Colts Release Tom Zbikowski

[jvan1973]

of course ed reed is an extreme talent. and he is a first ballot hall of famer. one of the best safeties to ever play the game. but when you have bethea playing free safety and LaRon Landry playing strong, there is no need for reed.

yes i agree

[Balzer40]

I'm amused by the enthusiasm for his departure. The ringing endorsements when he was brought in were overwhelming. "He was a RAVEN, and Pagano KNOWS him, and Pagano is the best coach EVER, and Grigson is a GENIUS. Thank God that that :cuss: Polian is gone."

 

And little old Polian UFA Lefeged is still here plugging away.

 

My reaction when Zbikowski was brought in was "who the heck is that? Well he's never started but he was a third round pick and the Ravens tend to draft well. Lets hope Grigson is correct and he can make the jump. There's definitely a hole in the roster so it's worth a shot."

 

I'm sorry that it didn't work out, and I don't think ill of Pagano or Grigson either way for making a "mistake" (any more than I screamed from the roof tops when the guy was signed). I'm mostly just pleased (as a Rutgers supporter) at Lefeged's perseverance, and amused at people's reactions. Is the honeymoon over yet?

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with our staff and I'm just watching them plug away with interest and enthusiasm, I just try not to jump to conclusions about who's a candidate for the GM's Mensa club based on zero evidence. It takes YEARS to figure that out, and sometimes you never do. On average, most of them turn out to be average. Funny how that works.

 

 

 

Or it could have just been that Lefeged is 3 yrs. younger and is still just a backup. 

[ColtJ82]

Why draft Bethea's replacement when he's the same age as Landry. I think Lefeged is our backup and this isn't indicating a safety as a draft pick. I thought of it more as freeing up some cap for another FA signing. Perhaps a Guard.

I only said that because he has two years remaining on his deal and I'm not sure they are going to want to pay him the money he might get elsewhere.

[Jason_]

maybe they wanted that 1.3 mil to spend on another low priced FA.

[Steagles]

I liked him, but he was awful. We can draft a new safety and pay him Zibby's money.

[AntonMcG]

It doesn't hurt to shop him first. Let's be honest. Worst case, you get nothing.

I don't think it opens up for Reed to come here, but Pollard it would.

 

If that was the case, any half-decent player that a team didn't want would be put on the trading block. Cutting a player is much more respectful to them as then they can choose where to go and not have to move their lives and their families to a city and a team that they played no part in deciding... especially when all the team got for them was a 7th round draft pick.

 

Trades are an extremely rare in the NFL in general.

[Mouthfire]

THAT MAKES NO SENSE THAT MAKES NO SENSE THAT MAKES NO SENSE THAT MAKES NO SENSE

 

Oh, come on!  We could run a 3-3-5 defense with 3 safeties and 2 cornerbacks.  Landry's pretty much a linebacker, anyways.  Makes total sense. 

[theanarchist]

Agree. i think we will draft either a CB or a S with our 1st pick

Unfortunate. Always hate to see people go. Leaves a space for a drafted safety, perhaps.

[Indyfan4life]

Who knows. Bethea underperformed last year too. Maybe he will be released and we bring in Reed? As much as I'm joking, this could also be true with what we just saw/heard.

[Dustin]

Agree. i think we will draft either a CB or a S with our 1st pick

We wouldn't draft a backup safety with our 1st rounder.

[HarassedOffTheSite]

Agree. i think we will draft either a CB or a S with our 1st pick

 

Folks better not sleep on an Inside Linebacker. If this defense is modelled after the Ravens'......do we really have our Ray Lewis?

[Mouthfire]

no need for another starting safety.

 

3-3-5, my friend.... 3-3-5.

[theanarchist]

I'm thinking a replacement for Bethea after next year

We wouldn't draft a backup safety with our 1st rounder.

[austriancolt]

I predict: Bethea, Landry, Asante, Lefeged will be our safetys

[Jason_]

Folks better not sleep on an Inside Linebacker. If this defense is modelled after the Ravens'......do we really have our Ray Lewis?

 

No we definitely don't and I'd have no problem bringing in a stud MLB.  I wasn't completely sold on Angerer as our MLB in the tampa 2 so I'm not even close to sold on him as the MIKE in our hybrid.  I would have loved to have gotten Donte Hightower last year but I knew there was no way he'd last to our 2nd round pick and even if he did, wasn't sure if they'd have taken him.

[Kyle]

Folks better not sleep on an Inside Linebacker. If this defense is modelled after the Ravens'......do we really have our Ray Lewis?

 

 

wish I could like ur comment more than once.... 

 

if you say it again I will like it again

[Coltswarriors]

It's possible that Zbikowski asked to be released. He came here to start, that's why he left Baltimore.

 

If the above didn't happen, this move doesn't really make sense to me. He's a quality special teamer and could have filled in for a game if need be.

 

Also to those hoping we go for Ed Reed, no happening. Makes absolutely no sense.

[Kyle]

I bet Manti Teo will be available for us in the 1st..... 

[buccolts]

No to Reed & Pollard.

 

Now, just thinking out loud.

Trade the first for a second, and another high rounder next year (1st?).

Pick Tyrann Mattieu (sp?).

I know he's a CB, but I've heard it said (on this board as well), that he'd be a Safety in the NFL.

?

[HarassedOffTheSite]

No we definitely don't and I'd have no problem bringing in a stud MLB.  I wasn't completely sold on Angerer as our MLB in the tampa 2 so I'm not even close to sold on him as the MIKE in our hybrid.  I would have loved to have gotten Donte Hightower last year but I knew there was no way he'd last to our 2nd round pick and even if he did, wasn't sure if they'd have taken him.

 

I would love to see a ticker come across NFL network saying "Colts Trade MLB Angerer to Cowboys for MLB Sean Lee"

[Dustin]

No to Reed & Pollard.

Now, just thinking out loud.

Trade the first for a second, and another high rounder next year (1st?).

Pick Tyrann Mattieu (sp?).

I know he's a CB, but I've heard it said (on this board as well), that he'd be a Safety in the NFL.

?

Mathieu is no way worth a high second. I wouldn't even touch him in the 3rd.

[MAC]

Or it could have just been that Lefeged is 3 yrs. younger and is still just a backup. 

I'm not stating that I'm confident that Lefeged is a better player - money always factors into these decisions - and frankly I'm not qualified to judge. My comments were more about the extreme reactions that some people tend to make. Last year Zbikowksi was that hard hitter that we desperately needed (something that the new management was smart enough to know, and the old management apparently wasn't), now he's too slow. Did he have some sort of event that caused him to slow down in the meantime, or perhaps did people have absolutely no more idea than I did whether he could play or not?

 

As I said, nice try. Good move bringing him in, better move getting rid of him. NEXT. Doesn't make Grigson a genius either way - just a young guy who we are learning about as we go, and who is himself learning as he goes.

[AntonMcG]

Folks better not sleep on an Inside Linebacker. If this defense is modelled after the Ravens'......do we really have our Ray Lewis?

 

That's actually a great point and one I never really considered.

 

One thing I would say though is Lewis was drafted around were we pick in the mid-20s, but that was way back when MLB was considered a premium position and they would always go early in the draft, that's not so much the case now. So value may exist at MLB later in the draft.

[buccolts]

Mathieu is no way worth a high second. I wouldn't even touch him in the 3rd.

Some speculate he could go anywhere from mid-second, to mid-third after the combine.

Plus, I didn't speculate that we'd get a high second, just a second.

[TKnight24]

I think we could've at least got a 7th rounder for him lol

[RomanianColtsFan]

It's possible that Zbikowski asked to be released. He came here to start, that's why he left Baltimore.

 

 

I can't name a team right now for which he would be a legitimate starter.

[Dustin]

Some speculate he could go anywhere from mid-second, to mid-third after the combine.

Plus, I didn't speculate that we'd get a high second, just a second.

Still not worth it. He's undersized, below average coverage ability, and takes to many gambles.

[AntonMcG]

I'm not stating that I'm confident that Lefeged is a better player - money always factors into these decisions - and frankly I'm not qualified to judge. My comments were more about the extreme reactions that some people tend to make. Last year Zbikowksi was that hard hitter that we desperately needed (something that the new management was smart enough to know, and the old management apparently wasn't), now he's too slow. Did he have some sort of event that caused him to slow down in the meantime, or perhaps did people have absolutely no more idea than I did whether he could play or not?

 

As I said, nice try. Good move bringing him in, better move getting rid of him. NEXT. Doesn't make Grigson a genius either way - just a young guy who we are learning about as we go, and who is himself learning as he goes.

 

Fair assessment.

[TKnight24]

Folks better not sleep on an Inside Linebacker. If this defense is modelled after the Ravens'......do we really have our Ray Lewis?

Jerell Freeman???

[TKnight24]

I can't name a team right now for which he would be a legitimate starter.

Jaguars. They cut Landry so idk who they're safety is now

[IndyD4U]

FYI: I'm available and I'll take a heck of a lot less than Zib.

 

Stats: 33 years old, 6'1'' 220# .... 5.4- 40 yd....oh, and a bum knee (old football injury)

[coltsfanatic24]

Zbi should just stick to boxing.

[TKnight24]

WE ARE NOT SIGNING ED REED LET IT GO PEOPLE SERIOUSLY!

[Jason_]

WE ARE NOT SIGNING ED REED LET IT GO PEOPLE SERIOUSLY!

 

7-9 or 9-7..nothing more, nothing less

 

 

[RomanianColtsFan]

Jaguars. They cut Landry so idk who they're safety is now

 

I doubt it

[Kyle]

WE ARE NOT SIGNING ED REED LET IT GO PEOPLE SERIOUSLY!

 

unless this rumor of us trading someone is us giving up Bethea for a 2nd round pick and then we replace him with Ed Reed....

 

im not saying I want this or anything, just throwing out ideas

[Jason_]

I would love to see a ticker come across NFL network saying "Colts Trade MLB Angerer to Cowboys for MLB Sean Lee"

 

Not that familiar with Sean Lee, but I wouldn't mind seeing Nico Johnson in the 4th round in the draft.

[TKnight24]

7-9 or 9-7..nothing more, nothing less

Hey Hey Hey!! That was a time where I didn't mind being Wrong. I was actually happy they exceeded my prediction

[HarassedOffTheSite]

Jerell Freeman???

 

I like him...I do like him. Just thinking out loud...

[TKnight24]

unless this rumor of us trading someone is us giving up Bethea for a 2nd round pick and then we replace him with Ed Reed....

im not saying I want this or anything, just throwing out ideas

Why would we get an older Safety for Bethea? We might as well take Kenny Vaccaro in the Draft if we want another FS