A New Captain

[turner46992]

I was thinking, I would like to see in this upcoming draft the colts to take an elite safety or Corner...Someone that can become the new leader for our Defense. Instead of taking Luck, get some help on D..make our D a dominant force.

I also like the idea of getting Peytons Replacement(Luck). Then again, I like the Idea of trying to build a Fierce Defense. Obviously 1 draft pick wont make it happen..but we are weak at safety and Cb's...We have a strong linebacker core, I think its time to Ditch Brackett(I like the guy,but i think its time) only because I see better hope with Angerer, Wheeler, and Connor. Then our Line..Line needs help and has needed help for some time. so its safe to say we should improve there as well. I dont really think our Offense needs improvement, maybe more depth, but not improvement. we could work on Offense in later rounds or next years draft. I just would really like a nice Defense with a strong safety like Ed Reed, or even another Sanders.

I dont watch much college football so I dont even know what this years prospects are going to be like. Its just a thought. And I am sure this could merge with many, many, many topics...I just decided Id make this thread simply for Defense and Building it.

[DILLIGAFER]

Thats a good idea, but until the Polians start bringing in guys with some "heft" at those positions, it will do us 0 good.

[21isSuperman]

I think part of the problem with the defense is coaching. Coyer hasn't done much this year to have the D step up when the offense is without Peyton.

Personally, I like Brackett and I don't want to see him go anywhere. If we have the chance to take Luck, I think we should take it and run. The defense does need a lot of help though. We need improved DB play (especially at the corner positions) and at DT. Other than that, it is just fundamentals. Better tackling, shedding blockers better, etc.

[chad72]

Whoever is the new QB after Peyton, the rookie salary cap will actually help us to get more pieces around him and not till after year 3 do teams have to worry about picking up a 5th year salary of the average of the top 5 at his position (or something like that in the new CBA).

Teams like the Colts or any team with an aging elite QB will have a better chance to rebuild and be competitive than years before this, IMO.

[Andy]

I was thinking, I would like to see in this upcoming draft the colts to take an elite safety or Corner...Someone that can become the new leader for our Defense. Instead of taking Luck, get some help on D..make our D a dominant force.

I also like the idea of getting Peytons Replacement(Luck). Then again, I like the Idea of trying to build a Fierce Defense. Obviously 1 draft pick wont make it happen..but we are weak at safety and Cb's...We have a strong linebacker core, I think its time to Ditch Brackett(I like the guy,but i think its time) only because I see better hope with Angerer, Wheeler, and Connor. Then our Line..Line needs help and has needed help for some time. so its safe to say we should improve there as well. I dont really think our Offense needs improvement, maybe more depth, but not improvement. we could work on Offense in later rounds or next years draft. I just would really like a nice Defense with a strong safety like Ed Reed, or even another Sanders.

I dont watch much college football so I dont even know what this years prospects are going to be like. Its just a thought. And I am sure this could merge with many, many, many topics...I just decided Id make this thread simply for Defense and Building it.

The problem is that the safeties start really showing up in the 2nd round, and the best one is arguably TJ MacDonald. I don't safety is a concern right now, CB is a big concern and so is DT, but not as much as CB. I must say that this upcoming draft is superb on CBs. Like 6 CBs are going to be taken in the 1st, and 5 in the 2nd.

Now, let's go back the top 10 overall picks. In there, there's probably going to be 1 (maybe 2) defensive guys. Quinton Coples, a DE, who is projected to go in the top 5, and Dre Kirkpatrick who may sneak into the top 10. Point is, if we get a top 7 or 8 draft pick, we go offensive. If we get an 11-20 pick, we can easily pick a defensive guy.

Why would you want to get rid of Gary Brackett. The guy is the leader of our defense, and is one of the best defensive guys besides Freeney and Mathis. Keep him until 35, that's when his contract runs out, and retire the man a Colt. Until then, he's the MIKE. Angerer will only get better and better, and will have some games where he plays MIKE. Conner is not the starter, Sims is, but he's not playing right now, and who knows if we even keep Ernie at the end of the year, but I think we will.

I don't know which line you're talking about, but I'll assume it's the D-line. Dwight's got abput 4 or 5 years left, and Mathis about 6. We also have depth with Foster, Hughes, Anderson and Brayton. The D-line I think will only get better. They're very young with guys like Mookie (26), Nevis (22), Fili Moala (26), and Foster and Anderson rotating in (both 26).

The offense needs much more improvement on the line. Jeff Linkenbach is awful, and Ijalana should be playing. Ryan Diem could be in his last year as a Colt, so we need a backup to Pollak or an eventual starter over Pollak. Joe Reitz has been doing well, but we can all agree that he's not the long term answer. He is however a great backup. Jeff is 36 years old, so a youngster behind him is needed. Castonzo needs a backup, because as of right now he does not have one. Peyton's getting old, backup for him??

The running backs seems good with Delone Carter and Joe Addai. Maybe we get rid of Donald Brown, who knows?

The tight end position is fine, but Dallas Clark has about 6 years left, and Tamme has about 10, so maybe Tamme could be our future TE.

The wide receivers are good for now with Garcon and Collie being 25, and Blair White is like 24. Reggie Wayne is getting old however, he is 32, turning 33 in November. Maybe next year or the year after we draft his heir. We should draft the heir, when Reggie has about a year left before he retires or leaves.

So this I think we should get:

1. Matt Kalil

2. Cornerback / Punt Returner (there are 3 guys like that in the 2nd round)

3. Wide Receiver

4. Defensive Tackle

5. Safety

6. Guard

7. Quarterback

[jwilli69]

The problem is that the safeties start really showing up in the 2nd round, and the best one is arguably TJ MacDonald. I don't safety is a concern right now, CB is a big concern and so is DT, but not as much as CB. I must say that this upcoming draft is superb on CBs. Like 6 CBs are going to be taken in the 1st, and 5 in the 2nd.

Now, let's go back the top 10 overall picks. In there, there's probably going to be 1 (maybe 2) defensive guys. Quinton Coples, a DE, who is projected to go in the top 5, and Dre Kirkpatrick who may sneak into the top 10. Point is, if we get a top 7 or 8 draft pick, we go offensive. If we get an 11-20 pick, we can easily pick a defensive guy.

Why would you want to get rid of Gary Brackett. The guy is the leader of our defense, and is one of the best defensive guys besides Freeney and Mathis. Keep him until 35, that's when his contract runs out, and retire the man a Colt. Until then, he's the MIKE. Angerer will only get better and better, and will have some games where he plays MIKE. Conner is not the starter, Sims is, but he's not playing right now, and who knows if we even keep Ernie at the end of the year, but I think we will.

I don't know which line you're talking about, but I'll assume it's the D-line. Dwight's got abput 4 or 5 years left, and Mathis about 6. We also have depth with Foster, Hughes, Anderson and Brayton. The D-line I think will only get better. They're very young with guys like Mookie (26), Nevis (22), Fili Moala (26), and Foster and Anderson rotating in (both 26).

The offense needs much more improvement on the line. Jeff Linkenbach is awful, and Ijalana should be playing. Ryan Diem could be in his last year as a Colt, so we need a backup to Pollak or an eventual starter over Pollak. Joe Reitz has been doing well, but we can all agree that he's not the long term answer. He is however a great backup. Jeff is 36 years old, so a youngster behind him is needed. Castonzo needs a backup, because as of right now he does not have one. Peyton's getting old, backup for him??

The running backs seems good with Delone Carter and Joe Addai. Maybe we get rid of Donald Brown, who knows?

The tight end position is fine, but Dallas Clark has about 6 years left, and Tamme has about 10, so maybe Tamme could be our future TE.

The wide receivers are good for now with Garcon and Collie being 25, and Blair White is like 24. Reggie Wayne is getting old however, he is 32, turning 33 in November. Maybe next year or the year after we draft his heir. We should draft the heir, when Reggie has about a year left before he retires or leaves.

So this I think we should get:

1. Matt Kalil

2. Cornerback / Punt Returner (there are 3 guys like that in the 2nd round)

3. Wide Receiver

4. Defensive Tackle

5. Safety

6. Guard

7. Quarterback

Man, you sure do give these guys some loooong careers. You think Freeney has 4-5 years left? Dude was drafted in the 2002 draft, he is all about speed. I think it is pushing it to say he has 2 more years left. Mathis may have a couple two but we have seen many times, no Freeney = terrible production from Mathis. Dallas Clark was drafted in 2003 so you think he is playing for 15 years? Dude, I like what your smoking, perhaps you should share it with the rest of the forum players. I would agree with an OT if we have a top10 pick but would not be upset to see a NT/DT player, not an undersized DT either. So my list is:

1. OT

2. DT

3. CB

4. S

5. LB

6. G

7. special teams

At least we are good at one safety spot, Bethea should be good to play for another 12 years

[Smitto]

I think part of the problem with the defense is coaching. Coyer hasn't done much this year to have the D step up when the offense is without Peyton.

Personally, I like Brackett and I don't want to see him go anywhere. If we have the chance to take Luck, I think we should take it and run. The defense does need a lot of help though. We need improved DB play (especially at the corner positions) and at DT. Other than that, it is just fundamentals. Better tackling, shedding blockers better, etc.

I dont think that part about coyer is true at all... from the article about how coyer told the media to ask caldwell about tryon, i wouldnt be surprised if coyer really had things his own way he would have already done some different things.... its a bit weird how all of a sudden this year they are blitzing more when they didnt do much of that the previous years.... I believe the coaching is there but its up to the players on the field to produce... from that article it sounds like some coaches have different ideas on who should be on the field...

[Jason_]

Thats a good idea, but until the Polians start bringing in guys with some "heft" at those positions, it will do us 0 good.

We've been getting guys with "heft" since Dungy retired. We're not as undersized as we used to be.

Why would you want to get rid of Gary Brackett. The guy is the leader of our defense, and is one of the best defensive guys besides Freeney and Mathis. Keep him until 35, that's when his contract runs out, and retire the man a Colt. Until then, he's the MIKE. Angerer will only get better and better, and will have some games where he plays MIKE. Conner is not the starter, Sims is, but he's not playing right now, and who knows if we even keep Ernie at the end of the year, but I think we will.

1. Matt Kalil

2. Cornerback / Punt Returner (there are 3 guys like that in the 2nd round)

3. Wide Receiver

4. Defensive Tackle

5. Safety

6. Guard

7. Quarterback

Why get rid of Gary Bracket? Because he's at best an average tackler but often times even worse than that. He's below average in run support. On any other team he is, at best, a starting WILL (on a team that uses the WILL as a coverage backer) or a Nickel LB. No way he starts on any other team in the league at MIKE....this is my opinion. Yes he is the "captain" of the defense, but that doesn't mean someone else can't step up and take his place. Overall I thought the defense looked and played better without him in week 2. Yes some will argue that Cleveland was a weaker opponent, and as a whole yes that is true, but they do have a good power running game that the Colts D mostly held in check. If Bracket is willing to take a pay cut and stay on mostly as a Nickel LB then fine, I say keep him. I would still like to see a big Urlacher type MIKE on our team and we can have that with Manti Te'o...right now he's projected in the top of the 2nd round but will most likely wind up finishing as projected in the top 15.

If we really want to go all out on our defense this draft then this is what I'd do, and this is assuming we make no trades at all though if we're in the top 10, I say we trade back to acquire extra picks but I would want us to stay in the top 15 if possible but at the very latest the top 20.

Round 1: Manti Te'o, 6'2" 250 lbs MLB Notre Dame- as I said before, the closest thing to Urlacher in this year's draft

Round 2: Morris Claiborne, 6'0" 185 lbs LSU - Last game I watched, he was only thrown at 4 times....2 were incomplete and he picked off the other 2. The rest of the game the QB looked his way but then made the smart decision and threw somewhere else

Round 3: best DT/NT still available, options include: Kendall Reyes UConn 6'4" 303 lbs, Kawann Short Purdue 6'3" 310 lbs, Jaye Howard Florida 6'3" 303 lbs, Josh Chapman Alabama 6'1" 310 lbs...Chapman likely will go earlier but some boards have him still available in the 3rd round. The others are probably more likely and so far I've been impressed with Howard of Florida. If none of these guys are available then the next best options are probably Devon Still of Penn st or Kheeston Randall of Texas though I haven't been impressed with either of them. They have potential but both seem to hover in some hybrid DT territory where they're not really a true NT but not a true UT either.

Round 4: Harrison Smith, 6'2" 215 lbs, SS Notre Dame - When I began watching my first Notre Dame game this year, I had no idea who Harrison Smith was. He would go on to punish me for that by having his name called no less than a dozen times but probably more. He is all over the field making plays. Reminds me of a next generation John Lynch and is currently projected as a 3rd-4th round pick.

Round 5: Chris Galippo, 6'2" 250 lbs, MLB USC - I highly doubt we'd go with another MLB here but to be honest I simply don't have a better option. The defensive players I've been studying most will likely be off the board by the 4th round and Galippo is the only one I've watched that should still be there in the 5th. A better option would be a balanced DE that can play both run and pass but I have no names to suggest as to who it could be. Another option would be to go with the best C/G available to add a little more to our OL

Round 6: Derek Moye, 6'4" 210 lbs, WR Penn st - some boards currently have him as a 7th round pick but watching the guy so far in multiple games, if he keeps playing like he is he moves up the board pretty quick.

Round 7: yeah someone's gonna have to put a name in here

Honestly I don't think we go that all-out on defense but I wouldn't be opposed. Somewhere I do think we pick up a OG or C but imo the earliest would be the 3rd round but more likely in rounds 4 or 5.

[Balzer40]

The problem is that the safeties start really showing up in the 2nd round, and the best one is arguably TJ MacDonald. I don't safety is a concern right now, CB is a big concern and so is DT, but not as much as CB. I must say that this upcoming draft is superb on CBs. Like 6 CBs are going to be taken in the 1st, and 5 in the 2nd.

Now, let's go back the top 10 overall picks. In there, there's probably going to be 1 (maybe 2) defensive guys. Quinton Coples, a DE, who is projected to go in the top 5, and Dre Kirkpatrick who may sneak into the top 10. Point is, if we get a top 7 or 8 draft pick, we go offensive. If we get an 11-20 pick, we can easily pick a defensive guy.

Why would you want to get rid of Gary Brackett. The guy is the leader of our defense, and is one of the best defensive guys besides Freeney and Mathis. Keep him until 35, that's when his contract runs out, and retire the man a Colt. Until then, he's the MIKE. Angerer will only get better and better, and will have some games where he plays MIKE. Conner is not the starter, Sims is, but he's not playing right now, and who knows if we even keep Ernie at the end of the year, but I think we will.

I don't know which line you're talking about, but I'll assume it's the D-line. Dwight's got abput 4 or 5 years left, and Mathis about 6. We also have depth with Foster, Hughes, Anderson and Brayton. The D-line I think will only get better. They're very young with guys like Mookie (26), Nevis (22), Fili Moala (26), and Foster and Anderson rotating in (both 26).

The offense needs much more improvement on the line. Jeff Linkenbach is awful, and Ijalana should be playing. Ryan Diem could be in his last year as a Colt, so we need a backup to Pollak or an eventual starter over Pollak. Joe Reitz has been doing well, but we can all agree that he's not the long term answer. He is however a great backup. Jeff is 36 years old, so a youngster behind him is needed. Castonzo needs a backup, because as of right now he does not have one. Peyton's getting old, backup for him??

The running backs seems good with Delone Carter and Joe Addai. Maybe we get rid of Donald Brown, who knows?

The tight end position is fine, but Dallas Clark has about 6 years left, and Tamme has about 10, so maybe Tamme could be our future TE.

The wide receivers are good for now with Garcon and Collie being 25, and Blair White is like 24. Reggie Wayne is getting old however, he is 32, turning 33 in November. Maybe next year or the year after we draft his heir. We should draft the heir, when Reggie has about a year left before he retires or leaves.

So this I think we should get:

1. Matt Kalil

2. Cornerback / Punt Returner (there are 3 guys like that in the 2nd round)

3. Wide Receiver

4. Defensive Tackle

5. Safety

6. Guard

7. Quarterback

First of all, We have a guy behind Jeff, His name is Pollack. His natural posistion is C and he will take over when Jeff is gone.

Secondly, why on earth would we draft an OT with a 1st rd. pick? Makes absolutely no sense. We just got Costanzo and Ijalana with our 1st and 2rd rd. picks this yr.. That eliminates the need for another 1st rd. OT. And lastly, If we waited to draft a QB in the 7th rd. we would be no in no better shape than if we just kept Painter and moved forward with him.

[21isSuperman]

I dont think that part about coyer is true at all... from the article about how coyer told the media to ask caldwell about tryon, i wouldnt be surprised if coyer really had things his own way he would have already done some different things.... its a bit weird how all of a sudden this year they are blitzing more when they didnt do much of that the previous years.... I believe the coaching is there but its up to the players on the field to produce... from that article it sounds like some coaches have different ideas on who should be on the field...

I agree with you to an extent. The players do need to produce, there is no question about it. But if Coyer sees that the defense isn't tackling well, wouldn't he make it a priority to work on that in practice? With that said, he may have done so. I know pretty much nothing about how the Colts run practices and what goes on within the organization. One of the things that irritates me the most is the cushions that our DBs give. They give a 7 yard cushion on a 3rd and 3. I want to find out if this is because Coyer is telling them to do so or if Coyer gives the players the choice to do as they please and the players give the cushions.

[jbaron04]

We've been getting guys with "heft" since Dungy retired. We're not as undersized as we used to be.

Why get rid of Gary Bracket? Because he's at best an average tackler but often times even worse than that. He's below average in run support. On any other team he is, at best, a starting WILL (on a team that uses the WILL as a coverage backer) or a Nickel LB. No way he starts on any other team in the league at MIKE....this is my opinion. Yes he is the "captain" of the defense, but that doesn't mean someone else can't step up and take his place. Overall I thought the defense looked and played better without him in week 2. Yes some will argue that Cleveland was a weaker opponent, and as a whole yes that is true, but they do have a good power running game that the Colts D mostly held in check. If Bracket is willing to take a pay cut and stay on mostly as a Nickel LB then fine, I say keep him. I would still like to see a big Urlacher type MIKE on our team and we can have that with Manti Te'o...right now he's projected in the top of the 2nd round but will most likely wind up finishing as projected in the top 15.

If we really want to go all out on our defense this draft then this is what I'd do, and this is assuming we make no trades at all though if we're in the top 10, I say we trade back to acquire extra picks but I would want us to stay in the top 15 if possible but at the very latest the top 20.

Round 1: Manti Te'o, 6'2" 250 lbs MLB Notre Dame- as I said before, the closest thing to Urlacher in this year's draft

Round 2: Morris Claiborne, 6'0" 185 lbs LSU - Last game I watched, he was only thrown at 4 times....2 were incomplete and he picked off the other 2. The rest of the game the QB looked his way but then made the smart decision and threw somewhere else

Round 3: best DT/NT still available, options include: Kendall Reyes UConn 6'4" 303 lbs, Kawann Short Purdue 6'3" 310 lbs, Jaye Howard Florida 6'3" 303 lbs, Josh Chapman Alabama 6'1" 310 lbs...Chapman likely will go earlier but some boards have him still available in the 3rd round. The others are probably more likely and so far I've been impressed with Howard of Florida. If none of these guys are available then the next best options are probably Devon Still of Penn st or Kheeston Randall of Texas though I haven't been impressed with either of them. They have potential but both seem to hover in some hybrid DT territory where they're not really a true NT but not a true UT either.

Round 4: Harrison Smith, 6'2" 215 lbs, SS Notre Dame - When I began watching my first Notre Dame game this year, I had no idea who Harrison Smith was. He would go on to punish me for that by having his name called no less than a dozen times but probably more. He is all over the field making plays. Reminds me of a next generation John Lynch and is currently projected as a 3rd-4th round pick.

Round 5: Chris Galippo, 6'2" 250 lbs, MLB USC - I highly doubt we'd go with another MLB here but to be honest I simply don't have a better option. The defensive players I've been studying most will likely be off the board by the 4th round and Galippo is the only one I've watched that should still be there in the 5th. A better option would be a balanced DE that can play both run and pass but I have no names to suggest as to who it could be. Another option would be to go with the best C/G available to add a little more to our OL

Round 6: Derek Moye, 6'4" 210 lbs, WR Penn st - some boards currently have him as a 7th round pick but watching the guy so far in multiple games, if he keeps playing like he is he moves up the board pretty quick.

Round 7: yeah someone's gonna have to put a name in here

Honestly I don't think we go that all-out on defense but I wouldn't be opposed. Somewhere I do think we pick up a OG or C but imo the earliest would be the 3rd round but more likely in rounds 4 or 5.

agree you wanna have good defense you have to commit and draft and sign good players

[Smitto]

I agree with you to an extent. The players do need to produce, there is no question about it. But if Coyer sees that the defense isn't tackling well, wouldn't he make it a priority to work on that in practice? With that said, he may have done so. I know pretty much nothing about how the Colts run practices and what goes on within the organization. One of the things that irritates me the most is the cushions that our DBs give. They give a 7 yard cushion on a 3rd and 3. I want to find out if this is because Coyer is telling them to do so or if Coyer gives the players the choice to do as they please and the players give the cushions.

Just taking care of that itself would do wonders for this defense... some of the reporters should ask caldwell that question. I do think the colts address the tackling issue but i think that also falls upon some of the players... some of them just arent good tacklers most of the time and that should be expected, the colts dont really go after touted defensive players they usually get players... well we all know where.

[Jason_]

agree you wanna have good defense you have to commit and draft and sign good players

Agreed...I think our current defense will continue to improve and can be a C- to B+ defense as is, but adding even some of the guys I mentioned could take it to the next level.

As much as I'd love to see Alshon Jeffrey on our team, I think it would be in our best interests to go defense early and WR later. Peyton has shown that he can make average receivers look good, good receivers look great and great receivers look elite. What could he do if we gave him a weapon like Jeffrey? I'm not entirely sure but I believe it would be at least a Class C felony in the continental US. lol

[Andy]

First of all, We have a guy behind Jeff, His name is Pollack. His natural posistion is C and he will take over when Jeff is gone.

Secondly, why on earth would we draft an OT with a 1st rd. pick? Makes absolutely no sense. We just got Costanzo and Ijalana with our 1st and 2rd rd. picks this yr.. That eliminates the need for another 1st rd. OT. And lastly, If we waited to draft a QB in the 7th rd. we would be no in no better shape than if we just kept Painter and moved forward with him.

Ok if Pollak moves to C, and Diem is gone after this year, who plays RG? Ijalana. If Diem can play it, Ben can too, plus he's very versatile.

I think we get him because if Ijalana moves to RG, that leaves RT open, and Matt can either play that or LT. We can't let Link play RT.

My point with the 7th round QB is that maybe we don't pick him in the 7th, but we pick one, but late. I think we get a guy like a Robert Griffin, or Russel Wilson. Maybe that QB ends up being better than Painter, and the eventual backup.

[Balzer40]

Ok if Pollak moves to C, and Diem is gone after this year, who plays RG? Ijalana. If Diem can play it, Ben can too, plus he's very versatile.

I think we get him because if Ijalana moves to RG, that leaves RT open, and Matt can either play that or LT. We can't let Link play RT.

My point with the 7th round QB is that maybe we don't pick him in the 7th, but we pick one, but late. I think we get a guy like a Robert Griffin, or Russel Wilson. Maybe that QB ends up being better than Painter, and the eventual backup.

Im pretty sure that Polian has stated several times that Ijalana will not play guard. Im positive we'll see him at RT sometime this yr. and if Link keeps stinking it up as bad as he has been, it will be sooner rather than later. Im sure we'll pick a guard or 2 sometime in the draft. Its pretty easy to get good guards much later in the draft than it is good OT's. Not only that but I think Mike Tepper will be a pretty good guard and it's possible we'll see him activated to the active roster sometime this season.

[GoColts8818]

We already pretty much have three captains on defense. One for each area. Gary is the offical captain but when he is out Freeney has been taking the spot of Captain and Bethea is talked about all the time about how he is the leader of the secondary and gets the younger guys in place. Bethea is still one of the most underrated players in the NFL and even with our own fans. He's been to two pro-bowls which other than Freeney or Mathis is more than anyone else on the defense.

If we go defense in round one next year it should be a DT or more likely a corner back. I know some people don't like Bullitt but he has proven he can be a fairly good starter in the NFL. No he's not a pro-bowler and no he's not what Sanders is but he's not the hole on defense that the DT spot and the second cornerback spot has been. In theory if we draft a corner he's a guy who could be a playmaker and our new number one cornerback moving Powers to the second spot which would give us a pair of really good corners and even with Bullitt in there we would have a very good secondary.

With that said, Reggie is getting older and a free agent at year's end, Garcon and Gonzo are also both free agents when the year is over. Collie is one after next year I believe. I would almost bet the pick is our WR of the future if not our QB of the future. That's how the Colts have drafted for years. Get the playmakers on offense for the super star QB.

[GoColts8818]

Im pretty sure that Polian has stated several times that Ijalana will not play guard. Im positive we'll see him at RT sometime this yr. and if Link keeps stinking it up as bad as he has been, it will be sooner rather than later. Im sure we'll pick a guard or 2 sometime in the draft. Its pretty easy to get good guards much later in the draft than it is good OT's. Not only that but I think Mike Tepper will be a pretty good guard and it's possible we'll see him activated to the active roster sometime this season.

Polian has, the only people saying he should move to guard are Colts fans. People got excited in camp because Caldwell didn't say they wouldn't rule it out when he was asked about it, he didn't say they would do it either though. In case people haven't noticed by now Caldwell very rarely says yes or no to something he leaves himself wiggle room in case something should happen (like Diem and Pollack getting hurt in the same game) that might cause the Colts to look at Ijalana moving to guard for a stop gap solution so people don't go back to Caldwell and say hey you lied to us. Also it was very early in camp when he was asked about it and they were still trying to figure out what they had on the line so they weren't ruling out anything at that point but it didn't make it likely either. To my knowledge Ijalana has never played guard in his life so I don't see the Colts moving him. It would be different if Diem was about 5 years younger but he's not. We need a right tackle and Ijalana is tackle, he will be developed to be a tackle. People saying move him to guard are trying to out think the room.

[Balzer40]

We already pretty much have three captains on defense. One for each area. Gary is the offical captain but when he is out Freeney has been taking the spot of Captain and Bethea is talked about all the time about how he is the leader of the secondary and gets the younger guys in place. Bethea is still one of the most underrated players in the NFL and even with our own fans. He's been to two pro-bowls which other than Freeney or Mathis is more than anyone else on the defense.

If we go defense in round one next year it should be a DT or more likely a corner back. I know some people don't like Bullitt but he has proven he can be a fairly good starter in the NFL. No he's not a pro-bowler and no he's not what Sanders is but he's not the hole on defense that the DT spot and the second cornerback spot has been. In theory if we draft a corner he's a guy who could be a playmaker and our new number one cornerback moving Powers to the second spot which would give us a pair of really good corners and even with Bullitt in there we would have a very good secondary.

With that said, Reggie is getting older and a free agent at year's end, Garcon and Gonzo are also both free agents when the year is over. Collie is one after next year I believe. I would almost bet the pick is our WR of the future if not our QB of the future. That's how the Colts have drafted for years. Get the playmakers on offense for the super star QB.

I agree it should be a DT if we went defense. The thing I don't like about drafting a CB that high is, because if we stick with the current scheme, what good will it do to draft a highly ranked CB just to have him play 7 yds off the WR in a zone coverage? IMO a great CB will not necessarily help the defense if they do not change the scheme.

[Jason_]

He's been to two pro-bowls which other than Freeney or Mathis is more than anyone else on the defense.

And wasn't he only in those Pro Bowls as an alternate? Bethea has been one of the best and most consistent Safeties and I couldn't agree more with you on how underrated he is. He should have been voted into those pro bowls as opposed to winding up in them as an alternate

If we go defense in round one next year it should be a DT or more likely a corner back.

These are 2 of the positions that are very hard to predict right now. There's a lot more discrepancy for these 2 positions than pretty much any other as far as where the prospects will rank at the end of the year. There really isn't an agreed upon #1 prospect at either, though if the argument could be made for anyone it would be CB Dre Kirkpatrick. I think we could get a very good CB at the top of the second round and so far I'm really liking Morris Claiborn of LSU...and we know how much our FO loves LSU defenders. As for DT, it's much more difficult to say. However I will say this, most draft sites are listing a certain list of guys to be available in the 3rd round and these guys happen to be, from all I've read and watched so far, the best fits for our defense. Though Jerel Worthy of Michigan State is one of the more often agreed upon to be a top 20 pick and he would be a great addition to our DL. Josh Chapman also seems to be a very solid DT that can probably play both NT and UT. I've seen him project anywhere from the top 15 to the 3rd round. Guys who so far seem to be agreed upon as being available in the 3rd round are Kawann Short Purdue, Kendall Reyes UConn, and Jaye Howard Florida. I haven't seen Short or Reyes play yet but but I've been very impressed with Jaye Howard. I believe he could challenge Mookie Johnson for the starter spot, and even if he lost out he'd be a very solid #2. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I've been very pleased so far with Johnson's play. Yes it's still early but I like what I've seen so far. I know some people don't like Bullitt but he has proven he can be a fairly good starter in the NFL. No he's not a pro-bowler and no he's not what Sanders is but he's not the hole on defense that the DT spot and the second cornerback spot has been. In theory if we draft a corner he's a guy who could be a playmaker and our new number one cornerback moving Powers to the second spot which would give us a pair of really good corners and even with Bullitt in there we would have a very good secondary. Agreed...plus we still have yet to see what either Caldwell or Lefeged can offer in playmaking ability so at this point I don't think safety is an area we address, at least not early. If we're not happy with Lefeged or Caldwell then my vote would unquestionably go to Harrison Smith of Notre Dame who should be a 3rd or 4th round pick. He could very well be the next John Lynch. I only even know about him because I started watching Notre Dame's games this year to scout Manti Te'o and Michael Floyd. It didn't take long to know Harrison Smith's name though because the announcers wouldn't shut up about him....but that was simply because he was all over the field making plays in both the running and passing game. So I'm glad they didn't shut up about him.

I agree it should be a DT if we went defense. The thing I don't like about drafting a CB that high is, because if we stick with the current scheme, what good will it do to draft a highly ranked CB just to have him play 7 yds off the WR in a zone coverage? IMO a great CB will not necessarily help the defense if they do not change the scheme.

We've been playing a lot more man this year than I expected and I suspect they would use man coverage even more if we had solid CB's to play effectively in man and as of now we don't. Like gocolts8818 said, if we added a playmaking CB to be the #1 and move Powers to #2 then we'd have a very good CB tandem. This would make blitzing more effective because it wouldn't be so easy for the QB to find one of the WR's open like they typically do now.

[GoColts8818]

We've been playing a lot more man this year than I expected and I suspect they would use man coverage even more if we had solid CB's to play effectively in man and as of now we don't. Like gocolts8818 said, if we added a playmaking CB to be the #1 and move Powers to #2 then we'd have a very good CB tandem. This would make blitzing more effective because it wouldn't be so easy for the QB to find one of the WR's open like they typically do now.

I didn't say voted, I said he had gone to two pro-bowls. Evening being an alternate is a good thing.

Everything about the draft is hard to predict right now but if we are going to try to, I am guessing on defense DT and CB are the biggest areaes of need. Like I said later in my post I don't think we are going to use that top pick on defense but again things like where we pick and what is there is going to determine who and what we take.

Also I can tell somoene is a Notre Dame fan lol.

[Jason_]

I didn't say voted, I said he had gone to two pro-bowls. Evening being an alternate is a good thing.

Nah, man look at what I said...I never said you did say voted. I was just pointing out that, even though he still appeared in 2 pro bowls that even that was a travesty because he should have been voted in in the first place.

Everything about the draft is hard to predict right now but if we are going to try to, I am guessing on defense DT and CB are the biggest areaes of need. Like I said later in my post I don't think we are going to use that top pick on defense but again things like where we pick and what is there is going to determine who and what we take.

Also I can tell somoene is a Notre Dame fan lol.

I know it sounds hard to believe but really I'm not a Notre Dame fan. To be honest I'm not a fan of any team. I hate the BCS ranking system so much that I refuse to get invested in a specific team unless the NCAA some day gets rid of the BCS systemand moves to a more traditional playoff format. The only reason I started watching Notre Dame games was to see what I thought of Manti Te'o and Michael Floyd. I would gladly take either on my team but if I had to choose it would be Te'o. It just so happened that Harrison Smith is around the ball so much that I wound up getting the opportunity to see how good he was as well. That's the one thing that kinda sucks about trying to scout certain players...it can be difficult trying to scout DB's because they're usually not on screen until the play comes there way. Smith though...man it didn't matter where the play was, he found a way to get there. lol

[Andy]

Im pretty sure that Polian has stated several times that Ijalana will not play guard. Im positive we'll see him at RT sometime this yr. and if Link keeps stinking it up as bad as he has been, it will be sooner rather than later. Im sure we'll pick a guard or 2 sometime in the draft. Its pretty easy to get good guards much later in the draft than it is good OT's. Not only that but I think Mike Tepper will be a pretty good guard and it's possible we'll see him activated to the active roster sometime this season.

Really? Where has he stated that Ben will not play guard. I mean, Ryan Diem played tackle in his 10 years as a Colt, and made the switch this year. I'm saying you never know. I beg to differ on the getting good guards later. We've actually gotten more good tackles than guards late in the draft. Charlie Johnson, Ryan Diem. And really the only guard you can say was good is Jake Scott. So don't go out and say it's easier to draft guards late than tackles. Mike Tepper will never see time on the field, that's what I think. He may get activated, but that doesn't mean he'll play. Mike Tepper is not good.

[GoColts8818]

Really? Where has he stated that Ben will not play guard. I mean, Ryan Diem played tackle in his 10 years as a Colt, and made the switch this year. I'm saying you never know. I beg to differ on the getting good guards later. We've actually gotten more good tackles than guards late in the draft. Charlie Johnson, Ryan Diem. And really the only guard you can say was good is Jake Scott. So don't go out and say it's easier to draft guards late than tackles. Mike Tepper will never see time on the field, that's what I think. He may get activated, but that doesn't mean he'll play. Mike Tepper is not good.

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/colts_polian_ijalana_is_a_tackle_drake_nevis_will_play_the_nose/6062224

[Balzer40]

Really? Where has he stated that Ben will not play guard. I mean, Ryan Diem played tackle in his 10 years as a Colt, and made the switch this year. I'm saying you never know. I beg to differ on the getting good guards later. We've actually gotten more good tackles than guards late in the draft. Charlie Johnson, Ryan Diem. And really the only guard you can say was good is Jake Scott. So don't go out and say it's easier to draft guards late than tackles. Mike Tepper will never see time on the field, that's what I think. He may get activated, but that doesn't mean he'll play. Mike Tepper is not good.

Tepper was very good in preseason, I know that don't mean a whole lot but he is definitly good enough to make a good backup. Polian has stated several times that Ijalana will not be playing guard, it has been discussed several times here on this forum im not going to take the time to find a link but just know that he has. It is common knowledge that it is much easier to get a good guard later in the draft than it is to get a good tackle. Ijalana was drafted to be the RT and I would bet that they will not waste their 1st rd. pick on another OT unless Costanzo or Ijalana went down with a career ending injury.

[Balzer40]

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/colts_polian_ijalana_is_a_tackle_drake_nevis_will_play_the_nose/6062224

Thank you, I didn't want to look it up.

[ruf]

Here is how i think the draft will go for next year. I like what we did in this year and think we will work that way again.

they drafted first and second rounds for what the needs were and i think they will do it again with the need being DT

So if we are in the top 10-15 picks i think the 2 best DT's at draft time (unless of course there is no one that ranks anywhere close to that high of a pick) in which case they should take the best cb. but let's say there is a good dt in the 2nd round also i say take him and we have now out of the 2 at least one starter in that first pick and with nevis and anthony J and Molina we will have some good young dt's to go with our probowl de's.

the rest of the draft should entail a G in the 3rd round anything after this round is a crap shoot.

what we then need to do for next year if we draft 1st and 2nd DT's 3rd G is go to FA and pick up a proven cb

with PM back the O is much improved and the D is improved also through the draft and FA pick ups