Fixing the Colts (Offseason Plan) (Merged)

[HarryTheCat]

14 hours ago, deedub75 said:

We really only had a good 4 - 5 year window to win a SB before Luck was paid mega bucks.  It's going to be very difficult to get this team right with paying Luck.  It doesn't matter how good your QB is if he is surrounded by declining personnel.  There are quite a few aging/declining players on this team and virtually no young talent behind those aging/declining players to take their places.  Even Vontae has taken a step back this season and his best years are probably behind him now.  

It also doesn't matter how good your QB is if he decides that it's better to sit out his fifth-year option season and demand a trade. 

[ProblChld32]

20 hours ago, Flash said:

Yes, agreed.

 

That's the sad truth about the situation that Grigson has put this team in. I was a supporter of Grigson until this year. He completely lost sight of how to build a team. It usually entails young talented players (like Kendall Langford) sprinkled in with a few veteran additions (like Gore). Many of Grigson's additions this season were old veterans, which now have to be replaced, on top of players like Mathis, Vinatieri, Hasselbeck, and Adams who are now getting at the end of their careers.

 

I cant really put blame on him like that, he tried to do what he can given the circumstances. I personally thought we did enough to push us over the top. Unfortunately it didn't pan out that way. There were also some unfortunate circumstances like injuries etc. 

[Doctor Mad]

How about trading TY and 2nd round pick for Alex Mack and Josh Gordon?

[Doctor Mad]

Then in 1st round take best OT or G.  Then our OLine should be fairly solid.  Another option with trade listed above is to trade down in 1st round, for lower 1st round pick and a second or 3rd round pick.  With lower 1st round pick take best available OLineman.  comments?

[SteelCityColt]

27 minutes ago, Doctor Mad said:

How about trading TY and 2nd round pick for Alex Mack and Josh Gordon?

Your username is fitting

[jet1968]

Irsay should put an emphasis on hiring someone that values good lineman. It all begins and ends at the line of scrimmage. Control the line of scrimmage and you will always be in the game.

AND GET RID OF TOLER!!!

[GoColtsGo5150]

Staff- GM- Fire Grigson (replace with Eric DeCosta- assistant GM with the Ravens- has helped Ozzie Newsome for a while and when he has helped Newsome in drafting players like Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and CJ Mosley, you can say he has an eye for talent.)

HC- Although I would rather keep Pagano, I feel we also need a completely clean slate in the FO. I would look at Nick Saban- he would fit the "big name" HC candidate that we have been rumoured to look at during the season. For OC- I would look at someone like Tom Cable (Oline Coach from the Seahawks) who can help with the O-line. at DC- I would look at Mike Pettine- whilst not a great HC- he was a very good DC for the Bills and the Jets.

 

Transactions within the team:

Cut:  Trent Cole, Andre Johnson, Frank Gore, D'qwell Jackson, Eric Walden, Nate Irving- By cutting these players- we would increase our cap space from $21 million to about $48 million.

Resign: Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen and Jerrell Freeman (Allen and Fleener for about $5 million each- on par with Martellus Bennett, Freeman about $2.5 million- round about what he is paid now)

 

FA ($35.5 million): 

Von Miller- $10 million- We need a pass rush badly, and should one of the best pass rushers in the league hit the market, he is someone we need to strongly consider.

Mohammed Wilkerson- $7 million- Although our D-line has a lot of potential with Anderson and Parry, and Langford has done a better job than expected, we still need a disruptor up front; with Wilkerson, we will have a disruptor and it could turn our dline into a strength.

Eric Berry- $6 million- one of the better safeties in the NFL, he would be a game changer along Vontae in the secondary.

Kelvin Beachum- $3 million- on a prove it deal after his injury. He would be able (if healthy) to shore up the Rt position.

Lamar Miller-$3.5 million- despite being behind the Dolphins oline, he is still averaging 4.9 YPC, he could be a under the radar signing.

Stefan Wieniewski-$4 million- From a lot of accounts, he is helping the Jags on their oline and he would be an improvement of what we have in house.

 

Draft:

(based on the assumption that we would be picking atleast with the 15th pick- maybe even higher in the draft.)

1st. Jaylon Smith ILB- He is an absolute game changer and in a 3-4 scheme, to have a game changer at linebacker is important. To me reminds me a little bit of Luke Kuechly due to his athleticism.

2nd. Desmond King CB- whilst it is possible he can rise a lot- even into the first round,  at this moment in time- he would be looked at as a 2nd round pick. He would be a huge upgrade over Toler, as he can cover, has great ball skills and he is a willing tackler.

3rd. Shon Coleman OT- to me, an underrated OT, if he was to stay another year, he would like go in the 1st/2nd round next year. He would be someone to look at RT.

4th. Joshua Garnett OG- another Stanford alumni, he is very reliable blocker- in the run and the pass and could be someone to look at to challenge Thornton at RG.

5th. AJ Stamps FS- another person I consider under the radar, he is a solid tackler and he has the range to play as a deep safety. 

7th.  BPA

 

QB: Luck, Veteran

RB: Miller, Herron, Rookie

WR: Hilton, Moncrief, Dorsett, Whalen

TE: Allen,Fleener, Doyle

OL: Castonzo, Mewhort, Wisniewski, Reitz, Beachum -- Holmes, Thornton, Good, Harrison, Coleman, Garnett

 

DE: Anderson, Wilkerson, Langford, 

DT: Parry, Rookie

OLB: Mathis, Miller, Newsome, Rookie, Werner

MLB: Smith, Freeman,Moore

CB: Davis, King, Smith, Butler

S: Berry, Geathers, Lowery, Stamps

 

K: Rookie

P: McAfee

[BOTT]

13 hours ago, GoatBeard said:

If the season ended today.....

 

I would let Chuck Pagano and his staff go and keep Grigson. I don't think Grigs has done a bad job at all, and I have understood his thinking on most things he's done. But he does need to  re evaluate his strategy in free agency.

 

My short list for next coach would be:

 

David Shaw (Likely)

Sean Payton (Interesting)

Jim Harbaugh (Pipedream)

Bill Cowher (Longshot)

Sean McDermott (Dark Horse)

 

If we got any one of them I would be happy. Shaw really intrigues me, he has been apart of successful programs in the NFL and NCAA. At Stanford he's been pretty good. But he's also been apart of at least 3 division winning teams in his 6-7 years in the NFL. I know he was apart of the Raiders in the late 90's when they were pretty good and then with the Ravens in the early 2000's when they started winning regularly. His familiarity with Luck is also a plus. He just makes sense to me. And he's probably the most attainable on my list. No way he turns down a chance to coach Luck in the NFL to stay at Stanford. He's a younger guy,which I prefer as well. He's an offensive coach which I also like, And he has a wealth of experience at both levels. We could do a lot worse. People say Nick Saban but what has he ever done without a stacked football team? He is a front runner, IMO. Shaw hasn't had nearly the talent Saban has had and he has still been pretty successful. Given his familiarity and previous success with Luck, I think he is a much better fit.

 

I know that is probably an unpopular, boring choice but that is who I like and who I think it will ultimately be if Chuck does wind up getting fired.

 

 

As far as the roster............

 

I think with the way the game is played, having multiple deep threats like Moncrief, Dorsett and Hilton to go along with Luck, is probably the best thing this team has going for it right now. I also think that means the one thing you cannot be on defense is old and slow in an era of speed and tempo. So my strategy would be to adapt to the NFL game in philosophy and put less emphasis on experience, and more on athleticism and speed. 

 

Lets look at the team and what they need.

 

Frank Gore isn't even gonna make it to 1000 yards after a pretty good start. Our running game is still very pedestrian. We can't run it consistently, but even more troubling is that we can't run it when we need to. Our OL still needs some work, and probably a new OL coach. C-RG-RT are all pretty weak. I would consider moving Mewhort to C. Luck and the entire OL need stability at that position more than any other and he is our most reliable lineman. The line needs its Jeff Saturday to be the anchor inside. We need an answer there more than anywhere else on the line. We also could use a young back to take wear and tear off of Frank next year because he has worn down quickly. Luck also needs to be working with the same guy instead of the carousel he has been subject to in his career. He's had like 5-6 centers with all the injuries we've had there. Satele, McGlynn, Shipley, Harrison, Holmes.....I feel like I'm forgetting somebody. But that is ridiculous.

 

Our LB and S are old and slow. There are a lot of smart players there, descent players, but we have too many with the same afflictions and it exposes us far too often. I like Mike Adams, Jerrell Freeman, Robert Mathis, DQ and Erik Walden, but at least 4 of them have got to go in favor of younger, more athletic players. I am for keeping DQ, he's clearly the best of the group and isn't a dinosaur yet, plus he provides leadership in an important spot. 

 

We are just too slow on the back end of the defense. That's why we look great against the run most of the time, and then get busted for a couple long ones late. That's why we can't generate consistent pass rush. It's why the short passing game always kills us. These guys are smart and tough enough, but when they make a mistake, it is a big one because we don't have the speed and athleticism to cover it up. Mike Adams, for example, I like a lot as a player. He can help a lot of teams out there. But with us, he is nothing more than another potential match up issue, even though he has been our biggest playmaker. Good player. But when your LB's can't cover very well, a safety with average speed, size and athleticism is just another weakness, IMO. I'm hopeful that Clayton Geathers gets a chance to start next  year.

 

I like the D-line a lot with the additions of Henry Anderson and Langford, they need a few more tall, lanky lineman like them. I also like Billy Winn quite a bit. They could still use a NT for sure, IMO. Parry is a good player but he got a little too much hype and his play has tailed off. I like him better as a rotation guy. I think this might be where Art Jones could fit. It doesn't make any sense to cut him because he is our best lineman and we need him. He could fit nicely as a NT if we play more 1GAP, IMO. He's a very good player when healthy, I think the board has under rated him due to his health issues. I say give him another year, as a NT, and see if he can stay healthy. If not, you can still cut him with an injury settlement and move on. We still would have Parry and Kerr who are both serviceable at a spot where that is all you really need. 

 

Next year, We could have a lot of cap space if we move on from a big chunk of these veterans. And I think we should use it to bring in two young prime free agents on defense. And I'm talking about guys like TrumaineJohnson, Irvin, Vernon, Miller, Gipson, etc. And then I would use the draft to address the OL. I really like Dan Voltz from Wisconsin. I also like Jack Conklin from Michigan State.Try to build a young solid OL that can grow together over the years. I would also target Yannick Ngakoue from Maryland early on. Later picks would be athletic LB's and Safeties for special teams and depth.

 

I think one guy that could be big for us next year is Sio Moore. He was put in a tough spot this year but having an entire off season of OTA's and time to get comfortable in the system could be a big plus for him and for us as well. He has some talent and fits the mold I am hoping for.

 

The bolded names are just additions I wouldn't mind seeing. Please don't tell me they suck, it's just guys I like, I'm no draft guru fellas. Those are positions I would like to see addressed or targeted. Thats all folks. 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure Shaw is leaving Stanford any time soon.  I believe his dad played and coached there and David grew up on campus, played on campus, and is now coaching on that same campus.  Good luck....

[Superman]

3 hours ago, GoColtsGo5150 said:

Transactions within the team:

Cut:  Trent Cole, Andre Johnson, Frank Gore, D'qwell Jackson, Eric Walden, Nate Irving- By cutting these players- we would increase our cap space from $21 million to about $48 million.

Resign: Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen and Jerrell Freeman (Allen and Fleener for about $5 million each- on par with Martellus Bennett, Freeman about $2.5 million- round about what he is paid now)

 

FA ($35.5 million): 

Von Miller- $10 million- We need a pass rush badly, and should one of the best pass rushers in the league hit the market, he is someone we need to strongly consider.

Mohammed Wilkerson- $7 million- Although our D-line has a lot of potential with Anderson and Parry, and Langford has done a better job than expected, we still need a disruptor up front; with Wilkerson, we will have a disruptor and it could turn our dline into a strength.

Eric Berry- $6 million- one of the better safeties in the NFL, he would be a game changer along Vontae in the secondary.

Kelvin Beachum- $3 million- on a prove it deal after his injury. He would be able (if healthy) to shore up the Rt position.

Lamar Miller-$3.5 million- despite being behind the Dolphins oline, he is still averaging 4.9 YPC, he could be a under the radar signing.

Stefan Wieniewski-$4 million- From a lot of accounts, he is helping the Jags on their oline and he would be an improvement of what we have in house.

 

You're not getting DeCosta.

 

And just in order:

Why are you cutting Erik Walden? He's not expensive and he's actually a pretty good player.

 

You're overpaying Fleener and Allen (IMO), and underpaying Freeman. No way he stays for $2.5m/year.

 

Von Miller is probably going to get upwards of $15m/year (my projection is $18m/year, based on the Justin Houston and Ndamakung Suh contracts, along with other market relevant deals in the last few seasons). If you're talking about Year 1 cap hit, $10m is doable, but probably not prudent. You'll have ballooning cap hits in future seasons.

 

Same for Wilkerson. No way he signs for $7m/year. Again, Year 1 cap hit is a different story, but again, this is not a prudent structure. Same for Berry, Miller and Wiesniewski. 

 

Being a Keyboard GM is harder than it looks.

[TheRustonRifle#7]

I think fixing the Colts this offseason should begin with whom the GM and HC are? The Offensive and Defensive schemes by the new regime will dictate how they will/should proceed? Just my 0.25 considering inflation