If Colts Get The #1 Pick In Draft..

[MAC]

Man, talk about hitting the panic button. The Colts won't get Luck. And even if they did, is he the next Peyton Manning? Nope. Why? Because no college QB is the next Peytong Manning. He's a one-of-a-kind player. Case closed. Colts fans have been spoiled by Manning's greatness, but all things go in cycles. If Manning is not able to make it back, expect the Colts to not be as good. Pretty simple really. Doesn't matter what QB they get in here after Manning; he won't be as good as Manning.

I know that we've been spoiled. Every time I watch Peyton I remind myself of that and try to appreciate his brilliance rather than take it for granted. There is a huge difference between someone replacing Manning and being the next Manning. I hope that no Colt fan has expectations of the later. That doesn't mean that the new guy (hopefully many years from now) can't be terrific in his own right.

Personally to me the goal of any team should be to get a franchise QB. There is little point in aiming lower than that in the present day NFL. Just look at the Lions - suddenly considered a playoff candidate now that Stafford is back. However promising their other talent is, they aren't a contender without him.

The next Colts QB could top out as top twelve in the league and we'll still have a decent chance to build a SB team - which is all that really matters. And no, he won't be as good as Peyton Manning. Lets just hope that he's dramatically better than the likes of Marty Domres, Mike Pagel, Art Schlichter, Jack Trudeau, Jeff George, etc.(Shuddering as I type).

[jwilli69]

If you were the Colts GM what would you do if the colts had the #1 overall draft pick?

Would you stay there and Draft Luck or trade down for more picks?BUT Staying there and

I being an outsider can see the benefits doing both, trading down you get more HIGH picks (and prbl 2 #1 next year or even this year plus more) to improve any weaknesses the colts have expecting Manning be back next yr and doing this MAY give him a better rounded team and a chance win another SB.

BUT staying there and drafting Luck makes sense as you do two things:

1. Have a GOOD back-up behind Manning in case he cant go you remain competitive.

2. Manning can groom Luck for 3 yrs ala Favre to rogers.. except Manning would actually help the kid

So what would you do in this WORSE case scenerio.. remembering you are getting the franchise back next year. We

I would be in favor of trading the pick for no less than 2 1st round picks or a top 5 pick this year, a 2nd round this year and the 1st rd pick next year if we trade out, otherwise you have to take the best prospect. need a lot to get back over top of a few other teams in the NFL now when and if Manning returns to full health. If he is good to go, I say you have to trade that pick for something and stay in the top part of the draft. If he is questionable about his return and being fully healthy, you have no questions at all, you take that QB who has performed at a high level during his college career. A big question though will this be another Manning vs Leaf type of draft in Barkley and Luck? Which one will turn out like Leaf is the big question??

Your question 2 is more relevant. The new CBA has placed a significant cap on what the Number 1 draftee can get in a contract. Affording him would be about like affording Collins right now.

Right here takes a lot of pressure off the GM's to take risk, make trades into the #1 spot instead of being a curse. So Polian could take the risk of taking a Luck too and pay him 6 mil/year for 4 years with a 5th being an option year and possibly the transition year into the starter role with Manning retiring at this point. One little wrinkle in this is if Manning has a new found passion and desire (statistics to reach) and he has to play 1 more season, that puts 2 starters making a lot of money at the QB spot. Could be a Montana/Young situation where they go ahead and let Manning walk in order to keep the future intact for the team, which if the kid can play, would be the absolutely right thing for the team, but a bad taste in the legacy of Manning. I think that would be short lived though if Luck played Manningesc.

Sad thing is I don't think we are bad enough to get the number 1 pick, I would say we are looking at picks 3-5 when it comes draft time. What we have to hope for is a team like carloina having the number 1 pick and maybe we trade up for it.

No way in the world this team can afford a trade up for anyone, we need each and every round of high round picks to replenish this team as a fast as possible. Would be suicide.

I think the new rookie contacts will play a part in our decision. If Manning plays a couple more years which we all expect him to do Luck would be sitting on the bench for the first years of his career. Then Polian has to make a decision do you pick up his fifth year, which will pay him top 10 QB money for never playing a down. Basically you would be betting on two things. One, that Manning will be done that fifth year. Two, that Andrew Luck will be worth top 10 money without probably taking a snap in a real game.

A guy like Matt Kalil could be in play as well because that would allow Anthony to move over to RT and we would have RT and LT solidified for years to come.

Depending on where we fall in the top 5 we could grab someone like Justin Blackmon and get rid of Garcon.

I would see a pay increase for Garcon in your scenario and a no new contract for Wayne if this Blackmon kid is as good as you think he is. Who is he and what is his strengths? Who does he resemble in the NFL?

We sure have options this year if our team stays on the bad track, I am hoping it goes well though.

[pizza guy]

All the talk of drafting a WR is a little premature, IMO. I'm betting Wayne re-signs with us because he's at the point in his career where he's no longer an up-and-coming guy, he's much closer to the end of his career, so the market won't be as high for him elsewhere. And I'm sure when Peyton took a little less money, he had Reggie in mind because he's clearly our best WR.

The talk of drafting Luck is also a little premature. I know we're all freaking out because Peyton is out right now and we had no back-up plan. But, I really feel like drafting the next QB now is just bad timing. Manning should be back next year, and I'm sure he'll be good as always. If we're still trying to believe that the rest of this team is worth two cents, it's just delusional.

If we do get the #1 pick, we'd better trade it and get as much out of it as we can. Let's analyze this team for a minute.

Best players on this team/clear superstars: Manning, Wayne, Freeney, Clark, Saturday

Very good players but a step below the All-Pros: Bethea, Mathis, Addai, Collie

System guys that maybe wouldn't do as well elsewhere: Brackett, Garcon, Bullitt

Up-and-coming guys: Castonzo, Carter, Angerer, Conner, Nevis

And everyone else could clearly be upgraded.

Now, let's look at those guys a little closer.

Manning, Wayne, Freeney, Saturday, Brackett are all within maybe 5 years of retirement. Wayne could go longer because of the way he trains and the type of WR he is, but the others are pretty close to retirement. That's 4 of our best players and the defensive captain.

The up-and-comers here are still question marks, and I like Angry Pat a lot but I doubt he's the answer at MIKE.

Mathis without Freeney will not be as good.

Addai, Collie, Garcon without Manning will not be as good, though still serviceable.

That leaves holes all over this team as we move forward. Most clearly at CB, LB, OL, and the continued suffering of poor D-Line play.

We know that the next QB will not be on the same level as Manning, so why don't we do that guy a favor and provide him with a more solid top-to-bottom team than we've given Peyton? And why don't we use this year as an opportunity to build the rest of the team and maybe inject just enough young elite talent to push Manning over the top one more time before he retires?

QB is the most important position in the NFL these days, without a doubt. But if we can see how bad this team does without Manning, why don't we improve the team so the next guy has a chance? That way whenever we do draft the next starting QB for this franchise, we've got a complete team to go with him?

If we get the #1 pick, we better trade it for multiple players/picks and fix this team before we put the ungodly responsibility of continuing Manning's success onto Luck.

[pacolts56]

Man, talk about hitting the panic button. The Colts won't get Luck. And even if they did, is he the next Peyton Manning? Nope. Why? Because no college QB is the next Peytong Manning. He's a one-of-a-kind player. Case closed. Colts fans have been spoiled by Manning's greatness, but all things go in cycles. If Manning is not able to make it back, expect the Colts to not be as good. Pretty simple really. Doesn't matter what QB they get in here after Manning; he won't be as good as Manning.

The thread title is "IF" the Colts get the 1st pick in the draft. So participating in the discussion doesn't mean anyone's panicking....just considering the "what if". But take a look at the Colts schedule, and based on our current situation and the tough challenges we got from our division rivals even WITH Manning, tell me how many wins do you see?

I wish the forecast was better...but I'd be absolutely delighted if we ring up 7 wins at this point, though 4-5 sounds more realistic.

You're 100% correct about Manning on all counts, but if his career is shortened by health concerns...a distinct possibility...than it is wise that we find a successor sooner rather than later. And no one in their right mind expects that QB to play to Manning's level....but unless they're prepared to watch Curtis Painter, we gotta draft someone.

Under the premise of this thread....that QB should be Andrew Luck unless someone comes calling with a boatload of draft picks.

Glad to see your team doing good by the way...and I hope Stafford stays healthy...they're fun to watch.

[Jason_]

I would see a pay increase for Garcon in your scenario and a no new contract for Wayne if this Blackmon kid is as good as you think he is. Who is he and what is his strengths? Who does he resemble in the NFL?

The top 3 WR prospects, their size and player who they are most often compared to:

Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma St, 6'1" 215 lbs, compared to Garcon...a lot of potential but inconsistent

Alshon Jeffrey, South Carolina, 6'4" 229 lbs, compared to Megatron (love the nickname and may never refer to him again as Calvin Johnson lol)

Michael Floyd, Notre Dame, 6'3" 224 lbs, compared to Brandon Marshall

I'm going to try to keep watching Blackmon but I haven't seen anything that would make me want him over Jeffrey or Floyd. Incidentally, has anyone else noticed that there are possibly more 6'3"-6'4" WRs coming out this next year than possibly ever? I really don't think we need to go WR in round 1 because some good to great receivers can still be had in the middle rounds as well.

Under the premise of this thread....that QB should be Andrew Luck unless someone comes calling with a boatload of draft picks.

My biggest problem with him, aside from the fact that most people (not saying you) consider it Luck or no one. If we take a QB it has to be Luck, no ifs ands or buts and that simply isn't true. I have not heard or read a single thing about Luck that says he is more talented, smarter or more naturally gifted than some of the other top prospects. It's always that he is the most NFL ready. And that's fine, he's the most ready to start from day 1 but there are a few other guys who are just as talented but have not been as well coached or are not the benefit of the awesome offensive line and running game that Luck has. Personally, I think Landry Jones or Nick Foles are a better fit for our system. I know people may say I've been talking a lot about Foles lately and frankly that's because he's the QB I've been most impressed with. Hopefully some of this info will help to show why:

Through 3 games so far this season:

Andrew Luck - 57/85 passing, 67.1% completions, 8 TD, 1 INT

Nick Foles - 95/126 passing, 75.4% completions, 7 TD, 0 INT

Now, one other stat to look at to see why I like Foles so much...team rushing stats:

Stanford - 109 rushes for 588 yards, an average of 5.39 yards per carry and 196 yards rushing per game

Arizona - 64 rushes for 167 yards, an average of 2.61 yards per carry and 56 yards per game

oh and Luck has been sacked twice with Foles being sacked 7 times.

Just some food for thought.

[theking213]

Jason

I like Nick Foles too but his completion stats are inflated because most of his throws are screens

And what exactly do you mean by Luck doesn't fit our system?

[Jason_]

Jason

I like Nick Foles too but his completion stats are inflated because most of his throws are screens

**removed the vid just so the post isn't so long

And what exactly do you mean by Luck doesn't fit our system?

I'll have to keep an eye out on that for Foles. I don't recall seeing many screens in the last game I watched but I'll keep an eye out for it. That would make sense though considering their apparent lack of a running game.

As for Luck, perhaps "doesn't fit our system" isn't the best way to word it....but as of now the Colts can't offer him what he has at Stanford in the powerful offensive line (ours is getting better but not up to the caliber he's used to) and we don't have a power running game. The Colts are still trying to get to where we have a balanced running game, but we'll never have the kind of running game or overall offensive system like they run in Stanford. A lot of Luck's success comes after the run has been established and he throws out of 3 TE/2 RB sets to guys who are wide open due to the defense selling out on the run.

I'm not saying he's a bad QB but I also won't say he's the most talented QB in the coming draft. However based on the differences in our offensive scheme and Stanford's, adding Luck as QB would be no more or less a risk than one of the other top QB prospects. Due to that I do not believe he is worth the #1 overall pick for the Colts. For another team that has a power running game and overall more similar system to Stanford, yeah he'd be a better choice.

[LiveColtsFootball]

WHAT THE **** IS GOIN ON HERE!!! HAVE YOU PEOPLE FORGOTTEN WE STILL HAVE MANNING!!! HE WILL BE HERE FOR 4 OR 5 MORE YEARS...WHO WANTS TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE NEXT 4 or 5 YEARS?? I DO!!! I DO I DO I DO!!!! PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW DRAFTING A QB IN A EARLY ROUND REGARDLESS OF WHO IT IS WILL HELP THIS TEAM ACCOMPLISH WINNING A SUPERBOWL??? IF we get a top 5 pick we could Fill any of our holes with that pick...We could get a Franchise DT a Franchise OLine-man...The Oportunites to improve this team durring the 2012 Draft are endless if we have a top 5 pick but if we choose a QB in any of the first 4 rounds Then we RUIN our Amazing chance of fixing wholes at DT at OT, OG, and even C (Saturday is 36yrs old and still way undersized u think he can block Haynesworth) at the SS position and even the WR position(we need quality depth). Drafting a QB in the early rounds of the 2012 draft will be a huge mistake. WE HAVE BIGGER ISSUES THAT HAVE NEEDED TO BE FILLED FOR YEARS!!!!!

[BOTT]

The top 3 WR prospects, their size and player who they are most often compared to:

Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma St, 6'1" 215 lbs, compared to Garcon...a lot of potential but inconsistent

Alshon Jeffrey, South Carolina, 6'4" 229 lbs, compared to Megatron (love the nickname and may never refer to him again as Calvin Johnson lol)

Michael Floyd, Notre Dame, 6'3" 224 lbs, compared to Brandon Marshall

I'm going to try to keep watching Blackmon but I haven't seen anything that would make me want him over Jeffrey or Floyd. Incidentally, has anyone else noticed that there are possibly more 6'3"-6'4" WRs coming out this next year than possibly ever? I really don't think we need to go WR in round 1 because some good to great receivers can still be had in the middle rounds as well.

My biggest problem with him, aside from the fact that most people (not saying you) consider it Luck or no one. If we take a QB it has to be Luck, no ifs ands or buts and that simply isn't true. I have not heard or read a single thing about Luck that says he is more talented, smarter or more naturally gifted than some of the other top prospects. It's always that he is the most NFL ready. And that's fine, he's the most ready to start from day 1 but there are a few other guys who are just as talented but have not been as well coached or are not the benefit of the awesome offensive line and running game that Luck has. Personally, I think Landry Jones or Nick Foles are a better fit for our system. I know people may say I've been talking a lot about Foles lately and frankly that's because he's the QB I've been most impressed with. Hopefully some of this info will help to show why:

Through 3 games so far this season:

Andrew Luck - 57/85 passing, 67.1% completions, 8 TD, 1 INT

Nick Foles - 95/126 passing, 75.4% completions, 7 TD, 0 INT

Now, one other stat to look at to see why I like Foles so much...team rushing stats:

Stanford - 109 rushes for 588 yards, an average of 5.39 yards per carry and 196 yards rushing per game

Arizona - 64 rushes for 167 yards, an average of 2.61 yards per carry and 56 yards per game

oh and Luck has been sacked twice with Foles being sacked 7 times.

Just some food for thought.

really? i heard more than one nfl guru say he is the best prospect since john elway. i haven't seen him play, but the "experts" can't really find a weakness in his game...he's accurate, smart, athletic, hard worker, leader, etc... honestly, he sounds like an athletic peyton manning.

[Jason_]

really? i heard more than one nfl guru say he is the best prospect since john elway. i haven't seen him play, but the "experts" can't really find a weakness in his game...he's accurate, smart, athletic, hard worker, leader, etc... honestly, he sounds like an athletic peyton manning.

But that's just it...he's the best prospect. He's the most NFL ready QB to enter the draft since a Manning or Elway. He's been excellently coached, so he doesn't have the minor issues with mechanics (where he holds the ball, footwork, throwing motion, etc) that some of the other top ranked prospects have. These can and should easily be fixed by good coaching/mentoring. He runs a very successful pro style offense as opposed to an option-based or spread offense like many colleges do. Based on these things, he's the best "prospect" but not the most talented QB. The things that get fixed when you "groom" a QB (which is what everyone is talking about...Manning grooming Luck) don't need to be fixed with Luck. You "groom" a QB that has those minor issues with footwork, throwing motion, etc and that's the kind of QB you find in the middle or end of the first round.

Also, no this isn't going to turn into Manning vs. Leaf. In 1998, Manning and Leaf were taken #1 and #2 overall (duh..pretty sure we all knew that lol) however I had to look this next part up...the next QB selected was Charlie Batch with the second to last pick in the 2nd round. That will not happen in next year's draft. There are easily 3 QB's that go in the top 10 and 2 or 3 more that go later in the first round or early second round.

[pacolts56]

WHAT THE **** IS GOIN ON HERE!!! HAVE YOU PEOPLE FORGOTTEN WE STILL HAVE MANNING!!! HE WILL BE HERE FOR 4 OR 5 MORE YEARS...WHO WANTS TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE NEXT 4 or 5 YEARS?? I DO!!! I DO I DO I DO!!!! PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW DRAFTING A QB IN A EARLY ROUND REGARDLESS OF WHO IT IS WILL HELP THIS TEAM ACCOMPLISH WINNING A SUPERBOWL??? IF we get a top 5 pick we could Fill any of our holes with that pick...We could get a Franchise DT a Franchise OLine-man...The Oportunites to improve this team durring the 2012 Draft are endless if we have a top 5 pick but if we choose a QB in any of the first 4 rounds Then we RUIN our Amazing chance of fixing wholes at DT at OT, OG, and even C (Saturday is 36yrs old and still way undersized u think he can block Haynesworth) at the SS position and even the WR position(we need quality depth). Drafting a QB in the early rounds of the 2012 draft will be a huge mistake. WE HAVE BIGGER ISSUES THAT HAVE NEEDED TO BE FILLED FOR YEARS!!!!!

Easy tiger....making the bold proclamation that Peyton will unquestionably play 4-5 more years is a completely premature assumption. I hope you're right about that, but nobody knows right now.

Remember....if the Colts have the 1st overall pick, that also means they have the 1st pick in every round, a far better draft position than what we're used to. Several other areas of the team will no doubt be addressed throughout the draft, so we can walk and chew gum at the same time on this.

[Jason_]

I'm going to throw out another scenario...granted this one is a little bit more fantasy than reality but that is not to say it is not a possibility. And this is assuming we have the #1 overall pick as the title of the thread suggests.

First, I think many of us agree that at least half of the teams picking in the top 10 will most likely be looking to fill a hole at QB. Another point I would like to make is that QB isn't the only position to have an elite prospect. Whether or not Manning is coming back really doesn't matter because the following makes using the #1 pick on any player a mistake. So...

We have the #1 overall pick.

There are at least 2 or 3 teams (probably more) looking to grab Luck. It's possible that even the #2 pick could be so in love with Luck that they'd give up more than they should to move up the one spot to get him so that we can't. We take and consider all options, but decide to accept an offer that, on the surface, looks like it was not the best option. We trade down with whoever is in #2-4 spots. We receive at the minimum the lower first round pick this year (#2-4) as well as a second round this year and a first round next year. Yes this seems like a lot to move up only a few spots but look at what Atlanta gave up for Jones and Cleveland gave up for Quinn. Honestly I think we could possibly hold out for more than just that but I think this is bare minimum of what we could get in return.

Now we have the #2-4 pick in the first round, #1 pick in the second round and #2-4 in the second round plus 2 first round picks in 2013.

Even at #4, there are going to be elite players that other teams are going to covet. Matt Barkley and Landry Jones are both considered very close #2 and #3 prospects behind Luck so they are also going to be top 10 picks. There will be more teams than that needing a top-prospect QB. Not to mention Alshon Jeffrey WR, Vontaze Burfict MLB, Quinton Coples DE, Manti Te'o MLB, Matt Kalil C, Dre Kirkpatrick CB and others who are considered top 5-10 talent. Again we trade down, trading the #2-4 pick to someone else looking for any of these positions and inherit their first round pick (which should be no later than 10th) as well as a second round this year and again probably a first round either next year or in 2014.

Now we have #4-10 pick in the first round (where there is still elite talent to be had), #1 pick in the second round, #2-4 pick in second round and #4-10 pick in second round as well as either 3 first round picks in 2013 or 2 first round picks in both 2013 and 2014.

This is where I'd stop but honestly we could keep going from there if we wanted. This also doesn't consider the possibility we could make a trade with Cleveland and acquire both of their first round picks this year (their pick and Atlanta's pick). If we were able to make a deal with Cleveland then we could have:

First round 2012:

#4-10 pick

#20-30 pick (from Atlanta)

Second round 2012:

#1 pick

#2-4 pick (from first trade)

#4-10 pick (from second trade)

Third-seventh rounds 2013:

#1 pick in each round plus the possibility we could receive other later round picks in either of the trades above.

2013:

3 first round picks.....or 2 in 2013 and 2 in 2014

Given the amount of talent that should be available in the 2012 draft, all 5 of the first and second round picks could easily turn into starters. Yes there's always the chance that one of those players could bust, but there is that same chance with Luck...and don't bother trying to say Luck being a bust is impossible. It's highly, highly unlikely but still possible.

Is Andrew Luck really THAT good that he's worth all of that? Especially considering we could still get an excellent QB prospect in the late first or early second round if we felt the need to.

[buccolts]

To Jason:

Not that this exact scenario could come true, but I'm on board with the premise.

I'm not for taking Luck under these circumstances, but that's under the assumption that Manning will retire after his present contract is up.

You can go on and on with this scenario, still keeping a couple of number 1s, adding the the back of the draft, and adding to the top of next years draft, and keep it going. I don't long to be the Patriots, but I think what they've done the past couple of years in the draft is pretty smart. Now they just have to hit on many of those picks.

This scenario would bode well for preparing, not only for the end of Manning's career, but for the post Manning Colts. Along the way, you pick up a top QB in the first a couple of years down the road, and let him spend a couple of years behind Peyton. Then it's on us (O.K., the Colts) to hit on many of those picks.

[Jason_]

To Jason:

Not that this exact scenario could come true, but I'm on board with the premise.

I'm not for taking Luck under these circumstances, but that's under the assumption that Manning will retire after his present contract is up.

You can go on and on with this scenario, still keeping a couple of number 1s, adding the the back of the draft, and adding to the top of next years draft, and keep it going. I don't long to be the Patriots, but I think what they've done the past couple of years in the draft is pretty smart. Now they just have to hit on many of those picks.

This scenario would bode well for preparing, not only for the end of Manning's career, but for the post Manning Colts. Along the way, you pick up a top QB in the first a couple of years down the road, and let him spend a couple of years behind Peyton. Then it's on us (O.K., the Colts) to hit on many of those picks.

Yeah I honestly don't know that anyone has drafted better than NE in the past 3 years or so. And it all started with one move that put them in a position to have 2 first round picks the following year. Once you put yourself in that position then you can keep it going for as long as you want so you're in a position that you can have multiple first round picks for many years to come.

[Jason_]

Beyond Luck does anyone even know who the top picks are supposed to be in the draft? Say there is a big DT or corner back that people have going behind Luck. There is a real chance the Colts could take one of those two guys at number one if they feel they serv a bigger need. Also I know I made the tread about Luck there is a chance he could go back to school. I know most feel like he wont but at this time last year most felt he wouldn't either. He might look at the Colts and go you know I don't want to sit behind Peyton Manning for four years I am going back. It's too early to tell. Also while I don't think the Colts are very good without Manning I don't think they are the worst team in the league. So I don't think we are going to get the first pick in the draft but I do think we are going to have a very high pick that we are going to turn into a player to address another area that will help us win while Peyton is here rather that is a DT, CB, or WR remains to be seen but I think it will most likely be one of those three poistions.

We are also just assuming Peyton doesn't come back and play the last six weeks or so. The fact that he is starting very light workouts at the Colts complex seems to be a sign that he is still trying to come back this season and even if we are out of the playoff race if Peyton can play he's going to play regardless of how the fans feel about it. That's just the kind of person Manning is. I would welcome it because just because he misses a year of football doesn't mean we get to tack another year on to this end of career and frankly I just enjoy seeing him play so if he can great. It will also answer the question of can he still go or not and tell us what we need to do in regards to our buy out option and do we really need to target a QB in the draft or not.

If we draft an offensive player in the top 5 picks, this is who I'd want.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wetLkX7wIGs&feature=related

[BOTT]

But that's just it...he's the best prospect. He's the most NFL ready QB to enter the draft since a Manning or Elway. He's been excellently coached, so he doesn't have the minor issues with mechanics (where he holds the ball, footwork, throwing motion, etc) that some of the other top ranked prospects have. These can and should easily be fixed by good coaching/mentoring. He runs a very successful pro style offense as opposed to an option-based or spread offense like many colleges do. Based on these things, he's the best "prospect" but not the most talented QB. The things that get fixed when you "groom" a QB (which is what everyone is talking about...Manning grooming Luck) don't need to be fixed with Luck. You "groom" a QB that has those minor issues with footwork, throwing motion, etc and that's the kind of QB you find in the middle or end of the first round.

Also, no this isn't going to turn into Manning vs. Leaf. In 1998, Manning and Leaf were taken #1 and #2 overall (duh..pretty sure we all knew that lol) however I had to look this next part up...the next QB selected was Charlie Batch with the second to last pick in the 2nd round. That will not happen in next year's draft. There are easily 3 QB's that go in the top 10 and 2 or 3 more that go later in the first round or early second round.

well, everybody is a prospect. and yes, they are saying he is that talented...that's why they are saying he is the best prospect since elway. elway had a cannon arm, was a great scrambler, and scored in the mid 30's on his wonderlic. sure, being polished helps, but it's not like he is the only qb getting good coaching. i'm sure matt barkley, who also runs a pro style offense, is getting some of the best coaching money can buy...the same with landry jones.

[MAC]

If we draft an offensive player in the top 5 picks, this is who I'd want.

Plays something like a "super-sized" Reggie.

Nothing wrong with that!

[SanAntonioColt]

Carolina already drafted Cam Newton.Wed have to be the worst in the league to get Luck.But if we are I think this would be a gift from heaven.Luck would also get the advantage of training under one of the best QBS of all time.A win-Win.Also if He gets injured again We got somebody ready to go.

You don't draft the overall #1 with the intent to let him carry a clipboard for more than 1 year, if at all. If you think Peyton doesn't have more than a year left then put Peyton up for trade if he is agreeable and let Luck learn the hard way like PM, Cam Newton, and many others.

[Jason_]

Jason

I like Nick Foles too but his completion stats are inflated because most of his throws are screens

And what exactly do you mean by Luck doesn't fit our system?

One thing I have read about Foles is a tendency to be inaccurate in short throws. After watching a few games now, I think his delivery of the ball is a bit odd and this is what leads to the inaccurate short throws. Have you noticed the way the ball comes out of his hands? It seems to almost float off the top of his hand (best way I can think to describe it) instead of being pushed out of his hand. I've seen this lead to the ball floating somewhat, which is not as bad for the intermediate and deep throws but the short throws usually need to be thrown in with some zip. I think this is something that could easily be coached out of him...especially if it's Manning the one who's coaching him.

well, everybody is a prospect. and yes, they are saying he is that talented...that's why they are saying he is the best prospect since elway. elway had a cannon arm, was a great scrambler, and scored in the mid 30's on his wonderlic. sure, being polished helps, but it's not like he is the only qb getting good coaching. i'm sure matt barkley, who also runs a pro style offense, is getting some of the best coaching money can buy...the same with landry jones.

I'm not saying your implying he does, but I wanted to point out that Luck does not have a cannon arm. In fact that's one of the admittedly few knocks on him is that he doesn't have top arm strength.

Not the best poise in the pocket

Off of play-actions, he panics sometimes and resorts to scrambling to fast if his 1st/2nd read is not open

Throws off balance on occasion and does not always set his feet

Deep balls (over 40 yards) leave a lot to be desired

taken...here http://www.mockingthedraft.com/2011/5/7/2158523/andrew-luck-player-profile . I can't comment on the arm strength because he really didn't try to go long very often if at all in the games I've seen so far. I did notice, however, he doesn't have the best poise in the pocket when there's pressure. Sure you can say that all QB's will lack poise in the pocket under pressure but some handle it better than others. The other QB I've watched the most is Nick Foles and I think he is better at handling pressure than Luck is. When under pressure, Luck tends to move backwards and throw off his foot. Foles steps up, sideways, etc, those little moves to avoid the pressure and still make a very good delivery. That said though I will admit that of the 2, Foles is more likely to hold on to the ball too long and take a sack. I'd say they both show about equal tendency to force a bad pass that will likely lead to INT's in the pros.

You don't draft the overall #1 with the intent to let him carry a clipboard for more than 1 year, if at all. If you think Peyton doesn't have more than a year left then put Peyton up for trade if he is agreeable and let Luck learn the hard way like PM, Cam Newton, and many others.

AGREED! And I am so happy to see another who agrees. There is a group of us in that camp, but we are very few. lol

[GatorColts]

No way Barkley gets picked ahead of Luck in the draft!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with you. He is not bad, but not as good as Luck. I personally think Luck is going to be a stud in the NFL. I also hope if we have the opportunity to get him, I hope we do.

[Jason_]

I agree with you. He is not bad, but not as good as Luck. I personally think Luck is going to be a stud in the NFL. I also hope if we have the opportunity to get him, I hope we do.

So far I'd say if anyone has the opportunity to pass Luck as the top QB prospect it would be Landry Jones.

[Balzer40]

I agree with you. He is not bad, but not as good as Luck. I personally think Luck is going to be a stud in the NFL. I also hope if we have the opportunity to get him, I hope we do.

There is no comparison between Barkley and Luck IMO. Luck is light yrs. ahead of Barkley in every way possible. Barkley is a clone of his predecessor(Mark Sanchez). He will be a decent game manager at most in the NFL and IMO has the most potential to be a bust.

[GatorColts]

So far I'd say if anyone has the opportunity to pass Luck as the top QB prospect it would be Landry Jones.

Yeah I could agree with that. I think Landry Jones will be good as well. I am not the biggest fan of Moore like some people are. He is good, but I would take 3-4 other QB's before him.

[Jason_]

Yeah I could agree with that. I think Landry Jones will be good as well. I am not the biggest fan of Moore like some people are. He is good, but I would take 3-4 other QB's before him.

This week will be my first opportunity to watch Kellen Moore play and I'm excited about it. I've watched a couple of Michigan St. games and I think Cousins is going to probably have more "growing pains" than the other top QBs. I'm interested in watching more of Landry Jones, but if you've read some of my other posts, so far I've been most impressed with Nick Foles of Arizona. He does have a few minor issues with footwork and the way the ball comes off his hand but I think these issues should be able to be addressed by good coaching. Even with these issues he's still a very accurate QB with good size and he is good about not turning the ball over. Last year his TD/Int ratio was 2:1.

[hockey878]

Well, I guess I will throw my 2 cents in.

Trade down, somewhere in the 5-15 range (cant really tell until draft order is set). I would like to get back to 8 or 9.

Team X gets:

#1 overall pick

Colts Get:

Team X 2012 1st round pick (5-15 overall)

Team X 2012 2nd round pick.... maybe a 3rd...

Team X 2013 1st round pick

Yes, that is a lot for 1 pick. But there are teams that are in desperate need of a QB, and the luck hype factor helps the value of the 1st overall pick. A team like the 49ers (harbaugh is coach...) would definitely be interested in trading up for luck. Also, the dolphins, the browns, the bengals, chiefs, seahawks, raiders. Pretty much any bad team.

So at this point the colts have a 1st round pick between 5-15. The first pick of round 2, and another 2nd rounder between 5-15.

1st round: WR (Blackmon, Floyd, Jeffrey. I dont know enough about any of them to definitively say.)

2nd round: We have two. So some combination of OL (probably G) and DB or DT

3rd round: DB or DT

4th round: LB

5th round: OL

6th round: DL

7th round: BPA

The great thing about this, we will end up with a high draft pick in 2013 as well. THATS where we can start thinking about a QB. 4 years is too long to sit on the bench. 3 years is great (Rodgers). And, if there isnt a qb we like at that point we can find a significant upgrade at a different position maybe DE (freeney would be getting old), or a stud DT or CB.

What do you guys think about my idea?

[Balzer40]

Well, I guess I will throw my 2 cents in.

Trade down, somewhere in the 5-15 range (cant really tell until draft order is set). I would like to get back to 8 or 9.

Team X gets:

#1 overall pick

Colts Get:

Team X 2012 1st round pick (5-15 overall)

Team X 2012 2nd round pick.... maybe a 3rd...

Team X 2013 1st round pick

Yes, that is a lot for 1 pick. But there are teams that are in desperate need of a QB, and the luck hype factor helps the value of the 1st overall pick. A team like the 49ers (harbaugh is coach...) would definitely be interested in trading up for luck. Also, the dolphins, the browns, the bengals, chiefs, seahawks, raiders. Pretty much any bad team.

So at this point the colts have a 1st round pick between 5-15. The first pick of round 2, and another 2nd rounder between 5-15.

1st round: WR (Blackmon, Floyd, Jeffrey. I dont know enough about any of them to definitively say.)

2nd round: We have two. So some combination of OL (probably G) and DB or DT

3rd round: DB or DT

4th round: LB

5th round: OL

6th round: DL

7th round: BPA

The great thing about this, we will end up with a high draft pick in 2013 as well. THATS where we can start thinking about a QB. 4 years is too long to sit on the bench. 3 years is great (Rodgers). And, if there isnt a qb we like at that point we can find a significant upgrade at a different position maybe DE (freeney would be getting old), or a stud DT or CB.

What do you guys think about my idea?

I don't think what you'd be asking for in return is a lot at all. I would be looking for a team that had 2 1st rd. picks and an extra 2nd rder as well. I also don't want anything at all to do with Blackmon. He is a prima donna waiting to happen.

[Jason_]

Well, I guess I will throw my 2 cents in.

Trade down, somewhere in the 5-15 range (cant really tell until draft order is set). I would like to get back to 8 or 9.

Team X gets:

#1 overall pick

Colts Get:

Team X 2012 1st round pick (5-15 overall)

Team X 2012 2nd round pick.... maybe a 3rd...

Team X 2013 1st round pick

Yes, that is a lot for 1 pick. But there are teams that are in desperate need of a QB, and the luck hype factor helps the value of the 1st overall pick. A team like the 49ers (harbaugh is coach...) would definitely be interested in trading up for luck. Also, the dolphins, the browns, the bengals, chiefs, seahawks, raiders. Pretty much any bad team.

So at this point the colts have a 1st round pick between 5-15. The first pick of round 2, and another 2nd rounder between 5-15.

1st round: WR (Blackmon, Floyd, Jeffrey. I dont know enough about any of them to definitively say.)

2nd round: We have two. So some combination of OL (probably G) and DB or DT

3rd round: DB or DT

4th round: LB

5th round: OL

6th round: DL

7th round: BPA

The great thing about this, we will end up with a high draft pick in 2013 as well. THATS where we can start thinking about a QB. 4 years is too long to sit on the bench. 3 years is great (Rodgers). And, if there isnt a qb we like at that point we can find a significant upgrade at a different position maybe DE (freeney would be getting old), or a stud DT or CB.

What do you guys think about my idea?

I agree with Balzer...I think we could get more than what you said for the #1 overall pick. Atlanta gave up a 1st, 2nd and 4th round picks last year as well as a 1st and 4th this year (I think those are right...if not very close) to move up for Julio Jones. A team moving up to get Luck would likely give up that much or even more.

As for your draft picks, I would only take WR in the top 10 if it's Alshon Jeffrey. If he's not available then go for Manti Te'o MLB instead. Then with the 2 early second round picks I look to try to get either a CB in either Stephon Gilmore or Morris Claiborn and a WR in either Jeff Fuller, Michael Floyd or Greg Childs. In the 3rd quarter I'd look for Jaye Howard, DT from Florida. In the 4th round, since we took LB in the first round I look to see if Harrison Smith SS from Notre Dame is available. If not maybe a good, balanced DE that can play both the run and pass or maybe the best C/G available. We could also look for a QB here as well. In the 5th round, we could again go OL or maybe OLB. 6th round, the DL has already been addressed so really we could go about anywhere here. My vote goes to WR Derek Moye from Penn State. Yeah it would be a 2nd WR but not only would we be giving Manning a 6'2-6'3 WR in the guy we took earlier, but we also give him another big WR at 6'4 215 lb WR in Moye.

I don't think what you'd be asking for in return is a lot at all. I would be looking for a team that had 2 1st rd. picks and an extra 2nd rder as well. I also don't want anything at all to do with Blackmon. He is a prima donna waiting to happen.

I agree about the proposed trade and I also agree about Blackmon...not so much because he is a pima donna waiting to happen..I can't say one way or another about that, but rather because I simply haven't been all that impressed in what I've seen from him so far.

I also love trying to get 2 first round picks but it would have to be from Cleveland. NE is the only other team right now with 2 first round picks and, while not impossible, I think it'd be unlikely they'd use them both to trade up. If we did get that second 1st round pick we could go in a number of ways. Either use that pick to take a QB like Nick Foles or Ryan Tannehill, or we could use it on a better DE or DT than my picks above, or go for a second CB. Two new top rated CB's as well as a better SS in either Smith, Caldwell or Lefeged and our secondary goes from pitiful to scary.

[Andy]

Answering to the OP -- If we get the 1st overall pick, we should trade down to the 8th or 9th pick and try to get Kalil, and along with a good guard like Snee, and a DT like Cofield. If the Giants are in the 8th or 9th or 10th spot trade down to them. Then with that pick, we take Dre Kirkpatrick.

[LiveColtsFootball]

Easy tiger....making the bold proclamation that Peyton will unquestionably play 4-5 more years is a completely premature assumption. I hope you're right about that, but nobody knows right now.

Remember....if the Colts have the 1st overall pick, that also means they have the 1st pick in every round, a far better draft position than what we're used to. Several other areas of the team will no doubt be addressed throughout the draft, so we can walk and chew gum at the same time on this.

its called optomizm (Mod Edit: No personal shots, no masking inappropriate words.)

[BOTT]

You don't draft the overall #1 with the intent to let him carry a clipboard for more than 1 year, if at all. If you think Peyton doesn't have more than a year left then put Peyton up for trade if he is agreeable and let Luck learn the hard way like PM, Cam Newton, and many others.

this is true. people are crazy if they think the colts can draft luck and let him sit for 3-4 years.

[theking213]

All I know is that if the Colts are terrible enough to get the #1 pick it will be the most talked about topic of the off season. 

And if the Colts do draft Luck, every preseason game will be highly anticipated. 

[Jason_]

All I know is that if the Colts are terrible enough to get the #1 pick it will be the most talked about topic of the off season. 

And if the Colts do draft Luck, every preseason game will be highly anticipated. 

lol yeah you're absolutely right that it would be the most talked about topic in years.

[theking213]

lol yeah you're absolutely right that it would be the most talked about topic in years.

Expect a whole lot of Joe Montana, Steve Young video montages mixed with Peyton and Luck clips.

The media will have material to talk about for months and years until #18 retires.

Part of me wants it to happen just to see the frenzy it would cause :hmm:

But then the other side of me wants The Colts to draft to fix the offensive/Defensive line and the DBs.

[mouthofsouth]

If you get the number 1 pick, then you take the best player. If that is Luck, you take him. If Manning comes back healthy, then you trade Luck for some major defensive or offensive line help. I think the philosophy most stick with is that you have to take the best player available if you have the no. 1 pick. Especially if there is an outstanding prospect out there.

Anyway, somebody else said trade down with it. This option could be used if, by the time of the draft, Manning has made a complete recovery. In which case, trade down and try to get Manning the help he needs.

Even if Manning gets healthy and can play up to strength next year, the Colts need to shop for a quality back-up and teach him the system. Let him understudy Manning with the idea of maybe taking over eventually. You need a really smart young qb with great skills who is willing to understudy Manning for a few years.

[colts89]

TBH the polians have stated that they WILL always pick thier BPA, no matter what there needs are. If it's Luck, who alot of scouts like, it's Luck.

I just hope the colts don't do that BPA thing this year unless they realize we have great position of needs in the FA

(it also looks like Chris wasn't such a BPA guy)

[Steagles]

I like Luck, but if we can trade the 1 pick for 2 high/mid first rounders, then trade those for mid/later picks (maybe have 3 first rounders, like Cleveland did?), and draft Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and Matt Barkely... In a perfect world.

[Jason_]

I like Luck, but if we can trade the 1 pick for 2 high/mid first rounders, then trade those for mid/later picks (maybe have 3 first rounders, like Cleveland did?), and draft Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and Matt Barkely... In a perfect world.

If we were able to make that trade happen it would almost have to be with Cleveland unless somewhere throughout the season an additional trade is made to give another team 2 first round picks in 2012. The only other team right now that has 2 first rounders is NE and highly unlikely they use them to trade up...not impossible but unlikely.

One thing though is that so far Mark Barron I believe is mostly being projected in the 2nd round. Also, our need for SS will depend on what we see from either Lefeged or Caldwell. If one of these guys can become a playmaker then we no longer have a need for a starting SS. Even if we do, I'd be willing to pass on Barron to pickup Harrison Smith of Notre Dame in the 3rd or 4th round.

Also, if we were to make that trade happen, going from #1 even down to pick 5 and a later pick would still allow us, imo, to also get an additional second round (or at least 3rd round) pick as well.

If we can make this happen there are so many combination we could go with it is making my head spin. lol So far I think my preference would go to:

Brandon Thompson, DT Clemson (early to mid 1st round)

Manti Te'o, MLB Notre Dame (mid to early 20's in first round is definitely possible)

Jeff Fuller, WR Texas A&M (#1 in second round is possible...if he's not there then either Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A&M or Nick Foles QB Arizona. I like Kellen Moore but if there are questions about his arm strength then I'd prefer to pass. I'd be fine with Matt Barkley here too but I have a feeling he'll go in the top 15. If Kirk Cousins comes out then he could be a possibility but he needs more work, imo, than the others I've mentioned)

Morris Claiborn CB, LSU (with the second early pick we acquire in the trade)

I would also not be opposed to looking at Quinton Coples DE North Carolina early in the first and taking Jaye Howard, Kawann Short or Kendall Reyes in the 3rd round to fill the DT/NT need. Coples would give us a much more balanced top tier DE since he can play the run and rush the passer very well.

[GatorColts]

If we were able to make that trade happen it would almost have to be with Cleveland unless somewhere throughout the season an additional trade is made to give another team 2 first round picks in 2012. The only other team right now that has 2 first rounders is NE and highly unlikely they use them to trade up...not impossible but unlikely.

One thing though is that so far Mark Barron I believe is mostly being projected in the 2nd round. Also, our need for SS will depend on what we see from either Lefeged or Caldwell. If one of these guys can become a playmaker then we no longer have a need for a starting SS. Even if we do, I'd be willing to pass on Barron to pickup Harrison Smith of Notre Dame in the 3rd or 4th round.

Also, if we were to make that trade happen, going from #1 even down to pick 5 and a later pick would still allow us, imo, to also get an additional second round (or at least 3rd round) pick as well.

If we can make this happen there are so many combination we could go with it is making my head spin. lol So far I think my preference would go to:

Brandon Thompson, DT Clemson (early to mid 1st round)

Manti Te'o, MLB Notre Dame (mid to early 20's in first round is definitely possible)

Jeff Fuller, WR Texas A&M (#1 in second round is possible...if he's not there then either Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A&M or Nick Foles QB Arizona. I like Kellen Moore but if there are questions about his arm strength then I'd prefer to pass. I'd be fine with Matt Barkley here too but I have a feeling he'll go in the top 15. If Kirk Cousins comes out then he could be a possibility but he needs more work, imo, than the others I've mentioned)

Morris Claiborn CB, LSU (with the second early pick we acquire in the trade)

I would also not be opposed to looking at Quinton Coples DE North Carolina early in the first and taking Jaye Howard, Kawann Short or Kendall Reyes in the 3rd round to fill the DT/NT need. Coples would give us a much more balanced top tier DE since he can play the run and rush the passer very well.

I am a big fan of Te'o, I think he would be a great pickup for the Colts if we could draft him. Very good LB!

[Jason_]

I am a big fan of Te'o, I think he would be a great pickup for the Colts if we could draft him. Very good LB!

Definitely...I think a lot of people are going to see Burfict and his ability to lay on the big hit and like what they see. But the more you watch them through the course of the game, Te'o definitely comes out, imo, as the better fit for our team.

[GatorColts]

Definitely...I think a lot of people are going to see Burfict and his ability to lay on the big hit and like what they see. But the more you watch them through the course of the game, Te'o definitely comes out, imo, as the better fit for our team.

I agree with you, I would love to see Te'o in a Colts uniform. One of the better LB's I have seen in a while. Very fundamental and just plays very hard and smart.