Rate em!

[Warhorse]

Ok, here is the deal. Choose and rate from all players acquired since the changeover. This includes draft, trade, FA's. For obvious purposes, I would like to leave Andrew off of the list, because he is already an obvious #1.

 

Rate the top five in order. Go to ten if you have the time and the mind. Reggie was a resign, but this is about new talent coming to the team, so Reg and Luck are off limits. Consider talent, contributions, and future value. Feel free to back your choice with an explanation if you want.

 

#1

 

#2

 

#3

 

#4

 

#5

[ConBro]

#1 Cory Redding- He has been a beast for us defensively. It was nice to have a piece of Chuck's system come over from Baltimore to help establish this defense. He also shook my hand and gave me an autograph at the Bills game so I may be a little biased

 

#2 Vick Ballard- A great every-down back. We may have found our starting RB for the future in this kid. He's still rough around the edges but had a great rookie campaign.

 

#3 TY Hilton- What a steal. He reminds me of the old PG85 with better hands and better speed. I hope he continues to be as productive as this year!

 

#4 Vontae Davis- Finally the physical shut-down corner we have needed. He would be higher on the list if he had started every game following our trade for him.

 

#5 Dwayne Allen- Proven to be a solid all-around TE. Good blocker and pass catcher. He and Andrew seem to have the chemistry we all hoped Luck and Fleener would have. I have not given up on Fleener yet, though.

[indycrazy1887]

1. vontae davis. brings a presence to corner we havent seen in god knows how long.

2. t.y hilton. more maturity and he will have monster seasons.

3. cory redding. even though he is old he was a very physical and emotional leader and really anchored the defensive line when healthy. i was ecstatic when we signed him.

4. dwayne allen. he can catch just about anything, he runs some pretty solid routes, and he is good in pass protection. dont know how he slipped through to the 3rd round but hey we'll take it.

5. jerrell freeman. came from the CFL and was 5th in the league in tackles? that first game against chicago when he picked off cutler and trotted into the endzone i was stunned at who this guy was. great pickup at lb

[HungarianColtsFan]

#1.T.Y. Hilton

#2. Cory Redding

#3.Vick Ballard

#4.Vontae Davis

#5. A.Q. Shipley

 

Davis was injured, I'm sure he'd be at higher rank if hadn't missed out games.

Cory became the leader of the D.

T.Y. Hilton showed up talent, but some may find his rank too high after last Sunday. He has to work on his hands

Ballard flew under the radar then hit the target with a corkscrew bomb @Titans, since then he is unstoppable.

Shipley is our Jolly Joker, he played both Guard and C positions and he did well.

 

Notable to mention D.Butler and Deji Karim too. They are rebuilding their football career now, however their talent level is lower, but Grigs fished them out of garbage and they are earning their spots. I always respect if someone can stand up fight!

[iM COLTSSTRONG]

#1 - T.Y. Hilton - Explosive. Made plays every game. has shown most potential.

#2 - Vick Ballard - brought a decent running game. He has made great runs when Colts are trying to run out the clock. aka Texans week 16. 9+ min drive. Many thanks to Vick.

#3 - Dewayne Allen - Good run blocker, and has shown good hands and potential.

#4 - Jerrell Freeman - Top 5 tackler in the league from CFL. Diamond in the rough!

#5 - Cory Redding - Emotional leader in the locker room along with Reg. Solid game all season.

[GoColts8818]

1.  Freeman

2.  Redding

3.  Ballard

4.  Allen

5.  Davis

[HungarianColtsFan]

Ok, here is the deal. Choose and rate from all players acquired since the changeover. This includes draft, trade, FA's. For obvious purposes, I would like to leave Andrew off of the list, because he is already an obvious #1.

 

Rate the top five in order. Go to ten if you have the time and the mind. Reggie was a resign, but this is about new talent coming to the team, so Reg and Luck are off limits. Consider talent, contributions, and future value. Feel free to back your choice with an explanation if you want.

 

#1

 

#2

 

#3

 

#4

 

#5

 

Just a question: Will you sum up votes??

[Gavin]

1.Freeman

2.Hilton

3.Davis

4.Allen

5.A.Q. Shipley

 

Honorable mention Redding, While his stats are less than impressive the leadership he has showed helping guys translate to the 3-4 as well as his NEVER QUIT attitude has shown to be invaluable

 

Just missed 1.Darius Butler  2.Jerry Hughes

[braveheartcolt]

1. Freeman - 145 combined tackles - 5th in the league. He was everywhere. Did he miss a game?

 

2. T.Y. Hilton - great chemistry (what does that actually mean?) with Luck. I forgive him his drops (this year).

 

3. Ballard - hard running, and did it on his own at the death. Needs to work on his fumbles though. 

 

4. Allen - safe hands, good blocking, big time player I feel.

 

5. Davis - if he can stay healthy, he could be a top five corner. Big if perhaps.

 

Honourable mentions to Avery, Redding and Shipley

[braveheartcolt]

1.Freeman

2.Hilton

3.Davis

4.Allen

5.A.Q. Shipley

 

Honorable mention Redding, While his stats are less than impressive the leadership he has showed helping guys translate to the 3-4 as well as his NEVER QUIT attitude has shown to be invaluable

 

Just missed 1.Darius Butler  2.Jerry Hughes

 

I'd have Hughes at 53, although I thought this 'poll' was for new players this season - although I can see why you might have thought this was his first year with us..... 

[ReMeDy]

I'd have Hughes at 53, although I thought this 'poll' was for new players this season - although I can see why you might have thought this was his first year with us..... 

 

It's a good thing Chris Polian didn't take him in the 1st round!...

[lollygagger8]

1. Ballard - Runs better as the game goes on. Has been pretty amazing considering the line he's had to run behind.

2. Allen - I always yell "Throw it to Allen!!" on 3rd downs. His hands are exceptional, and he always gains YAC.

3. Freeman - Grigson found a complete stud at ILB in Freeman. He never quits on a play. Ever.

4. T.Y Hilton - Lightning in a bottle. When he gets open field, forget about it. He's gone.

5. Redding - Cap't Anchor of the defense in the middle. Emotional leader.

 

I also agree with above posts. Butler, and Karim are up there too. Both have played very well despite being passed over by other teams.

[DS3]

1, Vontae Davis Is An Absolute Beast. Best Corner We've Had Since,  Nobody. Plays Physical, And Great In Coverage.

2. T.Y Hilton, Is A Playmaker ! He Can Get Deep Return Kicks, And Nobody Expected This Season !

3. Vick Ballard, He Runs The Ball Well For Us Not Afraid To Go In Between The Tackles And Runs Better As The Game Goes On.

4. Jerell Freeman, 145 Tackles 5th in the league. You Wouldn't Even Know He Came From Canada !

5.Dwayne Allen, Played Great All Year Just OUTSHINED Coby Fleener !

 

[SilentHill]

1.Jerrel Freeman

2.T.Y. Hilton

3.Vontae Davis

4.Dwayne Allen

5.Deji Karim

6. Vick Ballard

7. Darius Butler

8. AQ Shipley

8. Cory Redding

9. Donnie Avery

10. Cassius Vaughn

 

9 and 10 showed some good play during the year, but overall played bad. COuldn't really think of anyone else new that made an impact.

[Balzer40]

1. Hilton - Steal of the draft IMO.

2. Ballard - I hated this pick when it was made, but it just goes to show, you don't have to waste a high rd. draft pick or spend a ton of money on a RB in the NFL for them to be successful.

3. Redding -  Great emotional leader for the defense. Colts have needed someone like him for yrs.

4. Davis - Finally a physical CB that don't get manhandled by receivers throughout the league.

5. Freeman - What else could you ask for from a CFL signing that most people didn't expect much from.

[Warhorse]

Great responses everyone. Yes, I will do an average and post a consensus. Nice!

[feeling LUCKy]

hilton

davis

freeman

allen

ballard

[throwing BBZ]

Davis

Hilton

Freeman

Allen

Redding

5 "Championship Quality" football players.

[B-B]

1. Hilton

2. Freeman

3. Allen

4. Ballard

5. Davis

[BNS]

Davis

Hilton

Freeman

Allen

Redding

5 "Championship Quality" football players.

 

 

Ditto

[Franklin County]

Freeman                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Davis                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Ballard                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Hilton                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Allen       

[basketballsteve]

1. Freeman as Dire Straights sang "tackles for nuthing and your chicks for free" or something like that

 

2. Allen an every down swiss knife tight end

 

3. T Y Hilton potential Roger Carr replay

 

4. Vontae Davis our first cover corner in a long time and not afraid to play physical

 

5. Ballard reminds me of Lydell Mitchell wish they would throw to him more

 

Of course we would have never won 11 games without Cory but age pushes him back on this list.

[Superman]

1) Vontae Davis -- He was so much better at corner than anyone else we had last season, and he missed games and had a couple bad ones himself.

 

2) Cory Redding -- Part of this has to do with the scheme change, but Redding came in and influenced everything we do up front on defense. He quickly became a leader on defense, and whenever he was out, his absence was noticeable.

 

3) Darius Butler -- >>> Jacob Lacey

 

4) Vick Ballard -- I'm not as critical of Donald Brown as others are, but Ballard has the ability to run between the tackles over and over again, he finds the hole, he finishes carries, and he stays healthy.

 

5) Jerrell Freeman -- It's hard to include him here, because Angerer made a ton of tackles last year. But Freeman seemed to be more of a stopper than Angerer was last year, and came out of nowhere.

 

This exercise is difficult for me. We added a lot of solid contributors this season, but I think the biggest changes came at the top. Management's approach helped fill the roster out, the coaching was much more engaged, and the quarterbacking was ten times better. Grigson, Pagano, Arians and Luck are the biggest reasons for our turnaround.

[Coltswarriors]

1. TY Hilton

2. Jerrell Freeman

3. Vontae Davis

4. Cory Redding

5. Vick Ballard

6. Dwayne Allen

[The Fish]

Ballard

Davis

Hilton

Freeman

Redding

[UKColt13]

1. TY Hilton - Love this kid, will be a superstar for us in years to come

2. Cory Redding - Much needed defensive leader, we needed some of that Ravens style intensity, and he brought it.

3. Ballard - Biggest surprise of the year IMO, productive, quick and tough as nails.

4. Freeman - Great bit of business, strong and productive, obvious starter.

5. Vontae - Another great bit of business, has looked better every game.

6. Dwayne Allen - Close between him and Vontae. He looks like a great prospect. Has been a great safety net. Strong runner, and very reliable.

[corgi]

1. T.Y. Hilton

2. Jerrell Freeman

3. Vick Ballard

4. Vontae Davis

5. Dwayne Allen

[Gavin]

I'd have Hughes at 53, although I thought this 'poll' was for new players this season - although I can see why you might have thought this was his first year with us..... 

Obviously 4 sacks in spot duty does not say he is 53, you obviously have some deep seeded personal problem with Hughes, the guy finally gets a few starts to show what he can do and performs well getting 4 sacks and almost 40 tackles yet you refuse to aknowledge he did well in his limited starts. But your right 'since the changeover'

 

1.Freeman

2.Hilton

3.Butler

4.Davis

5.Redding

 

Honorable Mention- Dwayne Allen

[braveheartcolt]

Obviously 4 sacks in spot duty does not say he is 53, you obviously have some deep seeded personal problem with Hughes, the guy finally gets a few starts to show what he can do and performs well getting 4 sacks and almost 40 tackles yet you refuse to aknowledge he did well in his limited starts. But your right 'since the changeover'

 

1.Freeman

2.Hilton

3.Butler

4.Davis

5.Redding

 

Honorable Mention- Dwayne Allen

You are correct Gavin. I do no even remotely consider this guy a good player to have on our roster. But it is all about opinions, not stats. He had 2 more sole tackles than Zibs - if you want perspective. You have an equally over inflated like for the guy, as I have disappointment. But in two years we won't have to jostle anymore about it, because the Colts will be agreeing with me (and many others) and he will be gone.

 

I agree with you on many things, but with this one it looks like we will never see eye to eye. No problem though.

[Gavin]

You are correct Gavin. I do no even remotely consider this guy a good player to have on our roster. But it is all about opinions, not stats. He had 2 more sole tackles than Zibs - if you want perspective. You have an equally over inflated like for the guy, as I have disappointment. But in two years we won't have to jostle anymore about it, because the Colts will be agreeing with me (and many others) and he will be gone.

 

I agree with you on many things, but with this one it looks like we will never see eye to eye. No problem though.

No problem thats what the forum is all about discussing our colts its not a requirement that we all agree all the time, I personally think he has done good considering he has been rotated in and out in a new scheme all year long, Without question given his draft status he has not produced to the standard that he should but I dont hold that against him because he was never meant to produce big numbers right away from the start if you consider that Freeney was playing at a very high level the previous year(13 sacks followed by 10 sacks the year Hughes was drafted so clearly Hughes was not going to be the go to guy, he was the future and thats what NOW is) and that he was starting but that was in the silly Cover 2, new start here and while his first year in a new scheme he has not produced Freeney like numbers he should not be expected to because he will be asked to do more then Freeney because he can do more then be a 1 trick pony of being a pure pass rusher, he can go out and make tackles and play the run, Given what he did this year being rotated in and out of the lineup and producing 4 sacks and 41 tackles I expect he will continue to fit right in the Mathis role of dropping back in a short Zone from time to time and also playing the run(if Mathis stays healthy Hughes will only be rotated in and out so expect more of the same in my opinion not big numbers but productive), I've said it once or twice but I'll say it again I think Hughes can be an all around player and still produce double digit sacks if he builds his strength

[braveheartcolt]

No problem thats what the forum is all about discussing our colts its not a requirement that we all agree all the time, I personally think he has done good considering he has been rotated in and out in a new scheme all year long, Without question given his draft status he has not produced to the standard that he should but I dont hold that against him because he was never meant to produce big numbers right away from the start if you consider that Freeney was playing at a very high level the previous year(13 sacks followed by 10 sacks the year Hughes was drafted so clearly Hughes was not going to be the go to guy, he was the future and thats what NOW is) and that he was starting but that was in the silly Cover 2, new start here and while his first year in a new scheme he has not produced Freeney like numbers he should not be expected to because he will be asked to do more then Freeney because he can do more then be a 1 trick pony of being a pure pass rusher, he can go out and make tackles and play the run, Given what he did this year being rotated in and out of the lineup and producing 4 sacks and 41 tackles I expect he will continue to fit right in the Mathis role of dropping back in a short Zone from time to time and also playing the run(if Mathis stays healthy Hughes will only be rotated in and out so expect more of the same in my opinion not big numbers but productive), I've said it once or twice but I'll say it again I think Hughes can be an all around player and still produce double digit sacks if he builds his strength

You know what, you can certainly give tons more reasons why you think he's good, than I can mark him down, so props for that.

 

Perhaps I'm still harbouring a Polian grudge for taking him in round one. He just seems to be on the fringe of the plays all the time, and then ends up yapping or jawing all the time. And even his sacks seem to be at innocuous times, rather when we really need that big stop.

 

As you say, with Freeney all but gone, maybe he gets stronger and something clicks next year. If it's his contract year, then it probably is sht or bust forn him!

 

And if he came out a 'monster' and went Pro-Bowl, I'd be happy to chomp on crow for a month!

[coltsfanmilyman]

1) Vontae Davis -- He was so much better at corner than anyone else we had last season, and he missed games and had a couple bad ones himself.

 

2) Cory Redding -- Part of this has to do with the scheme change, but Redding came in and influenced everything we do up front on defense. He quickly became a leader on defense, and whenever he was out, his absence was noticeable.

 

3) Darius Butler -- >>> Jacob Lacey

 

4) Vick Ballard -- I'm not as critical of Donald Brown as others are, but Ballard has the ability to run between the tackles over and over again, he finds the hole, he finishes carries, and he stays healthy.

 

5) Jerrell Freeman -- It's hard to include him here, because Angerer made a ton of tackles last year. But Freeman seemed to be more of a stopper than Angerer was last year, and came out of nowhere.

 

This exercise is difficult for me. We added a lot of solid contributors this season, but I think the biggest changes came at the top. Management's approach helped fill the roster out, the coaching was much more engaged, and the quarterbacking was ten times better. Grigson, Pagano, Arians and Luck are the biggest reasons for our turnaround.

Those three men deserve major Kudos, without them we don't sniff .500

 

#1 signing would have to the Free Agent Reggie Wayne - I know he was on the team, but during the first half of the season he put A. Luck on his shoulders.  We are so fortunate to have retained this man for Luck that you can't really fully appreciate it. 

 

#2  Redding has helped this Defense assimilate very well to the new scheme, his vocal leadership and tenacity is something that will rub off on this team,  He's not the best DE,, but for this team, what he has done has been more than well deserving of a heap of praise.

 

#3 Davis while the beginning of the season was quite shaky and had alot on here pondering the decision, the last month of the season we got a taste of what will be coming in the future.  Pagano will get this boy right like Singletary did his brother.

 

#3A Butler will be the biggest surprise as of next year.  This was an absolute steal and I see him taking the nickel from Vaughn.

 

#4 Ballard  the more and more I have seen from this guy, the more and more i feel like we don't need to worry about rb.  He will become the starter in training camp and never look back.  Thus making Brown come back for vet min, maybe a little more

 

#5 Told Ya Hilton  Grigson knew something no one else did and snagged this gem and has produced fantastically with limited production.  Keep him off special teams though please, he's too small to be doing that, not when we have seen what Karim can do and what can happen to small framed people who run alot

 

#6 Allen, every qb has their safety valve and in my opinion Allen is the best TE on the team.  He reminds me of Marcus Pollard in some regards but is way more athletic.  Wonderful hands and knows how to find the first down/YAC.

 

#7 Shipley he has played hurt, in a different position and is a servicable center.  Unfortunately too much has been invested in Satele to uproot his place on the depth chart.  Running game is better when he is in.

 

 

 

Now on the other side of the ball I need to see better from some people or there contracts should be terminated.

 

#1 Zibs sorry buddy but he look lost out there.  He was a teammate of Ed Reed did he not talk to that man or learn from him at all?  His angles are horrible and when Foku outran him to catch Rice, he should have taken himself out of the game.  Let Lefeged take his spot please.

 

#2 Hughes has one more year while his production is up, next year he better be leaps and bounds better in this system, he is still young enough to be able to refine your game

 

#3Avery He has speed to get behind the D but his hands remind me of Pierre Garcon.  Can make a great catch but will drop the easy ones.  His hands have got to get better because Told Ya will make you expendable

 

#4 Fleener regardless of him being injured throughout the season, during the draft I thought it was a great idea due soley to him playing with Luck.  Hindsight being 20/20 there was better options on the board at the time.

 

before I say my last one i must say this caveat this will only be his second year doing his job so he shouldn't have his contract terminated.

 

#5 Grigson - the man has done amazing things this year with our team needs.  Yet this upcoming year you will have a pretty penny to play with.  I believe this is where I wanna see more of the same gems and excellent signings.  Being a former lineman, he knows the type of players we will need.  Kill it in FA because our draft picks are down 2.

 

that was fun!  Great thread

[esmort]

- Vontae Davis - I have had to eat my words on this one; I was a vocal opponent of the trade when it happened.

 

- Dwayne Allen

 

- TY Hilton

 

- Cory Redding

 

- Jerrell Freeman

[JoKeR]

1. Freeman

2. Hilton

3. Redding

4. Davis

5. Ballard

[T Y Goodbye]

1, Vontae Davis Is An Absolute Beast. Best Corner We've Had Since,  Nobody. Plays Physical, And Great In Coverage.

2. T.Y Hilton, Is A Playmaker ! He Can Get Deep Return Kicks, And Nobody Expected This Season !

3. Vick Ballard, He Runs The Ball Well For Us Not Afraid To Go In Between The Tackles And Runs Better As The Game Goes On.

4. Jerell Freeman, 145 Tackles 5th in the league. You Wouldn't Even Know He Came From Canada !

5.Dwayne Allen, Played Great All Year Just OUTSHINED Coby Fleener !

 

 

I did and I knew he would breakout when given a chance...

 

Hilton: TY is the guy!. I said it from day one..kid has the potential to be a superstar and I knew if they got him the ball more, he'd show the world..My favorite player in all of football to watch.

Ballard: Saw his last bowl game..Could not be stopped..Never stops churning up rubber..Not lightning fast, but can get you the tough yards when needed.

Davis: A stud CB stuck with a terrible team with terrible coaching. We all are seeing now what can happen when players are with the right team, and happy!

Freeman: Who ever really heard of him before this year. What a great pickup..solid tackler that consistently produced big plays all year.

Allen: Great speed for a big man..very good receiver, with soft hands, and getting better each week with blocking..