What Should Colts Do If They Draft No.1?

[smittywerb]

I believe Tony Dungy’s stance on what the Indianapolis Colta should do if they wind up in position to draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck lines up with conventional wisdom.

His thinking is the right thinking in my eyes as well.

If you can take a franchise quarterback, you take him. You then sort things out with Luck and Peyton Manning and in a scenario where Manning is healthy and looks to have several years left, then there is always the potential to deal Luck, whose value will remain very high.

Even if taking Luck might upset Manning, the Colts have to do it if they are in position, Dungy said.

"I just don't think you pass on a great quarterback if you have the opportunity,” Dungy said on NBC’s Football Night in America. “If need be, you can trade it away. Hopefully they don't end up with that pick. But if they do, I assume they think Luck is the best asset to have in your pocket."

By Paul Kuharsky

http://espn.go.com/b...they-draft-no-1

Edited October 25, 2011 by smittywerb

[jbaron04]

[JimJaime]

Dungy is right you do what is BEST for the team. Will Polian have the grapefruits do this? I doubt it my guess is he trades down and drafts a WR (lol couldnt help it in other words I KID I KID!)

[oldunclemark]

You take the Number one pick and trade it to a team with 2 number one picks..

Then..since you also have the No,.1 pick in the 2nd round..

you draft 3 of the top 35 players in the nation....one being a QB like Kellen Moore

[doogansquest]

If Manning's good to go, then what's best for the team is building a defense and bolstering the interior of the offensive line.

If Manning's no good, then what's best for the team is taking the best QB available to us, unless Painter shows massive improvements in a few short months.

Either way, Luck could be a great pick, but a trade would have to be for active players in addition to picks instead of just future picks if the Draft has passed when the decision is made. The team needs to think Super Bowl now. Rebuilding is a season-to-season thing. Winning now is more important than hoping to win in 5 years. Nothing does more to ensure the future of a franchise than winning Super Bowls.

Edited October 25, 2011 by doogansquest

[KirkCousins#8]

Trade it for a kings ransom for more picks and cherry pick that team's defensive stockpile.If its washington,then we also take kerrigan and orakpo in addition to the picks we will also receive.My gut tells me that washington is going to give away everything to obtain 'luck'.

[dn4192]

Should the Colts end up with the overall No. 1 pick (which I personally don't think they will) you draft Luck. End of debate, you draft the QB for your next decade. If we have any other pick you try to move it for additional picks, but if you can get Luck you take him.

[oldunclemark]

Should the Colts end up with the overall No. 1 pick (which I personally don't think they will) you draft Luck. End of debate, you draft the QB for your next decade. If we have any other pick you try to move it for additional picks, but if you can get Luck you take him.

...and then what do you do with your 5 holes on defense...

//You dont draft Andrew Luck under any circumstances..draft for need..

[KirkCousins#8]

...and then what do you do with your 5 holes on defense...

//You dont draft Andrew Luck under any circumstances..draft for need..

I agree.This will be a great opportunity to rebuild that god aweful defense of ours.Even if we draft 'luck' it will be a draft/trade type situation to washington,dallas or miami.I would love to have demarcus ware,kerrigan and others,plus picks!

[dn4192]

...and then what do you do with your 5 holes on defense...

//You dont draft Andrew Luck under any circumstances..draft for need..

Real simple you use your other draft picks to address those needs, then the following year you use your draft to again improve your defense. The problem with the Colts is not a 1 draft fix and you DON'T pass on a talent the level of Luck. Look at what the Talent of Manning was able to do over the past decade.

[dn4192]

...and then what do you do with your 5 holes on defense...

//You dont draft Andrew Luck under any circumstances..draft for need..

We have a need at QB.

[Flash7]

1. If we draft solely based on need, then we would draft based on Manning's health. If he is healthy, then our needs would first be on defense.

2. If we draft to build our defense, how many players can make a solid impact immediately while we still have Manning? Would they need time to develope? If so, Manning doesn't have that much time. You could argue that the players that we draft, being that they will be high draft choices, would be more ready to contribute to the defense. I would argue that if we continue to use the same defensive scheme, it may not matter who we draft. The Tampa 2 can be a good defense when everything is working right, but overall, it has only brought us 1/2 of a solid season of defense (Superbowl winning season), and over 6 years of below average defense. We would have to change our scheme in order to be effective, which again would take a lot of time. We cannot do this while Manning is here due to the short amount of time he has left to play.

3. After a few years of our draft choices playing together in a new scheme, we may have a solid defense and an overall good team, but Manning will be on his way out. Once Manning leaves, we will then be very much like the Jets. A team with good defense, good overall talent, but not a star quarterback that can win a Superbowl. We can choose other quarterbacks in the draft, but we may end up wih guys like Sanchez, who are good enough to start, but not win a Superbowl. Luck is projected to be much better, a once in a genertion type of player.

If I have to take a gamble, I'd rather gamble that we solidify the most important position on the field. Yes, it is a gamble, just like any draft choice. And, we would still have other high draft picks to address team needs.

[Jason_]

Should the Colts end up with the overall No. 1 pick (which I personally don't think they will) you draft Luck. End of debate, .

Real simple you use your other draft picks to address those needs, then the following year you use your draft to again improve your defense. The problem with the Colts is not a 1 draft fix and you DON'T pass on a talent the level of Luck. Look at what the Talent of Manning was able to do over the past decade.

I really don't follow college football that much. I know of Luck

You self-admittedly don't follow college football and you only know OF Luck...therefore you have no say in the debate and you have no idea what kind of talent he has. If you admittedly "don't follow college football that much" then you should stay out of the draft forum. ;)

You take the Number one pick and trade it to a team with 2 number one picks..

Then..since you also have the No,.1 pick in the 2nd round..

you draft 3 of the top 35 players in the nation....one being a QB like Kellen Moore

You had me until Kellen Moore. I wouldn't have so much a problem with drafting him and giving him a chance, but he's got a long way to move up if he's going to be considered a 1st/2nd round pick. I would also only take Moore if Nick Foles, Ryan Tannehill, Kirk Cousins and RG3 are off the board.

[BProland85]

You take the Number one pick and trade it to a team with 2 number one picks..

Then..since you also have the No,.1 pick in the 2nd round..

you draft 3 of the top 35 players in the nation....one being a QB like Kellen Moore

Kellen Moore that early? Really???

Ok here is what you really should do...

It all depends on Peyton's health. If he is completely healthy and it looks like he can play another 3 years, trade the pick for as high of a ransom as you can get. (Get back multiple 1sts, and maybe even a starter or 2 from the other team.)

If Peyton's health is still a concern, you gotta take Luck.

[BOTT]

i wouldn't trade luck unless some proven players were included in the mix. u guys really want to rely on some unproven rookies in the twighlight of manning's career? last time i looked the colts top three draft picks from last year were injured.

[BOTT]

You self-admittedly don't follow college football and you only know OF Luck...therefore you have no say in the debate and you have no idea what kind of talent he has. If you admittedly "don't follow college football that much" then you should stay out of the draft forum. ;)

You had me until Kellen Moore. I wouldn't have so much a problem with drafting him and giving him a chance, but he's got a long way to move up if he's going to be considered a 1st/2nd round pick. I would also only take Moore if Nick Foles, Ryan Tannehill, Kirk Cousins and RG3 are off the board.

i didn't see willie mays play, but a lot of experts say he was pretty good.

[Jason_]

i didn't see willie mays play, but a lot of experts say he was pretty good.

Much easier to say and believe after he played his entire pro career. Was he the greatest of all time? If yes then do you believe so strongly that he is the best of all time that you would bet a few thousand dollars on it? (no not with me...just a general question) Or would you rather view and analyze footage of him and his peers before putting money on him being the best ever?

We're not talking about whether Luck is "pretty good" but rather is he so much better than his competition that he warrants the #1 pick for us.

[dn4192]

...and then what do you do with your 5 holes on defense...

//You dont draft Andrew Luck under any circumstances..draft for need..

We have a need at QB, plus you can then use your other picks for D

[oldunclemark]

We have a need at QB.

we have 5 needs on defense..we have a QB.

Pretty good..from what I recall.

[oldunclemark]

Trade the No.1 to a team with 2 No.1s and then draft three of the top 35 players in the nation.

Welcome Manning back to the lineup and return to the playoffs in 2012..

[Jason_]

We have a need at QB, plus you can then use your other picks for D

We have a need at defense, plus you can use (one of) your other picks for a QB. See how that works? ;)

[stonehart1234]

Trade it to the Browns and get there two 1st round picks 2nd,3rd,4th and next years 1st,2nd,3rd.

Zach Brown (10-15) OLB

Luke Kuechly (15-20) ILB

Jerel Worthy (30-35) DT

Markelle Martin (40-45) FS

Cliff Harris (65-71) CB

Josh Chapman (78-83) DT

4th. ?

4th. ?

5th. ?

Jeffrey Demps 6th. RB

7th.

[dn4192]

We have a need at defense, plus you can use (one of) your other picks for a QB. See how that works? ;)

If there was a defensive player that graded out higher then the QB we can get then maybe I would agree, but in the upcoming draft there is no defensive player that will grade out higher then Luck.

[Jason_]

If there was a defensive player that graded out higher then the QB we can get then maybe I would agree, but in the upcoming draft there is no defensive player that will grade out higher then Luck.

No but we could trade the pick and get multiple players who play at positions that may not be as vital as the QB position, but we'd be filling multiple holes instead of just one. Yes we could still do this by taking Luck and using the other 6 picks...or we could trade the one pick for 4-6 additional picks to go on top of what we already have allowing us to fill that many more holes right away (I wish I could think of a better way to word that lol).

[Flash7]

No but we could trade the pick and get multiple players who play at positions that may not be as vital as the QB position, but we'd be filling multiple holes instead of just one. Yes we could still do this by taking Luck and using the other 6 picks...or we could trade the one pick for 4-6 additional picks to go on top of what we already have allowing us to fill that many more holes right away (I wish I could think of a better way to word that lol).

Jason, I agree with you that looking at other options besides Luck is the right thing to do, but just to play devils advocate...

What if we do a great job of filling the holes in the Colts D-line, secondary, and O-line , receiving corps over the next few years and build a solid team because we traded the first pick for multiple picks. During our rebuilding, Manning has played well, well enough to make it to the playoffs, but no further. As time passes, our team is still good but we see that Manning is just not the same. Of course, age has caught up with him. We turn the team over to some other quarterback that was to be groomed as Manning's heir. The other quarterback is good, but not great. Who would we most resemble?

The jets? The Ravens? Both of these teams are dying for a quarterback that can take them over the top. And although both teams have great talent all around, they are lacking in the most important part.

I do understand that this is a hypothetical question, but a legitimate one based on what's happening now in the NFL.

[BOTT]

Much easier to say and believe after he played his entire pro career. Was he the greatest of all time? If yes then do you believe so strongly that he is the best of all time that you would bet a few thousand dollars on it? (no not with me...just a general question) Or would you rather view and analyze footage of him and his peers before putting money on him being the best ever?

We're not talking about whether Luck is "pretty good" but rather is he so much better than his competition that he warrants the #1 pick for us.

i would rather listen to people who have played, coached and scouted in then nfl than to depend on my novice appraisal abilities....

[Jason_]

Jason, I agree with you that looking at other options besides Luck is the right thing to do, but just to play devils advocate...

What if we do a great job of filling the holes in the Colts D-line, secondary, and O-line , receiving corps over the next few years and build a solid team because we traded the first pick for multiple picks. During our rebuilding, Manning has played well, well enough to make it to the playoffs, but no further. As time passes, our team is still good but we see that Manning is just not the same. Of course, age has caught up with him. We turn the team over to some other quarterback that was to be groomed as Manning's heir. The other quarterback is good, but not great. Who would we most resemble?

The jets? The Ravens? Both of these teams are dying for a quarterback that can take them over the top. And although both teams have great talent all around, they are lacking in the most important part.

I do understand that this is a hypothetical question, but a legitimate one based on what's happening now in the NFL.

Very valid question. That's why I've said we have to be very careful and do a thorough evaluation of each QB and take the one outside of #1 overall that is the least risk. However in the trade down scenario, I'm also counting on the fact that we get at least one additional future 1st round pick. That future first round pick is what helps us to safeguard ourselves against the QB we draft being a bust. Just like NE has done for the past couple of years, they go into the draft with 2 first round picks but they wind up trading back with one of them. This has typically given them an additional first round pick again for the following year as well as an additional 2nd round pick for that year and maybe more depending on how far back they drop. We can keep doing this and if the time comes that we have been able to build a more complete championship caliber team but our drafted QB isn't working out, then we still have 2 first round picks that we can use to address the QB situation. If we draft Luck and he busts for whatever reason (might be unlikely but is still a possibility none the less) then that's it, #1 pick was a waste. If we trade back, even in the worst case scenario that every player drafted with the additional 2012 picks bust, then we (need to fire the scouting dept) are still in a great position for the 2013 draft by having the extra picks acquired in the trade.

[Andy]

I think they draft Luck... because we're getting PM back next year, and with him we're a SB caliber team. We also have 6 more draft picks, some of which could make a difference. We go future if we get the 1st overall pick... another Andrew Luck won't come around for a long time.

[Jason_]

i would rather listen to people who have played, coached and scouted in then nfl than to depend on my novice appraisal abilities....

That's certainly fair....however there are a lot of players that prove those experts aren't always right. I prefer to listen to the hype but I basically take it with a grain of salt until I see the player for myself. I would also never so adamantly argue a position based totally on hearsay but that's just me, and I'm not referring to you, I'm referring to people who say we simply can't pass on a talent like Luck because he's a once in a decade player even though they've never seen him, or his peers (for comparison) play.

[BOTT]

That's certainly fair....however there are a lot of players that prove those experts aren't always right. I prefer to listen to the hype but I basically take it with a grain of salt until I see the player for myself. I would also never so adamantly argue a position based totally on hearsay but that's just me, and I'm not referring to you, I'm referring to people who say we simply can't pass on a talent like Luck because he's a once in a decade player even though they've never seen him, or his peers (for comparison) play.

i get what you're saying. qb is just such a difficult position to evaluate for the nfl i just prefer to listen "experts" i guess. i have just never heard the kind of overwhelming praise for a qb, from people in the know, like this before. the one thing i do worry about is the pressure that this kid is going to be under from the moment he takes a snap in the nfl.

[MTC]

Draft Luck. No doubt about it

[BProland85]

This is what they SHOULD do to better the franchise for the long run.....

-Draft QB Andrew Luck

-Trade Peyton if he is healthy and we can get a good ransom for him. Something like a team's 2012 1st and 2013 1st.

-Then with the other 1st round pick acquired draft OG David DeCastro also from Stanford to team once again with Luck.

-Then the rest of the draft focus on Defense and WR.

The reason I have us taking DeCastro is because he is the best OG by far in this draft and is a mauling guard which we dont have. He is also a very good leader on the OL. We also have a need for a strong and talented OG more so than OT after getting Costanzo and Ijalana.

[King Colt]

No one is talking money here, Yesterday 10/30/11, the sports personalities were saying Luck may be the single best player coming in the last fifteen years and they were not joking. So, what will his agent demand in salary? What if he becomes a holdout?

[Balzer40]

No one is talking money here, Yesterday 10/30/11, the sports personalities were saying Luck may be the single best player coming in the last fifteen years and they were not joking. So, what will his agent demand in salary? What if he becomes a holdout?

Once again people, This is not a secret. It don't matter what his agent demands, the new CBA has a rookie wage scale they have to go by. Rookies have a set amount they can make and thats it. No longer can they get the absurd contracts that were handed out before this season. I honestly do not know how people still have not heard this little tidbit of important information. It's only been repeated at least 10,000,000,000 times over the last couple of months.

Edited October 31, 2011 by Balzer40