Montori Hughes...bust?

[BProland85]

My question to you guys is, will this guy ever live up to the potential he has as a NT/DT in this defense, or will he underwhelm and not put forth the effort?

 

If he panned out, we would have a beast DL with Hughes, Chapman, and Jones for the future.

[cm43sports]

My question to you guys is, will this guy ever live up to the potential he has as a NT/DT in this defense, or will he underwhelm and not put forth the effort?

 

If he panned out, we would have a beast DL with Hughes, Chapman, and Jones for the future.

I'm not sure what your definition of a bust is? I'm not sure I would ever call a fifth round pick a bust. He could certainly play better and he has potential that he hasn't yet reached, but I don't believe he'll ever be labeled a bust.

[bestQBever]

the term bust only really applys to people drafted in the first two rounds. 

[Derakynn]

What? He is a second year project player picked in the 5th round. There is no such thing as a fifth round bust in my book. Plenty of 5th rounders never work out.

[ar1888]

I think he will end up as or #4 DE taking Pendeltons spot for the 2014 season. McKinney taking the #2 NT job. Just a theory.

[HtownColt]

I don't think a player chosen in the bottom half of the draft could ever be considered a bust.

[Gavin]

A rotational NT in the late rounds a bust? Absolutely not, If your looking for busts then I think we are talking first 3 rounds, After that I think bust is pretty harsh

[dw49]

Problem is Pagano just talks some of these guys up so much that some fans come to expect a lot. When he was drafted , Pagano just way way over board gushing about the Haloti Ngata we just drafted in the 5th round. The more experienced fan probably realizes that a early 5th rounder is doing well to stick as a role player.

[Le Neon]

A fifth round player making the roster in his second season is almost the opposite of a bust.

[1959Colts]

Lets see what he does.

[Jiggy]

jamarcus russell was a bust

[Dustin]

> 5th round pick

> bust

Pick one.

[21isSuperman]

If he becomes a starter, it will be an incredible job by the coaching staff.  He's very raw and needs a lot of work, but Grigs seems really high on him, and he seemed decent in the little playing time he had last year.  I think a realistic expectation for him is "rotational lineman"

[Jason_]

I think he will end up as or #4 DE taking Pendeltons spot for the 2014 season. McKinney taking the #2 NT job. Just a theory.

I'd be more than willing to bet that Hughes would have been above pendleton on the depth chart anyway.

To the OP, he's had one full year and on preseason game. I think it's a bit early to even be asking this question.

[Superman]

Problem is Pagano just talks some of these guys up so much that some fans come to expect a lot. When he was drafted , Pagano just way way over board gushing about the Haloti Ngata we just drafted in the 5th round. The more experienced fan probably realizes that a early 5th rounder is doing well to stick as a role player.

 

Yeah, Coach should just be like "That guy, well, you know, he was pretty good in college, but the pros is different. He might not be that special here. And you know, he was only a fifth round pick, so he might not even pan out. If I had to compare him to somebody, I'd probably say Antonio Johnson... You remember him, right? The journeyman we had playing nose tackle for us last year, that wasn't all that good, but was at least a big body for us? Yeah, that's what we expect Montori Hughes to be. Don't get too used to seeing him, because first chance we get, we're looking for a better player."

 

My question is, why wouldn't you want the coach to speak glowingly of the player the team just drafted? And keep in mind, the Colts traded up for him, so they obviously really liked him. It wasn't just "well, he's probably the best option on the board, let's go ahead and take him." No, they gave up a future fourth rounder for him. There ought to be a little excitement...

 

Yes, he's just a fifth rounder, and the career of Haloti Ngata probably isn't on the horizon. But what Pagano said is that Hughes is big (he is), strong (he is), and moves quickly for his size (he does), which reminds him of Haloti Ngata.

[Superman]

I'd be more than willing to bet that Hughes would have been above pendleton on the depth chart anyway.

To the OP, he's had one full year and on preseason game. I think it's a bit early to even be asking this question.

 

He didn't even have a full year. He didn't dress the first half of the season, and then he got hurt (and it wasn't a severe injury, but it was the end of the season, so he wouldn't have gotten back on the field). Only played in 4 games.

 

Why anyone would be thinking about Montori Hughes being a bust -- fifth rounder or not -- is beyond me.

[throwing BBZ]

l lost my crystal ball.  What a question.  bla

[Superman]

By the way, Arthur Jones was also a fifth rounder.

[dw49]

Yeah, Coach should just be like "That guy, well, you know, he was pretty good in college, but the pros is different. He might not be that special here. And you know, he was only a fifth round pick, so he might not even pan out. If I had to compare him to somebody, I'd probably say Antonio Johnson... You remember him, right? The journeyman we had playing nose tackle for us last year, that wasn't all that good, but was at least a big body for us? Yeah, that's what we expect Montori Hughes to be. Don't get too used to seeing him, because first chance we get, we're looking for a better player."

 

My question is, why wouldn't you want the coach to speak glowingly of the player the team just drafted? 

 

Yes, he's just a fifth rounder, and the career of Haloti Ngata probably isn't on the horizon. But what Pagano said is that Hughes is big (he is), strong (he is), and moves quickly for his size (he does), which reminds him of Haloti Ngata.

 

 

Simply because he wasn't the second coming of Ngata and if he was such a wonderful combination os speed and power , he PROBABLY would not be sitting there in the 5th round. He actually did make some Ngata comparisons . But here's one I found with just a quick look. 

 

 

 

 

So far the Colts and Chuck Pagano have been very impressed by Hughes. Pagano had some great things to day about Hughes during a conference call with Colts season ticket holders on Wednesday.

I’m going to knock on wood and go out on a limb but this kid’s going to special. You are talking 6-4 and 340 pounds and he moves like an outside linebacker . If you watch this kid go through the bags and do some of the things that he’s doing at the size that he’s doing is just tremendous.

 

So your question is why shouldn't he call Trent Richardson a "bowling ball of knives " or Hughes a Ngata clone ? Dunno … just think it's stupid and don't see the point in it. I also was trying to give an explanation of why a less knowledgable fan might call him a bust. If you'd like to make further issue .. I'm here .. just let me know. I go find some more that will be a little more than " But what Pagano said is that Hughes is big (he is), strong (he is), and moves quickly for his size (he does), which reminds him of Haloti Ngata."

[21isSuperman]

 

Simply because he wasn't the second coming of Ngata and if he was such a wonderful combination os speed and power , he PROBABLY would not be sitting there in the 5th round. He actually did make some Ngata comparisons . But here's one I found with just a quick look. 

 

 

 

 

So far the Colts and Chuck Pagano have been very impressed by Hughes. Pagano had some great things to day about Hughes during a conference call with Colts season ticket holders on Wednesday.

 

I’m going to knock on wood and go out on a limb but this kid’s going to special. You are talking 6-4 and 340 pounds and he moves like an outside linebacker . If you watch this kid go through the bags and do some of the things that he’s doing at the size that he’s doing is just tremendous.

I don't think I've heard Pagano say one bad thing about any player, or even be critical of a player.  I've never heard him say a player needs to work more on something or really needs to step up this year or has a lot of work to do or needs to be more consistent.  I've only heard him speak as though every player is going to be a future HOFer.

[ponyboy]

My question to you guys is, will this guy ever live up to the potential he has as a NT/DT in this defense, or will he underwhelm and not put forth the effort?

 

If he panned out, we would have a beast DL with Hughes, Chapman, and Jones for the future.

 

I actually thought he he pretty good last year in his limited time before getting injured.  If he's healthy, I'd expect him to make some significant contributions this year.

[dw49]

I don't think I've heard Pagano say one bad thing about any player, or even be critical of a player.  I've never heard him say a player needs to work more on something or really needs to step up this year or has a lot of work to do or needs to be more consistent.  I've only heard him speak as though every player is going to be a future HOFer.

 

 

Nor have I. My point is that sometimes he can be just a little over board with praise for a player and it can create some pretty big expectations. Hughes is a good example of this. It's a pretty big statement to say you think a 5th rounder is going to be "special and unlike what SM said , it was more like "he's got a great chance to be our Ngata." Anyway … does it really bother me ? Not really .. just don't see the point of going over board like that.

[dw49]

I actually thought he he pretty good last year in his limited time before getting injured.  If he's healthy, I'd expect him to make some significant contributions this year.

 

 

yeah.. not bad for a 5th rounder and far from a "bust."

[Superman]

Simply because he wasn't the second coming of Ngata and if he was such a wonderful combination os speed and power , he PROBABLY would not be sitting there in the 5th round. He actually did make some Ngata comparisons . But here's one I found with just a quick look. 

 

 

 

 

So far the Colts and Chuck Pagano have been very impressed by Hughes. Pagano had some great things to day about Hughes during a conference call with Colts season ticket holders on Wednesday.

I’m going to knock on wood and go out on a limb but this kid’s going to special. You are talking 6-4 and 340 pounds and he moves like an outside linebacker . If you watch this kid go through the bags and do some of the things that he’s doing at the size that he’s doing is just tremendous.

 

So your question is why shouldn't he call Trent Richardson a "bowling ball of knives " or Hughes a Ngata clone ? Dunno … just think it's stupid and don't see the point in it. I also was trying to give an explanation of why a less knowledgable fan might call him a bust. If you'd like to make further issue .. I'm here .. just let me know. I go find some more that will be a little more than " But what Pagano said is that Hughes is big (he is), strong (he is), and moves quickly for his size (he does), which reminds him of Haloti Ngata."

 

This is what Pagano said: http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130509/SPORTS/130509661/1029/COLTS

“This guy moves like Haloti, he's big like Haloti,” Pagano said. “He walked down the hall, they nicknamed him 'Eclipse.' The guy can barely fit through the door.”

 

You'll have to find something that suggests Pagano called him a Ngata clone. He only said he's big like him and moves like him, which are both true. He didn't say "this guy is our version of Haloti Ngata," "this guy is a Haloti Ngata clone," "he's the second coming of Haloti Ngata," etc. If some fans hear what Pagano said and their brain translates it into more than just a simple comparison in terms of size and movement, then I put that on the fans, not on Pagano. I don't think there's anything wrong with what he said.

 

I made the cardinal sin of editing my post, so you may not have seen... But remember they gave up a future 4th rounder for him. They moved up in the draft to get him, so they obviously really liked him. The excitement is normal.

 

To me, it's even different from the Richardson stuff. Richardson had a reputation of being a tough, powerful runner. We're still waiting for that guy to show p in Indy, but that's what he was coming out of Alabama, and even though he wasn't spectacular as a rookie, he was still known for being tough to bring down. Excuse the coach for his colorful descriptions of players, but I'd much rather prefer he be excited about his new acquisitions than to step up to the podium and tell the fans that they shouldn't expect too much out of the newly acquired player.

[dw49]

This is what Pagano said: http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130509/SPORTS/130509661/1029/COLTS

“This guy moves like Haloti, he's big like Haloti,” Pagano said. “He walked down the hall, they nicknamed him 'Eclipse.' The guy can barely fit through the door.”

 

You'll have to find something that suggests Pagano called him a Ngata clone. He only said he's big like him and moves like him, which are both true. He didn't say "this guy is our version of Haloti Ngata," "this guy is a Haloti Ngata clone," "he's the second coming of Haloti Ngata," etc. If some fans hear what Pagano said and their brain translates it into more than just a simple comparison in terms of size and movement, then I put that on the fans, not on Pagano. I don't think there's anything wrong with what he said.

 

I made the cardinal sin of editing my post, so you may not have seen... But remember they gave up a future 4th rounder for him. They moved up in the draft to get him, so they obviously really liked him. The excitement is normal.

 

To me, it's even different from the Richardson stuff. Richardson had a reputation of being a tough, powerful runner. We're still waiting for that guy to show p in Indy, but that's what he was coming out of Alabama, and even though he wasn't spectacular as a rookie, he was still known for being tough to bring down. Excuse the coach for his colorful descriptions of players, but I'd much rather prefer he be excited about his new acquisitions than to step up to the podium and tell the fans that they shouldn't expect too much out of the newly acquired player.

 

 

 

 What I said was that Pagano went over board talking up this player. He made Ngata comparisons , which by the way were more than the one statement you quote. I'm not going to go nuts and try to find one. He did say something like "Hughes can be our Ngata." But I think when I gave you the quote where is says" I'm going out on a limb and says Hughes will be a special player ", it proves my point . No  ? Now whether or not he should give these gushing reports , Werner was another, before a guy plays a down … I don't know and I don't care. As I said , I only brought it up as to why someone would call him a bust. I think it has a little to do with the "glowing " report Pagano gave. BTW… don't you have anything better to do than do an anal job of picking a post apart ?

[Superman]

What I said was that Pagano went over board talking up this player. He made Ngata comparisons , which by the way were more than the one statement you quote. I'm not going to go nuts and try to find one. He did say something like "Hughes can be our Ngata." But I think when I gave you the quote where is says" I'm going out on a limb and says Hughes will be a special player ", it proves my point . No ? Now whether or not he should give these gushing reports , Werner was another, before a guy plays a down … I don't know and I don't care. As I said , I only brought it up as to why someone would call him a bust. I think it has a little to do with the "glowing " report Pagano gave. BTW… don't you have anything better to do than do an anal job of picking a post apart ?

Wow.

You're picking apart Pagano's positive comments about a player they drafted, but I'm being anal?

My question from the first post is why I disagree with the criticism. Why wouldn't Pagano be excited about a guy they just drafted?

I don't think it's the coach's fault if some fans have an incurable case of Brad Wells syndrome, and are in a hurry to declare a player as a bust.

My apologies if you think I'm picking on you or what you said. But this is hardly the first time someone has launched this particular criticism, and I don't get it. It's weird to me.

[dw49]

Wow.

You're picking apart Pagano's positive comments about a player they drafted, but I'm being anal?

My question from the first post is why I disagree with the criticism. Why wouldn't Pagano be excited about a guy they just drafted?

I don't think it's the coach's fault if some fans have an incurable case of Brad Wells syndrome, and are in a hurry to declare a player as a bust.

My apologies if you think I'm picking on you or what you said. But this is hardly the first time someone has launched this particular criticism, and I don't get it. It's weird to me.

 

Best we drop it. I have no problem with a coach saying positive things about a player. But I do think it's not necessary to say a 5th round draft pick will be(he thinks) a special player before he even puts the pads on. The only thing I had a problem with is you asking me to find a "Ngata clone remark." That was a real nitpick as I think I pretty well backed up what I said. Anyway… No problem and bottom line is its silly to call Hughes a bust.

[Tracy Denton]

By the way, Arthur Jones was also a fifth rounder.

So was Robert Mathis.

[Andy]

By the way, Arthur Jones was also a fifth rounder.

 

And needed two full years of development.

[PrincetonTiger]

Not at all

[dw49]

So was Robert Mathis.

 

 

Not only that but the Colts traded up to the 3rd pick in the 5th for Mathis and traded up to the 6th pick in the 5th for Hughes. Both played for small schools and were a bit "under the radar." Very similar stuff. Major difference was Mathis was no risk character wise and was very productive. Hughes .. not so much …but kids often turn that stuff around when they reach the NFL.

[BProland85]

I think he will end up as or #4 DE taking Pendeltons spot for the 2014 season. McKinney taking the #2 NT job. Just a theory.

I guess that is what I would label a bust, even for a 5th round pick. Hughes has always been known as a talented player, so if he can't unseat McKinney as the #2 NT, then I would consider that a bust since he is not progressing.

[jskinnz]

I guess that is what I would label a bust, even for a 5th round pick. Hughes has always been known as a talented player, so if he can't unseat McKinney as the #2 NT, then I would consider that a bust since he is not progressing.

Just spitballing here but maybe, just maybe it might be a good idea to let Hughes play his 2nd season before calling him a bust.

[ztboiler]

I guess that is what I would label a bust, even for a 5th round pick. Hughes has always been known as a talented player, so if he can't unseat McKinney as the #2 NT, then I would consider that a bust since he is not progressing.

I'm not sure they see him as the same guy as McKinney, but rather a DT that can play NT as well.  Big difference.  He is in line to play a lot of snaps as a rotational DT.  Kind of right where he should be for a second year player drafted in any round but maybe the first.

[Superman]

Best we drop it. I have no problem with a coach saying positive things about a player. But I do think it's not necessary to say a 5th round draft pick will be(he thinks) a special player before he even puts the pads on. The only thing I had a problem with is you asking me to find a "Ngata clone remark." That was a real nitpick as I think I pretty well backed up what I said. Anyway… No problem and bottom line is its silly to call Hughes a bust.

 

Well we all know Pagano can be prone to some embellishing. I felt like you were embellishing his already embellished comments. No big.

 

Back on Hughes, he dropped in the draft partly due to some character concerns, after he was relegated to a smaller conference school. So he might be the kind of fifth rounder that was more of a third round talent, but messed that up for himself with some dumb decisions. I know I really like what I've seen from him, and I think he has the potential to be a good player. Even discussing whether he'll be a bust or not is nonsense, like you say.

[NewColtsFan]

I guess that is what I would label a bust, even for a 5th round pick. Hughes has always been known as a talented player, so if he can't unseat McKinney as the #2 NT, then I would consider that a bust since he is not progressing.

 

I think currently on the Colts.com depth chart,  Hughes is listed 2nd behind Chapman at NT and ahead of McKinney.

 

EDIT:    I'm not seeing the depth chart on Colts.com....   but here it is from ESPN.com and Wells says it's from the Colts....    Hughes is indeed 2nd, ahead of McKinney....    Hope this helps...

 

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/indianapolis-colts/post/_/id/6901/colts-depth-chart-2-0

[Superman]

I'm not sure they see him as the same guy as McKinney, but rather a DT that can play NT as well.  Big difference.  He is in line to play a lot of snaps as a rotational DT.  Kind of right where he should be for a second year player drafted in any round but maybe the first.

 

This year, they've listed him as a NT on the depth chart. That's different from last year. Not sure it matters, as they'll play him in different positions on different downs and in different situations. But he might be more of a NT than he was before.

[HtownColt]

I guess that is what I would label a bust, even for a 5th round pick. Hughes has always been known as a talented player, so if he can't unseat McKinney as the #2 NT, then I would consider that a bust since he is not progressing.

Hughes is already the #2 NT though, first to come in for Chapman vs Jets at NT

He flashed as a NT last year vs Rams and Cards. Not so much as the DT, I'm glad they moved him to just NT so he can settle in and just play what he does best

[ztboiler]

This year, they've listed him as a NT on the depth chart. That's different from last year. Not sure it matters, as they'll play him in different positions on different downs and in different situations. But he might be more of a NT than he was before.

Good catch.  I'm probably projecting the way I hope they use him moreso than the new reality.  

[dw49]

Well we all know Pagano can be prone to some embellishing. I felt like you were embellishing his already embellished comments. No big.

 

Back on Hughes, he dropped in the draft partly due to some character concerns, after he was relegated to a smaller conference school. So he might be the kind of fifth rounder that was more of a third round talent, but messed that up for himself with some dumb decisions. I know I really like what I've seen from him, and I think he has the potential to be a good player. Even discussing whether he'll be a bust or not is nonsense, like you say.

 

 

 

Agree. Seems like he has stayed very clean and I've never heard that he had a poor attitude since being drafted. I'm not sure he was ever projected to go much before than where he did , but for sure he had the size - speed ratio to go a couple rounds higher. I think at the least he will be a rotational player that can play both NT and DE in our defense. It's not like these teams don't have injuries , so that's pretty valuable.