Offense Or Defense ?

[colts52761]

When the draft comes, maybe we should try and use all our picks either on offense or all picks on defense. I think we need to have some kind of real strength. Right now we seem to have nothing to count on with manning out. Even when manning comes back we need to have some kind of building block for the future.

[ReMeDy]

If we're going to do that, it needs to be offense, because it makes no sense to jump from one ship to another if we've been steering that ship to the offense for the past several years now. The past several 1st round drafts have been offense, including Manning, Wayne, Gonzalez, Brown, Harrison, Costanzo, the list goes on... The team is built to play with a lead, especially so Mathis and Freeney can tee off against the pass.

Edited October 24, 2011 by ReMeDy

[Jindrake]

If we're going to do that, it needs to be offense, because it makes no sense to jump from one ship to another if we've been steering that ship to the offense for the past several years now. The past several 1st round drafts have been offense, including Manning, Wayne, Gonzalez, Brown, Harrison, Costanzo, the list goes on... The team is built to play with a lead, especially so Mathis and Freeney can tee off against the pass.

So tired of hearing play with the lead, if that was the case we would have won 2 games already this season if they were meant to play with a lead we wouldn't have lost a 17 point lead to the chiefs, I would prefer go to defense that has always been are sticking point as a team the defense lets up or falls apart or just bluntly can't get the job done which i would say is pretty evident after seeing 7 games this season so far

[colts52761]

It would be nice if our defense could get off the field on 3rd down.

[Mouthfire]

So tired of hearing play with the lead, if that was the case we would have won 2 games already this season if they were meant to play with a lead we wouldn't have lost a 17 point lead to the chiefs, I would prefer go to defense that has always been are sticking point as a team the defense lets up or falls apart or just bluntly can't get the job done which i would say is pretty evident after seeing 7 games this season so far

It's become readily apparent that this "playing with a lead" stuff is pure bupkis.

I'm not sure what the reason/answer is. But I suspect the answer is investing heavily in our defense. Just my 2 cents.

Edited October 24, 2011 by Mouthfire

[chad72]

1) Adapt to the passing league which is the case with the elite teams - Get defensive backs (2 CBs and 1 safety), 1 WR that can stretch the field

2) Take care of run happy division along the way - get 1 NT at least

3) Situational players - get a late round blocking TE for end of game situations and speedster RB/WR for the return game

Those by themselves will take care a lot of our issues.

[Ramblinwreck7]

Both?

[Ramblinwreck7]

1) Adapt to the passing league which is the case with the elite teams - Get defensive backs (2 CBs and 1 safety), 1 WR that can stretch the field

2) Take care of run happy division along the way - get 1 NT at least

3) Situational players - get a late round blocking TE for end of game situations and speedster RB/WR for the return game

Those by themselves will take care a lot of our issues.

Pretty much the players that I want the colts to get, a CB, WR, SS, and DT. I want all of these guys picked high in the draft though in rounds 1 and 2, maybe 3 if a guy drops.

[Jason_]

Pretty much the players that I want the colts to get, a CB, WR, SS, and DT. I want all of these guys picked high in the draft though in rounds 1 and 2, maybe 3 if a guy drops.

I'd like to add a LB and OG to your list.

[Ramblinwreck7]

I'd like to add a LB and OG to your list.

Yeah, but CB, WR, SS, and NT get priority first. I'm not for sure what we will do at OG though... I bet Saturday will keep playing because he is playing amazing this year. Will Ryan Diem play RG next year for us? If not Mike Pollak? We can probably get some depth at OG in the middle to later rounds, but once Saturday retires, whenever that will be lol, then we need an OG. As long as Jeff keeps playing at a high level though we will be fine.

Edited October 25, 2011 by Ramblinwreck7

[colts52761]

Right now it seems our biggest weakness is DB, SS, DT, WR, OG.

[doogansquest]

It's about crossing talent with need. There will probably be WR's, QB's, OT's, and CB's near the top. That's 3 offensive positions to 1 defensive position. If we're drafting somewhere between 1-3, then it doesn't make sense to take CB unless we can trade down.

Guys that we need in other areas, such as LB, OG, and SS, are often available later on.

I don't feel as though the Colts have drafted offensive players SOLELY because we are built around Manning. The first round is often just packed with them, which only compounds the disparity in selection.

I could see us trading back a few spots to land a corner, and then going LB or SS with our next pick. I don't like to assume we will draft specific positions, however, as most teams tend to go with the best player available. Boards don't tend to look like:

1. CB

2. SS

3. OG/LB

4. LB/OG

5. DT

6. CB

etc. They probably just list a bunch of players in order by perceived talent, analyze whether or not moving around is reasonable, and take the best guy they can.

[Jason_]

It's about crossing talent with need. There will probably be WR's, QB's, OT's, and CB's near the top. That's 3 offensive positions to 1 defensive position. If we're drafting somewhere between 1-3, then it doesn't make sense to take CB unless we can trade down.

Guys that we need in other areas, such as LB, OG, and SS, are often available later on.

I don't feel as though the Colts have drafted offensive players SOLELY because we are built around Manning. The first round is often just packed with them, which only compounds the disparity in selection.

I could see us trading back a few spots to land a corner, and then going LB or SS with our next pick. I don't like to assume we will draft specific positions, however, as most teams tend to go with the best player available. Boards don't tend to look like:

1. CB

2. SS

3. OG/LB

4. LB/OG

5. DT

6. CB

etc. They probably just list a bunch of players in order by perceived talent, analyze whether or not moving around is reasonable, and take the best guy they can.

Agreed. If it were me I would first decide the positions we most want to address and then have a list of players at each position that are projected to be available in each round. Something like:

round 1, CB-Morris Claiborn, Dre Kirkpatrick, Alfonzo Dennard, DT-Brandon Thompson, Jerel Worthy, OL-David DeCastro, Cordy Glenn, LB-Manti Te'o, Zach Brown

round 2, CB-Chase Minnifield, Janoris Jenkins, DT-Dontari Poe, Josh Chapman, Devon Still, OL-Peter Konz, Keleche Osemele SS-Mark Barron

round 3, CB-Cliff Harris, Coryelle Judie DT-Kendall Reyes, Kawann Short, SS-TJ McDonald

round 4, CB-Stephon Gilmore, SS-Harrison Smith, LB-James Michael-Johnson

You get the idea....this way once your pick comes up, you can look at what players on your list are still available and decide which one to take. Once you address that position you can mark off the players at that position for each additional round...unless you plan on addressing the same position twice of course. You'd also have to decide where you're willing to spend picks for what position. They may not feel that LB is a big enough need to spend a first round pick. Personally, side note, I've always felt MLB is the "QB of the defense" and probably the most important position to build your defense around. That's why I continue to hope that perhaps Te'o would be in our future but I'm not holding my breath. lol

[Ramblinwreck7]

Agreed. If it were me I would first decide the positions we most want to address and then have a list of players at each position that are projected to be available in each round. Something like:

round 1, CB-Morris Claiborn, Dre Kirkpatrick, Alfonzo Dennard, DT-Brandon Thompson, Jerel Worthy, OL-David DeCastro, Cordy Glenn, LB-Manti Te'o, Zach Brown

round 2, CB-Chase Minnifield, Janoris Jenkins, DT-Dontari Poe, Josh Chapman, Devon Still, OL-Peter Konz, Keleche Osemele SS-Mark Barron

round 3, CB-Cliff Harris, Coryelle Judie DT-Kendall Reyes, Kawann Short, SS-TJ McDonald

round 4, CB-Stephon Gilmore, SS-Harrison Smith, LB-James Michael-Johnson

You get the idea....this way once your pick comes up, you can look at what players on your list are still available and decide which one to take. Once you address that position you can mark off the players at that position for each additional round...unless you plan on addressing the same position twice of course. You'd also have to decide where you're willing to spend picks for what position. They may not feel that LB is a big enough need to spend a first round pick. Personally, side note, I've always felt MLB is the "QB of the defense" and probably the most important position to build your defense around. That's why I continue to hope that perhaps Te'o would be in our future but I'm not holding my breath. lol

I'm assuming that Ray Ray Armstrong is a 2nd round SS because you didn't list him. The reason I chose him in my mock draft over Mark Baron was that he was projected to have a higher upside. That was last year though, and both players look like quality options at SS to eventually take over for Melvin Bullit if we bring him back, which I think we will.

Also, why do you think that Stephon Gilmore is a 4th round CB? I thought he was projected to be a late 1st to 2nd round CB. In your mock draft on "Jason's Dream Mock Draft" I saw you took him in the 3rd.

And that's exactly how you should draft in my opinion. That's what I do, but I put an emphasis on getting the players I really want through trading up and trading down.

Edited October 31, 2011 by Ramblinwreck7

[Jason_]

I'm assuming that Ray Ray Armstrong is a 2nd round SS because you didn't list him. The reason I chose him in my mock draft over Mark Baron was that he was projected to have a higher upside. That was last year though, and both players look like quality options at SS to eventually take over for Melvin Bullit if we bring him back, which I think we will.

Also, why do you think that Stephon Gilmore is a 4th round CB? I thought he was projected to be a late 1st to 2nd round CB. In your mock draft on "Jason's Dream Mock Draft" I saw you took him in the 3rd.

And that's exactly how you should draft in my opinion. That's what I do, but I put an emphasis on getting the players I really want through trading up and trading down.

The list I created above was a short and very incomplete list that I just created on the fly to give an example. As for Ray Ray Armstrong, I simply haven't had a chance to see him play so can't cast a vote one way or another. I think TJ McDonald would be worth a look too. It all depends on what they want to do with Bethea. There are quite a few good safeties in the coming draft...a couple others are Robert Lester and Harrison Smith and that's just of ones I've seen personally.

Oh and as for Gilmore, I'm honestly not sure why his stock has fallen but he's dropped from late 1st/early 2nd to middle to bottom 3rd. I'm curious as to why that is. I'll see if I can dig anything up but if anyone knows please speak up.

Edited October 31, 2011 by Jason

[colts52761]

It looks like we need to take 2 CB's early in the draft.