The "STEAL" of the Draft.....

[jshipp23]

Ray Ray Armstrong Highlights - YouTube.htm RAY RAY ARMSTRONG- 6-4", 230 SAFETY............ He is the best safety in the draft period, and if it wasn't for character issues, none of which were criminal or drug related he would be a top 10 pick..If we draft him it will have to be at the bottom of the 4th and will pay huge dividends. I also think he could be converted to linebacker if he adds 20 lbs down the road if they go that route...Bottom line is 6-4", 230 lb safety's who can lay the boom and have good ball skills come along, well never really...

Edited April 15, 2013 by Superman

[Dustin]

I like Armstrong, but the 4th round is a stretch IMO. He's expected to go in the 7th round. I would either take him there or in the 6th.

[UKColt13]

I agree with Dustin really. I like him but he is a serious reach in the 4th when we still have a few needs that need to be addressed before taking a punt on a Safety.

I'd be happy with him in the 6th.

Anybody know what he ran at the combine/his pro day??

[Colts_Fan12]

Ray Ray Armstrong Highlights - YouTube.htm RAY RAY ARMSTRONG- 6-4", 230 SAFETY............ He is the best safety in the draft period, and if it wasn't for character issues, none of which were criminal or drug related he would be a top 10 pick..If we draft him it will have to be at the bottom of the 4th and will pay huge dividends. I also think he could be converted to linebacker if he adds 20 lbs down the road if they go that route...Bottom line is 6-4", 230 lb safety's who can lay the boom and have good ball skills come along, well never really...

Wat were his issues about?

[coltsfanatic24]

I'd pass too many off the field issues usually guys like that don't last long. Would be better off drafting Duke Williams in the 4th round.

[Nobody]

He is stupid and can't cover. Sure, he's fast and big, but he's Taylor Mays all over again. Won't touch him until the 6th at the very earliest.

[jshipp23]

I like Armstrong, but the 4th round is a stretch IMO. He's expected to go in the 7th round. I would either take him there or in the 6th.

If he is there that would be great, but I don't see him being there in the bottom of the 6th...We don't have a 5th so we would have to draft him in the 4th..I personally don't see it as a reach at all and wouldn't be surprised if he is even taken before that...I can only imagine what Pagano would do with this kid...I see a bigger Eric Berry on tape. He is 1 player I would reach on and I don't really think it's a reach. In 2010 the only full season he played he had 79 tackles, 44 solo, 3 INT, and 1 49 yard int return for a touchdown...I think he would reach his physical potential in our system with our coaches.

[HGRekks]

He outed himself on Twitter for having dinner with a marketing agent, I believe. Then he transferred to Faulkner in the NAIA, where he was ruled ineligible for one reason or another. Now he's not played for a year. He's not likely to be drafted, unless a team is willing to take a risk on a guy who hasn't played for a year with a number of character concerns. 

[jshipp23]

He is stupid and can't cover. Sure, he's fast and big, but he's Taylor Mays all over again. Won't touch him until the 6th at the very earliest.

We wouldn't be asking him to play QB, doesn't have to be that smart just has to hurt people...If you have listened to him interviewed he doesn't seem like a bad guy, reminds me of Edgerrin James personality wise.

[BOTT]

He outed himself on Twitter for having dinner with a marketing agent, I believe. Then he transferred to Faulkner in the NAIA, where he was ruled ineligible for one reason or another. Now he's not played for a year. He's not likely to be drafted, unless a team is willing to take a risk on a guy who hasn't played for a year with a number of character concerns.

How dare he meet with a marketing agent! Yet, somehow Olympic swimmers make 200k and keep their eligibility. NCAA is a joke.

[jshipp23]

How dare he meet with a marketing agent! Yet, somehow Olympic swimmers make 200k and keep their eligibility. NCAA is a joke.

Right...It's not like he had drug or criminal problems...For the people who say he isn't smart they should listen to him interviewed, he may not be scholarly , but he's a country kid with an accent like that's his fault..Like I said he reminds me of Edge, and Edge wasn't dumb by any means..He was a young naive kid who probably grew up dirt poor and made a mistake....Now if anyone who follows the Colts has ever heard Antoine Bethea speak, he would never be mistaken for a "smart" guy and he acquitted himself quite well in the NFL...

[HtownColt]

He didn't have any off the field issues, he just did what everybody in the past years were doing at Miami, which was take money from boosters.

He was at Miami's pro day and the Colts were in attendance:

"Defensive backs coaches from the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts were in attendance, as was Minnesota Vikings assistant general manager George Paton."

"Ray Ray Armstrong, SS (6-3, 216) — Armstrong ran the 40-yard dash in 4.72 and 4.69 seconds, had a 4.24-second short shuttle and 7.20-second three-cone drill. He had a 34 1/2-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-8 broad jump. He also had 18 lifts of 225 pounds on the bench press. Armstrong was suspended for the 2012 season by the football program after being involved in a compliance issue with a Miami booster. Armstrong is attempting to return to football after a year away from the game and could be mid-round selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, possibly as high as the fourth round."

[pacolts56]

Once we get past our 4th round pick, then if Pagano and Grigson are good with him I certainly am too...because we still need depth at Safety.

 

And if his only transgression was the agent contact....then I don't see the big deal.

 

Especially under the compliance (or non-compliance) atmosphere at Miami.

[Carl Dzienkiewicz]

i think we have something here

[NewColtsFan]

Both ESPN and NFL.com show Armstrong at 6-3 and 215.    Still very good size.

 

But...

 

Both have Armstrong with a Free Agent grade.     So, would I spend a 7 on him?     Sure.    Would I spend a 4 on him?   Uhhhh,  that would be no.

 

Here is an ESPN player profile.....    I don't think you'll be too impressed....   this is on a 1-5 scale with 5 being worst.   This is the section on his playing ability.     I left out the '5' he received for intangibles...

 

 

 

 

 

Instincts/Recognition 4 Gives up too many big plays. Inexplicably gets caught drifting inside and grabs receiver to prevent getting beat over the top late in the first half (Play 28) of the 2011 Virginia Tech game. Struggles to read quarterback and recognize route at the same time. Takes sub-par angle and whiffs when closing on receiver after the catch on same play. Flashes the ability to get an early break on the ball but gambles on plays has no business gambling on. Recognizes run and gets downhill. Cover Skills 4 Has length and enough fluidity to match up with most tight ends. Can cover deep half if he diagnoses on time but does not have good recovery speed. Not fast or fluid enough to hold up one-on-one versus most slot receivers. Has not proven to be trustworthy in deep-third zone responsibility. Ball Skills 3 Shows above average focus and did a nice job of snagging deflection on an interception in the 2012 Spring game. Tracks the ball well and has to make a slight adjustment but traps it against frame on his fourth quarter pick (Play 51) in the 2011 Duke game. Has dropped some catchable INTs (8:29 remaining 2nd QTR vs. Ohio State 2010). Also has struggled to locate the ball thrown over his shoulder. Run Support 3 Big and strong enough to develop into an effective in-the-box safety. Tough and doesn't shy away from contact. Can be more violent with hands but flashes the ability to stack and shed tight ends. Plays downhill and flashes the ability to deliver the big hit when lines up deep but unreliable last line of defense. Doesn't break down well and whiffs in space too much. Bigger concern is again shaky angles and failure to get into sound position to make the play.

[HGRekks]

How dare he meet with a marketing agent! Yet, somehow Olympic swimmers make 200k and keep their eligibility. NCAA is a joke.

I agree it's stupid, but it's a pretty easy thing not to do. He agreed to terms to not do something when he accepted a contract and then openly disobeyed it. That's not something that's going to get a pass. There is perhaps the distinction that his girlfriend owns a PR firm and that's what got him in trouble, and that would save him a ton of hassle if a team buys that. But he reportedly broke the rule 3 times. He could argue it's his girlfriend who owns a PR firm and it's not illegal, but he knew the team wasn't kosher with that when they suspended him the first two times. Then he lied about the third.

 

So it's a fine argument that maybe it was innocent. But I don't think a guy who did the same thing that got him in trouble twice should be dense enough to do it three times and then lie about it. Not playing at Faulkner wasn't an unrelated issue, though. That was because he was banned from Miami, so that's nothing new in terms of issues.

 

He sold his soul to the devil when he took his scholarship. He had every right and reason to fight an unjust rule, but he didn't do that. He broke it once, which could be claimed as a misunderstanding or an innocent thing. Then he broke it again. Then he broke it again and lied about it. That's not something that I think "Well it's a stupid rule" as much as "Well that's dense".

 

Link to the story here.

[BOTT]

I agree it's stupid, but it's a pretty easy thing not to do. He agreed to terms to not do something when he accepted a contract and then openly disobeyed it. That's not something that's going to get a pass. There is perhaps the distinction that his girlfriend owns a PR firm and that's what got him in trouble, and that would save him a ton of hassle if a team buys that. But he reportedly broke the rule 3 times. He could argue it's his girlfriend who owns a PR firm and it's not illegal, but he knew the team wasn't kosher with that when they suspended him the first two times. Then he lied about the third.

 

So it's a fine argument that maybe it was innocent. But I don't think a guy who did the same thing that got him in trouble twice should be dense enough to do it three times and then lie about it. Not playing at Faulkner wasn't an unrelated issue, though. That was because he was banned from Miami, so that's nothing new in terms of issues.

 

He sold his soul to the devil when he took his scholarship. He had every right and reason to fight an unjust rule, but he didn't do that. He broke it once, which could be claimed as a misunderstanding or an innocent thing. Then he broke it again. Then he broke it again and lied about it. That's not something that I think "Well it's a stupid rule" as much as "Well that's dense".

 

Link to the story here.

I'm not one to follow stupid rules by a corrupt and hypocritical governing body....but that's just me.

[krunk]

I could see us drafting Armstrong with the Miami connection. I'm sure Pagano knows him fairly well. Personally though, I have gotten pretty intrigued with Duke Williams. I just love the overall athleticism, awareness, physicality, speed, and passion that he plays the game with. I think he'd be a perfect fit on this team.

[HGRekks]

I'm not one to follow stupid rules by a corrupt and hypocritical governing body....but that's just me.

Then don't seek out the benefits of joining that system. This isn't the government, which one has little choice about being under. This is a system of choice, and he accepted it and never even argued against that rule, at least publicly.

 

And now he wants in the NFL, another system that arguably has a corrupt governing body. Being a guy who doesn't follow the rules he agreed to kind of matters.

[BOTT]

Then don't seek out the benefits of joining that system. This isn't the government, which one has little choice about being under. This is a system of choice, and he accepted it and never even argued against that rule, at least publicly.

And now he wants in the NFL, another system that arguably has a corrupt governing body. Being a guy who doesn't follow the rules he agreed to kind of matters.

As though he has any real choice but to join the system if wants to play pro ball. Sorry, but I'm not going to question his "character", because he didn't follow the hypocritical rules of the NCAA.

[buccolts]

He is stupid and can't cover. Sure, he's fast and big, but he's Taylor Mays all over again. Won't touch him until the 6th at the very earliest.

 

Yeah, but if he's stupid and can't cover, I'd rather someone else touch him in the 6th or later.

[Steagles]

I would still rather us draft Daimion Stafford in the latter part of the draft, because he reminds me so much of Bethea.

[HGRekks]

As though he has any real choice but to join the system if wants to play pro ball. Sorry, but I'm not going to question his "character", because he didn't follow the hypocritical rules of the NCAA.

He never challenged it. Not once. I'm all for him making it an issue, because it is a dumb rule. But he didn't do that, did he? He broke a rule, three times, that he agreed not to. Breaking it to make a point or showing the injustice is an extremely admirable thing, but that's just not the case. The NFL has some stupid rules too. Should he just break those repeatedly?

 

Guys like Terrell Suggs sign agreements to play in the NFL. They have to follow rules they hate. But you know what he does? Lobbies against them. Follow up on your agreement, but fight what is wrong with it. Is it too much to do?

 

And it's not even that he didn't follow the rules, it's that he did it three times. That's inexcusable. When a guy gets suspended for something as stupid as he did, I won't question his character either. When it happens twice more, for the same thing, I'll question it plenty. Does football matter to him if he knows doing the things he did would get him suspended, as it did the last two times? A rulebreaker making a point against an injustice is just, perhaps, but a guy who does it three times and plays the victim is just dense.

[BOTT]

He never challenged it. Not once. I'm all for him making it an issue, because it is a dumb rule. But he didn't do that, did he? He broke a rule, three times, that he agreed not to. Breaking it to make a point or showing the injustice is an extremely admirable thing, but that's just not the case. The NFL has some stupid rules too. Should he just break those repeatedly?

 

Guys like Terrell Suggs sign agreements to play in the NFL. They have to follow rules they hate. But you know what he does? Lobbies against them. Follow up on your agreement, but fight what is wrong with it. Is it too much to do?

 

And it's not even that he didn't follow the rules, it's that he did it three times. That's inexcusable. When a guy gets suspended for something as stupid as he did, I won't question his character either. When it happens twice more, for the same thing, I'll question it plenty. Does football matter to him if he knows doing the things he did would get him suspended, as it did the last two times? A rulebreaker making a point against an injustice is just, perhaps, but a guy who does it three times and plays the victim is just dense.

Blah blah blah...no offense

[Jason_]

Blah blah blah...no offense

 

that should be your signature...in reference to your own posts...but go ahead and take out the "no offense" part. ;)

[BOTT]

that should be your signature...in reference to your own posts...but go ahead and take out the "no offense" part. ;)

Oh no, here comes a lecture from the forums pretentious blowhard

[Jason_]

Oh no, here comes a lecture from the forums pretentious blowhard

 

Nope, just responding to the forum's resident grumpy old man. ;)

[BOTT]

Nope, just responding to the forum's resident grumpy old man. ;)

[John Dee]

golly draft time is stressful.    

 

:yay:

[Jason_]

image.jpg

 

 

Hmmm...I actually think the clint eastwood comparison is close to accurate

 

 

[BOTT]

Hmmm...I actually think the clint eastwood comparison is close to accurate

 

 

Well, u would be perfect as the empty chair

[FalseStart]

Conner Vernon. 

[Jason_]

Well, u would be perfect as the empty chair

 

and you are perfect as the 

 

 

 

[BOTT]

and you are perfect as the 

 

 

 

That's just being redundant

[Jason_]

That's just being redundant

 

[BOTT]

We get it...cleverness and originality isn't your strong suit

[Jason_]

We get it...cleverness and originality isn't your strong suit

 

and treating people with the slightest bit of respect or just a modicum of civility are not yours.

 

anything clever and original that I'd have to say to you would result in an immediate ban.  "family friendly" is not my forte so in a way, you are partially correct

 

 

do us all a favor...ask the orderly to throw some brandy into your metamucil....that might help brighten up your disposition a tad ;)

[BOTT]

and treating people with the slightest bit of respect or just a modicum of civility are not yours.

 

anything clever and original that I'd have to say to you would result in an immediate ban.  "family friendly" is not my forte so in a way, you are partially correct

Oh Jason, your words hurt me so....

[Gavin]

Lets keep in civil folks, I dont want a thread to be closed because of pointless bickering thats not even Colts related

[Jason_]

Oh Jason, your words hurt me so....

 

well played