Erik Walden 7th among LBs in run stopping percentage

[dgambill]

Good Lord....     What would make you happy?

 

The Colts signed arguably the 2nd or 3rd best RT in FA.

 

They signed the best FA S....     next to Ed Reed.

 

They signed a G that started 9 games for NE last season.

 

They signed a OLB that has played huge minutes for GB as a backup.

 

They signed a another OLB that played a 43 E, ...     lets see what he can do?

 

They signed a "great" press CB in Toler...       What is to dislike here?

 

I don't get it...   Indy filled every single need with the exception of WR.....      and still ... "many" to  "most" are crying like babies.  

 

 

Why?

I'm hardly crying...I felt they over-valued and over paid. I gave my reasons. I thought the worst problems on the OL was at the guards...Thomas I liked...I wanted more help up the middle...especially since our center that Grigson went out and spent money on was less then steller this year. In fact I would even go as to say I would have been happy with Justice back at RT if it ment getting Thomas and Vasquez or Levitre. I would never spend 4 million on Hassellbeck...period. I would rather have Moore or Fitzpatrick that Tenn got for less. I love RJF...great pickup. I didn't like Landry and hardly felt he was the best safety out there. His injury history and tendency to go for highlight hits don't sit well with me. Landry didn't even land in the top 5 free safeties on most boards so how you place him #1 is beyond me. Grover Quinn, Ed Reed, and Deshon Goldson and a few others I would put higher. At corner I am intrigued by Toler...I like the kid but for the money they paid I would rather went after someone like Smith or Keneen Lewis...but there were other options out there...and I'm not sure if we couldn't have got Toler for less money....and thats the thing...its not even that I didn't like our guys...its just I think we paid a premium for them...top dollar...you know. If we would have spent on Levitre or Vasquez or Quinn or Smith ok...but if not I see a lot of teams getting pretty good bargains on guys like ours is all. Walden 4 mill per year....I don't think anyone else would have came close to giving him that....and its ok to go get him....but why pay the premium...let him sit out there for a few days...see whats getting offered him...a lot of these guys didn't even have other teams lined up...thats all. 

 

Crying....no....concerned...somewhat...feeling a little buyers remorse that I paid luxury car price on a overpriced Camry....yes a little.

[Warhorse]

All good points, only time is going to show how well this was done. Put me down for being excited at: (my opinion)

 

*FA movement before the options were "choose from the best of whats left"

 

*Acquisitions that filled needs to try and win now, while keeping contracts reasonable so our own big resigns and extensions can be weathered in the near future.

 

*Addressing last years most serious weaknesses in FA so we can draft the BPA in the draft.

 

*Information sharing by the front office that has us relevant, and discussed in the media. Previous offseasons in Colts camps had a reporter standing outside the Dome or the Luc speculating on nothing.

[GOCOLTS_ROLLTIDE]

Looking back Matt Forte, MJD, Foster, CJ one game, Jamall Charles/Hillis, Shonn Greene, Packers, Reggie bush, Ridley, and I think CJ Spiller. All ran the ball with ease on us, the Chiefs and the first Jags game run defense was embarrassing. This needed to be addressed in a big way and I credit Grigson/Pagano in doing just that with multiple signings

ironically we held the league mvp to 60, even if it was only the 2nd game still pretty cool

[presto123]

I find it strangely weird for the defense to NOT give up a silly amount of yards on the ground. 

 

I am sorta accustom to seeing our undersized guys getting plowed or not skilled enough to do something about it. 

 

I welcome this change. A lot. 

 Bill Polian brainwashed you into thinking that is the norm. !!!

[Tyler Shaw]

Every FA ever signed is overpayed. It's called market and getting your guy over other teams.

[atapcl]

I believe Sidbury was brought in for that purpose.

I'm excited to see what they are able to do now that some good run stoppers are in place.  I would like to see another great pass rushing OLB drafted to make the front seven complete and provide pass rush on both sides..  If you ask me, this was a great signing that a lot of people just didn't get.

[Superman]

This signing never bothered me and I'm hopeful it ends up to be a good one. Any signing for league average  that you can walk away from after the 2nd year for a 600K cap hit does not deserve the bashing this one took.

 

Just found something else from FO that I liked. Reading the comments (I wish commenters on every site were like the commenters on FO), I noticed a staff comment that sort of downplays the overall significance of run stop percentage. Just reiterating that none of these guys who do these aggregate stats claim that they have reinvented the wheel. Anyways, here's the comment:

I actually agree in a way with some readers, in that I think Total Run Stops is usually a better statistic than Stop Rate (though I think Stop Rate is useful for highlighting guys at the low end of the spectrum). But with that in mind, here are the top ten lists in total Run Stops by position:

Defensive line:

HOU J.J. Watt 57

NYJ Muhammad Wilkerson 50

SF Justin Smith 46

NYG Jason Pierre-Paul 41

SEA Brandon Mebane 41

ARI Calais Campbell 40

NO Cameron Jordan 40

NYG Linval Joseph 39

OAK Lamarr Houston 38

GB Ryan Pickett 37

Linebacker:

KC Derrick Johnson 66

SF Navorro Bowman 66

STL James Laurinaitis 64

CAR Luke Kuechly 63

GB A.J. Hawk 59

IND Jerrell Freeman 58

NE Jerod Mayo 58

MIA Karlos Dansby 57

DAL Anthony Spencer 55

NO Curtis Lofton 55

Defensive backs:

KC Eric Berry 36

PIT Ryan Clark 29

SD Eric Weddle 29

MIN Antoine Winfield 27

GB Morgan Burnett 27

CLE T.J. Ward 27

NYJ LaRon Landry 24

JAC Dawan Landry 24

STL Quintin Mikell 23

MIN Harrison Smith 22

MIA Chris Clemons 22

BUF Gibril Wilson 22

Two things I take away from this: 1) JJ Watt is simply the best defender in the league right now, and it's not even close, but Muhammed Wilkerson doesn't get any love and he's the only other player I see in the top ten in stop percentage and total stops.

2) Jerrell Freeman was sixth among linebackers in total run stops, and Laron Landry was 7th among safeties. We've got some guys who can make stops in the run game. If our defense starts to come together and can stay reasonably healthy, it's gonna be tough to run on us. This is a real "Build the Monster" kind of offseason for Grigson and Pagano. I hope it works out they way they envision.

[LockeDown]

Grigson didn't get every player he wanted last year in the draft but still did a great job. In FA this year, Irsay said they got everyone they wanted. He has shown he is aggressive in the draft by moving up to get a player he wants like TY, so I think he will do the same this year. A whole year smarter.

[Tark The Shark]

Glad to see people warming up to our FA signings.

 

I guess things are going to be ok.

[HtownColt]

"On first and second down, (Walden) sets the edge as good as anybody," Pagano said. "In the National Football League and in our division, we always say, 'No edge. No chance.' He's going to be a great edge setter and then converting on first and second down when we do bring him, he's going to add that pass rush capability."-Pagano

"He's got a great repertoire of pass-rush moves and things like that and a lot of tools in his toolbox. But a lot of it is just outworking guys and this guy's got a motor that doesn't stop."-Pagano

[jvan1973]

"On first and second down, (Walden) sets the edge as good as anybody," Pagano said. "In the National Football League and in our division, we always say, 'No edge. No chance.' He's going to be a great edge setter and then converting on first and second down when we do bring him, he's going to add that pass rush capability."-Pagano

"He's got a great repertoire of pass-rush moves and things like that and a lot of tools in his toolbox. But a lot of it is just outworking guys and this guy's got a motor that doesn't stop."-Pagano

pretty high praise from coach

[Nostrils]

I agree 100%, Conner is lights out against the run, not the best in coverage, but much better than Angerer against the run. I don't know why he doesn't get more credit for how good he is in the run defense. I would rather have Conner on 1st and 2nd down playing the run and bring Angerer in on passing downs.

 

that was the beauty of having, and actually using all 4 MLB's last year... that was something cool you probably won't ever see again... Def needs to improve his pass coverage but he is a stud.. pops the heck out of people, and if he doesn't make the play he disrupts what's going on.

[Nostrils]

hehe...    

 

Jimmy needs to refrain from drunk posting....     I am well aware it is hard to do...   ;)

 

What a great song by the late great Ricky Nelson...  

 

 

amazing

[John Dee]

 

Just found something else from FO that I liked. Reading the comments (I wish commenters on every site were like the commenters on FO), I noticed a staff comment that sort of downplays the overall significance of run stop percentage. Just reiterating that none of these guys who do these aggregate stats claim that they have reinvented the wheel. Anyways, here's the comment:Two things I take away from this: 1) JJ Watt is simply the best defender in the league right now, and it's not even close, but Muhammed Wilkerson doesn't get any love and he's the only other player I see in the top ten in stop percentage and total stops.

2) Jerrell Freeman was sixth among linebackers in total run stops, and Laron Landry was 7th among safeties. We've got some guys who can make stops in the run game. If our defense starts to come together and can stay reasonably healthy, it's gonna be tough to run on us. This is a real "Build the Monster" kind of offseason for Grigson and Pagano. I hope it works out they way they envision.

I think that was the goal of this off season,   and protect the passer.   

 

Mission accomplished.      

 

Gotta worry about stopping 3rd and 2 before worrying about rushing the passer. 

 

Nice stats by the way...    

[needanoline63]

Walden must have changed his "evil ways" in the run game last season. In 2011 he was worse all around 3-4 linebacker in league

[ÅÐØNϧ 1]

Good Lord....     What would make you happy?

 

The Colts signed arguably the 2nd or 3rd best RT in FA.

 

They signed the best FA S....     next to Ed Reed.

 

They signed a G that started 9 games for NE last season.

 

They signed a OLB that has played huge minutes for GB as a backup.

 

They signed a another OLB that played a 43 E, ...     lets see what he can do?

 

They signed a "great" press CB in Toler...       What is to dislike here?

 

I don't get it...   Indy filled every single need with the exception of WR.....      and still ... "many" to  "most" are crying like babies.  

 

 

Why?

 

  Because Ryan Grigson is like " Frank Sinatra " He did it his way ..

[jvan1973]

Walden must have changed his "evil ways" in the run game last season. In 2011 he was worse all around 3-4 linebacker in league

what are you basing that on

[Gavin]

what are you basing that on

Im optimistic about the signing(and the way the deal in constructed helps my optimism alot) but some of these reports on Walden over the course of the last 2 years lead me to think he is more likely to bust  http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/nfl/4912/erik-walden

[jbaron04]

I like this signing of walden give the man a chance we need bigger guy who can hit and set the edge

[TiagoAraruna]

Every time I read good stuff about some of the Colts signings I start imagining how this team is gonna work. Mathis playing on the other side, te D full of new names and the Offense with Pep and his West coast offense. How this will change the way Luck played last year etc

Can't wait for the season     

[needanoline63]

what are you basing that on

pro football focus