Archer's Final Pre-Combine Mock

[Archer]

Here’s my latest effort:

 

Salary Cap Casualties

Trent Cole, Andre Johnson, Arthur Jones, and D’Qwell Jackson (the only heart-breaking one)

 

Inside FAs Sent Packing

Greg Toler, Dwayne Allen, and Matt Hasselbeck (I’m guessing he’ll retire)

 

Inside FAs Retained

Coby Fleener, Jerrell Freeman, Dwight Lowry, and Adam Vinitieri

 

Outside FAs Signed

Brandon Brooks, OG, Texans

Trumaine Johnson, CB, Rams

Bernard Pierce, RB, Jaguars

Emmanuel Lamur, SAM, Bengals

 

Draft

1) Noah Spence, OLB, Eastern Kentucky.   He may be a suspension risk, but his former teammates are praising his character and leadership qualities.

 

2) Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama.  I’d rather have Nick Martin (who I think will be gone), but Kelly will eventually be a good center (which we haven’t had in a long time).

 

3) Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia.  Best available DB for a secondary that needs young blood all around.

 

4) Harlan Miller, CB, Southeast Louisiana.  “    “     “     “   “    “     “     “    “     “     “    "     "     "     "     "

 

5) Malcom Mitchell, WR, Georgia.  Andre is cut, and Whalen and Carter suddenly seem to have no future with the team.  Now there’s a big hole behind the #3 WR position (though Bray can be penciled in at #5).

 

7) O.J.Mau, NT, Gardner-Webb.  Okay, this is just a late-round guy I fell in love with.  His scouting report will remind you of that of Parry.  Active, with a non-stop motor.  Lots of tackles and plays behind the line. 

[Archer]

mods: should have been posted in FA/Draft section...

[Dustin]

Noah Spence is good. I'm worried he'll be gone before we pick though.

[BProland85]

Those offseason moves would not get me all that excited. And the draft is not overly impressive in my view either. 

[Colts_Fan12]

1 hour ago, Dustin said:

Noah Spence is good. I'm worried he'll be gone before we pick though.

Even if he fell to us Grigson is prolly to big a pansy to pick him anyway. He won't take risks on actual talent 

[SP_21]

Noah Spence is my favorite player in the draft. His drug use is a non factor for me at this point too. He paid a fairly steep price for his mistake and has done everything he can to prove himself. I'd gladly take him round 1. 

[COLTS449]

I like the draft, but I'm not big on your free agent signings. We would only be getting 1 major addition.

[COLTS449]

17 minutes ago, SP_21 said:

Noah Spence is my favorite player in the draft. His drug use is a non factor for me at this point too. He paid a fairly steep price for his mistake and has done everything he can to prove himself. I'd gladly take him round 1. 

 

Mine too.

[Archer]

3 minutes ago, COLTS449 said:

I like the draft, but I'm not big on your free agent signings. We would only be getting 1 major addition.

I try to be realistic and pick up ascending players in FA (whose best football might be ahead), without overpaying for the top prospect at any given position.  In this case, I wanted to upgrade the RG and #2 CB positions as much as possible (so I count two major additions).  At Center, I felt Mack would cost too much (if he became a FA), and Wiesniewski has phoned it in most of his pro career.  This pushes the position to a draft need IMHO.

[Defjamz26]

42 minutes ago, Colts_Fan12 said:

Even if he fell to us Grigson is prolly to big a pansy to pick him anyway. He won't take risks on actual talent 

I wouldn't call that being a pansy. I call that better safe than sorry. Who wants a Dion Jordan scenario? I'd rather risk a pick on Nkedimche than Spence. Spence got dismissed from 2 schools. Huge red flag.

[Colts_Fan12]

2 minutes ago, Defjamz26 said:

I wouldn't call that being a pansy. I call that better safe than sorry. Who wants a Dion Jordan scenario? I'd rather risk a pick on Nkedimche than Spence. Spence got dismissed from 2 schools. Huge red flag.

A kid could have walked across the street and not used the cross walk and that's a red flag to Grigson 

[COLTS449]

35 minutes ago, Colts_Fan12 said:

A kid could have walked across the street and not used the cross walk and that's a red flag to Grigson 

 

Yeah seriously bro. I'd rather have a 15 a year sack OLB with a troubled past than a 8 sack a year goody two shoes. And Spence has cleaned his act up. He's proven that he isn't using drugs anymore and hasn't had any issues in a year or so. He was young and made mistakes like a lot of kids do.

[COLTS449]

59 minutes ago, Archer said:

I try to be realistic and pick up ascending players in FA (whose best football might be ahead), without overpaying for the top prospect at any given position.  In this case, I wanted to upgrade the RG and #2 CB positions as much as possible (so I count two major additions).  At Center, I felt Mack would cost too much (if he became a FA), and Wiesniewski has phoned it in most of his pro career.  This pushes the position to a draft need IMHO.

 

Yeah I see what you mean. But that has proven to be a bad idea the last several years. Toler, Donald Thomas RJF, the list goes on. I'd rather pick up 2-3 elite level players and know what we're getting. For example I'd rather pick up Osemele and Trevathan instead of Brooks and Lamur. I'm good with Johnson.  But I think we need to add some major talent to this team this offseason.

[CR91]

all the good CBs hitting the market and you pick trumiane johnson?

[COLTS449]

34 minutes ago, CR91 said:

all the good CBs hitting the market and you pick trumiane johnson?

 

Turmaine Johnson is a really good corner. He's a big playmaker. He had 17PD's and 7 INT's this year. He's a ball hawk. Now yeah I'd rather have Sean Smith or Janorris Jenkins but I wouldn't be mad at all about Johnson. I'd take Johnson over Amukamara.

[Archer]

34 minutes ago, COLTS449 said:

 

Turmaine Johnson is a really good corner. He's a big playmaker. He had 17PD's and 7 INT's this year. He's a ball hawk. Now yeah I'd rather have Sean Smith or Janorris Jenkins but I wouldn't be mad at all about Johnson. I'd take Johnson over Amukamara.

 

Since you can't exactly say, "This is the one and only guy I want in FA (at this postion)", I'm just reporting who I think we can, and should, realistically pick up.  At CB, I'd have Trumaine Johnson and Casey Hayward (who Grigson wanted to get in the 2012 draft) as my principal targets, but I'd certainly explore a much bigger deal for Sean Smith if those failed to work out.  Same is true with Osemele - he'd be a great new RG too.

[Traines]

5 hours ago, Archer said:

Draft

 

1) Noah Spence, OLB, Eastern Kentucky.   He may be a suspension risk, but his former teammates are praising his character and leadership qualities.

 

3) Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia.  Best available DB for a secondary that needs young blood all around.

 

Really like both of these picks...a lot!  I usually would say pass on someone like Spence in the 1st, but a lot of people are stepping up for him and saying good things...I know this is usually nonsense, but it seems genuine.  Karl Joseph is a flat out stud, I hope Dustin or Supe do a profile on him.  I also like your realistic approach to it all.  Like you said, I'd love to have guys like Osemele and Sean Smith, but it usually just does not work out that way (guys re-sign, get way overpaid somewhere else, etc.).

[COLTS449]

1 hour ago, Archer said:

 

Since you can't exactly say, "This is the one and only guy I want in FA (at this postion)", I'm just reporting who I think we can, and should, realistically pick up.  At CB, I'd have Trumaine Johnson and Casey Hayward (who Grigson wanted to get in the 2012 draft) as my principal targets, but I'd certainly explore a much bigger deal for Sean Smith if those failed to work out.  Same is true with Osemele - he'd be a great new RG too.

 

I got ya. But IMO if we were going to sign Lamur we'd just be better off starting Sio Moore and saving the money.

[loudnproudcolt]

We don't have the talent on the defensive side of the ball where I think we can gamble, and Spence would be a bit of one. I also love Jaylon Smith, and want us to take him, but the non gambling side of me says he won't be ready next year, and we need our first round pick, whether offensive or defensive to play.

Now I love the second pick, and the third, I don't think Joseph is going to fall to the third round, but I may be wrong. His knee injury was in October, so he should be fine, but it will affect his stock. If I could pick a safety after round 1, I would probably go with Kearse from Clemson, but then it comes down to what we do in the offseason first. I would love to get Osemele, then we don't have to worry about an OL in the first round, go defense in the first.

[Archer]

18 hours ago, COLTS449 said:

 

I got ya. But IMO if we were going to sign Lamur we'd just be better off starting Sio Moore and saving the money.

 

Oh, yeah, I see.  I have a whole back-of-the-envelope calculation that would be too complicated to explain, but the bottom line is that there was some extra money after signing a RG, CB, and RB.  So, I signed Lamur to be the 5th OLB (over Werner).  I think Lamur has some ST value and could be the 3rd team SAM (he's played a bit in Cincy's base D).  Not a major piece of my plan - just trying to get another relatively young OLB for the bottom of the roster...

[COLTS449]

2 hours ago, Archer said:

 

Oh, yeah, I see.  I have a whole back-of-the-envelope calculation that would be too complicated to explain, but the bottom line is that there was some extra money after signing a RG, CB, and RB.  So, I signed Lamur to be the 5th OLB (over Werner).  I think Lamur has some ST value and could be the 3rd team SAM (he's played a bit in Cincy's base D).  Not a major piece of my plan - just trying to get another relatively young OLB for the bottom of the roster...

 

Oh. I see. I thought you had us signing him to start at ILB.