Grigson Strategy Is Solid

[Superman]

RJF was better so I would hope it was less. 

 

So Langford isn't the RJF of DL, huh? 

 

I think it's a wash. Langford in a 3-4 was better than RJF last year, but that was three years ago. 

[ThatOneColtFan]

After we sign Knighton, then his strategy will be fine. We have to fix the D-Line if we want to be significantly better than last year. Signing Knighton would give us a stud DT who's in his prime. Then we need to turn around and draft defense in the first 3 rounds of the draft.

 

Please do not get my hopes of signing Knighton up ;--;

[Dustin]

So Langford isn't the RJF of DL, huh? 

 

I think it's a wash. Langford in a 3-4 was better than RJF last year, but that was three years ago. 

 

It is a wash and that's a problem. Dline has gotten worse since NE ran for a million yards on us. We're locked into 2 average starting DEs and a below-average NT. 

 

But hey, at least we gave Joe Reitz $9M to rot away on the bench. 

[ÅÐØNϧ 1]

I don't normally put too much stock in any media guys but I thought his take was pretty spot on.

 

We have needed O-line & D- line for years  thank you Mr obvious is what I have to say . His take is the same as all of us on a message board .

 

Give us Pot Roast or Wilfork I'd be happy .

[dw49]

I don't know if you've done any detailed projections for our cap, but I have. I think we could have grabbed a highly rated playmaker or two and still be fine to sign our own guys. We're in a much different year to year situation than the Pats right now, in that we don't have dead money from previously released or restructured guys, we don't have injured playmakers (Mayo, etc.), and we have a cheap, young core for another year at least. Kendall Langford could have been Terrance Knighton. We could have grabbed Searcy. Etc.

 

I'm fine with Trent Cole. I think his contract is a little more than I expected, but I think he'll be worth it. McPhee got the same yearly average. Greg Hardy is out there, but probably not a Colts target. 

 

Again, I'm not griping about the strategy. I'm just saying that the roster needed to be upgraded. The cap situation is a concurrent factor, but not the only one. To me, the first consideration is whether the team is better.

 

 

No doubt in the world that the Colts could have signed a guy or two like Searcy along with guys like Gore and Herrmans. And I think if the right player was there at the right price , Grigson would have done so. Time will tell if things like Knighton plus the extra money > than Langford. Thing is , it's kind of like the draft.. you sit there sweating it for hours and get all happy when your couple of "steals" are sitting there and the Colts take someone you've never heard of or never considered . We just have no way of knowing how management really sees the players we want. Example .. I can't figure out why they didn't sign Brach or Searcy. Is what it is I guess

[dw49]

I don't normally put too much stock in any media guys but I thought his take was pretty spot on.

 

 

Like I said time will tell. Frank Gore can't run the ball better than TR ? Cole won't give us a better pass rush ?

 

I know we haven't made the splash NE has made but we're trying. I mean just wonderful season for the good guys so far. Cut Wilford , cut Browner and lose Revis... resign McCourtney for ridiculous money. Tell that genius to pull his head out of his .... as it's getting poop on it.

[amfootball]

Like I said time will tell. Frank Gore can't run the ball better than TR ? Cole won't give us a better pass rush ?

 

I know we haven't made the splash NE has made but we're trying. I mean just wonderful season for the good guys so far. Cut Wilford , cut Browner and lose Revis... resign McCourtney for ridiculous money. Tell that genius to pull his head out of his .... as it's getting poop on it.

One you get the ring, you get maybe the biggest pass ever. Honestly, I am numb to Revis. I just keep watching the SB over and over. Imagine if we hadn't won? People would be jumping off bridges today.  

[Superman]

No doubt in the world that the Colts could have signed a guy or two like Searcy along with guys like Gore and Herrmans. And I think if the right player was there at the right price , Grigson would have done so. Time will tell if things like Knighton plus the extra money > than Langford. Thing is , it's kind of like the draft.. you sit there sweating it for hours and get all happy when your couple of "steals" are sitting there and the Colts take someone you've never heard of or never considered . We just have no way of knowing how management really sees the players we want. Example .. I can't figure out why they didn't sign Brach or Searcy. Is what it is I guess

 

No great loss on Branch. Searcy I wanted, but who knows what happened there.

 

My thing is cap space doesn't win games. 

[dw49]

One you get the ring, you get maybe the biggest pass ever. Honestly, I am numb to Revis. I just keep watching the SB over and over. Imagine if we hadn't won? People would be jumping off bridges today.  

 

 

LOL.. you guys went 10 years without winning the SB . Now it's ho.. hum .. I'm getting sick of winning the SB.

Edited March 11, 2015 by Superman

[Superman]

It is a wash and that's a problem. Dline has gotten worse since NE ran for a million yards on us. We're locked into 2 average starting DEs and a below-average NT. 

 

But hey, at least we gave Joe Reitz $9M to rot away on the bench. 

 

It's Day 2 of free agency. I don't think the line has gotten worse. I think the line is pending. Let's see how it looks in a couple days, and again after the draft.

 

I said in the Reitz thread that I think his deal is an indication of his role. I hope so. 

[dw49]

No great loss on Branch. Searcy I wanted, but who knows what happened there.

 

My thing is cap space doesn't win games. 

 No .. its how you spend it and it's how not to get into situations like NO and Baltimore. Grigson will spend the cap and we'll see how it all plays out. Plus we have a few more moves coming . 

[BOTT]

Well, I hope he starts hitting on first round draft picks so he has someone to pay. Luck, AC, and TY are young guys that will see $$$...I don't see the TE's breaking the bank.

[DougDew]

I'm on board.

 

Here's my point: The offseason -- including free agency -- is about making the team better. Yes, that has to be done within the parameters of the team's cap situation, but the objective is not to add players on cap friendly deals. The objective is to make the team better.

 

It can be argued that longer, more expensive contracts for younger playmakers would do more to improve the team. So it's not just a question of whether the cap is in good shape. We still need to see a better product on the field, otherwise, who cares what the cap looks like? 

 

Grigson's strategy is fiscally sound. I dig it, and I like the players. But we can talk about alternative approaches that probably would have more impact on the field. Yes, they'd be more expensive, but presumably, the team would be better.

This is true; however, I do not think it is possible to get significantly better via free agency without mortgaging the future.  You have to use free agency as a way to get marginally better, and definitely as means to prevent vacancies at key positions (like we would have had with Butler leaving) as you upgrade the talent of the team via the draft. 

 

Unfortunately, that strategy has not been entirely visible with the Colts much because the past two 1st round draft picks have not contributed like you would like.

[Superman]

This is true; however, I do not think it is possible to get significantly better via free agency without mortgaging the future.  You have to use free agency as a way to get marginally better, and definitely as means to prevent vacancies at key positions (like we would have had with Butler leaving) as you upgrade the talent of the team via the draft. 

 

Unfortunately, that strategy has not been entirely visible with the Colts much because the past two 1st round draft picks have not contributed like you would like.

 

When you say "mortgaging the future," I assume you mean sacrificing your ability to keep your core intact. Having done a bunch of projections, and looking at the contracts that guys like Clint Boling and DaNorris Searcy got, we could have added some really good free agents without "mortgaging the future." 

 

You're absolutely right about the first rounders. 

[Smurphy1]

When you say "mortgaging the future," I assume you mean sacrificing your ability to keep your core intact. Having done a bunch of projections, and looking at the contracts that guys like Clint Boling and DaNorris Searcy got, we could have added some really good free agents without "mortgaging the future." 

 

You're absolutely right about the first rounders. 

 

As you've pointed out before free agency is not like shopping. You can't always get the guys you want even if you are willing to pay.

[dw49]

This is true; however, I do not think it is possible to get significantly better via free agency without mortgaging the future.  You have to use free agency as a way to get marginally better, and definitely as means to prevent vacancies at key positions (like we would have had with Butler leaving) as you upgrade the talent of the team via the draft. 

 

Unfortunately, that strategy has not been entirely visible with the Colts much because the past two 1st round draft picks have not contributed like you would like.

 

 

And this is what the stategy Grigson is banking on. .. that being good drafting. You fill the holes as you say and then the players you draft take the spots of the 

 

When you say "mortgaging the future," I assume you mean sacrificing your ability to keep your core intact. Having done a bunch of projections, and looking at the contracts that guys like Clint Boling and DaNorris Searcy got, we could have added some really good free agents without "mortgaging the future." 

 

You're absolutely right about the first rounders. 

 

 

I think Frank Gore will help the run game more than a guy like Boiling. Leadership.. still a very good runner ..excellent in pass protection and can catch out of the backfield. Not saying your wrong , just saying I like the idea of overpaying for vet talent we can just cut in a year or two . Reason being that we have the class 2012 to resign and holes we have are being adequately filled. Just my opinion . You like it or you don't like it or your in-between . No right or wrong in our discussion.

[amfootball]

LOL.. you guys went 10 years without winning the SB . Now it's ho.. hum .. I'm getting sick of winning the SB.

I think for Pats fans that win had a lot of closure. We had won the 3 early on and then spygate and then coming so close in two more bowls. To finally get the fourth was unbelievably sweet and satisfying. It is not like I don't still want the team to compete and win but this is probably the most calm I have ever been in an off-season. It is so hard to repeat so I was not that hopeful even if we retained Revis. Everything really just fell our way last year from the FA moves to the health of the team and then some good fortune in the post-season on top of some unbelievable plays.

[esmort]

When you say "mortgaging the future," I assume you mean sacrificing your ability to keep your core intact. Having done a bunch of projections, and looking at the contracts that guys like Clint Boling and DaNorris Searcy got, we could have added some really good free agents without "mortgaging the future." 

 

You're absolutely right about the first rounders. 

 

You are rarely overly critical of Grigson, but from your comments it seems like you are not a big fan of many of his FA choices? As someone who seems to support Grigson more often than not, I am curious as to your perspective on why you think Grigson chose not to go after a couple bigger names that he could have gotten that would not have hurt our cap?

[dw49]

One of our reporters here said Indy is just putting whip cream on poop. I thought that was a pretty funny line. He thinks you guys need to beef up your Dline and Oline and not be adding aging skill guys. Kind of feels like Grigson is not really addressing your key issues. Not yet anyways ... but still a ways to go.

 

 

Here ya go ..  a few guys that don't have an axe to grind. So I guess not everyone called it ice cream on poop .

 

 

 

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap3000000478351/Are-Colts-now-the-team-to-beat-in-AFC

[Superman]

You are rarely overly critical of Grigson, but from your comments it seems like you are not a big fan of many of his FA choices? As someone who seems to support Grigson more often than not, I am curious as to your perspective on why you think Grigson chose not to go after a couple bigger names that he could have gotten that would not have hurt our cap?

 

I'm fine with the signings. We still need DL and a safety, but I don't have a problem with any of the signings we made. I have some questions, specifically about Reitz's role, but I'm okay.

 

The truth is that we don't know who Grigson went after, or why he wasn't able to nab them. Searcy would have been nice, but I wouldn't have wanted to do more than the $6m/year he got from the Titans. Trent Cole was one of the best pass rushers available; Houston is tagged and not really viable, Hardy is super unlikely. Cole's deal is a little rich, but that bad. Knighton, Fairley, Wilfork are still available. And lots of other good players. I doubt that Grigson is done, personally. 

 

I also doubt that we keep Richardson or Thomas, and maybe we even cut Cherilus (I think we should). I don't know that we've fixed the offensive line. We'll see what happens in the draft.

 

I'm not playing devil's advocate. I like what we've done. I'd like to see a little bit more. My point was just that I'm not grading Grigson on his cap management. We know he can manage the cap, and he gets credit for that. I'm more interested in seeing this team perform at a high level, especially against top competition. And that has little to do with cap management at this point.

[ricker182]

that´s a bingo!

Obligatory video to go along with the quote.

https://youtu.be/Ugpg8XruhVk?t=5s

[esmort]

I'm fine with the signings. We still need DL and a safety, but I don't have a problem with any of the signings we made. I have some questions, specifically about Reitz's role, but I'm okay.

 

The truth is that we don't know who Grigson went after, or why he wasn't able to nab them. Searcy would have been nice, but I wouldn't have wanted to do more than the $6m/year he got from the Titans. Trent Cole was one of the best pass rushers available; Houston is tagged and not really viable, Hardy is super unlikely. Cole's deal is a little rich, but that bad. Knighton, Fairley, Wilfork are still available. And lots of other good players. I doubt that Grigson is done, personally. 

 

I also doubt that we keep Richardson or Thomas, and maybe we even cut Cherilus (I think we should). I don't know that we've fixed the offensive line. We'll see what happens in the draft.

 

I'm not playing devil's advocate. I like what we've done. I'd like to see a little bit more. My point was just that I'm not grading Grigson on his cap management. We know he can manage the cap, and he gets credit for that. I'm more interested in seeing this team perform at a high level, especially against top competition. And that has little to do with cap management at this point.

 

Cherilus is one of the big question marks ... I agree we should cut him if he his knee has become and issue, but I have not even heard a rumor one way or the other how he is medically, or even if his knee (or some other injury) was the root problem last season.

 

I also hope we address a couple more issues, and its hard to believe Grigson will stand pat with so many issues still. You think we have more money/cap space available to us than it appears at first glance?  

[Superman]

Cherilus is one of the big question marks ... I agree we should cut him if he his knee has become and issue, but I have not even heard a rumor one way or the other how he is medically, or even if his knee (or some other injury) was the root problem last season.

 

I also hope we address a couple more issues, and its hard to believe Grigson will stand pat with so many issues still. You think we have more money/cap space available to us than it appears at first glance?  

 

I don't know cap hits on Langford, Johnson or Adams. But assuming they are close to what we think they are, that's another $11-12m or so. We still would have close to $10m, including draft picks. Cutting Cherilus and Thomas would give us another $7m. There's room for a couple more acquisitions. 

 

Probably won't happen, but we could change Vontae's roster bonus to a signing bonus and save another $4m.

[amfootball]

Here ya go ..  a few guys that don't have an axe to grind. So I guess not everyone called it ice cream on poop .

 

 

 

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap3000000478351/Are-Colts-now-the-team-to-beat-in-AFC

I think the moves overall have added nice some veteran presence but the Colts main need was and is to get more physical up front on the lines. It was not your skill guys that cost you the conference title game, it was your lines. Your skill guys were plenty good enough as is Luck but he needs protection and Gore needs a line to run behind. Talking heads always love the skill guy moves because they are flashy but rings are won in the trenches. That being said, the Cole pick up was a good one for just that reason even though is a little long in the tooth at 32 (will be 33 in early Oct).

 

What is the word on Mathis? Is he fully healthy and ready to come back? How many years does he have on his deal?

[corgi]

I think the moves overall have added nice some veteran presence but the Colts main need was and is to get more physical up front on the lines. It was not your skill guys that cost you the conference title game, it was your lines. Your skill guys were plenty good enough as is Luck but he needs protection and Gore needs a line to run behind. Talking heads always love the skill guy moves because they are flashy but rings are won in the trenches. That being said, the Cole pick up was a good one for just that reason even though is a little long in the tooth at 32 (will be 33 in early Oct).

 

What is the word on Mathis? Is he fully healthy and ready to come back? How many years does he have on his deal?

I haven't seen any updates on Mathis' health in a while.

[SteelCityColt]

I'm fine with the signings. We still need DL and a safety, but I don't have a problem with any of the signings we made. I have some questions, specifically about Reitz's role, but I'm okay.

 

The truth is that we don't know who Grigson went after, or why he wasn't able to nab them. Searcy would have been nice, but I wouldn't have wanted to do more than the $6m/year he got from the Titans. Trent Cole was one of the best pass rushers available; Houston is tagged and not really viable, Hardy is super unlikely. Cole's deal is a little rich, but that bad. Knighton, Fairley, Wilfork are still available. And lots of other good players. I doubt that Grigson is done, personally. 

 

I also doubt that we keep Richardson or Thomas, and maybe we even cut Cherilus (I think we should). I don't know that we've fixed the offensive line. We'll see what happens in the draft.

 

I'm not playing devil's advocate. I like what we've done. I'd like to see a little bit more. My point was just that I'm not grading Grigson on his cap management. We know he can manage the cap, and he gets credit for that. I'm more interested in seeing this team perform at a high level, especially against top competition. And that has little to do with cap management at this point.

 

At this point it's impossible to judge that. You either judge FA purely on the cap management/contracts, which I think we've done ok on, or we have to wait and see how these players perform in a new setting, and in some cases switching to a 3-4. It's like grading a draft the day after it's done. For me it's simple, do these FAs help us get over the inevitable NE hump, if they do it's been a good FA. 

 

The amount of panic/criticism from some quarters about us not going after certain guys is getting beyond laughable. 

[SteelCityColt]

I haven't seen any updates on Mathis' health in a while.

 

I fear in this case, no news is bad news... but let's wait and see. I'd rather get him back say 8 games in but ready to go than rush him back. However with such an injury I think you'd have to be an amazing athlete to recover fully in the sort of time frame. 

 

From memory Crabtree said his Achilles bothered him for at least a year after he snapped it.  

[HungarianColtsFan]

One of our reporters here said Indy is just putting whip cream on poop. I thought that was a pretty funny line. He thinks you guys need to beef up your Dline and Oline and not be adding aging skill guys. Kind of feels like Grigson is not really addressing your key issues. Not yet anyways ... but still a ways to go.

 

Well, lack of running game was a big issue.

[The Old Crow]

Or the Ravens ?

The Ravens have 11 draft picks, some cap room now for bargain hunting, and Rice and Ngata will be off the dead money books next year. Still work to do, but Ozzie has time.

[dw49]

I think the moves overall have added nice some veteran presence but the Colts main need was and is to get more physical up front on the lines. It was not your skill guys that cost you the conference title game, it was your lines. Your skill guys were plenty good enough as is Luck but he needs protection and Gore needs a line to run behind. Talking heads always love the skill guy moves because they are flashy but rings are won in the trenches. That being said, the Cole pick up was a good one for just that reason even though is a little long in the tooth at 32 (will be 33 in early Oct).

 

What is the word on Mathis? Is he fully healthy and ready to come back? How many years does he have on his deal?

 

 

Not much on Mathis yet. Hard to believe he'd be ready for training camp though. He has two years left on his contract with 2016 being a bargain @5 mill. He added that year last year when he had the non football injury and the Colts paid him. But hard to count on a guy that age coming off that kind of injury.

[dw49]

The Ravens have 11 draft picks, some cap room now for bargain hunting, and Rice and Ngata will be off the dead money books next year. Still work to do, but Ozzie has time.

 

Just seems like they always have good talent they have to let go. It's either Ozzie is very good at drafting or Ozzie is not good at managing the cap. Could also be just that Flacco deal also ?

[DougDew]

When you say "mortgaging the future," I assume you mean sacrificing your ability to keep your core intact. Having done a bunch of projections, and looking at the contracts that guys like Clint Boling and DaNorris Searcy got, we could have added some really good free agents without "mortgaging the future." 

 

You're absolutely right about the first rounders. 

I think our difference may be in our interpretation of "getting SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER (in one offseason) without mortgaging the future".  I'm talking about guys like Suh or Revis or Houston (not available) or some of the other names that would cost a lot of money but  would change your team significantly.  Then there are the second tier expensive guys like Fairley and Knighton and McCourty who would be an upgrade, but I don't think either would make the TEAM significantly better....1: They aren't that impactful 2: Their cap hit would keep other holes from getting filled.

 

Langford is and upgrade over RJF/redding, Gore over TR, AJ over Nicks/Wayne.  No isolated position got significantly better, but the team got better by a lot, IMO.

 

We have to see how the entire offseason plays out.  Hopefuly, we get a Jordan Phillips from OU, or Armstead, or hit on an ILB in the 2nd and a S in the 3rd, or an OT in one of those rounds. 

 

I would've liked to have had Boling and Searcy too but we don't know if they even wanted to be here for the same money.

[The Old Crow]

Just seems like they always have good talent they have to let go. It's either Ozzie is very good at drafting or Ozzie is not good at managing the cap. Could also be just that Flacco deal also ?

Flacco deal would be an issue next year, but he's expected to restructure. Biggest thing this year is the one year Ray Rice dead money hit for 7.5 million, and Ngata at 7.5 million. Also giving Dennis Pitta a guaranteed contract after the first hip injury, was ill advised. The Ravens always spend up to the cap, which usually puts them consistently in the playoffs , but can hurt you when you have a perfect storm like this. The thing that keeps things rolling, despite constantly losing talent, is Ozzie's ability to draft well, and get great value out of 4th and 5th round picks. It looks like the will have 10 picks , not 11, and it is crucial they have another good draft like last year. They need RB, TE, WR's, and seconday help. They should be alright, but there is much work to do. The offensive and defensive lines are strong, despite losing Ngata.

[throwing BBZ]

After we sign Knighton, then his strategy will be fine. We have to fix the D-Line if we want to be significantly better than last year. Signing Knighton would give us a stud DT who's in his prime. Then we need to turn around and draft defense in the first 3 rounds of the draft.

 

 They dumped Redding, RJF, and Walden is now a backup, if he stays. The run D just got better.

 Often, poor play from our ILB`ers and our safeties were a major contribution to our poor run D. Scheme issues looked like part of that, but better players/play is needed.

  More FA depth will come. Then the draft.

   Seriously doubt Knighton is even an option.

[throwing BBZ]

I haven't seen any updates on Mathis' health in a while.

 

 He had a seback, was sighted in a boot in the last week, and complained of very bad feet before the 2013 season. Hence, some moma`s little helper?

 Will he make the 53 man roster?

[Superman]

At this point it's impossible to judge that. You either judge FA purely on the cap management/contracts, which I think we've done ok on, or we have to wait and see how these players perform in a new setting, and in some cases switching to a 3-4. It's like grading a draft the day after it's done. For me it's simple, do these FAs help us get over the inevitable NE hump, if they do it's been a good FA. 

 

The amount of panic/criticism from some quarters about us not going after certain guys is getting beyond laughable. 

 

Everyone is talking about New England. I doubt we even see them in the playoffs. I just want the team to be better. 

 

And say we had signed McCourty, no one would disagree that we had strengthened a weakness. Knighton, Boling, Iupati, whatever... We can look at free agency in the moment and project the impact of the moves teams make. And because we already have a foundation that's good enough to win the division, the questions are: 1) Does that make the team better? and 2) Does that help us in the playoffs?

 

IMO, the questions aren't about cap management. Anyone who has a basic understanding of the salary cap knows that Grigson is doing fine there. But we didn't lose ugly last season because of cap issues. We got walloped by Dallas, Pittsburgh and New England because our roster had some sad weaknesses. And we see the Steelers and Pats again this year. Are we better equipped to handle those kind of teams? The answer is a very tepid "maybe," at least at this point.

 

There's no panic from me. I'm sure you know that. I'm just saying that I'm far more interested in being able to credit Grigson for improving the roster than I am in crediting him for managing the cap well. 

[Superman]

I think our difference may be in our interpretation of "getting SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER (in one offseason) without mortgaging the future".  I'm talking about guys like Suh or Revis or Houston (not available) or some of the other names that would cost a lot of money but  would change your team significantly.  Then there are the second tier expensive guys like Fairley and Knighton and McCourty who would be an upgrade, but I don't think either would make the TEAM significantly better....1: They aren't that impactful 2: Their cap hit would keep other holes from getting filled.

 

Langford is and upgrade over RJF/redding, Gore over TR, AJ over Nicks/Wayne.  No isolated position got significantly better, but the team got better by a lot, IMO.

 

We have to see how the entire offseason plays out.  Hopefuly, we get a Jordan Phillips from OU, or Armstead, or hit on an ILB in the 2nd and a S in the 3rd, or an OT in one of those rounds. 

 

I would've liked to have had Boling and Searcy too but we don't know if they even wanted to be here for the same money.

 

You add two of those second tier guys, especially at our weakest spots -- safety and DL -- and yes, the team is significantly better. I'm not knocking Grigson for not signing one of my favorite guys. I'm not knocking him at all, to be honest. But I disagree with the idea that the team couldn't have been significantly upgraded on the first day of free agency. Specifically at our weakest spots. Even now, we could add a player or two without sacrificing our cap standing.

 

I also disagree that Langford is an upgrade over RJF/Redding. I see that as a lateral move that saves a little bit of money. 

 

We're definitely better at WR and RB, assuming AJ and Gore perform. And I expect more in the draft, across the board. 

 

And of course, it may not have been possible to add the guys we really liked for reasonable prices. Again, I'm not sour on what we've done. 

[DougDew]

You add two of those second tier guys, especially at our weakest spots -- safety and DL -- and yes, the team is significantly better. I'm not knocking Grigson for not signing one of my favorite guys. I'm not knocking him at all, to be honest. But I disagree with the idea that the team couldn't have been significantly upgraded on the first day of free agency. Specifically at our weakest spots. Even now, we could add a player or two without sacrificing our cap standing.

 

I also disagree that Langford is an upgrade over RJF/Redding. I see that as a lateral move that saves a little bit of money. 

 

We're definitely better at WR and RB, assuming AJ and Gore perform. And I expect more in the draft, across the board. 

 

And of course, it may not have been possible to add the guys we really liked for reasonable prices. Again, I'm not sour on what we've done. 

Well, I'm not sure that Fairley or Knighton still figure into this discussion about impact players or high prices, because I don't know what the salary demands are now really.  As time march's on, they apparently aren't as marketable or worth the money some here were willing to give them. 

 

I never thought McCourtey was worth the $10million need to sign him, or would have a greater impact than a  a $6 million dollar Searcy.  His contract would just compromise the ability to fill holes elsewhere.

 

Considering that Langford was one of those guys rumored to be signing with the colts before the signing period started, I assume Grigson was targeting Langford for a while, which would explain the cutting of RJF a while back and being mum on Redding.   I think Grigs was looking for an upgrade and thinks Langford is it.

 

I'm quite happy with what has happened, and we may still get Knighton or someone else.

[BlueCollarColts]

I think the moves overall have added nice some veteran presence but the Colts main need was and is to get more physical up front on the lines. It was not your skill guys that cost you the conference title game, it was your lines. Your skill guys were plenty good enough as is Luck but he needs protection and Gore needs a line to run behind. Talking heads always love the skill guy moves because they are flashy but rings are won in the trenches. That being said, the Cole pick up was a good one for just that reason even though is a little long in the tooth at 32 (will be 33 in early Oct).

 

What is the word on Mathis? Is he fully healthy and ready to come back? How many years does he have on his deal?

Man our skill guys were locked down against you guys, not going to argue about the trenches since we were killed there as well, but our receivers really couldn't do a whole lot. Our leading receiver had 36 yards against you guys... total. For a team trying to throw the ball being behind most of the game, obviously our skill guys weren't doing their jobs. Signing a guy like Andre Johnson is obviously going to do a lot to fix that. 

 

As for the trenches, I really like the Herremans addition and I think he is a solid guard who can come in and start and be a leader for us right away. I think Mewhort and Harrison/Holmes will also improves based off their age alone with all of them being so young which improves the O-line as well. Defensive line wise, I think Langford is a solid addition and an improvement from Redding/RJF and I think Arthur Jones is a pretty good player. I think we are lacking at nose guard, which is why I want us to go get Wilfork as I think he would be a very good addition. 

[dw49]

You add two of those second tier guys, especially at our weakest spots -- safety and DL -- and yes, the team is significantly better. I'm not knocking Grigson for not signing one of my favorite guys. I'm not knocking him at all, to be honest. But I disagree with the idea that the team couldn't have been significantly upgraded on the first day of free agency. Specifically at our weakest spots. Even now, we could add a player or two without sacrificing our cap standing.

 

I also disagree that Langford is an upgrade over RJF/Redding. I see that as a lateral move that saves a little bit of money. 

 

We're definitely better at WR and RB, assuming AJ and Gore perform. And I expect more in the draft, across the board. 

 

And of course, it may not have been possible to add the guys we really liked for reasonable prices. Again, I'm not sour on what we've done. 

 

 

You left out the biggest expenditure Grigson made