got the size/athleticism/experience to move away from just and outside CB.

We also have guys like Geathers who is by trade a SS, but I think we will see him being moved into kind of a hybrid LB/dime CB on 3rd down packages. I think a lot of the players we took this year, especially the LBers, are really just very good athletes with a lot of range. I don't know that we'll always have a true WILL/MIKE/SAM all year as Leonard, Speed, Okerere and potentially some guys from last year (e.g., Skai Moore if healthy) can play as hybrid-types in certain packages.

On 5/1/2019 at 11:59 PM, crazycolt1 said:

Other than a few spots like QB, RB, Maniac and Q there is strong competition all over the place.

I'm not going to say who is going to be a starter because I don't know yet.

That is what training camp and pre season games will sort out.

On defense we could very well see different line ups depending on what offenses we face.

I agree completely here. This is the strongest overall competition I can remember in the past 25 years across the board. Our defense seems to really be getting full of athletes with a lot of range and ability to interchange at positions.

I'm just hoping for a healthy camp and season. As Ballard said, "You know you're doing things right when you have to wind up cutting players who sign and play with other teams." I think that'll be the case at WR, DB, LB, potentially OL and DL -- which, at the end of the day, is a good thing.

May 6, 2019

2 minutes ago, ztboiler said:

You are confusing the level that high ceiling players would like to ascend to with the player that Kenny Moore has already become.

If you’d like to contend that Kenny won’t be able to maintain last year’s productivity, then that’s a different conversation...

It's well documented that Ballard likes to bring in good athletes (in the secondary, he also likes them to be big) and allow coaches to work with them to develop and reach their ceiling.

It's my opinion that Kenny Moore has a lower ceiling than Ya-Sin, Desir, Wilson, Hairston (if healthy) and Tell. I hope he comes out and maintains last year's productivity.... however, if these other guys reach their ceiling or come close to it, I see Moore as being a player who gets his playing time reduced.

These guys may not reach their ceiling, but I'm not confusing anything as you're suggesting... simply stating that out of all the CBs we have on this team, Moore is the least prototypical for the style of D we like to play. Based on size and athleticism alone, I don't think there is a complicated argument to suggest we have multiple CBs with more potential than Moore. That isn't to say Moore isn't a solid player or that I want to see him fail. It'll be a good problem to have if all the other guys reach their ceiling and we have to make a tough decision about who gets the most playing time and who we may have to get rid of.

May 6, 2019

1 minute ago, Chloe6124 said:

I think we actually need both Ebron and Doyle. I think they bring two different skill sets. Doyle is a great blocker. I think Doyle is easier to replace then Ebron if it comes to that. If Doyle comes back and performs well I think we can keep both. As this term gets deeper there will be choices that are going to have to be made. A lot of money is goinf to be spent the next few years.

what else is interesting is will we continue to get eight or nine draft picks. Eventually we will have depth and we won’t need that many. If we do there are going to be a lot of hard choices to make.

Yes, they bring 2 very different skillsets to our offense. Doyle is sure handed for short yard catches and he is a very good blocker. Personally, I agree with you -- we have so much cap space and it's not likely Doyle will be demanding a huge amount for renewed contract given he'll be on the wrong side of 30 at that time and we don't know how he'll bounce back from injury.

I also think it's easier to find a physical guy who can block and pick up short yardage gains than a guy like Ebron who is practically a WR on the field at the TE position. In reading about Hentges (UDFA from Alabama) they say he's one of the best/most aware/physical blockers in the draft, with good hands for short range catches (though rarely used as a receiving TE in college). He's tough and more of a hard-worker than a great athlete... that reminds me almost exactly of Doyle when we first got him, and he developed into a better receiver after several years in the league.

May 6, 2019

11 minutes ago, ztboiler said:

A large reduction in workload for Kenny Moore...our second best defensive player last year on an ascending defense...please tell us more.

I don't think he was our 2nd best player on defense... I would put at least Leonard and Hooker ahead of him. Sure he played well, but I think you could argue that Desir played better at CB and was usually lined up against a better WR from the opposition (e.g., there's a reason why Desir was lined up against DeAndre Hopkins and not Moore when we played the Texans).

As I've said in previous posts -- Moore started off shaky in year 1 and really improved last year. That said, he's our smallest CB by far and it's pretty well known that Ballard and our coaches like bigger/longer guys.

I am rooting for Moore, I just see several of the other young guys we have on our team 'fitting the mold' of this D better. It may take a year or 2 for a couple new guys (Ya-Sin, Tell) to adjust to the NFL, but I also think it's clear that Ballard is looking to get bigger and more athletic in the secondary -- he just drafted 2 guys that are bigger and more athletic than Moore -- plus, I think we'll see Wilson continue to improve and Desir was just signed to a nice contract renewal. Out of all those guys, Moore has the lowest ceiling (at least IMO) and is the least prototypical player for the scheme Ballard and Co seem to be trying to implement.

May 6, 2019

3 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:

You can’t put a price tag on ebrons leadership. He came into this locker room and instantly became a vocal leader. Him and luck also worked a ton off the field to develop that chemistry. I doubt he is going anywhere.

3 hours ago, Jdubu said:

Much of this post I agree with. What I would add is the distinction between Doyle and Ebron is Doyle catches almost all the balls Luck throws to him and while they aren’t 20 yard touch down passes, they are critical 3rd down passes that he catches where as Ebron seemed to lack focus several times if it wasn’t a 20 yard fade in the corner of the end zone. Imho, if the team likes what they see out of Funchess and Doyle performs as well as he did before the injury, I bet Ebron is the guy left out and it’s going to come down to a money and cap management item. Love to have them all but at some point you have to manage the cap for down the road.

As for the lb’er spot, while the system may be built for making them more expendable, if DL keeps playing at 2018 pace, you won’t let him walk like we did for guys like Mike Peterson types. Remember, Polian said something about not paying superstar money for a very good player, well Leonard is a superstar player and will no doubt get superstar money on this team unless we change systems or his play falls off. Losing Eberflus is a certainty after this season if he gets this defense playing at a top 5 defense, his time here is limited and I would expect us to have a back up plan in place for the exit.

Like @Chloe6124 said, Ebron has become a leader of this locker room for sure... as team captain last year, I'm sure Doyle has fine leadership qualities as well.

IMO, there are 2 main things separating Doyle and Ebron: 1) Doyle's 3 years older and coming off a serious injury, (2) Ebron is just a better athlete (IMO) than Doyle -- I really won't be surprised if a guy like Hentges can come in as an UDFA and perform at a similar level as Doyle within a year or 2.

You're right Doyle catches most things thrown his way even if it's not flashy or leading to score..... but Ebron doesn't have terrible drops (he had 9 drops or 0.6/game, which is not great but TY had 6 drops which is 0.4/game -- nobody every complains about TY's drop rate).

I also think Ebron and Luck are getting more comfortable and Ebron's hands will continue improving as he gains more confidence in himself and this offense.

It's all speculation at this point, but if I were the GM and going to replace one of Doyle/Ebron I would definitely keep Ebron due to age and the fact that he's just a better athlete (therefore, harder to replace). There's probably a reason why Ebron was a top 10 selection in the draft while Doyle was a UDFA.

May 6, 2019

12 hours ago, chrisfarley said:

would be great to have Inman back, but he's at the point in his career where he can make the most he's ever made. Can't blame him for going for it. Just hope his agent isn't over-pricing. It's a double-edged sword..... you have the andrew luck factor generating some of that production....so that's hard thing to quantify

Yea, you can't blame him... but Ballard can be pretty stingy when it comes to signing players (i.e., he will not overpay). If you look at Inman's career he hasn't really been all that productive (at least not consistently productive) throughout his time in the NFL. I like the guy, and he played very well for us last year considering he was signed mid-season and outside of an injured TY, we had very little depth at WR. I just imagine he's asking for more than what Ballard is willing to give or else he would've signed months ago.... now, he may get a pay raise, but doubtful he'll play in a system with a QB as good as Luck or with coaches who are very familiar with him.

May 6, 2019

I am kind of interested in Shakial Taylor.

He's got decent size (6'0" 181 lbs.) for a corner.

Hard to find much written up about him and I cannot find a lot of film on him, but from what I can see, he's got some raw talent.

I find it kind of odd that he started out at S. Dakota State, then moved as a sophomore to Mesa CC and then Junior/Senior year he was at Kansas. Kansas isn't really a good football school, but he started 9 games before getting hurt as a junior and all his games as a senior.

If Kansas is known for anything football wise, it's probably they produce good DBs every so often (Aquib Talib and Darrell Stuckey both made it to pro-bowls after their careers as Jayhawks).

May 6, 2019

On 5/4/2019 at 2:00 PM, Jdubu said:

I’m not sure we are going to be able to extend everyone of these guys. I’d bet that either Doyle or Ebron doesn’t make another contract, can’t afford both contracts and I’d guess it’s Ebron who gets passed IF we decide to sign DF to a wr contract because he showed he can perform here and he also would fill a similar role to what Ebron brings.

I like Doyle a lot, but think he's mostly over-achieved in his career. And, he's coming off a major injury and is 3 years older than Ebron. Ebron (IMO) is a much more dangerous receiving threat than Doyle. I see the Hentges UDFA from Alabama much more like Doyle than Ebron -- a very good blocker who is OK as a WR but really not a major threat.

If I had to guess, we'd be parting ways with Doyle before Ebron.

On 5/4/2019 at 2:07 PM, Chloe6124 said:

Ebron I see as a lock. Doyle we need to see how he comes back from injury. We didn’t take a TE so that says a lot. I might be changing my mind on DF. Ebron and Funchess are just so much alike. They would take EBron because of his leadership. We will have to see what DF brings to the table. The nice thing is Cain and Campbell being on rookie deals. Doyle brings something different to the TE group.

Ebron has definitely developed into a leader and a big part of this locker room culture Ballard and Reich always talk about.... that said, Doyle was a captain last year, too, so even though he's more 'under the radar' than Ebron, he must be playing a major role in the locker room.

That said, with Doyle coming off injury, being 3 years older than Ebron, and having less potential as a real game breaker than Ebron, I see him as a more expendable player than Ebron, at least at this point in time.

On 5/4/2019 at 6:21 PM, Moosejawcolt said:

I am just not sure that Ballard will sink over 20 million into a linebacker . Look at all the backers he drafted this year. I know he is committed to signing his own. However, I am not sure this defensive scheme is worth paying 20 million for a linebacker. Even the players say it is a simple defense to learn . I think in the years moving forward, the Colts will rely heavily on the draft to replenish the D. We shall c.

As was previously posted by @Chloe6124, Leonard is really more than just a good LBer. He, as a rookie, was the leader of this defense. He has been a great person in Indy and a great locker room guy for the Colts.

I agree with you to some extent, that our defensive scheme may make LBers somewhat expendable (sort of how Dungy's scheme made guys like Mike Peterson/Cato June/etc. expendable). However, if our D performs very well again this year, there is a good chance Eberflus is going to be getting a lot of head coaching offers.... having a leader like Leonard may be invaluable for a while.... unless he gets hurt or really digresses, I imagine he's a guy Ballard wants as a Colt for life.

May 6, 2019

5 minutes ago, Irish YJ said:

IMO, we have two WRs that can be a legit WR2 (Cain and Campbell). Funchess is just really limited as a true X. I love what Funchess brings in the slot, and in short yardage and RZ.

Funchess doesn't have elite speed, but I do think he's got the size and the capability of being very dangerous in this offense (both outside and in the slot/RZ). The fact that we've got burners in TY/Campbell should allow the coaches to be even more crafty with their use of Funchess.

May 6, 2019

1 minute ago, Irish YJ said:

Agree with all of that.

My biggest beef, is play calling late in the season. Seemed very predictable. More tools should help. With what we've signed and drafted, I expect a very good year. If Cain comes back to form too, I expect a lot.

Yes, I think Reich can be very creative in play calling, given the right tools.....

You can already tell how excited he is to have Funchess and Campbell for Luck to work with. If Cain comes back to form, we should have 4 WR's who could be WR2 or better on this team, compared to last year when we had TY at 3/4 speed and a bunch of guys who likely wouldn't be a top 3-4 WR on most other teams.

May 6, 2019

On 5/4/2019 at 6:47 PM, Irish YJ said:

agree 100%. super happy with eberflus's first year. mixed emotion on reich, but he had limited tools to work with, so giving him the benefit of the doubt. going to be fun this season.

One other area where I thought Reich and Sirianni really excelled last year was keeping Luck healthy. I forgot until just watching an interview with Luck and Jeff Saturday that Luck was the least sacked QB in the NFL last year..... that was with a rotating OL at many portions of the season due to injuries.

Grigson/Pagano/etc. almost got Luck killed in the first 5 years of his career. I really, really like that Ballard/Reich/etc. came in and really emphasized keeping Andrew upright and getting the ball out of his hand quick.... with another year behind our OL, I expect we'll only improve from here.

May 6, 2019

I don't think this link has been posted yet... but this is a very good interview:

I really like around 8:20 mark when Luck talks about being more comfortable in this offense going into year 2 with Reich and Sirriani.

"Certainly more comfortable, but a lot of work to do... I remember thinking at the beginning of the off-season talking to Sirianni and he's like "You know we really only worked together for about 5 months." And yea, we hit a little bit of a stride last year, but that was last year........ certainly, I think we're starting at a different level this year."

I also like seeing these guys interacting... you can tell they have some strong chemistry on this team.

May 6, 2019

On 5/1/2019 at 1:52 AM, James said:

Daniel Jeremiah on The MTS Podcast:

"Andy Isabella was my 188th player in this draft and went with the 62nd pick, he went to the senior bowl, couldn't catch anything, couldn't get out of a break, Penny Hart was better than him and he went undrafted."

The receiver room has a lot of talent in it. Could Penny realistically make the 53 man roster?

On 5/1/2019 at 2:41 AM, crazycolt1 said:

I am not saying he will or will not make the team but he will have his chance. We are pretty crowded at the WR position with a lot of competition so it will tough, but not any tougher than a couple of other WRs in the same position.

He may have some value as a kick returner so that could be a plus.

On 5/1/2019 at 4:04 PM, PrincetonTiger said:

His shot will be as a Specialist

Agreed with @PrincetonTiger and @crazycolt1 here.

As of right now, the way Hart can separate himself and make this team will be as a return specialist and on special teams.

I would not be shocked if Parris Campbell gets some reps at PR/KR early on, but as he improves as a WR, I think Reich et al. will think he's too valuable at WR to risk injury in the return game.

I think Hart and Ashton Dulin are both pretty long shots to make this team (maybe more likely to be practice squad guys). However, if either was to do it, it'd be by really performing well on ST's during pre-season.

On 5/1/2019 at 4:09 PM, JPFolks said:

In the past it often seemed like Grigson cast offs went to other teams and balled out compared to how they did here. Hopefully we now cut the right guys.

My favorite quote from Ballard after the draft in a press conference he did with Reich was something along the lines of "You know you're doing it right when you cut your roster from 65 to 53 and guys 54-65 wind up being signed and playing elsewhere on Sundays."

Other than Hughes, I don't really remember anyone Grigson cut going on to play very well elsewhere. Grigson (IMO) spent too much time trying to be 'creative' and signing guys like Adongo and others who garnered very little interest from other teams.

I don't know that Ballard has us to the point where all guys from 54-65 will play elsewhere on Sundays.... but there are several players at DB/LB/WR and potentially DL/OL on this team who will likely be playing somewhere outside of Indy next year. It's really the first time in a long time where I can remember thinking going into training camp that there are going to be hard cuts at numerous positions who wind up playing on other teams... good problem to have, IMO.

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