Why didn't Grigson re-sign Bethea?

[Pacergeek]

On a defense with few playmakers, Grigson decided to let one of our better defenders walk. I understand the financial ramifications, but didn't we have cap space at that time? Also, was Landry signed to replace Bethea? If so, just horrible roster management from our GM

[PuntersArePeopleToo]

On a defense with few playmakers, Grigson decided to let one of our better defenders walk. I understand the financial ramifications, but didn't we have cap space at that time? Also, was Landry signed to replace Bethea? If so, just horrible roster management from our GM

2 different positions Landry and Bethea. Also they played together for 2 years! Adams replaced Bethea

[Derakynn]

He wasn't really that good here in the end. Missed tackles, poor coverage. We can get that from someone for way less money. 

[GoColts8818]

I heard Grigson say he tried too the 49ers just offered more money.

[Cribbsfaircatch]

Sentimentality would've been the only reason to keep him. He just got away w/ a horrible PI tonight. I dont blame Grigson for this. Now what he used the money he saved on Bethea-I blame him for that.

[ColtsFanMikeC]

He wasn't really that good here in the end. Missed tackles, poor coverage. We can get that from someone for way less money. 

 

Bethea definitely seemed a step slower than normal his last year or two in Indy.

[COLTS449]

If we're talking about safeties then the big question is why he didn't sign Will Hill or TJ Ward year before this past one. We could have gotten Hill on  a steal.

[ColtRider]

For the second time, pay very close attention to our (N.)ewly (E.)ngaged football fans & threads. I do. It's very Patriotic. They're very clever. I appreciate them. I also (am) onto them. ColtsFans ain't no "dummies".

[Buck Showalter]

There was lots of Bethea sucks talk around here before he left...

Now peeps asking why he's gone...

For the record i was a huge Bethea fan, especially loved Betheas rookie season!

[RockThatBlue]

Lol, this thread pops up every time Bethea makes a play. Never fails.

[rockywoj]

Bethea's last season here was one of his worst. If the price was right signing him would have made sense, but as I recall he got pretty darn decent money to make the move. I don't begrudge Grigs for letting him walk.

All that being said, though, argument can be made that we'd be better with him. I'm okay without him, though. He was a good Colt, though, and I appreciate his contributions to the Shoe over the years.

[BleedBlu8792]

On a defense with few playmakers, Grigson decided to let one of our better defenders walk. I understand the financial ramifications, but didn't we have cap space at that time? Also, was Landry signed to replace Bethea? If so, just horrible roster management from our GM

 

Bethea was offered more money by San Fran and the Colts refused to match or offer more.

[ricker182]

$$$$$$

 

Bethea is a solid safety, no doubt, but I don't think we wanted to pay him what he wanted.

[ReMeDy]

For the second time, pay very close attention to our (N.)ewly (E.)ngaged football fans & threads. I do. It's very Patriotic. They're very clever. I appreciate them. I also (am) onto them. ColtsFans ain't no "dummies".

 

Illuminati is real?

[Hoosiernsavga]

The 49ers safeties are playing lights out. Bethea is having a great game. But I love Tartt that rookie is a beast!

[AZColt11]

Illuminati is real?

Not anymore.  I believe it's now called the "New World Order" and such.

[SteelCityColt]

For the second time, pay very close attention to our (N.)ewly (E.)ngaged football fans & threads. I do. It's very Patriotic. They're very clever. I appreciate them. I also (am) onto them. ColtsFans ain't no "dummies".

 

I'm afraid that even the most Patriotic of fans don't have a monopoly on posting silly things, even legitimately (Indy)pendant posters are capable of being dummies. 

[RomanianColtsFan]

There was lots of Bethea sucks talk around here before he left...

Now peeps asking why he's gone...

For the record i was a huge Bethea fan, especially loved Betheas rookie season!

Do you remember when he intercepted McNair in the end zone? I'll never forget that play.

[Defjamz26]

It's not that Bethea left, it's Grigson didn't upgrade his position. Landry was terrible.

[pgt_rob]

Bethea's play has picked up since being a 49'er. He wasn't nearly that good as a Colt. But he was reliable and never injured so that's a plus.

[CoachLite]

On a defense with few playmakers, Grigson decided to let one of our better defenders walk. I understand the financial ramifications, but didn't we have cap space at that time? Also, was Landry signed to replace Bethea? If so, just horrible roster management from our GM

 

 

Bethea's play has picked up since being a 49'er. He wasn't nearly that good as a Colt. But he was reliable and never injured so that's a plus.

 

Why do so many players "suck" when they play for the Colts, then do so well when they go play for other teams?

[Buck Showalter]

Do you remember when he intercepted McNair in the end zone? I'll never forget that play.

Antoine had a knack for getting picks in the end zone

[21isSuperman]

I was a big Bethea fan.  His play in his last year here wasn't spectacular, but I think he still would have been able to contribute.  I was hoping we'd re-sign him

[PeterBowman]

Clayton Geathers may be taking that roll soon.

[coltsfanatic24]

Bethea waa good against the run but wasn't good in man coverage. The 49ers scheme is better for him then Manusky's 100% man coverage scheme.

[Steamboat_Shaun]

Bethea was always a fan favorite, but he was also a liability in coverage. He did fit well in Dungy's cover 2 when all he had to do was not let anyone get behind him, but once they switched over to the man scheme that Pagano favors, Bethea wasn't the best fit.

 

I thought he looked solid last night though, flying around and even making sacks. San Francisco is a lot better than I anticipated.

[Nobody]

Cause his last year here he was trash

[chad72]

It's not that Bethea left, it's Grigson didn't upgrade his position. Landry was terrible.

 

Yep. 4 yrs. $21 mil. for Bethea with the 49ers. 4 yrs. $24 mil. for Landry. Go check it out.

 

Towards the end of his Colts tenure, Bethea was playing more strong safety and he didn't do well his last year. Should have kept Bethea, hands down.

 

The Bethea we see now is not the Bethea that was playing for the Colts his last year. So, can't entirely blame management for it.

[NewColtsFan]

It's not that Bethea left, it's Grigson didn't upgrade his position. Landry was terrible.

 

Landry didn't replace Bethea.

[NewColtsFan]

Yep. 4 yrs. $21 mil. for Bethea with the 49ers. 4 yrs. $24 mil. for Landry. Go check it out.

 

Towards the end of his Colts tenure, Bethea was playing more strong safety and he didn't do well his last year. Should have kept Bethea, hands down.

 

The Bethea we see now is not the Bethea that was playing for the Colts his last year. So, can't entirely blame management for it.

 

Except that Landry didn't replace Bethea.

[JPFolks]

Why do so many players "suck" when they play for the Colts, then do so well when they go play for other teams?

Uh.. that would be the "C" word... COACHING.  From schemes and play calls to technique and fundamentals, our coaches seem to lack abilities common to other staffs.  

[chad72]

Except that Landry didn't replace Bethea.

 

I know Mike Adams did but we could have gone with the face that we knew instead of the unknown in Landry and made it work. Mike Adams was not going to play strong safety whatsoever but Bethea could play strong safety.

 

I am hoping this is finally the draft where we got some good defensive starters instead of constantly relying on free agency. Prior to this draft, our best defenders came from free agency or via trades, not from Grigson's drafts.

[NewColtsFan]

I know Mike Adams did but we could have gone with the face that we knew instead of the unknown in Landry and made it work. Mike Adams was not going to play strong safety whatsoever but Bethea could play strong safety.

 

I am hoping this is finally the draft where we got some good defensive starters instead of constantly relying on free agency. Prior to this draft, our best defenders came from free agency or via trades, not from Grigson's drafts.

 

Mike Adams plays strong safety for the Colts.

 

At least,  that's the position where he's listed.

 

 

http://www.colts.com/team/depth-chart.html

[chad72]

Mike Adams plays strong safety for the Colts.

 

At least,  that's the position where he's listed.

 

 

http://www.colts.com/team/depth-chart.html

 

Mike Adams' strength is in pass coverage, not sure why we want him playing strong safety, he will just get run over by a TE block or even a big RB. Just my opinion though. Either way, Mike Adams and Bethea would have worked for us.

 

If he is indeed a strong safety, tackling WRs on screen passes or meeting RBs at the line of scrimmage, have we ever seen Mike Adams do those? (maybe I missed it?) I have seen Bethea do plenty of those for us.

 

In this article, Dungy and Polian talk highly about Bethea being a self-starter and a consummate professional:

 

http://pep-az.com/bethea-praised-by-tony-dungy-bill-polian/

[Horse Shoe Heaven]

He wasn't really that good here in the end. Missed tackles, poor coverage. We can get that from someone for way less money. 

This is wrong he played great last night played very well as a Colt in fact  3 pro bowl, yup he sucked REALLY!!      

[NewColtsFan]

Mike Adams' strength is in pass coverage, not sure why we want him playing strong safety, he will just get run over by a TE block or even a big RB. Just my opinion though. Either way, Mike Adams and Bethea would have worked for us.

 

If he is indeed a strong safety, tackling WRs on screen passes or meeting RBs at the line of scrimmage, have we ever seen Mike Adams do those? (maybe I missed it?) I have seen Bethea do plenty of those for us.

 

In this article, Dungy and Polian talk highly about Bethea being a self-starter and a consummate professional:

 

http://pep-az.com/bethea-praised-by-tony-dungy-bill-polian/

 

I understand what you're saying and I don't disagree....

 

But when you said he'd never play SS for us,  I remembered the depth chart....

 

What can I tell you?     It also shows Gaethers as a free safety and not a strong,  which seems odd to me as well.

[dgambill]

He wanted the juiced up freak that looked good in a tight t-shirt to be the INTIMIDATOR getting off the bus. Problem was once outside the training room he was about as useless as one of his dumbbells.

 

Honestly, it was age and money combo that had people nervous. I still don't think the contract he got he has lived up to but clearly if he was still here he would be our best safety and an upgrade.

 

Landry might not have taken his roll in the secondary but he took the money that we would have paid Bethea. I was fine with letting Bethea go but I was very much against Landry when we signed him. I think you can find good safety help in the middle rd of the draft and coach them up...not elite but good help.

[Derakynn]

This is wrong he played great last night played very well as a Colt in fact  3 pro bowl, yup he sucked REALLY!!      

Your logic is quite flawed. Dwight Freeney played quite well for us in the past. Is he out there getting 19 sacks right now? No.

I said at the end of his time here. Yes, he was indeed very mediocre at that time, and was no better than Geathers at that point probably. Just because someone goes somewhere else and gets an assisted tackle against the Vikings does not mean that he would have gotten the apparently oh-so-amazing assisted tackle for us. 

[jskinnz]

On a defense with few playmakers, Grigson decided to let one of our better defenders walk. I understand the financial ramifications, but didn't we have cap space at that time? Also, was Landry signed to replace Bethea? If so, just horrible roster management from our GM

 

Ahh, hindsight - ain't she a beaut?

[Coffeedrinker]

Bethea's last year with the Colts was his 3rd or 4th best season with the Colts.  The biggest reason he was not signed was because Grigson wanted to build his own team and Bethea was part of the old regime.  They could have still signed Adams when they did and got rid of Landry earlier and the could have still drafted Geathers this year.

 

But Bethea and Adams would have formed one heck of a safety duo last year and this year.