Mitch's Dream Offseason Scenario 2.0

[Mitch]

Post-Combine/Pre-FA Edition.

 

Let me start by saying, I’m not a cap expert but I do know the process of how it works. I’ll try to put some contract #’s up that I expect players to get paid, but as we all know(especially with Grigs) who knows what these guys will command on the market. I’m going to start by solely worrying about Free Agency then I’ll move on to potential targets in the draft at our drafting positions(with one draft day trade).  This is what I believe gives us the best 53-roster we can get this year. I have made a few changes from the Pre-Combine edition I had and kept some things the same. Here we go:

 

Cap Space before Cuts: ~41 million

 

Cuts:

Greg Toler- +4.2 million

Samson Satele- +4 Million

 

I left Matt Hasselbeck off this list because I don’t see anyway that we cut him. I can get past paying for Matt. Cutting Matt only saves about 2 million anyways. RJF was another option but one I don’t see happening so why bother?

 

CAP SPACE UPDATED AFTER CUTS: ~ $49 million

 

Re-signings:

Vontae Davis- (4 yr, 35 million)

Pat McAfee- (4 year, 14 million)

Joe Reitz- (2 year, 1.5 million)

Josh Gordy-(1 year, 900,000)

Sergio Brown-(2 year, 2 million)

Adam Vinatieri-(2 year, 6 million)

Kavell Connor-(2 year, 3 million)

 

I think we get OL depth back with Reitz and solidify our kickers for the future. I really don’t want to pay so much for kicker/punter but I can get over it since they are both awesome dudes. I also think they both love Indy and will take a little less to stay. I really like Connor and hope he gets a chance to play more at ILB. He plays with a ton of energy and is great on special teams. Even if he is from Clemson .

 

Money Remaining: ~$32 Million

 

Biggest Needs(no particular order): CB, S, ILB, C, DE, PR/KR

 

Free Agent Signings:

Jarius Byrd- (4 year, 38 Million)

Evan Dietrich-Smith- (3 year, 10 million)

Brandon Browner-(1 year, 2 million)

Daryl Smith-(2 years, 6 million)

Devin Hester-(2 year, 5 million)

 

Here’s where it got tricky. I tried to make the numbers as close as possible but with players such as Browner coming off suspension and Hester being older and overpaid with last contract, it’s easier said than done and I’m probably off on a couple. I think with these 5 guys though we cover many needs. I could’ve spent more here, but wanted to spend smart and not spend it all after paying draft picks.

 

Money Remaining: ~ 12 million

 

Draft Needs after FA: CB, DE

 

Round 2- Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska

Round 3- Jeremiah Attaochu-DE/OLB, Georgia Tech

Round 5- Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina(this is a little hopeful, maybe we trade up for him? Go Gamecocks!)

Round 7- Ben Gardner, DE, Stanford

 

I kept Stanley in the second round on this as I really like him as a prospect and want him more than I want Toler back on this team. I don’t like injury prone players and with Brandon Browner coming in(in this scenario) I say draft him and put him at #2 corner. We would have a great back-up plan with Browner in place and for cheap. In the Third Round, we get a little lucky and Attaochu drops to us or maybe we trade up? Get him someway somehow. I can’t stop watching his film/highlights. He makes so many plays and would be a great future replacement for Mathis. He could probably even start over Walden very quickly. We need more pass rush…and badly. Bruce Ellington is a playmaker and is the one addition at WR which so many people think we need. I like giving the young guys(Rogers, Brazill, Whalen) time to improve and grow with Luck. I see bright things in Rogers’ future as long as he keeps his head on straight. Ben Gardner missed a lot of the 2014 season at Stanford due to injury but was voted Team Captain before the season. He’d be great value at the end of the draft.

 

Starting Line-up 2014:

 

QB - Andrew Luck

RB - Trent Richardson/Vick Ballard

WR - Reggie Wayne, TY Hilton

TE - Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener

LT - Anthony Castonzo

LG – Donald Thomas

C – Evan Dietrich-Smith

RG – Hugh Thornton

RT - Gosder Cherilus

 

DE - Ricky Jean Francois, Cory Redding

DT - Josh Chapman

OLB - Robert Mathis, Bjoern Werner/Attaochu

ILB - Jerrell Freeman, Daryl Smith

CB - Vontae Davis, Stanley Jean-Baptiste

S - Laron Landry, Jarius Byrd

 

K-Adam Vinatieri

P-Pat McAfee

PR/KR-Devin Hester

 

With all of these moves I think this gives us a great starting line-up and enough money to sign our draft picks as well as it’s “spending smart” like Grigson and Co seem to want to do this year. I think our OL will get a huge boost with Dietrich-Smith coming in and Thomas coming back. Our safety position looks much better and we can use Landry much like the Seahawks use Kam Chancellor. We will push Landry down to the box to pretty much play another OLB while Byrd covers downfield. Let’s hope Landry learns to tackle again in the offseason. Our ILB spot replaces Kelvin Sheppard with Daryl Smith, a beast of an ILB. He's better than D'qwell and much better than Sheppard. This move would pay dividends immediately. Jean-Baptiste gives us a better option at CB than Toler in my opinion and hopefully will be healthy unlike Toler was. Bruce Ellington is a playmaker and solo-handedly won the bowl game for the Gamecocks this year. He's a dual-sport athlete(Basketball/Football) but is foregoing his basketball season to focus on the draft. He would be perfect for our "No-coast offense" and wouldn't cost much at all. No reason to spend on a WR in FA. We also get a real PR/KR in Hester, one position we tried to fill all season last year.

 

I know this probably isn’t perfect number-wise but I tried to be as realistic as I could with the contracts. Let me know any suggestions you guys may have but I think this would truly “Build the Monster”. 

[Bluefire4]

Not bad. We're not cutting Toler though. Some of the contracts are a little off but I'd be satisfied with this offseason.

[Track Guy]

I like most of this. I don't see much point to bringing in an aging kick returner like Hester and I don't think we'll land Smith at ILB but I understand this is a "dream" off-season rather than a mock. Also I've heard now that we do have a 6th round pick apparently, btw.

[GoColts00]

i like it for the most part. i think the Colts will let McAfee go. He can be replaced by Steven Clark, Auburn or Cody Webster, Purdue.

i honestly don't think the Colts will touch Browner with a 10-ft pole!  I totally agree with on Attaochu...the guy reminds me so much of Robert Mathis. I don't think he makes it out of the 2nd Rd though. i have watched tape on Jean-baptiste and i'm not really impressed. his measurables at the combine weren't all that great either. I, personally, would rather have Phillip Gaines, Rice.  Bruce Ellington looked fantastic when i watched him play.

all in all i liked your post, just some things i would personally do different.

[Colts_Fan12]

I'd cut Sheppard with Toler and Satele

But I'd sign Byrd EDS and Verner

Then draft a ILB in the 2nd

[COLTS449]

I agree with a lot of this, but if we sign Browner we will almost have to keep Toler. That's what's great about signing Browner. He would come cheap enough for us to keep Toler. The secondary would be stacked. Davis, Browner, Toler, Davis, and Gordy. In the draft I would switch Baptiste with Moncrief, and I wouldn't sign Hester. Also, I just read Browner will be suspended probably the first four games, but that's ok in my opinion if he's cheap enough. I do think we need another DT though.

[TYGoodbye]

I agree with a lot of this, but if we sign Browner we will almost have to keep Toler. That's what's great about signing Browner. He would come cheap enough for us to keep Toler. The secondary would be stacked. Davis, Browner, Toler, Davis, and Gordy. In the draft I would switch Baptiste with Moncrief, and I wouldn't sign Hester. Also, I just read Browner will be suspended probably the first four games, but that's ok in my opinion if he's cheap enough. I do think we need another DT though.

 

Browner's probable suspension would help to drive his price down even further. I would be happy signing him.

[Mitch]

I like most of this. I don't see much point to bringing in an aging kick returner like Hester and I don't think we'll land Smith at ILB but I understand this is a "dream" off-season rather than a mock. Also I've heard now that we do have a 6th round pick apparently, btw.

The Hester thing is more of a dream of the past, man he was good lol. But 6th round pick? From Caesar or someone? lol, I'll have to check that out. 

 

 

i like it for the most part. i think the Colts will let McAfee go. He can be replaced by Steven Clark, Auburn or Cody Webster, Purdue.

i honestly don't think the Colts will touch Browner with a 10-ft pole!  I totally agree with on Attaochu...the guy reminds me so much of Robert Mathis. I don't think he makes it out of the 2nd Rd though. i have watched tape on Jean-baptiste and i'm not really impressed. his measurables at the combine weren't all that great either. I, personally, would rather have Phillip Gaines, Rice.  Bruce Ellington looked fantastic when i watched him play.

all in all i liked your post, just some things i would personally do different.

I see us letting Pat walk as well. It's too much money. But this is a "dream" scenario so why not keep my favorite personality on the team? I'm kinda thinking the same about Attaochu, maybe we should just draft him in that #2 spot and pick up a CB in the 3rd. I can definitely see the Mathis in him, just a lot bigger . I do like Phillip Gaines for his speed though or Victor Hampton because he's very physical, Brent Grimes-type. 

 

 

I agree with a lot of this, but if we sign Browner we will almost have to keep Toler. That's what's great about signing Browner. He would come cheap enough for us to keep Toler. The secondary would be stacked. Davis, Browner, Toler, Davis, and Gordy. In the draft I would switch Baptiste with Moncrief, and I wouldn't sign Hester. Also, I just read Browner will be suspended probably the first four games, but that's ok in my opinion if he's cheap enough. I do think we need another DT though.

Probably right. I just don't want Toler, I hate injury prone guys and he seemed to just give up on plays. But with a cheap Browner(even with suspension), whenever Toler pulls another hammy or gets injured again, we will have a replacement after first 4 games. Browner would be a great luxury to have. Moncrief is awesome, but I just don't want to draft WR that high. However, I'd rather draft a WR in 2nd round then spend on one in FA. I really just want to give Rogers another offseason and see if he improves. The sky is the limit for him, I mean he already made a game saving play vs KC in the playoffs.