Sounds like TJ Green is coming along very well...

[RockThatBlue]

Mykal McEldowney/Indy Star

Indianapolis Colts safety T.J. Green (32) makes his way onto the field before the Indianapolis Colts NFL training camp at Anderson University on August 4, 2016.

T.J. Green’s calling card is his speed. The Colts’ second-round pick ran a 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds at the NFL scouting combine in February, fastest among safeties and fourth fastest in the 2016 draft class.

Soon, the Colts hope, they’ll start to reap the benefits of Green’s fleet feet. But to maximize his speed, Green must first achieve something of a prerequisite: He needs to reach a level of comfort with the team’s defensive scheme, something that will really allow him to open things up.

“I think in order to play fast, you have to really know the defense,” Green said Thursday, as the Colts neared their Sunday preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers. “Once I get everything down and I get really comfortable with everything … I’ll be able to go out there and play fast and make plays.”

To tell the truth, he already is.

Green, who is benefiting from extensive practice time because of Clayton Geathers’ foot injury, is beginning to display an ability to be around the ball. Case in point: In Thursday’s practice, he reacted quickly during a red zone drill, coming down from his deep safety spot to separate T.Y. Hilton from a pass from Andrew Luck. It being practice, Green didn’t unload on the undersized Hilton. But had he done so with his 6-3, 205-pound frame, the collision would certainly have been violent.

 

 

 

 

 

Share MediaShow Caption

The extra snaps with the first-team defense have been invaluable for Green and seem to have accelerated his growth through the first week and a half of camp.

“T.J. has made a quantum leap since we … came back from minicamp in terms of his understanding of the system,” defensive coordinator Ted Monachino said. “He’s a rare cat and we think he’s going to be a very good player.

“Every rep he gets, he gets better.”

The reps he gets this weekend will be Green’s biggest yet. He’s in line to start the Packers game alongside veteran Mike Adams, facing the vaunted Aaron Rodgers-led offense of Green Bay.

It will be his biggest test to date. Green has gotten passing marks so far.

Will that continue?

“It’s been great to force feed him a little more,” Monachino said, “because it’s forced him to grow.”

 

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2016/08/04/colts-observations-tj-green-off-fast-start-colts/87531426
/

[twfish]

I was going to make a t.j green thread because he's been getting a ton of praise and has been getting talked about more than I figured a developmental back (this season aanyways) would have. Maybe we really did get a gem with this kid

[TheRustonRifle#7]

The Colts by drafting him took a bunch of heat from the armchair GMs and mediaphiles...let's hope he puts that fire out!  Rooting you on TJ!

[RockThatBlue]

15 minutes ago, twfish said:

I was going to make a t.j green thread because he's been getting a ton of praise and has been getting talked about more than I figured a developmental back (this season aanyways) would have. Maybe we really did get a gem with this kid

I especially like that it sounds like hes been solid in pass coverage, considering he was rated one of the worst at it in the draft. 

[wig]

Really excited to see what he could do when they drafted him. Sky is obviously the limit with his physical tools. 

[Colts_Fan12]

Please let me be wrong on this guy I'm ready to have a pair of awesome safeties!!!

[Hoosiernsavga]

I think Green will be our guy to cover the big athletic pass catching TE's that we so desperately need! He can cover alot of area with his length and speed in the secondary. He may be raw but i really think with experience he will be one of the Colts leaders on defense in the near future. 

[Steamboat_Shaun]

I love the fact that our first 2 draft picks this year were used on guys that played in the national championship. Green had a lot of people scratching their heads when he was drafted, but it sounds like he can play.

[NorthernBlue]

Athletes like TJ Green don't come around very often. He can run, jump and hit with the best of em'. He's got the tools to make it happen. Now he's gotta...y'know....make it happen. 

 

People were obviously grilling the pick at first, and rightfully so, but management obviously liked the intangibles, and felt Pags and company could coach him up pretty good. So I was fine with the pick.

 

Not gonna crown him just yet, he's still got a loooooooooong way to go, but with his speed, I'm sure he'll make ways quickly 

[theanarchist]

8 hours ago, Steamboat_Shaun said:

I love the fact that our first 2 draft picks this year were used on guys that played in the national championship. Green had a lot of people scratching their heads when he was drafted, but it sounds like he can play.

It "sounds" like it but the college game film didnt show it . I hope I'm wrong about the guy too

[jvan1973]

33 minutes ago, theanarchist said:

It "sounds" like it but the college game film didnt show it . I hope I'm wrong about the guy too

He was widely considered a second round prospect.   Gil Brandt had him as the 45th player on his board.   He is an athletic freak

[PeterBowman]

if there's one person who can coach up DB's and Green...it's Pags and crew.

[oldunclemark]

13 hours ago, RockThatBlue said:

I especially like that it sounds like hes been solid in pass coverage, considering he was rated one of the worst at it in the draft. 

I'm being simplistic here....

..but if you run a sub 4.4 '40' and you are 6-foot-3 ...but you are considered bad in coverage,.....

...that's a self-inflicted wound, right?

 

..it suggests you are running yourself out of position....and that's a very curable problem, correct?

  Anxious to see him in live action.

      

[ColtsFanMikeC]

12 hours ago, Colts_Fan12 said:

Please let me be wrong on this guy I'm ready to have a pair of awesome safeties!!!

 

I think we'll have a very good safety tandem for a long time coming with Green and Geathers.... I think Adams has another year (maybe 2) in the tank, and he seems like a pretty solid professional (on and off field), so I think the 2 young guys with a lot of athletic ability and a bit of rawness coming out of college will benefit greatly from Adams' and Pagano and staff's tutelage.

 

I hope Geathers comes back this year, so he and Adams can man the safety position and Green can be used in nickel/dime packages to blitz the passer of cover the Gronks of the world.

 

1 hour ago, theanarchist said:

It "sounds" like it but the college game film didnt show it . I hope I'm wrong about the guy too

 

There are a few plays against Alabama (the National Champion) that make him look bad, but if actually watch more of his films, he looks like a pretty good player, especially considering he only had 1 year of starting at safety after converting from being a WR.

[lollygagger8]

[theanarchist]

1 hour ago, jvan1973 said:

He was widely considered a second round prospect.   Gil Brandt had him as the 45th player on his board.   He is an athletic freak

I'm not arguing that he isnt a tremendous athlete. Running a 4.3 40 is world class but this is football and you  have to have some instincts and a feel for the position you are playing.  In fact my opinion is only based on 3 games that I saw footage of on youtube. However, in the footage I saw he looked bad. He definitely didnt look like the fastest player on the field and I'm going to give the opinion that the reason he didnt was because he just didnt have the instincts. There were a number of plays where he just looked lost. Like he had no idea what his assignment was.  I'm no expert so I hope my opinion is wrong. Plus there is nothing saying that he cant be coached to get better.

[theanarchist]

27 minutes ago, ColtsFanMikeC said:

 

I think we'll have a very good safety tandem for a long time coming with Green and Geathers.... I think Adams has another year (maybe 2) in the tank, and he seems like a pretty solid professional (on and off field), so I think the 2 young guys with a lot of athletic ability and a bit of rawness coming out of college will benefit greatly from Adams' and Pagano and staff's tutelage.

 

I hope Geathers comes back this year, so he and Adams can man the safety position and Green can be used in nickel/dime packages to blitz the passer of cover the Gronks of the world.

 

 

There are a few plays against Alabama (the National Champion) that make him look bad, but if actually watch more of his films, he looks like a pretty good player, especially considering he only had 1 year of starting at safety after converting from being a WR.

I saw that game and two others that were on youtube. Alabama game was definitely bad but the other two I saw were not much better. I can buy that he is inexperienced and needs more time to develop into an NFL safety.

[AZColt11]

I think he's gonna take his lumps but to me it isn't about this weekend or even this season, it's about getting him acclimated to the defense, getting him pro experience, and getting him more experience at the position.  Down the road is when this guy could blossom.  This season will be trial by fire, which is fine by me.  There is No question he has the athleticism to excel at the pro level.

[theanarchist]

1 hour ago, jvan1973 said:

He was widely considered a second round prospect.   Gil Brandt had him as the 45th player on his board.   He is an athletic freak

Let me say this: Bob Sanders was drafted #44 in 2004. Sanders ran a sub 4.4 at the combine. His college tape was off the charts. His problem was durability. But if you watch college film of these two, they arent even in the same ball park.

 

Gil Brandt like him enough in January to say that of all the players on his list, he should have stayed in school and gotten more experience.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000626975/article/2016-nfl-draft-7-players-who-should-have-stayed-in-school

[jvan1973]

14 minutes ago, theanarchist said:

Let me say this: Bob Sanders was drafted #44 in 2004. Sanders ran a sub 4.4 at the combine. His college tape was off the charts. His problem was durability. But if you watch college film of these two, they arent even in the same ball park.

 

Gil Brandt like him enough in January to say that of all the players on his list, he should have stayed in school and gotten more experience.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000626975/article/2016-nfl-draft-7-players-who-should-have-stayed-in-school

It's safe to say of brandt had him at 45 this year,   He would have moved up significantly had he had more experience.    He will get that this year.     If he can understand the defense he will be a wrecking ball in the secondary 

[OffensivelyPC]

13 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

It's safe to say of brandt had him at 45 this year,   He would have moved up significantly had he had more experience.    He will get that this year.     If he can understand the defense he will be a wrecking ball in the secondary 

Wasnt' one of the knocks on him his mean streak and tackling ability?  I've slept since the draft so I forgot.

[chad72]

13 hours ago, Colts_Fan12 said:

Please let me be wrong on this guy I'm ready to have a pair of awesome safeties!!!

 

Oh yeah!!! All recent SB winners have been strong with their man CBs and pair of safeties.

 

From Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard, to Chancellor and Earl Thomas to recently T.J.Ward and Darian Stewart (underrated aspect of Broncos' D), safety play has become more important than ever with receiving TEs and pass catching RBs. Not to mention our own Bob Sanders and Bethea being healthy for one good run in the 2006 postseason.

 

Pagano and his coaches have taken underappreciated talent and turn them around in the secondary (LaDarius Webb, Vontae Davis and even Darius Butler resurgence), the history is long enough that you had to give them the benefit of doubt. When Polian reached for Kelvin Hayden (who was slotted round 4 or 5, if I remember right) in round 2 in 2005, most of us pretty much questioned it but when he made the pick six in the SB, it sure was sweet.

 

Our hopes were that T.J.Green was "green" enough that he would not play right away but would do so in year 2. I would take that any day of the week for a round 2 pick if he can start by year 2.

[Valpo2004]

So has he learned to cover then?  I hope so, especially considering our lack of depth we might have to rely on him quite a bit this season.

[ColtsFanMikeC]

50 minutes ago, OffensivelyPC said:

Wasnt' one of the knocks on him his mean streak and tackling ability?  I've slept since the draft so I forgot.

 

His open field tackling ability is listed as weakness... he has played in the box and done well, it's in the open field where he seems to lack fundamentals....but, I think it's a fixable/coachable problem.

[chad72]

9 minutes ago, Valpo2004 said:

So has he learned to cover then?  I hope so, especially considering our lack of depth we might have to rely on him quite a bit this season.

 

Either that, or (playing devil's advocate) that Luck hasn't still mastered the art of looking off safeties like elite QBs in the league. 

[B~Town]

But had he done so with his 6-3, 205-pound frame, the collision would certainly have been violent.

 

My favorite part of the article . Have not heard a bad report on this kid yet hope it pans over to game action .

[csmopar]

1 hour ago, theanarchist said:

I'm not arguing that he isnt a tremendous athlete. Running a 4.3 40 is world class but this is football and you  have to have some instincts and a feel for the position you are playing.  In fact my opinion is only based on 3 games that I saw footage of on youtube. However, in the footage I saw he looked bad. He definitely didnt look like the fastest player on the field and I'm going to give the opinion that the reason he didnt was because he just didnt have the instincts. There were a number of plays where he just looked lost. Like he had no idea what his assignment was.  I'm no expert so I hope my opinion is wrong. Plus there is nothing saying that he cant be coached to get better.

agreed but part of me wonders if that is because he'd only played the position for 1 year?  Going from being used to trying to burn DBs and then trying to cover WRs who are trying to do the same thing you used to do im sure has some lumps and bumps.  But I said it on draft night, this will be the test of exactly how good of a DB whisperer Pags is.

[RockThatBlue]

4 hours ago, ColtsFanMikeC said:

 

I think we'll have a very good safety tandem for a long time coming with Green and Geathers.... I think Adams has another year (maybe 2) in the tank, and he seems like a pretty solid professional (on and off field), so I think the 2 young guys with a lot of athletic ability and a bit of rawness coming out of college will benefit greatly from Adams' and Pagano and staff's tutelage.

 

I hope Geathers comes back this year, so he and Adams can man the safety position and Green can be used in nickel/dime packages to blitz the passer of cover the Gronks of the world.

 

 

There are a few plays against Alabama (the National Champion) that make him look bad, but if actually watch more of his films, he looks like a pretty good player, especially considering he only had 1 year of starting at safety after converting from being a WR.

Green isn't the first player to look bad against Bama lol. 

[RockThatBlue]

3 hours ago, Valpo2004 said:

So has he learned to cover then?  I hope so, especially considering our lack of depth we might have to rely on him quite a bit this season.

It sounds like hes been decent at it in camp. Of course its camp and what he does in actual games is more important, but its better than hearing that hes been getting toasted in camp. Gotta start somewhere.

[JohnnyP]

19 hours ago, TheRustonRifle#7 said:

The Colts by drafting him took a bunch of heat from the armchair GMs and mediaphiles...let's hope he puts that fire out!  Rooting you on TJ!

I was one of the people not excited about the Green pick .....he looked so lost at times on film.   ....i hope i'm so wrong about him.

[TheRustonRifle#7]

7 minutes ago, JohnnyP said:

I was one of the people not excited about the Green pick .....he looked so lost at times on film.   ....i hope i'm so wrong about him.

Me too Johnny

[Hoosiernsavga]

On August 4, 2016 at 11:33 PM, Steamboat_Shaun said:

I love the fact that our first 2 draft picks this year were used on guys that played in the national championship. Green had a lot of people scratching their heads when he was drafted, but it sounds like he can play.

I agree, but on the other hand Henry played in the NC game won the Heisman and was maybe the forth best rb in NCAA football! lol 

[wig]

15 hours ago, theanarchist said:

I'm not arguing that he isnt a tremendous athlete. Running a 4.3 40 is world class but this is football and you  have to have some instincts and a feel for the position you are playing.  In fact my opinion is only based on 3 games that I saw footage of on youtube. However, in the footage I saw he looked bad. He definitely didnt look like the fastest player on the field and I'm going to give the opinion that the reason he didnt was because he just didnt have the instincts. There were a number of plays where he just looked lost. Like he had no idea what his assignment was.  I'm no expert so I hope my opinion is wrong. Plus there is nothing saying that he cant be coached to get better.

 

You say instincts like people are born with it. He switched positions and was only a full time player for a single season. He's still learning. 

 

Instincts are mainly instinctively knowing where you're supposed to go. He's still having to think on the field.  He'll get better at a faster rate than most, the only question is how much. 

[NewColtsFan]

 

Yes,  I think last year was Green's first at Safety.....  and the Colts have said they think Green would've been a 1st round pick in the 17 draft if he had stayed in school.

 

So,  they'll live with his mistakes this year if he's learning on the job in hopes Green will be a stud in the next year or two.

 

It's not that he's got bad instincts.....   it's that he lacks experience....     he's going to get it pretty quickly in 2016.

 

 

[theanarchist]

6 hours ago, wig said:

 

You say instincts like people are born with it. He switched positions and was only a full time player for a single season. He's still learning. 

 

Instincts are mainly instinctively knowing where you're supposed to go. He's still having to think on the field.  He'll get better at a faster rate than most, the only question is how much. 

Some people are born with it. Those are rare tho. What I'm saying is that the guy didn't look good on the games that I watched and he has a long way to go based on the opinion of people like Gil Brandt and other scouting services. He would have benefited from staying in school another year. But, since he didnt and we spent a 2nd round pick on him then he's going to have to learn fast. Some people arent good with having a big learning curve like that. I hope he is one of those that learns quickly because no matter what it's a huge jump from college to NFL even when your tape in college suggests your ready.

[JPFolks]

On 8/4/2016 at 7:25 PM, TheRustonRifle#7 said:

The Colts by drafting him took a bunch of heat from the armchair GMs and mediaphiles...let's hope he puts that fire out!  Rooting you on TJ!

I don't know why anyone would be upset with us drafting a Safety high.  I got abused for drafting a Safety in the first round of our Mock, (who Atlanta took one slot higher in the real draft) and people threw a fit.  I wish we'd taken 2 Safeties or a Safety and another Corner as our back end depth is thin (I guess you could say that about the entire defense to some extent).  I thought Green was the second best Safety for us and was thrilled we got him.  If either of our starting safeties get hurt, we HAVE to have someone solid to step up and I think it is likely Green will be a key player  in our defense this season.  I just can't see being against it.  

[JPFolks]

On 8/5/2016 at 2:16 AM, NorthernBlue said:

Athletes like TJ Green don't come around very often. He can run, jump and hit with the best of em'. He's got the tools to make it happen. Now he's gotta...y'know....make it happen. 

 

People were obviously grilling the pick at first, and rightfully so, but management obviously liked the intangibles, and felt Pags and company could coach him up pretty good. So I was fine with the pick.

 

Not gonna crown him just yet, he's still got a loooooooooong way to go, but with his speed, I'm sure he'll make ways quickly 

I really don't get grilling the pick.  What did people want? 

[NorthernBlue]

19 minutes ago, JPFolks said:

I really don't get grilling the pick.  What did people want? 

I guess he was kinda off the board. Plus he wasn't exactly the "flashy" pick, with some other highly regarded (at least by analysts) guys still available. 

[SilentHill]

kid seems good, can't wait to find out for myself

[Defjamz26]

Good to hear about a guy who people on this bored hated when he was picked and immediately wrote off.