Was Hilton worth signing longterm?

[CanuckColtsFan]

Hilton made the Seahawks look like chumps. I love him for that alone

[ReMeDy]

Worth it, just dont draft another receiver

 

What was that? Draft another receiver? Okay, I'll pass it on to the staff.

[tvturner]

Yes

[JPFolks]

If you were the GM, and Indy had just drafted Dorsett, would you still sign Hilton longterm as they did back in August?

 

Me personally, I would have tried to trade him for help elsewhere provided the value was right. For example, if we could have gotten OL Joel Bitonio from Cleveland and a 3rd or 4th in return, I'd make the deal. Indy would still be just fine at receiving options with Moncrief, Dorsett, AJ, Fleener, and Allen.

 

I think he is a tad soft as a WR and needs to be more physical off the line.

He's a TINY guy... of course he is soft off the line by comparison to an Andre Johnson or Moncrief or Wayne etc.  But the guy makes spectacular catches and has burned some of the best coverage guys in the league.  We simply need to supplement him with some larger guys rather than with a clone like Dorsett who I guess by your standards must be soft as he's already broken in his lightly used rookie year (compared to Hilton).  

[JPFolks]

Let's not forget that Hilton gets double the attention/hits/checks along with mediocre QB play, suspect play calling, and those crushing penalties/turnovers that end up in fly-swatting drive & game killers. Not making excuses. Just the way it is. The combo of Hilton, Moncrief, and Dorsett could be a lethal one if orchestrated successfully. Heck, for that matter, Hilton & Moncrief the rest of the way along with Allen, Fleener, and Gore would be just as deadly if used in a manner of only mixing the offensive calls.

Exactly, we need the TE's running crossing routes so and screens along with significantly more GORE/BRADSHAW so that when the secondary comes up, we go over the top to Hilton.  But I suppose that is too obvious so let's run it for 1 yard every first down, then toss a poorly thrown ball incompletion on second down and then make a great 20 yard pass on 3rd down only to have it called back on a holding penalty leaving us at 3rd and 19 where we throw it short, hoping they'll run for a first down but they drop the pass.  Rinse... Repeat.  

[antipatriot]

I'm still not sold on TY as a #1 receiver.  I don't think he plays with the physicality required to overcome his size yet (Steve Smith is the ideal here, in my opinion), but we did need to sign him.  He and Luck have a good rapport and he's been in our offense for several years.  He's essentially the leader of the WRs in that he knows the system and has been here the longest.

What he said.  We needed to keep him because you dont let a talented receiver leave but I think Moncrief is our best WR.  We havent seen enough of Dorsett but having two burners who are not built to be physical is a problem if we dont learn to us our TE's and other weapons.

[Defjamz26]

You guys also forget the Browns game where he got shutdown the first half by Haden, and then came back and worked him for 100+ yards and 2 TDs. That was his defining game where he solidified his stardom. He was also the first WR to expose the LOB in Seattle. Well, maybe 2nd after Roddy White but my point remains.

He's also more consistent than AJ Green who only shows up for 5 games a season, but you guys probably think he was worth the money.

[IndyTrav]

I didn't like it at the time. Still don't. He's played 'statistically' better than I thought he would this year. Most of our season has been garbage time and he's been a target monster. If we actually do what a majority of our fans want, and utilize or TEs and RBs more his production will plummet. He's already not a TD guy......that and he's already irked me a bit a few times this season. Going out of bounds vs NE, and then his showboating in the Saints game.....

[Gavin]

You guys also forget the Browns game where he got shutdown the first half by Haden, and then came back and worked him for 100+ yards and 2 TDs. That was his defining game where he solidified his stardom. He was also the first WR to expose the LOB in Seattle. Well, maybe 2nd after Roddy White but my point remains.

He's also more consistent than AJ Green who only shows up for 5 games a season, but you guys probably think he was worth the money.

 

AJ Green has 44 games of 50+ yards

TY Hilton has 26 games of 50+ yards

 

Green averages 11 games a year of 50+ yards

Hilton averages 9(8.6) games a year of 50+ yards

 

That's before bringing touchdowns into the debate

 

 not counting this year because its not over yet

 

 

edit: Miscounted, right numbers now above

 

regular season only

[King Colt]

Let's compare TY to Gronk. Gronk has the huge advantage of size, decent hands, not great but a huge number of his passes are shortloopers easily catchable by any receiver and that is how he is used. TY is used in many patterns including the long ball for his speed. Luck has missed way too often this year. Keep in mind Luck and Hilton are young and could develop in to maybe one of the bestcombos if all goes well. What a shame it is that Luck is off his mark this year with all the hands they have.

[Maniq]

They couldn't really afford letting him leave but so far he has proven to be a disappointment this season. Still I think paired with Moncrief and Dorsett that trio will be deadly for years to come although Dorsett or Mincrief may develop into the true number one of the group over time. Luck has been looking Moncriefs way first an awful lot this season.

90 yards a game is not a disappointment.

[CR91]

They couldn't really afford letting him leave but so far he has proven to be a disappointment this season. Still I think paired with Moncrief and Dorsett that trio will be deadly for years to come although Dorsett or Mincrief may develop into the true number one of the group over time. Luck has been looking Moncriefs way first an awful lot this season.

 

how is 37 606 3 tds a disappointment? hes on pace for for over 70 catches over 1200 yards and 6 tds

[Defjamz26]

AJ Green has 44 games of 50+ yards

TY Hilton has 26 games of 50+ yards

Green averages 11 games a year of 50+ yards

Hilton averages 9(8.6) games a year of 50+ yards

That's before bringing touchdowns into the debate

not counting this year because its not over yet

edit: Miscounted, right numbers now above

regular season only

And if you take into account that Green had a 1 year head start you'll see my point. Plus Hilton wasn't even a full time starter his rookie year. I think it was:

1. Wayne

2.Avery

3. Hilton

But Hilton is just as good IMO.

[GoColts8818]

how is 37 606 3 tds a disappointment? hes on pace for for over 70 catches over 1200 yards and 6 tds

he hadn't had a 100 yard game in 8 games until last Sunday, the longest stretch of his career and until Sunday he had one TD on the season. Hopefully Sunday is a sign he's turning it around but before then he was really struggling to get open and I think Sunday was more of a case where the Saints defender feel down twice and the Colts got two broken plays. Also, if he's going to be paid like a Wayne or Harrison 70 catches on the year isn't a lot. You want that number atleast in the mid 80s. To give you an idea in his last year here when he was a shell of himself Marvin still caught 60 passes. So yes to this point compared to the rest of his career and what is expected of him Hilton has been a bit of a disappointment. Some of that may go hand and hand with Lucks struggles as most QBs and WRs struggles and success do.

[bababooey]

You don't trade your best WR, you just don't

Unless you're Bill Belichek

[BOTT]

Good thing about the NFL.......none of the contracts are actually long term.

[CR91]

he hadn't had a 100 yard game in 8 games until last Sunday, the longest stretch of his career and until Sunday he had one TD on the season. Hopefully Sunday is a sign he's turning it around but before then he was really struggling to get open and I think Sunday was more of a case where the Saints defender feel down twice and the Colts got two broken plays. Also, if he's going to be paid like a Wayne or Harrison 70 catches on the year isn't a lot. You want that number atleast in the mid 80s. To give you an idea in his last year here when he was a shell of himself Marvin still caught 60 passes. So yes to this point compared to the rest of his career and what is expected of him Hilton has been a bit of a disappointment. Some of that may go hand and hand with Lucks struggles as most QBs and WRs struggles and success do.

 

he has produced when the offense has stalled. what else can you ask of him to do

[GoColts8818]

he has produced when the offense has stalled. what else can you ask of him to do

Not really, he's part of why the offense has stalled.  Again take away last week he was only averaging 76 yards a game with one TD on the season with about five catches per game despite being targeted 11 times per game.  Hopefully last week was a sign he is going to turn it around the back half of the season but I think it's more likely that he benefited from two plays where the Saints defender feel down.  Unlike Marvin and Reggie who would have big games when they were doubled when TY gets doubled he kinda disappears. 

 

I'd agree he still has good production when compared to most WRs in the NFL but he is no longer being paid like that.  He's being paid like an elite number one WR and that's clearly the level of expectations people have for him.  When you compare him to those standards the production so far this season has been a bit disappointing. 

[UKColt13]

On pace for 1385 receiving yards & 6.8TDs in a bad offensive year for the team thus far.

I'd say so.

[Phil]

He was worth it, for sure. Dorsett might have been an awful pick, though. Suspect, at the very least.

[-JJ-]

He was worth it, for sure. Dorsett might have been an awful pick, though. Suspect, at the very least.

yeah. Plus you have to have at least one good wideout.

[zibby43]

I'm still not sold on TY as a #1 receiver.  I don't think he plays with the physicality required to overcome his size yet (Steve Smith is the ideal here, in my opinion), but we did need to sign him.  He and Luck have a good rapport and he's been in our offense for several years.  He's essentially the leader of the WRs in that he knows the system and has been here the longest.

 

I think this is a fair assessment.  I'd add, however, that while Hilton is not yet a consistent (and I think that's the key word here, when evaluating T.Y.) #1 WR, he still has the ability to absolutely wreck/take over a game.  And there are only a handful of WRs in the game that have that ability.

 

When T.Y. does wreck a game, he does it with speed.  Others do it with physicality, route-running, etc.  T.Y. needs to add more tools to his bag to get that consistency.

 

Let's not forget, he is still a pretty young WR.

[Daniel_&_Bodhi]

Yes. He was. End of story my man.

It would be nice for you to elaborate, so you can add more to the thread than something so simplistic. Anyone could have done that, .

[Phil]

The main reason we need Hilton is that we invested in Luck and will continue to invest in Luck. He needs at least one break-away talent at receiver. With Hilton, Moncrief and Fleener, we have a pretty solid young core to grow up with Andrew. But the larger problem is still that we need a line. If we don't start protecting Luck, it won't matter who or what we have out there to catch passes.

I've seen a few people knocking Hilton's physicality. That's a shortsighted way of looking at him. He's a speed guy, and while it would be nice if he could be more physical, the idea of a receiver like Hilton is to separate with precision routes and raw speed. Marvin Harrison wasn't very physical (remember how pumped we'd all get when he actually blocked someone and knocked them down, all like three times it happened), but I'd take a prime Marvin Harrison in a nanosecond. 

 

Hilton is not going to be Megatron. But he doesn't need to be in order to be an elite NFL receiver. 

[jvan1973]

People can want to but with his new contract that ship has sailed.

His contract has nothing to do with it. The dolphins traded Wallace after he signed a big contract.

[FicmanS]

Yes...  No Question

[GoColts8818]

His contract has nothing to do with it. The dolphins traded Wallace after he signed a big contract.

If they trade Hilton during this season they are on the hook for a 11 million dollar cap hit which they don't have room for.  If they trade him after the start of the next league year that's a  8 million dollar cap hit.  Want to tell me again how his contract has nothing to do with it?

[jvan1973]

If they trade Hilton during this season they are on the hook for a 11 million dollar cap hit which they don't have room for. If they trade him after the start of the next league year that's a 8 million dollar cap hit. Want to tell me again how his contract has nothing to do with it?

Miami gave wallace more guaranteed money than Hilton got. They traded him before year 3 of that contract. They don't want to trade him, that's why he won't be traded

[John Waylon]

Kinda foolish to ask this question this soon into the deal. 

 

His TD count this season is below expectations, but there is no reason, barring injury, that he should finish below putting up 1200 yards. 

[GoColts8818]

Miami gave wallace more guaranteed money than Hilton got. They traded him before year 3 of that contract. They don't want to trade him, that's why he won't be traded

The Colts aren't going to sign Hilton to a long term deal and then trade him that season or that off-season and take an $11 million dollar cap hit or an $8 million dollar cap hit.  To do so would just be flat out stupid and really hurt the Colts in terms of trying to sign or keep free agents as they would be paying a lot for a guy who was no longer on the roster.  So yes the money that is now on his contract is going to prevent them from trading him. 

 

To your latter point this is very much a moot argument because you are right they want him here.  If they didn't they would have just not re-signed him in the first place.  Like I said before the trade TY Hilton ship has sailed and it has sailed for many reasons, his contract and the fact the Colts want him here being the main two. 

[indyspeed13]

hilton is staying right where hes at. and im begging all the skeptics to go back to the afc wildcard game vs. the chiefs and youll see exactly why hilton will be a colt for a LONG time. and u can check out my avatar.. if that means anything

[chrisfarley]

sometimes he plays to not get injured and takes a play off or two per game.  perhaps that is not accurate, but it "appears" to an untrained eye that he does.