What would you think of going all out on Cornerback in Free Agency?

[HtownColt]

Munnerlyn is a zone CB

Munnerlyn does it all. He was their best press corner when they ran it, and he is very good with his jam at the line. Plays on the outside then slides in the slot in nickel packages. Only thing about him is that he is 5'8 190lbs. He is an all around corner.

[Manning1887]

A. ) Werner hasn't proven he can play OLB effectively.

 

B.) Mathis plays the Rush LB role so you either have Hardy play Sam LB (the role Walden plays now (where he drops into coverage about 30%+ of the time)) or you have him backup Mathis and come in only on pass rushing situations. 

 

Actually, you can do a number of things with a player of Hardy's caliber. He is very athletic for his size, which is about 6'4" 280-290lbs. He can play strong side linebacker where he could rush the passer or drop in coverage. Also, you could line him up as a 3-4 end similar to how Chandler Jones is played in New England. You can move him around, which means different defensive looks for an offense to try account for.

 

Again, I doubt we sign him, but not because he wouldn't fit in the defense.

[Dustin]

Actually, you can do a number of things with a player of Hardy's caliber. He is very athletic for his size, which is about 6'4" 280-290lbs. He can play strong side linebacker where he could rush the passer or drop in coverage. Also, you could line him up as a 3-4 end similar to how Chandler Jones is played in New England. You can move him around, which means different defensive looks for an offense to try account for.

 

Again, I doubt we sign him, but not because he wouldn't fit in the defense.

 

He is nowhere athletic enough to play in coverage 30% of the time. You might be able to get away with it for a few plays a game, but putting out a lineman in coverage is a bad strategy that any NFL OC would easily exploit. Just because you're fast doesn't make you good in coverage. 

 

Chandler Jones is a 43 DE.

 

Taking Hardy and putting him at 34 DE completely ruins the point of even having him. You'd be paying top dollar for a pure pass rusher to play as a 2-gap lineman and make him take up blocks to free up other players.

[coltsfanatic24]

I would rather draft a CB then to pay for one because were already going to have to pay Vontae 7+ mil a year. You don't want 15 mil tied into 2 CB's when you don't have a good enough pass rush or a FS. 

 

I think signing Byrd would be a better option then Verner or any other CB available in free agency if we were gonna cut Toler. 

[Defjamz26]

We should be doing what the Bears and Steelers are going to be doing which is getting younger on defense. That means draft a corner to pair with Davis who is still young. I know a lot of people are saying "Everyone should copy the Seahawks formula", but I agree. Not to copy the type of players they have, but to build a young scrappy team, and let them grow together. People forget how young the leagues best defense is.

 

Patience is key. Sign FA's to fill holes that you can't address in the draft yet. That FA money would be better spent on a Center.

[NewColtsFan]

Muamba will be lucky to make it through TC and onto the PS

 

Hey, you could be right,  but I'm not sure why you think this?

 

Jerrell Freeman had a lot of success up north,  why can't Muamba?    Clearly, that's what Grigs and Pags are thinking.....

[Superman]

Hey, you could be right, but I'm not sure why you think this?

Jerrell Freeman had a lot of success up north, why can't Muamba? Clearly, that's what Grigs and Pags are thinking.....

Freeman was lucky to make it through camp. He was only thrust into the starting lineup because of injuries, and he capitalized.

And people have latched onto Freeman as a great example of someone from the CFL making it in the NFL, but for every Jerrell Freeman, there are a dozen John Chicks. I don't have any numbers, but I don't think the odds favor CFL imports.

[Gavin]

Hey, you could be right,  but I'm not sure why you think this?

 

Jerrell Freeman had a lot of success up north,  why can't Muamba?    Clearly, that's what Grigs and Pags are thinking.....

Oh I certainly thnk he has a shot, He has great sideline to sideline speed, hits with bad intentions and looks to be a solid tackler. I said that moreso because I just dont want to get to psyched up on him, Did that with C.O. Prime and he sure didn't last long

[jamesie jr]

I agree with cutting Toler, or at least restructure his contract to free cap space. Then sign a cornerback, i think Verner will be overpriced and Munnerlyn will be resigned by Panthers. I'd quite like someone like Walter Thurmond if we can get him for the right price. Cornerback is a position we need to hit hard in FA imo.

[coltso11]

This may be off topic but hearing "we should copy the Seahawks" says hey were not good enough to compete with them and lets kiss their butts. didnt the Colts beat the Seahawks? yea they did. How about the Colts just build their own defense just like Zimmer did with the Bengals, who by the way were top 5 on defense and the Panthers built their own defense they were the 2nd best defense. if you want to build a defense you draft them, same with offense. The Bengals have built their team through the draft, offense and defense minus James Harrison. we dont need to sign 26-27 year old guys who will play through one contract and retire. the only way to build a solid team is through the draft. the players on our defense havent had the time to mesh together because most of them our from free agency, ie our secondary minus Bethea. There is a reason the NFL has a draft. If you really want to be like the Seahawks you build through the draft.

[Defjamz26]

This may be off topic but hearing "we should copy the Seahawks" says hey were not good enough to compete with them and lets kiss their butts. didnt the Colts beat the Seahawks? yea they did. How about the Colts just build their own defense just like Zimmer did with the Bengals, who by the way were top 5 on defense and the Panthers built their own defense they were the 2nd best defense. if you want to build a defense you draft them, same with offense. The Bengals have built their team through the draft, offense and defense minus James Harrison. we dont need to sign 26-27 year old guys who will play through one contract and retire. the only way to build a solid team is through the draft. the players on our defense havent had the time to mesh together because most of them our from free agency, ie our secondary minus Bethea. There is a reason the NFL has a draft. If you really want to be like the Seahawks you build through the draft.

Not sure if you were responding to me but that's basically what I said. We don't need to copy the Seahawks formula. It's their strategy we need to copy. The reason the defense is so up and down is that these guys have no continuity. They don't play well together and fit each other's strong points and mask their weaknesses. That's the thing about the Seahawks D. Both the secondary and the DL are a cohesive unit. Most of that has come through the draft.

 

That's what we should do. Cut Toler and draft a young corner. Then next year we can draft a great Safety if we can't get one this draft. I love Grigson and Chuck, but they need to be patient and BUILD a team. Not just throw one together hoping it sticks.

[coltso11]

Not sure if you were responding to me but that's basically what I said. We don't need to copy the Seahawks formula. It's their strategy we need to copy. The reason the defense is so up and down is that these guys have no continuity. They don't play well together and fit each other's strong points and mask their weaknesses. That's the thing about the Seahawks D. Both the secondary and the DL are a cohesive unit. Most of that has come through the draft.

 

That's what we should do. Cut Toler and draft a young corner. Then next year we can draft a great Safety if we can't get one this draft. I love Grigson and Chuck, but they need to be patient and BUILD a team. Not just throw one together hoping it sticks.

Im glad someone agrees with me and sees the truth. with offense, plug and play works but when it comes to defense getting free agent players and making them starters just because you paid them alot of money is stupid. So to reiterate your point, yes we need to copy the strategies of the Bengals, Panthers, and Seahawks and build a team. We dont need to sign Jarius Byrd of Verner, we need to draft a solid 2nd round corner or safety and groom them to eventually start.

[NewColtsFan]

Freeman was lucky to make it through camp. He was only thrust into the starting lineup because of injuries, and he capitalized.

And people have latched onto Freeman as a great example of someone from the CFL making it in the NFL, but for every Jerrell Freeman, there are a dozen John Chicks. I don't have any numbers, but I don't think the odds favor CFL imports.

 

What did you see that makes you say that Freeman was lucky to make it through camp??

[Superman]

What did you see that makes you say that Freeman was lucky to make it through camp??

 

He was behind Pat Angerer, Kavell Conner, Moise Fokou on the depth chart. He was in competition with guys like Mario Harvey and Scott Lutrus. Lutrus got hurt in preseason, as did Angerer. Harvey was mostly a special teamer, so it was basically a three man competition for two ILB spots, and Freeman earned one of those two spots.

 

I'm not saying he didn't deserve to make it through camp, or even that he was a fringe player who spent all of camp on the chopping block. Just saying that he was behind several guys on the depth chart, he got a chance to start due to injury, and that's when he proved himself. But based on past history, the odds of a CFL guy signing and making it through camp were not in his favor.

 

So maybe "lucky" isn't the right word. I'm just saying that he defied the odds. So pointing to him as the reason to think that any other CFL guy is going to stick through camp seems naive.

[Track Guy]

In the NFL having a good QB, O-line, and Defensive front are the 3 most important things imo. The rest of the positions are just so dependent on having those 3 things in place.

[NewColtsFan]

He was behind Pat Angerer, Kavell Conner, Moise Fokou on the depth chart. He was in competition with guys like Mario Harvey and Scott Lutrus. Lutrus got hurt in preseason, as did Angerer. Harvey was mostly a special teamer, so it was basically a three man competition for two ILB spots, and Freeman earned one of those two spots.

 

I'm not saying he didn't deserve to make it through camp, or even that he was a fringe player who spent all of camp on the chopping block. Just saying that he was behind several guys on the depth chart, he got a chance to start due to injury, and that's when he proved himself. But based on past history, the odds of a CFL guy signing and making it through camp were not in his favor.

 

So maybe "lucky" isn't the right word. I'm just saying that he defied the odds. So pointing to him as the reason to think that any other CFL guy is going to stick through camp seems naive.

 

If I may, I'd like to give you the counter-argument....

 

This is a scouting department/coaching staff that found not only Freeman,  but Josh McNary and Daniel Odongo too.

 

McNary actually played this year.   I was surprised because I thought he'd be a season long PS guy.   But he played...

 

Odongo -- with no football experience at all -- stuck on the PS and actually played in a couple of games.

 

Now, I realize that both played because they were pressed into duty by injuries....   but if this front office can find guys from Army (Navy?)  who had been out of football a few years and a guy from Africa who had never played football at all and coach them up so they can play,   I think they're very, very confident that they can turn this latest find from Canada into a productive player.

 

That's why I'm very optimistic he can stick and play....   I'm not saying it's a lock,  but I'd say the chances are decent....

[Superman]

If I may, I'd like to give you the counter-argument....

 

This is a scouting department/coaching staff that found not only Freeman,  but Josh McNary and Daniel Odongo too.

 

McNary actually played this year.   I was surprised because I thought he'd be a season long PS guy.   But he played...

 

Odongo -- with no football experience at all -- stuck on the PS and actually played in a couple of games.

 

Now, I realize that both played because they were pressed into duty by injuries....   but if this front office can find guys from Army (Navy?)  who had been out of football a few years and a guy from Africa who had never played football at all and coach them up so they can play,   I think they're very, very confident that they can turn this latest find from Canada into a productive player.

 

That's why I'm very optimistic he can stick and play....   I'm not saying it's a lock,  but I'd say the chances are decent....

 

I'm fine with all that. I just don't think projecting this guy as a starter -- not to mention, the fix to our ILB problem -- is sensible. Being optimistic that he can stick and even have an impact is a completely different story. I'm optimistic as well, but mine is a severely reserved optimism.

[Mameluc]

Linval Joseph, Arthur Jones, Randy Starks, Brian Orakpo , Jason Hatcher, Lamarr Houston, Jason Worilds

i like the idea of signing someone of Jones, Linval, Lamarr. we need DE IMo.