My Pre Combine and Draft Bowls Mock/FA

[coltsguy510]

We have many needs this year, but none is bigger than our O-Line. We need to keep Luck upright next season because I don't know if he can take as many hits as last season.

OG's Andy Levitre and Louis Vasquez: Levitre and Vasquez are, in my opinion, the two best Offensive Guards hitting Free Agency this offseason. They are both still young players (Vasquez is 25 and Levitre is 26) and could, along with Shipley, give us one of the best young interior lines in the NFL.

Our next biggest need is our secondary, particularly the SS position. We need a difference make, as Zbi is just not cutting it.

SS Dashon Gholdson: Gholdson is one of the hardest hitting SS's in the league. He would remind us of Bob. He is relatively young, 28, and would fit in great with our team.

With Dwight most likely on his way out this season. We need an edge rusher to replace him, but one that can actually stop the run.

OLB Anthony Spencer: Spencer is arguably the best run stopping OLB, in a 3-4 scheme, in the league. He is awesome in that right. He is a vastly underrated pass rusher though. I would love to see him in a Colts uniform this offseason.

Now on to the draft. I believe that we should trade down to the second and pick up a 2014 first from a lower tier team, while giving back a 2014 5th.

2. OT D.J. Fluker: Fluker is a massive player. He has been going up against the best competition you can get in college for years now. I believe that he will be the final piece of the puzzle for our O-Line.

3. CB Desmond Trufant: As evidenced by our last game, we need a corner opposite Davis. Trufant can be that guy. He has great instincts and has the bloodlines. He is good in run support, which is what we like in our corners.

4. DE William Gholston: Gholston is an amazing athlete at the DE position. He can play DE in the 3-4 or 4-3. He will slide some in the draft due to character and production concerns, but would be a steal at this point in the draft.

5. (Compensatory) WR Marcus Davis: Davis is a big receiver at 6-3 and is very fast. He needs to work on his hands and route running but when he gets those down, he will be a force to reckon with. Reggie's strengths are Davis's weaknesses, so playing with Reggie woll help Davis a ton.

6. RB Spencer Ware: Ware is a bruiser and, in my opinion, just what we need to pair up with Ballard and Brown. He has only fumbled once ever in his college career and could easily replace Carter as our short yardage back. He is an ultra competitor and just the player I want on this team.

6. (Compensatory) C Braxton Cave: He could come in and compete against Shipley and Satele for the starting job. Very smart player and that's what I want in a Center.

7. K Dustin Hopkins: Vinatieri is getting older and we will need a replacement, so why not get the best kicker in college football.

 

[Boiler_Colt]

I like this a whole lot. Couldn't agree with you more on the FA's.

[PrincetonTiger]

I like this a whole lot. Couldn't agree with you more on the FA's.

ditto

[NewColtsFan]

I don't see us able to trade our #1 this year along with a #5 and be able to pick up a high #2 and a future #1.

 

I don't see any team willing to do that.    Not even close.    Not enough for the other team.

 

Another poster floated a similar idea in another thread....     this is my response,  apologies for the length....

 

http://forums.colts.com/index.php?/topic/14596-interesting-take-on-colts-draft/

[Playoffs2013]

We have many needs this year, but none is bigger than our O-Line. We need to keep Luck upright next season because I don't know if he can take as many hits as last season.

OG's Andy Levitre and Louis Vasquez: Levitre and Vasquez are, in my opinion, the two best Offensive Guards hitting Free Agency this offseason. They are both still young players (Vasquez is 25 and Levitre is 26) and could, along with Shipley, give us one of the best young interior lines in the NFL.

Our next biggest need is our secondary, particularly the SS position. We need a difference make, as Zbi is just not cutting it.

SS Dashon Gholdson: Gholdson is one of the hardest hitting SS's in the league. He would remind us of Bob. He is relatively young, 28, and would fit in great with our team.

With Dwight most likely on his way out this season. We need an edge rusher to replace him, but one that can actually stop the run.

OLB Anthony Spencer: Spencer is arguably the best run stopping OLB, in a 3-4 scheme, in the league. He is awesome in that right. He is a vastly underrated pass rusher though. I would love to see him in a Colts uniform this offseason.

Now on to the draft. I believe that we should trade down to the second and pick up a 2014 first from a lower tier team, while giving back a 2014 5th.

2. OT D.J. Fluker: Fluker is a massive player. He has been going up against the best competition you can get in college for years now. I believe that he will be the final piece of the puzzle for our O-Line.

3. CB Desmond Trufant: As evidenced by our last game, we need a corner opposite Davis. Trufant can be that guy. He has great instincts and has the bloodlines. He is good in run support, which is what we like in our corners.

4. DE William Gholston: Gholston is an amazing athlete at the DE position. He can play DE in the 3-4 or 4-3. He will slide some in the draft due to character and production concerns, but would be a steal at this point in the draft.

5. (Compensatory) WR Marcus Davis: Davis is a big receiver at 6-3 and is very fast. He needs to work on his hands and route running but when he gets those down, he will be a force to reckon with. Reggie's strengths are Davis's weaknesses, so playing with Reggie woll help Davis a ton.

6. RB Spencer Ware: Ware is a bruiser and, in my opinion, just what we need to pair up with Ballard and Brown. He has only fumbled once ever in his college career and could easily replace Carter as our short yardage back. He is an ultra competitor and just the player I want on this team.

6. (Compensatory) C Braxton Cave: He could come in and compete against Shipley and Satele for the starting job. Very smart player and that's what I want in a Center.

7. K Dustin Hopkins: Vinatieri is getting older and we will need a replacement, so why not get the best kicker in college football.

 

not a fan of the draft fluker was terrible against western Kentucky, and I'm not a fan

Why get a K

Another RB? We need OL not a RB

Trufant is almost uneeded we have a good FA class of corners DRC, smith, Williams etc

Gholston has bust all over him

We should be looking at an OLB, spencer to me will cost too much compared to a rookie, and a pass rusher would be preferred

I would prefer Byrd over gholson

But I like the 2 OL ideas for FA

I would like to invest in a #1 WR in FA for when Reggie retires

[Nobody]

Fluker? He can't pass block and is a HUGE reach at early 2nd. Bad, bad pick. I wouldn't take him till our 3rd or later, preferably later. You want to protect Luck? Get a guy who can pass block.

As for Trufant, I'd much prefer Leon McFadden from SDSU. He is far superior in man coverage compared to Trufant (actually he is compared to most CB in this draft, he's me of my favorite players in the draft for us.) I'm not a Trufant fan.

[BOTT]

not a fan of the draft fluker was terrible against western Kentucky, and I'm not a fan

Why get a K

Another RB? We need OL not a RB

Trufant is almost uneeded we have a good FA class of corners DRC, smith, Williams etc

Gholston has bust all over him

We should be looking at an OLB, spencer to me will cost too much compared to a rookie, and a pass rusher would be preferred

I would prefer Byrd over gholson

But I like the 2 OL ideas for FA

I would like to invest in a #1 WR in FA for when Reggie retires[/

Gholston, I think, would do much better as a 34 DE

And getting Byrd probably isn't realistic while goldson is

[Playoffs2013]

not a fan of the draft fluker was terrible against western Kentucky, and I'm not a fanWhy get a KAnother RB? We need OL not a RBTrufant is almost uneeded we have a good FA class of corners DRC, smith, Williams etc Gholston has bust all over himWe should be looking at an OLB, spencer to me will cost too much compared to a rookie, and a pass rusher would be preferred I would prefer Byrd over gholson But I like the 2 OL ideas for FA I would like to invest in a #1 WR in FA for when Reggie retires[/Gholston, I think, would do much better as a 34 DEAnd getting Byrd probably isn't realistic while goldson is

scheme has nothing to do with it, I think he's a bust because of his maturity, your right Byrd would be harder to get but Byrd is what's best for the team IF we can get him

[Playoffs2013]

not a fan of the draft fluker was terrible against western Kentucky, and I'm not a fanWhy get a KAnother RB? We need OL not a RBTrufant is almost uneeded we have a good FA class of corners DRC, smith, Williams etc Gholston has bust all over himWe should be looking at an OLB, spencer to me will cost too much compared to a rookie, and a pass rusher would be preferred I would prefer Byrd over gholson But I like the 2 OL ideas for FA I would like to invest in a #1 WR in FA for when Reggie retires[/Gholston, I think, would do much better as a 34 DEAnd getting Byrd probably isn't realistic while goldson is

are my other points valid

[coltsguy510]

not a fan of the draft fluker was terrible against western Kentucky, and I'm not a fan

Why get a K

Another RB? We need OL not a RB

Trufant is almost uneeded we have a good FA class of corners DRC, smith, Williams etc

Gholston has bust all over him

We should be looking at an OLB, spencer to me will cost too much compared to a rookie, and a pass rusher would be preferred

I would prefer Byrd over gholson

But I like the 2 OL ideas for FA

I would like to invest in a #1 WR in FA for when Reggie retires

A. Fluker was awesome against a much better ND team.

B. Vinatieri should retire soon.

C. OL was adressed in FA and with Fluker by that point.

D. We don't need to get a corner in FA if we get Trufant, plus he will be much cheaper.

E. Gholston needs to be put on a good organization and I think that Indy can turn him around. He has al

l the physical tools.

F. Spencer is young, proven, and well worth the price.

G. Byrd will most likely be franchise tagged.

H. Davis can learn next to Reggie.

[Playoffs2013]

A. Fluker was awesome against a much better ND team.B. Vinatieri should retire soon.C. OL was adressed in FA and with Fluker by that point.D. We don't need to get a corner in FA if we get Trufant, plus he will be much cheaper.E. Gholston needs to be put on a good organization and I think that Indy can turn him around. He has all the physical tools.F. Spencer is young, proven, and well worth the price.G. Byrd will most likely be franchise tagged.H. Davis can learn next to Reggie.

still fluker is inconsistent

No way we hold 2 K on our roster

Even then then we still don't need another RB

Much rather spend money on a corner because young corners often take a longer to get adjusted

Gholston has a low work ethic anyways an organization won't change that

Rather have a pick develop and pay him less than have spencer

Byrd might be tagged but I still prefer him if he hits the market

Still rather have a proven #1 because another good WR can take doubles away from Reggie and free up TY

[Archer]

I'm a proponent of fixing the OL in FA (one RT and one RG), and also picking up a #2 CB.  Beyond that, I'm just trying to sign all our UFAs, except for Freeney and Avery.  Then, I draft young defensive players.  I don't see any good value OLBs dropping to us in round 1.  Ezekiel Ansah (BYU)could drop, but he's a bit of a project.  Safety is where I see the value at our pick.  Matt Elam (Forida), Kenny Vaccaro (Texas), and Eric Reid (LSU) are all pretty good values.  I would draft another OG to help round out the depth.  After all, our top OG depth would currently be Justin Anderson, Mike McGlynn, Jeff Linkenbach, and Ben Ijalana.  Not a great group...

[trailertrash]

We have many needs this year, but none is bigger than our O-Line. We need to keep Luck upright next season because I don't know if he can take as many hits as last season.

OG's Andy Levitre and Louis Vasquez: Levitre and Vasquez are, in my opinion, the two best Offensive Guards hitting Free Agency this offseason. They are both still young players (Vasquez is 25 and Levitre is 26) and could, along with Shipley, give us one of the best young interior lines in the NFL.

Our next biggest need is our secondary, particularly the SS position. We need a difference make, as Zbi is just not cutting it.

SS Dashon Gholdson: Gholdson is one of the hardest hitting SS's in the league. He would remind us of Bob. He is relatively young, 28, and would fit in great with our team.

With Dwight most likely on his way out this season. We need an edge rusher to replace him, but one that can actually stop the run.

OLB Anthony Spencer: Spencer is arguably the best run stopping OLB, in a 3-4 scheme, in the league. He is awesome in that right. He is a vastly underrated pass rusher though. I would love to see him in a Colts uniform this offseason.

Now on to the draft. I believe that we should trade down to the second and pick up a 2014 first from a lower tier team, while giving back a 2014 5th.

2. OT D.J. Fluker: Fluker is a massive player. He has been going up against the best competition you can get in college for years now. I believe that he will be the final piece of the puzzle for our O-Line.

3. CB Desmond Trufant: As evidenced by our last game, we need a corner opposite Davis. Trufant can be that guy. He has great instincts and has the bloodlines. He is good in run support, which is what we like in our corners.

4. DE William Gholston: Gholston is an amazing athlete at the DE position. He can play DE in the 3-4 or 4-3. He will slide some in the draft due to character and production concerns, but would be a steal at this point in the draft.

5. (Compensatory) WR Marcus Davis: Davis is a big receiver at 6-3 and is very fast. He needs to work on his hands and route running but when he gets those down, he will be a force to reckon with. Reggie's strengths are Davis's weaknesses, so playing with Reggie woll help Davis a ton.

6. RB Spencer Ware: Ware is a bruiser and, in my opinion, just what we need to pair up with Ballard and Brown. He has only fumbled once ever in his college career and could easily replace Carter as our short yardage back. He is an ultra competitor and just the player I want on this team.

6. (Compensatory) C Braxton Cave: He could come in and compete against Shipley and Satele for the starting job. Very smart player and that's what I want in a Center.

7. K Dustin Hopkins: Vinatieri is getting older and we will need a replacement, so why not get the best kicker in college football.

 

No offense, but Fluker's a pretty bad OL. He is a great run blocker but can't pass block for his life. A better OT would be Oday Aboushi (equal size for a OT, 6'6 315) and is an outstanding pass blocker and is a decent run blocker. Perfect for us...

[GoColts00]

We have many needs this year, but none is bigger than our O-Line. We need to keep Luck upright next season because I don't know if he can take as many hits as last season.

OG's Andy Levitre and Louis Vasquez: Levitre and Vasquez are, in my opinion, the two best Offensive Guards hitting Free Agency this offseason. They are both still young players (Vasquez is 25 and Levitre is 26) and could, along with Shipley, give us one of the best young interior lines in the NFL.

Our next biggest need is our secondary, particularly the SS position. We need a difference make, as Zbi is just not cutting it.

SS Dashon Gholdson: Gholdson is one of the hardest hitting SS's in the league. He would remind us of Bob. He is relatively young, 28, and would fit in great with our team.

With Dwight most likely on his way out this season. We need an edge rusher to replace him, but one that can actually stop the run.

OLB Anthony Spencer: Spencer is arguably the best run stopping OLB, in a 3-4 scheme, in the league. He is awesome in that right. He is a vastly underrated pass rusher though. I would love to see him in a Colts uniform this offseason.

Now on to the draft. I believe that we should trade down to the second and pick up a 2014 first from a lower tier team, while giving back a 2014 5th.

2. OT D.J. Fluker: Fluker is a massive player. He has been going up against the best competition you can get in college for years now. I believe that he will be the final piece of the puzzle for our O-Line.

3. CB Desmond Trufant: As evidenced by our last game, we need a corner opposite Davis. Trufant can be that guy. He has great instincts and has the bloodlines. He is good in run support, which is what we like in our corners.

4. DE William Gholston: Gholston is an amazing athlete at the DE position. He can play DE in the 3-4 or 4-3. He will slide some in the draft due to character and production concerns, but would be a steal at this point in the draft.

5. (Compensatory) WR Marcus Davis: Davis is a big receiver at 6-3 and is very fast. He needs to work on his hands and route running but when he gets those down, he will be a force to reckon with. Reggie's strengths are Davis's weaknesses, so playing with Reggie woll help Davis a ton.

6. RB Spencer Ware: Ware is a bruiser and, in my opinion, just what we need to pair up with Ballard and Brown. He has only fumbled once ever in his college career and could easily replace Carter as our short yardage back. He is an ultra competitor and just the player I want on this team.

6. (Compensatory) C Braxton Cave: He could come in and compete against Shipley and Satele for the starting job. Very smart player and that's what I want in a Center.

7. K Dustin Hopkins: Vinatieri is getting older and we will need a replacement, so why not get the best kicker in college football.

a lot of good ideas on here. personally, i think Victor Butler is better than Anthony Spencer. I think Ramon Foster and Khalif Barnes would do just as good a job at OG & OT, respectively, than the other high-priced FA listed. Marcus Davis is good, but his VT sidekick Corey Fuller, IMHO, is better. Fuller is a great route-runner & he's faster. We definitely need another SS and I like Gholdson. a possible draft pick for the spot would be Devonte Holloman, South Carolina. He played SS for awhile then was moved to OLB so he plays both positions. which would be advantageous. we would have 5 OLB on the field for the Run and he can drop back into coverage as the SS on Pass plays.

[hoosierhawk]

a lot of good ideas on here. personally, i think Victor Butler is better than Anthony Spencer. I think Ramon Foster and Khalif Barnes would do just as good a job at OG & OT, respectively, than the other high-priced FA listed. Marcus Davis is good, but his VT sidekick Corey Fuller, IMHO, is better. Fuller is a great route-runner & he's faster. We definitely need another SS and I like Gholdson. a possible draft pick for the spot would be Devonte Holloman, South Carolina. He played SS for awhile then was moved to OLB so he plays both positions. which would be advantageous. we would have 5 OLB on the field for the Run and he can drop back into coverage as the SS on Pass plays.

 

I like your thinking. Some guys potentially as good as the more expensive free agents. Howard is a LT on the jets who I like and Slauson at OG is bigger than Levitre and I think fits our system better than a zone blocking guy. The giants have a couple of safties, Stevie Brown or Kenny Phillips that would be a huge upgrade to what we now have. I expect Grigs will shop the market hard. I expect we will have about $22M to $25M to spend on outside FA and it can go fast if you only go for the most obvious big names.

[GoColts00]

I like your thinking. Some guys potentially as good as the more expensive free agents. Howard is a LT on the jets who I like and Slauson at OG is bigger than Levitre and I think fits our system better than a zone blocking guy. The giants have a couple of safties, Stevie Brown or Kenny Phillips that would be a huge upgrade to what we now have. I expect Grigs will shop the market hard. I expect we will have about $22M to $25M to spend on outside FA and it can go fast if you only go for the most obvious big names.

thanks. I had just seen Slauson online last night! Kenny Phillips would Definitely be an improvement at SS. Austin Howard looks like a good player as well.

"it can go fast if you only go for the most obvious big names." Totally Agree!

I would like to pick up Paul Kruger to replace Freeney. Dwight was great in a 4-3 and i understand he only played 1 season in the hybrid 3-4/4-3, but i feel his time is done.

[trailertrash]

FA

 

Louis Vasquez (OG, Chargers)-PFF Grade of 12.7 (Ranked 4th this year behind Moore, Levitre and Lilja)

Paul Kruger (OLB, Ravens)-PFF Grade of 8 (Ranked 8th this year)

 

Draft

 

1st Round: Oday Aboushi (OT, Virginia 6'6 315 pounds--Kind of a reach, but OT is an issue that needs to be solved. Outstanding Pass Protector, Good Run Blocker. Should be able to compete with Castonzo for LT spot)

3rd Round: Darius Slay (CB, Miss St.6'1, 190 pounds--Great Man-Cover DB, potential of becoming a great #2 CB)

4th Round: Philip Thomas (S, Fresno St. 6'1, 215 pounds--Great hands and good tackler. Kinda unrealistic, but if a trade is necessary to move up the 4th, we should do it)

6th Round: Dan Buckner (WR, Arizona St. 6'4, 215 pounds--Does everything good. Nothing elite except for size. Possession-type WR)

7th Round: Nathan Williams (OLB, Ohio St. 6'3, 260 pounds--Incosistent. Has Good potential, though. A typical 7th Round pick, however)