We Draft Luck, Now What?

[Thewholefnshow28]

Fixed that for you. ;)

That is the pink elephant in the room. If he is healthy you can move that pick to the Dolphins, Seahawks, Redskins, or even the Jets (will cost them a lot more) and use the picks this year and next year to fill glaring holes on the defensive side of the ball and to get much younger. You will easily get 2 1st round picks and 2 2nd round picks for Luck plus all of the high round picks we will get from being the worst team in the league. You move that pick with a healthy Manning and if you have a great draft the next two years you really set yourself up for the transition when Manning retires.

Now that all can go down hill quick if Manning is not healthy. Then you take Luck no question and try to fill those holes as best as you can.

[smittywerb]

No you don't get it, cause I clearly know my viewpoint and get it! My opinion is that it would be much wiser to trade the Luck selection, because it would bring a far greater bounty to the Colts than Manning be traded. If Manning is 100% healthy (Thanks Xfiles) then drafting an understudy is something to consider, but there is talent outside of Luck. Luck would bring a multitude of players and draft picks, that could fill the voids and replace the aging players with youthful hungry talent! Luck would bring a first round pick this year, next year, and even the following year! Not to mention second, third, and so on with other draft picks! Look what the Browns got from the Falcons for the sixth overall pick for Julio Jones! Luck is the most hyped and valued QB since Manning, from a draft perspective. He would bring imense value from draft picks and possible players. And your opinion is farcical on Manning will not get them back to SB contention, this is essentially the same team from the 2009 SB, which was only two short seasosns ago. You must be forgetting this is a playoff team every year under Manning, no matter how bad the talent has been around him. To say all those draft picks with some possible players would not improve this team you are being naive and surely one sided!

I was in agreement with you about the whole "Trading picks thing". I actually pointed that out in my previous post. However, I agreed with you all the way up untl the bolded part. THIS IS NOT the same team from 2009. This is not even the same atmosphere of a season as 2009. In 2009, every elite team was performing to predicted standards. This year, EVERYTHING is wide open. Only one team is really dominating, everyone else is up and down.

Now onto the team. I have to say 2009 > 2011 Colts Team. This team is worse. The line is worse, the defensive backfield is worse, ST is still horrible, the run d has slightly improved but still is not good, and the LB core is worse, and I refuse to go on. I've pointed out and said many times this team is a PLAYOFF team with Manning but not a SB CONTENDING TEAM, there's a difference. Those draft picks and signings will improve this team, however, other teams will improve also. This league is a lot stronger than in 2009. We had a few holes in our team in 2009 (run d, run blocking, ST) and were still able to go to the SB. In the future, Peyton is not guaranteed to play 100% (or even come back), and holes may or not be fixed. But as of now, we have A LOT more holes than in 2009. If you think Peyton and one good offseason will make this team a SB contender with teams improving every year, then you are mistaken. This is not a one year job <- This is my argument. It can be done, but not in one year like many say it will. I feel they will be dissappointed, just as when people thought would play this season when some of us knew he would not.

And you say two short seasons ago as if we have been winning the past two seasons, in fact. We have a losing record since the SB until now.

[BmoreColt]

The team has been bad for a long time, I said that prior to this season that Peyton covered up so many deficiencies. If Manning is healthy and ready to roll week one, how can drafting Luck be more advantageous to the Colts, then trading the pick and working to fix the deficiencies? I agree with you it's going to take time to rebuild this team, but the bounty for Luck will drastically increase this process, is what I am suggesting. The Colts need a lot of help, I agree with you. A true impactful Nose Tackle, Defensive Ends who can play the run and rush the passer, another impactful Linebacker whether he plays Outside or Middle, a number one caliber Corner, and an impact hard hitting Strong Safety. That’s 5-7 pieces on defense. The offense in my opinion needs and elite RB, a play making Receiver, and a few pieces on the line. That’s another 5 pieces on offense. With Seven total draft picks, and not a lot of impact coming from late round picks normally, it would look like two to three years of drafting! Luck would bring three first round picks to the Colts, this year, next year, and the year after that! All presumably top 10 picks! The Colts would also get some second and third rounders mixed in there from whichever team gives us the greatest value and possibly some players to come in and fill those voids! Now we are looking at one to two drafts and if a smarter restructure of the salary cap and bringing in some quality free agents, one season! It can be done, especially with the right coach! Mike Zimmer has done great things with Cincy’s D, he would work wonders in Indy in my opinion. So it really depends on Peyton’s health and what new regime comes in. But if Peyton is healthy, and they trade the Luck pick for the large bounty, and get a defensive minded head coach like Zimmer who runs a 4-3 just makes some minor tweaks, and let Peyton handle the offense as he always does, I don’t see why the Colts couldn’t be contenders next year and until Peyton retires! All those pieces from the Luck trade will really help over Manning’s final run to build the foundation for the team going forward a lot faster than just drafting Luck and letting him hold a clipboard over the next four years!

[smittywerb]

The team has been bad for a long time, I said that prior to this season that Peyton covered up so many deficiencies. If Manning is healthy and ready to roll week one, how can drafting Luck be more advantageous to the Colts, then trading the pick and working to fix the deficiencies? I agree with you it's going to take time to rebuild this team, but the bounty for Luck will drastically increase this process, is what I am suggesting. The Colts need a lot of help, I agree with you. A true impactful Nose Tackle, Defensive Ends who can play the run and rush the passer, another impactful Linebacker whether he plays Outside or Middle, a number one caliber Corner, and an impact hard hitting Strong Safety. That’s 5-7 pieces on defense. The offense in my opinion needs and elite RB, a play making Receiver, and a few pieces on the line. That’s another 5 pieces on offense. With Seven total draft picks, and not a lot of impact coming from late round picks normally, it would look like two to three years of drafting! Luck would bring three first round picks to the Colts, this year, next year, and the year after that! All presumably top 10 picks! The Colts would also get some second and third rounders mixed in there from whichever team gives us the greatest value and possibly some players to come in and fill those voids! Now we are looking at one to two drafts and if a smarter restructure of the salary cap and bringing in some quality free agents, one season! It can be done, especially with the right coach! Mike Zimmer has done great things with Cincy’s D, he would work wonders in Indy in my opinion. So it really depends on Peyton’s health and what new regime comes in. But if Peyton is healthy, and they trade the Luck pick for the large bounty, and get a defensive minded head coach like Zimmer who runs a 4-3 just makes some minor tweaks, and let Peyton handle the offense as he always does, I don’t see why the Colts couldn’t be contenders next year and until Peyton retires! All those pieces from the Luck trade will really help over Manning’s final run to build the foundation for the team going forward a lot faster than just drafting Luck and letting him hold a clipboard over the next four years!

I'm on the fence when it comes to Luck (even though I'm leaning more towards Luck), however, I've said in the past if Luck bounty is that much, I would be open to trading the pick. For me, it depends on the bounty for Luck. If it's more than 1 first round pick and a couple others, then OF course I'm all for it. But if it's just 1 1st round pick and other picks, I'm for keeping him. I agree with you on that. But as far as this tea becoming SB contenders next year, I can't.

[BmoreColt]

If Luck were to be traded let’s say for argument sake to Miami, giving the Colts their first second and fourth this year, first and fourth next year, and first the following year, and say CB Vonte Davis is part of the package. With all these draft picks, and the number one corner to put on the roster already filling that big whole, and perhaps a new coaching regime (Mike Zimmer), how would the Colts not be Super Bowl contenders? All the draft choices this year and three more picks over the following two years! This team would be rebuilt and contending starting with the 2012-2013 season! Look at what the bounty would be with my regime change suggested:

Coach: Mike Zimmer

Player from trade: Vonte Davis CB (Starting #1 CB day 1!)

Draft picks this year: 1^st round top three pick, two 2^nd round top three picks, a 3^rd round number one, two 4^th round top three picks, and the first pick in the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th.. not including compensatory picks from Session and Charlie Johnson leaving! That is around 11 draft picks this upcoming draft! And we said around 10 pieces were needed to increase talent on all levels! That doesn’t include the first and fourth round picks next year and the additional first round pick the year following! One of those first rounders could be used to get Peyton’s heir in the future! Presuming he is healthy of course! With Vonte Davis, the Colts can draft a CB way later in the draft just as a nickel corner, or choose to not even address the corner position, having Vonte and Powers as the 1 2 punch! Meaning one hole is filled without losing a draft pick. The bounty for Luck could catapult the Colts almost overnight!

[smittywerb]

If Luck were to be traded let’s say for argument sake to Miami, giving the Colts their first second and fourth this year, first and fourth next year, and first the following year, and say CB Vonte Davis is part of the package. With all these draft picks, and the number one corner to put on the roster already filling that big whole, and perhaps a new coaching regime (Mike Zimmer), how would the Colts not be Super Bowl contenders? All the draft choices this year and three more picks over the following two years! This team would be rebuilt and contending starting with the 2012-2013 season! Look at what the bounty would be with my regime change suggested:

Coach: Mike Zimmer

Player from trade: Vonte Davis CB (Starting #1 CB day 1!)

Draft picks this year: 1^st round top three pick, two 2^nd round top three picks, a 3^rd round number one, two 4^th round top three picks, and the first pick in the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th.. not including compensatory picks from Session and Charlie Johnson leaving! That is around 11 draft picks this upcoming draft! And we said around 10 pieces were needed to increase talent on all levels! That doesn’t include the first and fourth round picks next year and the additional first round pick the year following! One of those first rounders could be used to get Peyton’s heir in the future! Presuming he is healthy of course! With Vonte Davis, the Colts can draft a CB way later in the draft just as a nickel corner, or choose to not even address the corner position, having Vonte and Powers as the 1 2 punch! Meaning one hole is filled without losing a draft pick. The bounty for Luck could catapult the Colts almost overnight!

This is a good plan, I just can't take in the fact that a team is willing to give us THAT many picks for Luck. If we were to get those picks and play the FA right, you're right we would be SB contenders. I have to see this to believe this though. If a team was to give us 6 picks for Luck, I would take it without hesitation. But like I said, I just can't believe that will happen. PLUS Vonte Davis?

[BmoreColt]

I am not sure it would work entirely like that, but someone posted an article on here and Miami was well aware it would cost three first round picks for Luck, as well as other draft picks. The Browns gave up two first rounds, a second, and two fourths, and I believe one other pick (six in total) to move to sixth overall for Julio Jones!... so for Luck, I could easily see six picks over two to three drafts! And even a player like Vonte Davis!

[oldunclemark]

OK so 2012 rolls around, NFL draft kicks up, Colts with the #1 overall pick take Stanford QB Andrew Luck.

Now what? Now we are a team with two elite QB's and I'd be willing to bet Neither of them are leaving, so for the sake of this topic lets assume we keep both Luck and Manning, Painter is history and so is Orvlosky.

Does anyone see any glimmer of hope to fix this defense? What about aging weapons on offense? This is Clark's 2nd season ending injury in a row, Wayne isn't what he use to be, and Mathis is up for a huge pay raise.

What do we do now? How do we fix this defense without making any huge splashes in FA (because I'm sure the Colts won't do it based purely upon Philly's season)

I'd like to hear some ideas of what comes next and how we resolve the gaping holes on both Defense and Offense.

We roll the exact same lineup out there that went to the playoffs in 2010...

Our window has not closed...

..and we are retooling that O-line....which will keep Manning firing...

The 1st pick in round 2 goes for a starting corner