Indianapolis Colts getting rid of FB use in Offense (Speculation)

[TKnight24]

@HolderStephen: Fullback Mario Harvey changed jersey number to 55 which I figured cast doubt on whether he's still FB. That plus he played 0 off. snaps Sun

@HolderStephen: I think all of you who have railed against the #Colts use of the fullback, you're probably going to get your way.

@HolderStephen: Harvey still going to off. and def. meetings, but has to report as eligible if he entering game on offense. Sounds like a LB to me

[BrentMc11]

Maybe Havilli is close and they want to keep him???  I would drop the FB....Let Boom and TR play one if we 'really' feel we need one.

[krunk]

Harvey has no use as a fullback or a linebacker. If he can't play offense anymore then I would be expecting his release soon.

[krunk]

I'd be interested to see if they did drop the fullback.  Almost everything Bradshaw did in NY was behind a fullback.

[TKnight24]

Maybe Havilli is close and they want to keep him??? I would drop the FB....Let Boom and TR play one if we 'really' feel we need one.

Isn't Havili on the PUP list? Don't you have to stay on the PUP list until week 6 regardless if you heal quicker than the staff thought you would?

[TKnight24]

Harvey has no use as a fullback or a linebacker. If he can't play offense anymore then I would be expecting his release soon.

Maybe release him for another pass rusher?

And all the ILB's we have are better than Harvey so he really isn't gonna see the field barring injury

[HtownColt]

Maybe Havilli is close and they want to keep him??? I would drop the FB....Let Boom and TR play one if we 'really' feel we need one.

Havili is on PUP, he has to miss the first 6 games so I think this move has nothing to do with Havili and more of that Freeman might miss this week and maybe next week too

[BrentMc11]

Harvey has no use as a fullback or a linebacker. If he can't play offense anymore then I would be expecting his release soon.

Not with you on Harvey.  With LBs going down and out he will be listed as a LB.  With Cam Johnson gone we need his Special Teams 'activity.'  Next to gunner Sergio Brown, he has consistently been the best on ST.....he and Studebaker are beasts.  No Mario is not a good cover LB.....I am wondering aloud once again If D Jackson is either.

[BrentMc11]

Isn't Havili on the PUP list? Don't you have to stay on the PUP list until week 6 regardless if you heal quicker than the staff thought you would?

HMMM...I thought PUP could come back sooner than IR Return.  I may be wrong.

[HtownColt]

HMMM...I thought PUP could come back sooner than IR Return. I may be wrong.

It is, PUP is 6, IR is 8

[BlueShoe]

I am all in for that execution.

 

Really though, is this surprising? We have played mostly 11 and 12 personnel in 2014.

 

Sounds to me like someone noticed what we have already been doing for a few months and proclaimed it as a prediction.

[BrentMc11]

It is, PUP is 6, IR is 8

Thank you Htown.  I did not want to give bad info!!

[Combsey]

No Mario he sucks as a LB he is a better FB and he isn't very good at that.

[Archer]

I theorized that we would start the year off with Havili on the PUP and keep no FBs on the active roster.  But we kept Harvey.  I suppose they like him as a special teamer, FB, and emergency LB...

[GoColtsGo5150]

Im probably in favour of using less of a FB,maybe for more goal line and very short yardage situations. I mentioned in another thread about maybe having 2 RBs ( Richardson and Bradshaw) in the backfield in the shotgun with Luck- option plays and both can block pretty well.

[Superman]

We used players as FBs in the opener, just not Harvey. Very first play of the game, Dwayne Allen was in the backfield as a FB.

[BlueShoe]

We used players as FBs in the opener, just not Harvey. Very first play of the game, Dwayne Allen was in the backfield as a FB.

 

This is true. And off the top of my head, I believe he was in motion and setup shop at FB. I can check later to see though.

[Superman]

This is true. And off the top of my head, I believe he was in motion and setup shop at FB. I can check later to see though.

 

Not on that play. Lined up at FB from the beginning. No checks, no motion, Luck barely looked at the protection. We just lined up and ran the play.

[Malakai432]

Hmmmmm

[Clem-Dog]

Whatever the case may be, I hope we run a lot more 3-wide featuring Allen as our #1 tight end.  Our offense is way less predictable when we have our best weapons playing at the same time. 

[SilentHill]

Dear God, If you thought D'Qwell Jackson was bad in coverage, you should go back and watch film on Harvey from last year.

 

Please don't put him back on Defense!

[krunk]

Not with you on Harvey.  With LBs going down and out he will be listed as a LB.  With Cam Johnson gone we need his Special Teams 'activity.'  Next to gunner Sergio Brown, he has consistently been the best on ST.....he and Studebaker are beasts.  No Mario is not a good cover LB.....I am wondering aloud once again If D Jackson is either.

 

Chris Carter(also known for special teams) is Cam Johnson replacement and we also have Purifoy on special teams to go along with Brown, plus Studebaker. All of our linebackers are healthy the ones that were here and Johnson has already been replaced.  We don't need Harvey on special teams that bad, and we have Mwamba, Mcnary, and Studebaker who can back up Dqwell and Freeman.  I'm assuming maybe Havili is coming back soon I suppose, maybe that's why he changed his number back to linebacker.

[krunk]

Dear God, If you thought D'Qwell Jackson was bad in coverage, you should go back and watch film on Harvey from last year.

 

Please don't put him back on Defense!

 

 

Amen!

[BrentMc11]

Dear God, If you thought D'Qwell Jackson was bad in coverage, you should go back and watch film on Harvey from last year.

 

Please don't put him back on Defense!

He will be on ST unless there is an emergency at ILB.

 

Krunk:  I need to see Chris Carter play.....

[krunk]

I will see how they play it out, but they have 3 different people that can back up the ILB spot between Mwamba, Mcnary, and Studebaker.  If they are taking Harvey away from fullback then I don't see the cause to make any of the above inactive just to let Harvey play. If Carter is one of the OLB backups I can't see them making him inactive either with our pass rusher shortage.  We'll see, but I just don't see as much need for Harvey the closer I examine things, but I could certainly be mistaken.  To you be your view and to me mine I guess.....  

 

I do agree however that I am looking to see what Carter brings to the table as a special teamer, and also what ways he will be used as a pass rusher.  From the video I saw he's a more than adequate pass rusher, but I think the knock has been on him in the run game.  We'll find out going forward.

[Dustin]

We used players as FBs in the opener, just not Harvey. Very first play of the game, Dwayne Allen was in the backfield as a FB.

As it should be.

[Superman]

As it should be.

 

Yup. It was perfect for the no-huddle attack we started with. Moved right into shotgun formations.

[Dustin]

Yup. It was perfect for the no-huddle attack we started with. Moved right into shotgun formations.

Sort of off-topic, but the snap split between Allen and Fleener the other day was something like 50%-70% in favor of Fleener. I hope they were just easing him back in and that's not a sign of things to come. Ideally those numbers should be switched.

[NewEra]

Harvey has no use as a fullback or a linebacker. If he can't play offense anymore then I would be expecting his release soon.

I still have nightmares about him dropping back in pass coverage.

[NewEra]

Chris Carter(also known for special teams) is Cam Johnson replacement and we also have Purifoy on special teams to go along with Brown, plus Studebaker. All of our linebackers are healthy the ones that were here and Johnson has already been replaced. We don't need Harvey on special teams that bad, and we have Mwamba, Mcnary, and Studebaker who can back up Dqwell and Freeman. I'm assuming maybe Havili is coming back soon I suppose, maybe that's why he changed his number back to linebacker.

That lick Purifoy laid on the PR was awesome. Ball just didn't bounce our way like a few others that night. Crazy how we didn't get that fumble on another play with 3 Colt players right there.

[Superman]

Sort of off-topic, but the snap split between Allen and Fleener the other day was something like 50%-70% in favor of Fleener. I hope they were just easing him back in and that's not a sign of things to come. Ideally those numbers should be switched.

 

Someone said something about that the other day. Can't remember who, might have been Pagano, but the point was basically that it was hard to sub Allen in once we increased the tempo. I don't know if that means they had Fleener ahead of him so they could ease him in, or if it was just a matchup thing, or what. But ideally, I agree, Allen should see more snaps than Fleener.

[TKnight24]

Someone said something about that the other day. Can't remember who, might have been Pagano, but the point was basically that it was hard to sub Allen in once we increased the tempo. I don't know if that means they had Fleener ahead of him so they could ease him in, or if it was just a matchup thing, or what. But ideally, I agree, Allen should see more snaps than Fleener.

Sort of off-topic, but the snap split between Allen and Fleener the other day was something like 50%-70% in favor of Fleener. I hope they were just easing him back in and that's not a sign of things to come. Ideally those numbers should be switched.

I'd be more in favor of Fleener starting if he started playing like his body build and not some HS football player

Too tall and athletic to not be our Jimmy Graham (not saying he's on Jimmy's level but they have similar body types)

Fleener plays so timid and soft

[1yrdandacloudofdust]

Put Trent on D

[Gavin]

No need to get rid of the FB, Just using him strengths to our advantage would help...Catching and running

[BlueShoe]

Not on that play. Lined up at FB from the beginning. No checks, no motion, Luck barely looked at the protection. We just lined up and ran the play.

 

Correct. Not in motion

 

[GoColts8818]

Maybe release him for another pass rusher?

And all the ILB's we have are better than Harvey so he really isn't gonna see the field barring injury

I understand the need for a pass rusher and I am all for bringing one in if we have one to bring in. Just because there is a need doesn't mean Grigson can snap his fingers and make a guy appear. Honestly with the lack of a pass rusher not named Mathis last year and him already being suspended for four games if there was someone worth bringing in I think Grigson would have done so already. I am guessing if we make a move for a pass rusher it will be via trade.

[Gavin]

I understand the need for a pass rusher and I am all for bringing one in if we have one to bring in. Just because there is a need doesn't mean Grigson can snap his fingers and make a guy appear. Honestly with the lack of a pass rusher not named Mathis last year and him already being suspended for four games if there was someone worth bringing in I think Grigson would have done so already. I am guessing if we make a move for a pass rusher it will be via trade.

Colts currently have 53 players on the active roster so if Grigson brought in a pass rusher then it would have to be through a trade, Only other moves I could see them make is:

 

1.Cutting/trading Shipley for a raw pass rusher with upside...Which would signify Holmes is ready to go

2.Cutting/Trading Rodgers for a raw pass rusher with upside...yeah he has upside but he still has some growing up to do and has been inconsistent...I'd be for keeping him if we were not in need of another pass rusher

3.Cutting/trading the recently picked up Dion Lewis for a raw pass rusher with upside

4.Trading Henoc Muamba for a raw pass rusher with some upside

 

None of those moves would get us an established pass rusher however...There are a few pass rushers who intrigue me however on a few practice squads

 

 

OR if none of those are good Manusky can move guys at LB around more (and by that I don't mean covering WR's) and blitz more...Of course this would require him stretching his imagination some

[Superman]

Colts currently have 53 players on the active roster so if Grigson brought in a pass rusher then it would have to be through a trade, Only other moves I could see them make is:

 

1.Cutting/trading Shipley for a raw pass rusher with upside...Which would signify Holmes is ready to go

2.Cutting/Trading Rodgers for a raw pass rusher with upside...yeah he has upside but he still has some growing up to do and has been inconsistent...I'd be for keeping him if we were not in need of another pass rusher

3.Cutting/trading the recently picked up Dion Lewis for a raw pass rusher with upside

4.Trading Henoc Muamba for a raw pass rusher with some upside

 

None of those moves would get us an established pass rusher however...There are a few pass rushers who intrigue me however on a few practice squads

 

 

OR if none of those are good Manusky can move guys at LB around more (and by that I don't mean covering WR's) and blitz more...Of course this would require him stretching his imagination some

 

Adrian Hubbard is on the Packers practice squad. I'd be in favor of signing him to our active roster. He had a good preseason as a pass rusher. Caesar Rayford is still a free agent as well, I believe. 

[Jason_]

Adrian Hubbard is on the Packers practice squad. I'd be in favor of signing him to our active roster. He had a good preseason as a pass rusher. Caesar Rayford is still a free agent as well, I believe. 

 

I  posted the names of a few OLB's on other team's PS in another thread; Hubbard was one of them.  The others:

 

John Simon - Balt PS

Jackson Jeffcoat - Wash PS

Chase Thomas - SF PS

 

There might have been another or 2 that I'd listed but can't find that post now and can't remember who else there might have been.

[Superman]

I  posted the names of a few OLB's on other team's PS in another thread; Hubbard was one of them.  The others:

 

John Simon - Balt PS

Jackson Jeffcoat - Wash PS

Chase Thomas - SF PS

 

There might have been another or 2 that I'd listed but can't find that post now and can't remember who else there might have been.

 

Good stuff. I don't think I saw the other post. Hubbard is probably my favorite from that list, but I think the plan at this point is to see how our guys who have been working all offseason can do. They didn't really get much chance to rush the passer last week.