Do you think Xavier Rhodes will fall to us at 24?

[Superman]

I get what ur saying, and I agree. I even said on another thread I have no problem with grigson taking a CB in the first. It's just that, if you spend time on the draft forum, it's always CB CB CB....and frankly, its annoying. It started last year with Amerson, then shifted to Banks, and now everyone is gaga for Rhodes.

 

I really like Rhodes, personally. It's looking less and less likely that he's there at #24, but I think he's earned a pretty high rating.

 

But I'm not stuck on the idea of us drafting him if he is there. I'm just assuming that Grigson's drafting is going to be based on his player ratings, not on our roster needs. And that's why, like TKnight just said, we're probably better served to pick this back up after we're a couple weeks into free agency.

[Gavin]

Are you kidding me?     Just last week you claimed Jones was one of the top 3 overall lineman in the entire draft.    Did you forget that?    I didn't.

 

Come on now.....

 

I think the chances of you being disappointed are better than you know....

His grade actually went way down(I didn't know that), apparently the new grades are in, he was at a first round grade pre combine

[BOTT]

I really like Rhodes, personally. It's looking less and less likely that he's there at #24, but I think he's earned a pretty high rating.

 

But I'm not stuck on the idea of us drafting him if he is there. I'm just assuming that Grigson's drafting is going to be based on his player ratings, not on our roster needs. And that's why, like TKnight just said, we're probably better served to pick this back up after we're a couple weeks into free agency.

I dunno...I just listened to the Kiper/McShay podcast and they claimed teams were mixed on Rhodes...with some believing he is a FS. I really don't expect him to be there at 24, but I think there is a decent shot.

[HarassedOffTheSite]

"...It's just that, if you spend time on the draft forum, it's always CB CB CB....and frankly, its annoying..."

 

And I have NEVER understood it.

 

In the 4/3 the Dline players are the most important and in the 3/4 the LBs are most important. Whether 4/3 or 3/4 the Secondary assignments are generally the same. Just the execution is different. Regardless, in neither Defense is the CB a 1st or even 2nd priority in terms of getting the right personnel.

 

Just one of them things peculiar to some Colts' fans I reckon.

[Superman]

I dunno...I just listened to the Kiper/McShay podcast and they claimed teams were mixed on Rhodes...with some believing he is a FS. I really don't expect him to be there at 24, but I think there is a decent shot.

 

I've mostly heard him described as a big, physical corner, with good coverage technique. Might be lacking in explosiveness and ability to make plays on the ball, but he seems like the kind of player who can drape his man and not give up receptions. He tested very well at the Combine, so questions about whether he has the requisite speed are more than answered.

 

What I really like about him is that he's best in press man coverage. I personally think he has lockdown corner potential.

 

Not sure why he's being projected as a safety. He certainly has the size, but he's less effective in zone coverage, and breaks down tackling in space. His physical attributes would make him an intriguing safety prospect, but I don't think that would be his best position.

[Carlos Danger]

I doubt that Rhodes will fall to us, but either way we need to hurry up and resign Butler...

 

Butler made the most out of his opportunities this past year with 4 ints. He allowed a passer rating of 39.5 (2nd best in the entire league) on balls thrown his way and only allowed 1 TD... 4ints to 1td is a better ratio than one of our CBs have had in a long time...

 

Butler is fairly young and is a better option than many of the FA corners that a lot of us on the forum have been floating as replacements for him... plus he is familiar with our system and culture..

 

I'm starting to think that corner is less of a need than I previously thought... sure, we have nobody except Vontea on the roster right now, but Butler can probably be had for a song.

 

Jerraud Powers is a talented, young corner as well. The Colts should really think about resigning him... I know that he has trouble staying on the field, but his latest injury was a turf toe and he should be 100% by TC.. Powers didn't look great last year even when healthy, but he is good depth at the very least and has yet to reach his full potential, IMO.

 

With those guys in place we can knock corner down to like #4 or 5 on our list of needs and refrain from crying if Rhodes isn't available at #24...

 

I'll probably get flamed for this post because of how bad our secondary looked last year, but we had injuries, new faces, and Cassius Freaking Vaughn getting picked on every game... I think that many of our secondary woes came due to bad personnel decisions about who the starter should be.. Also, it took Davis half of his games just to get into the groove of things... I think that the trio of Davis, Butler, and Powers has the potential to be better than half of the corner groups in the league... I may be way off, but that's why they pay Grigs the big bucks, I guess.

[Carlos Danger]

I'm not saying that I would be against going a different direction than the one I mentioned, just illustrating that it is a possibility that I think is fairly viable... more viable, for example, than signing Cary Williams and ED Reed to bolster the secondary...

 

btw PFF now has Butler rated as their 7th highest rated FA corner... above anybody I've ever seen mentioned on here except Toler, Houston, and RFA Shields....

[fvantagio]

And I have NEVER understood it.

 

In the 4/3 the Dline players are the most important and in the 3/4 the LBs are most important. Whether 4/3 or 3/4 the Secondary assignments are generally the same. Just the execution is different. Regardless, in neither Defense is the CB a 1st or even 2nd priority in terms of getting the right personnel.

 

Just one of them things peculiar to some Colts' fans I reckon.

Without backend help you can have 5 HOFs in your front 7 and it wont matter. And without a pass rush it doesnt matter how good your DBs are. They help each other out and are equally important for that reason.

This year we need both. We need guys up front and guys in the secondary. Its kinda ridiculous to say when and how we should add that talent this offseason, especially this early on in the process. But bottom line is we need play makers on defense and they should take the guy they got highest rated at #24.

Remember Portland passed on Michael Jordan cause they needed a "big man" ..and well, the rest is history.

[HarassedOffTheSite]

This year we need both. We need guys up front and guys in the secondary.

 

If you need two things and one matters more than the other, then you get what matters most - first.

 

I have not seen anyone say we do not need new personnel at our CB positions. What is being said is that we have higher priorities in replacing Dwight Freeney and getting Olinemen.

 

[BOTT]

Without backend help you can have 5 HOFs in your front 7 and it wont matter. And without a pass rush it doesnt matter how good your DBs are. They help each other out and are equally important for that reason.This year we need both. We need guys up front and guys in the secondary. Its kinda ridiculous to say when and how we should add that talent this offseason, especially this early on in the process. But bottom line is we need play makers on defense and they should take the guy they got highest rated at #24.Remember Portland passed on Michael Jordan cause they needed a "big man" ..and well, the rest is history.

As Superman stated above, there is a symbiotic relationship between the two units, but rhe relationship is like Batman and Robin....with the front seven being Batman.

[Superman]

As Superman stated above, there is a symbiotic relationship between the two units, but rhe relationship is like Batman and Robin....with the front seven being Batman.

 

Awesome.

 

I would have said more like Batman and the Batmobile, but whatever. Good work.

[smittywerb]

So they exited the playoffs last year because of their corner play? No, they lost because a WR dropped the ball in the end zone vs the patriots in the afc championship game.

And jimmy smith missed most of the season with an injury....he barely played until the SB. Funny how their defense got better when Suggs got healthy(er) and Kruger came on....it sure wasn't because of the corners.

Oh, and what caused manning to throw that awful pass in the playoffs? The pass rush.

 

 

No way bro, I live in Baltimore so I was forced to watch every single game against my will.  The stats might not back up what I'm saying but a lot of crucial plays were made because they couldn't defend the pass.  I can't say no more than that without actually pulling up film and showing you what I mean but I do too much to sit down and do that.  But trust me, I've seen probably more Ravens games than Colts game, and at one point their defensive backfield was a huge.  It is why they Foxworth, it is why they Williams, it is why they drafted Williams, it is why they got Webb (even though he was hurt).  Every other position hasn't been touched (besides the receiving core).  Even in 2010 their corners were crap.  

 

Look, I think you think that I believe that the pass rush comes from just the corners.  No, it's a big part but it's not the total thing.  All I'm saying is if we can resign Powers to an affordable contract and draft Rhodes, WHAT'S THE LOSS?  We can still use the other 40 something million we have to buy whatever else we need.  But filling the corner spot right now seems like the easiest.

 

EDIT:  And if you think a team lost a game because of one play, then I don't know what to say.  That's like saying we lost to the Saints because Peyton threw that pick.  

[BOTT]

No way bro, I live in Baltimore so I was forced to watch every single game against my will.  The stats might not back up what I'm saying but a lot of crucial plays were made because they couldn't defend the pass.  I can't say no more than that without actually pulling up film and showing you what I mean but I do too much to sit down and do that.  But trust me, I've seen probably more Ravens games than Colts game, and at one point their defensive backfield was a huge.  It is why they Foxworth, it is why they Williams, it is why they drafted Williams, it is why they got Webb (even though he was hurt).  Every other position hasn't been touched (besides the receiving core).  Even in 2010 their corners were crap.  

 

Look, I think you think that I believe that the pass rush comes from just the corners.  No, it's a big part but it's not the total thing.  All I'm saying is if we can resign Powers to an affordable contract and draft Rhodes, WHAT'S THE LOSS?  We can still use the other 40 something million we have to buy whatever else we need.  But filling the corner spot right now seems like the easiest.

 

EDIT:  And if you think a team lost a game because of one play, then I don't know what to say.  That's like saying we lost to the Saints because Peyton threw that pick.  

WR catches pass the game is over, so yes it came down to one play. If Peyton didnt throw that pick the colts probably still lose...it's not even comparable.

[smittywerb]

WR catches pass the game is over, so yes it came down to one play. If Peyton didnt throw that pick the colts probably still lose...it's not even comparable.

 

 

That's loser talk.  A good coach would tell you if we didn't play the way we played (or if we didn't put ourselves in a position to lose) then we wouldn't have lost that game.

 

I've never heard a coach walk into a locker room, look at one player, and say "Son, you're the reason why we lost this game.".  

 

And if Peyton didn't throw that pick, who knows.  Peyton might have figured them out, maybe not.  Who knows.  

[BOTT]

That's loser talk.  A good coach would tell you if we didn't play the way we played (or if we didn't put ourselves in a position to lose) then we wouldn't have lost that game.

 

I've never heard a coach walk into a locker room, look at one player, and say "Son, you're the reason why we lost this game.".  

 

And if Peyton didn't throw that pick, who knows.  Peyton might have figured them out, maybe not.  Who knows.  

That's nice cliche talk, but that drop was in the end zone on the last offensive play of regulation. Hell, even he took responsibility for the loss. Oh, and said player was soon released.