Is the colts roster really as bad as people here say?

[RockThatBlue]

I see it thrown around on here a lot that our roster sucks. Why is that? I'm not saying our roster is top 5 but I really don't get why some say it sucks either.

[NewEra]

They're on drugs...

[Lef]

I'm not saying that is one of the top 5 dumbest posts but I really don't get it.

[jseg18]

Nothing to due with post , but I have a feeling TY is going to get snubbed on top 100 nfl network

[COLTS449]

We're one of the top 2-3 favorites to win the Super Bowl man. All we're missing to make everyone go nuts over our roster is a big time impact defensive lineman, and a big time impact safety. Hopefully that's not an issue this time next year because of Anderson and Geathers.

[Bluefire4]

It's all going to depend on how certain people play. The entire front seven on defense has to play better for our team to get a better ranking. We can't be a top 5 team when we debatably have 1-2 players on the front seven that are even top 15 at their position.

[Bravo]

ALOT of the Colts roster is based on potential right now!!!!

Also if our offensive line continues to be below average it takes the roster down a few spots.

[Track Guy]

QB: Awesome

RB: Solid, for the short term

WR/TE: Good, very deep

OL: Mediocre, but definitely improving

DL: Fair

LBs: Decent, in the short term 

DBs: Solid

Special teams: Good

 

If we can stay injury free it should be a good season. If for no other reason, #12.

[crazycolt1]

Part of it is there are a few who can never be happy with anything the Colts do. They have a built in negativity. Add that to a penchant for argument and that is what happens.

[Colt Forty-Five]

The measure of a team is how they would be if the #1 QB goes down. Most teams would be desparate to win a handfull of games. I say we are in the bottom half of the league without Luck! Just being realistic, there is nothing outstanding about any other aspect of the team. You could pretty much replace the whole roster and get the same results. Almost no Prow Bowl calibre players. We go as far as Andrew can carry us!

[TKnight24]

Nothing to due with post , but I have a feeling TY is going to get snubbed on top 100 nfl network

..... Why does that matter?

[Indyboy757]

I don't know about up here in this forum, but since the opening of mini camp all I've heard on NFL live @ NFL insiders is all good things. They had a piece on the Colts yesterday at least 15 to 20 minute long about how the Colts have impoved this offseason. As for the roster, It's more complete this year then it has been the last three years. I Don't know if I should take this thread seriously or not. For now I will take it seriously. We finally have depth at a number of positions. My only ?? mark is the Oline, but hell the Oline wasn't all that good last season and we still were the #1 passing team last year. If we can get a good running game going we would really be scary. All of the Colts issues on defense were taking care of this offseason if you ask me. Here are a list of just the main pick ups. 

Lankford-DE

Cole-OLB

Lowery-S

Irving-ILB

Anderson-DE

Smith-CB

Geathers-S\ILB

Parry-NT

Not to mention the undrafted guys-aka DEPTH. With what we already have on the team. Geather is playing in a nickel package covering Back and TE as well as SS. Smith Is that back up corner we've been missing, now if we were to losse Davis or Toler for a game or a play we're not looking at a huge dropoff, Steelers last years. Parry, Anderson and Lankford will help slow down the run. Irving should he return back to 100% is a great run stopper and Cole is good at stopping the run but even better as a pass rusher, simular to Mathis. The fact that we replaced  Landry for Lowery is a very good move in my book as well. I'm just saying we have solid depth for the first time in the Luck Era, and I didn't even go into the skilled positions. Now we just have to translate it to the field.

[jseg18]

..... Why does that matter?

. It doesn't, but they say it's peer voting. Players do not respect his game enough at this point in his career.

[TKnight24]

. It doesn't, but they say it's peer voting. Players do not respect his game enough at this point in his career.

Again..... why does it matter?

If they don't respect him, who cares? Just let him go out there and torch them week in & week out

Long as his teammates, colts fans, & family, & coaches respect him.... no one else matters

I bet no one on the Texans voted for him. Shoot I wouldn't vote for the guy who burns me twice a year either

[jseg18]

Again..... why does it matter?

If they don't respect him, who cares? Just let him go out there and torch them week in & week out

Long as his teammates, colts fans, & family, & coaches respect him.... no one else matters

I bet no one on the Texans voted for him. Shoot I wouldn't vote for the guy who burns me twice a year either

Your right on with that. I agree. I due believe D Thomas voted for Vontae Davis though just saying.

[RockThatBlue]

Your right on with that. I agree. I due believe D Thomas voted for Vontae Davis though just saying.

[NewColtsFan]

Nothing to due with post , but I have a feeling TY is going to get snubbed on top 100 nfl network

 

I'm expecting TYH to appear on the list next week.

 

At the end of tonight's list they stated that next week a bunch of wide receivers will appear on the top-100.    I'd be beyond stunned if Hilton isn't on it.   

[NewColtsFan]

I'm not saying that is one of the top 5 dumbest posts but I really don't get it.

 

You're new here with exactly 67 posts here since joining.     You really want to be taking shots at other posters at this point?

 

Really?     Seriously?

[csmopar]

You're new here with exactly 67 posts here since joining. You really want to be taking shots at other posters at this point?

Really? Seriously?

I agree. This isn't even close to the dumbest post ever.

I also think that the only way to answer the question of the roster is to see the roster unfold and the games played, which kind of goes without saying. But I'd think we'll be better, the question how much better?

[Chucklez]

I see it thrown around on here a lot that our roster sucks. Why is that? I'm not saying our roster is top 5 but I really don't get why some say it sucks either.

I haven't heard this rhetoric a single time this off-season..... Are all your friends Patriots fans or something?...

[NewColtsFan]

I haven't heard this rhetoric a single time this off-season..... Are all your friends Patriots fans or something?...

 

I don't mean to speak for the poster, but it's possible that what he's referring to are recent media stories...  one this week from Pro Football Focus says the Colts have just the 13th best roster in the NFL, and that last year, we had the 12th.

 

Another story, I think from the NFL network said something similar, thought it's late and my mind may be playing tricks.

 

And of course,  there was the Peter King Power Rankings story saying that King thought we had only the 11th best team in the NFL right now.

 

If I had to guess -- and it's only a guess -- that's what the poster was referring to......

 

If I'm wrong -- and I may be -- then I'm sure the poster will set the record straight here and clear that up....

[antipatriot]

It is as bad as every other teams forum says there roster is.  At least many team forums are this way, we are fans and this is what we do.

[ÅÐØNϧ 1]

I see it thrown around on here a lot that our roster sucks. Why is that? I'm not saying our roster is top 5 but I really don't get why some say it sucks either.

 

A lot of people just think there smarter than the Colts brain trust & don't like draft choices or the F.A pick ups there arm chair GM's who take themselves way to  serious its not the roster that sucks IMO .

 

Some just hate to be wrong so they say this sucks he sucks they suck its a common word used by whiners bourne of ignorance .

[Chucklez]

I don't mean to speak for the poster, but it's possible that what he's referring to are recent media stories...  one this week from Pro Football Focus says the Colts have just the 13th best roster in the NFL, and that last year, we had the 12th.

 

Another story, I think from the NFL network said something similar, thought it's late and my mind may be playing tricks.

 

And of course,  there was the Peter King Power Rankings story saying that King thought we had only the 11th best team in the NFL right now.

 

If I had to guess -- and it's only a guess -- that's what the poster was referring to......

 

If I'm wrong -- and I may be -- then I'm sure the poster will set the record straight here and clear that up....

Even if the OP was referring to the PFF ranking of 13th, that wouldn't really classify as a roster "sucking".... It's better than mediocre, top half of the league you could even accurately say.

The Peter King rankings were clearly done while he was on a mix of crack, heroin, weed and God knows what else, literally 0 people took that seriously.

Recent media stories are actually asking if they think we are going to make it to the SB, not whether our roster "sucks".... to which a lot of people are saying yes, we will. The only thing I can even possibly think that the OP is referring to are the question marks around our D, which are actually fair enough comments until we see them make it happen on the field.

[Coffeedrinker]

I see it thrown around on here a lot that our roster sucks. Why is that? I'm not saying our roster is top 5 but I really don't get why some say it sucks either.

Well, it just depends n which posts you read.  So people think the Colts roster is bad outside of a couple of players.  Other posts act like everyone on the team is a future all-pro, And then there are some that act like if every player is not an all-pro then that player should be immediately replaced bu an all-pro player.

 

None of the above opinions are correct.

[throwing BBZ]

I see it thrown around on here a lot that our roster sucks. Why is that? I'm not saying our roster is top 5 but I really don't get why some say it sucks either.

 

Of course you had to overstate what "they say".

 

 What the outsiders may seem to see?

 

 O-Line - 4/5ths of it is considered questionable, and our LT is average overall.

 D-Line , the Bigs - Arthur Jones is the only guy who is well respected.

  Hughes & Chapman get little respect on this board! I like them myself.

  You counting on Langford, Kerr, Quarles and a undersized 5th rd pick to inspire onlookers?

 Rush LB`ers -  Lots of overall Mediocrity and Mathis is old.

 I like the unit as a whole and expect some good play.

 

 ILB`ers - overall rather mediocre, unimpressive.

  They worry me too!

 

 Our safeties - I suspect few think this unit is solid.

  Should be average if the front 7 have a good season.

 

 So if you think the O-Line is a Big ? mark

 the D-Line is a Big ? mark 

 the pass rush is a Big? mark

 and you are unimpressed by the ILB`ers and the safeties...

 maybe just maybe you could consider the roster is more 10-15 rather than 3-9.

 It is just opinion, of course.

 

  I really like our young talent and young prospects.

 But i don`t feel great about the O-Line coaching/decision making, or what we do on D sometimes.

 Being out-coached is hard to overcome Playoff time.

 

 We have a favorable schedule and a high powered Offense. We should be hard to beat.

 Playoffs? A solid favorite for our 1st game and then....

 

[Superman]

I think a championship team needs to be made up of 2-3 "great" players, 8-10 good/really good players, and a bunch of role players of varying quality (veterans who play their roles well, ascending youth who aren't full time contributors yet, average guys who can spot start if necessary, etc.). Coaching is really important, also. And if you can get 5-6 great players, even better. Obviously, you need a good QB.

 

2014 Seahawks: Sherman, Wilson, Thomas, Lynch, Wagner, Chancellor, Wright, Bennett, Maxwell, Irvin, Avril, Baldwin, Kearse, Smith, Mebane, Okung, Unger; then their specialists are pretty good, and then it's a bunch of role players. You'll notice the majority of those players have been with Seattle longer than three seasons; the ones that haven't are italicized. That's 17 players that really make up the core of their roster, 12 of whom are pre-2012. Plus, they're coached very well.

 

2014 Patriots: Brady, Gronk, Revis, Edelman, Collins, McCourty, Vereen, LaFell, Wright, Jones, Wilfork, Mayo, Ninkovich, Hightower, Solder, Vollmer, Stork. That's 17 players, 10 of whom are pre-2012. Good specialists, good role players. And coached very well.

 

I believe this breakdown style follows a similar pattern for any "contender" over the past five years: Packers, Ravens, Steelers, Niners, Giants, Saints, etc.

 

2015 Colts: Luck, Hilton, Davis, Castonzo, Gore, A. Johnson, Fleener, Allen, Freeman, Butler, Adams, Cole. AC is the only one on that list from pre-2012. That's 12 players. I'm not including Mewhort, Mathis, Toler, Langford, Moncrief, Jackson, Jones, Newsome, Walden or Herron, all of whom have been/should be important, or any of the rookies, or any other OL (Holmes, Herremans), but this list could obviously get to 20 (or not), depending on how the season goes. We have great specialists. I think our coaching is sufficient, but not as good as the usual suspects.

 

Short answer to OP, I don't think our roster is as bad as people make it out to be -- I think 13th, per PFF, is fair -- but we also have some work to do, and some young players have to prove themselves before we know what we really have. The main thing that's stood in the way is just time; it's hard to completely restock the shelves in just three years, but going into Year 4, I think we could be on the way. It also doesn't help misusing two first rounders in a row, having Landry and Cherilus not work out, etc.

[Jaric]

Excellent question.

The answer is no

[dgambill]

A roster is only as good as its performance on the field. Names on a paper only mean so much. It comes down to execution on the field. Look at the Cavs. They are clearly out-manned in the roster front yet they are winning their series. We have struggled with really good teams. Dallas, Pittsburg, New England especially....we still have some room to grow for me to consider us an elite team. In my opinion you have to consistantly beat the best ala NE before we are going to be considered a favorite etc. I think people just look at individual positions and say we are loaded or bad at positions...it just doesn't work that way. A roster only tells a part of the story.

[Colt Forty-Five]

It's not rocket science. Take away the QB and how do you think we would make out? I say no better than 6-10.

[RockThatBlue]

I think a championship team needs to be made up of 2-3 "great" players, 8-10 good/really good players, and a bunch of role players of varying quality (veterans who play their roles well, ascending youth who aren't full time contributors yet, average guys who can spot start if necessary, etc.). Coaching is really important, also. And if you can get 5-6 great players, even better. Obviously, you need a good QB.

2014 Seahawks: Sherman, Wilson, Thomas, Lynch, Wagner, Chancellor, Wright, Bennett, Maxwell, Irvin, Avril, Baldwin, Kearse, Smith, Mebane, Okung, Unger; then their specialists are pretty good, and then it's a bunch of role players. You'll notice the majority of those players have been with Seattle longer than three seasons; the ones that haven't are italicized. That's 17 players that really make up the core of their roster, 12 of whom are pre-2012. Plus, they're coached very well.

2014 Patriots: Brady, Gronk, Revis, Edelman, Collins, McCourty, Vereen, LaFell, Wright, Jones, Wilfork, Mayo, Ninkovich, Hightower, Solder, Vollmer, Stork. That's 17 players, 10 of whom are pre-2012. Good specialists, good role players. And coached very well.

I believe this breakdown style follows a similar pattern for any "contender" over the past five years: Packers, Ravens, Steelers, Niners, Giants, Saints, etc.

2015 Colts: Luck, Hilton, Davis, Castonzo, Gore, A. Johnson, Fleener, Allen, Freeman, Butler, Adams, Cole. AC is the only one on that list from pre-2012. That's 12 players. I'm not including Mewhort, Mathis, Toler, Langford, Moncrief, Jackson, Jones, Newsome, Walden or Herron, all of whom have been/should be important, or any of the rookies, or any other OL (Holmes, Herremans), but this list could obviously get to 20 (or not), depending on how the season goes. We have great specialists. I think our coaching is sufficient, but not as good as the usual suspects.

Short answer to OP, I don't think our roster is as bad as people make it out to be -- I think 13th, per PFF, is fair -- but we also have some work to do, and some young players have to prove themselves before we know what we really have. The main thing that's stood in the way is just time; it's hard to completely restock the shelves in just three years, but going into Year 4, I think we could be on the way. It also doesn't help misusing two first rounders in a row, having Landry and Cherilus not work out, etc.

Totally agree with this. Nearly word for word how I feel.

[Chucklez]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000496595/article/indianapolis-colts-offense-poised-for-serious-run-at-super-bowl 

Yeah we are being talked down as a sucky team......      

[Jaric]

It's not rocket science. Take away the QB and how do you think we would make out? I say no better than 6-10.

How many teams in the league would do better than that of they lost the best QB in football?

[BOTT]

It doesn't "suck", but it's far from great and has concern in key areas.

[CanuckColt]

The Colts roster is improved, but mostly on the offensive side of the ball.

On the defensive side, I don't see how they can avoid a few more games like -

Steelers 51 Colts 34, Patriots 42 Colts 20, Cowboys 42 Colts 7, and the infamous

Patriots 45 Colts 7. Who do we have on D to put a stop to the slaughter once it starts?

We don't have any difference makers on D outside of Vonte...just a bunch of average-ish guys who can beat up the mediocre teams but cannot do anything to a top O.

[Lawrence Owen]

The Colts roster is improved, but mostly on the offensive side of the ball.

On the defensive side, I don't see how they can avoid a few more games like -

Steelers 51 Colts 34, Patriots 42 Colts 20, Cowboys 42 Colts 7, and the infamous

Patriots 45 Colts 7. Who do we have on D to put a stop to the slaughter once it starts?

We don't have any difference makers on D outside of Vonte...just a bunch of average-ish guys who can beat up the mediocre teams but cannot do anything to a top O.

The Steelers game happened that way because by the end of the first quarter 3/4 of our starting secondary was out due to injury.  Big Ben took advantage...as he should have.  Cowboys game happened because we did not even play some of our play makers, like Hilton, to give them rest for the playoff's.  The Pats however...yeah, they've had our numbers.

That being said, We have ALOT of talent on our team.  Additions of Cole, Lanford, Irving, and return of Mathis will hep our front 7.  The secondary (minus Lowery) is one of the most complete units in all of football.  Before those guys went down in the Pitt game, Colts were 3rd in NFL in pass defense.  (that is how bad Ben ate our second/third stringers up).  Then we have the rookies, of which i am high on Anderson and Geathers..maybe even Smith.  But won't know till the season starts for them.

I am not even going to list the accolades on the offense skill players.  

I think the O-line is better than people give credit for.  Luck was sacked enough to make him the 23rd most sacked qb...not that bad.  And anyone not named trent ran for 4.5-5 ypc.  And they did this with 10 different starting groups due to injuries.  Continuity will be much better next year, which means better production.

All in all, I think we probably have the deepest roster overall in the NFL...but Many of the starters are 30+.  So Indy has to be looking for replacement in the near future. (mostly defensively since they have young talent depth offensively)

[OLD FAN MAN]

The measure of a team is how they would be if the #1 QB goes down. Most teams would be desparate to win a handfull of games. I say we are in the bottom half of the league without Luck! Just being realistic, there is nothing outstanding about any other aspect of the team. You could pretty much replace the whole roster and get the same results. Almost no Prow Bowl calibre players. We go as far as Andrew can carry us!

I agree, need o-line upgrades, need front 7 on d upgrades, need safety upgrades, same as last year, same problems

[Gavin]

Position by position

 

QB-A

RB-A

WR-B

TE-B

T-B

G-C(I feel like Im being nice here but the addition of Herremans should help some)

C-D(Somebody has step up and be consistent)

DE-C

DT-C

NT-C

OLB-B(If Mathis returns to form I could see A)

ILB-B (if Freeman returns to form)

CB-B...Could be A if D'Joun Smith plays well because I think he starts a game or two this year cause I don't think Toler plays a full

S-C

K-A

P-A

 

A-Excellent

B-Above average

C-Satisfactory

D-Below Average

F-Unsatisfactory

[NewColtsFan]

Position by position

 

QB-A

RB-A

WR-B

TE-B

T-B

G-C(I feel like Im being nice here but the addition of Herremans should help some)

C-D(Somebody has step up and be consistent)

DE-C

DT-C

NT-C

OLB-B(If Mathis returns to form I could see A)

ILB-B (if Freeman returns to form)

CB-B...Could be A if D'Joun Smith plays well because I think he starts a game or two this year cause I don't think Toler plays a full

S-C

K-A

P-A

 

A-Excellent

B-Above average

C-Satisfactory

D-Below Average

F-Unsatisfactory

 

You have a couple of very, very curious grades.

 

Our RB's are an "A"....?     Seriously?     I love the Gore signing,  but an "A"...?

 

And our Snapper,  Overton,  not only has been to the Pro Bowl,  he just signed a new 4-year deal.   And you gave him a "C".

 

Our WR group,  one of the 5 best in the NFL,  gets a "B"...?

 

Our TE group,  one of the best in the NFL,  gets a "B"...?

 

Odd.   Very odd.

[Lawrence Owen]

Honestly, With the new additions, and the way Coaches talk about Some of the rookies so far, I'd say the only serious NEEDS are center and NT.  I think we have addressed just about all the other issues.  And i have hopes for Kerr in the long run.