Arm Chair GM

[Crunked]

As Arm Chair GM I would cut Arthur Jones, try to restructure Dwayne Allen, (wish) Anthony Castanzo's and as is common Andrew Luck's. to get a bit of additional wiggle room.

These moves assuming ALL are successful and fit in my arm chair........would make LB'ers and D-Line top priority needs in that order. CB's, and RB's, more O-line the next level of need. Below I have added what I would feel comfy offering each player, but it wont always shake out like that as you will have to pay more than you want for some I am sure.

Please feel free to share your arm chair view.......

 

 

According to spotstrac.com these are the Colts expiring contracts with position and age included:

Robert Mathis	OLB	35					He and Reggie were my fav's but its time to say goodbye
Erik Walden	OLB	31					(2) year deal at or near his past contract level
Darius Butler	CB	30					(2-3) year deal at or near previous level contract.
Mike Adams	SS	35					Thank you for your service its time to say goodbye
Trent Cole	OLB	34	-----------				To be Hoosier polite, Thank you and goodbye
Hugh Thornton	G	25					A Hugh-ge disappointment (4) year low base high incentive type deal
Akeem Ayers	OLB	27					His one year deal with bonus was over 3 mil. if that's what it takes, no thanks
Jack Doyle	TE	26					(4) year pay the man.....please
Jonotthan Harrison	C	25					(4) year middle of the road deal
Zach Kerr	DT	26					(2-3) year rotational level player deal
Josh McNary	ILB	28					Thank you goodbye
Erik Swoope	TE	24					(4) year Jack Doyle-ish's last contract level
Quan Bray	WR	23					(2) year return specialist typish deal
Jordan Todman	RB	26					(2) year back up RB return specialist type deal
Chris Carter	OLB	27					Goodbye
Robert Turbin	RB	27					(3) year back  up RB deal
Duke Williams	FS	26					Goodbye
Darryl Morris	CB	26					Goodbye
Charles James	CB	26					Goodbye
Jeremy Vujnovich	LT	26					Goodbye
Deiontrez Mount	OLB	23					Goodbye
Kristjan Sokoli	G	25					Goodbye
Frankie Williams

[Steamboat_Shaun]

No objections from me. One thing I'd try to do is lock down a legit veteran LT in free agency and move Castonzo over to RT. Easier said than done, I know, but the Cowboys made a move similar to this with Doug Free and it proved to be pivotal for their line. This could make the Colts OL REALLY good moving forward assuming they bring in someone that's proven at LT.

[Clem-Dog]

Nice analysis Crunked.

[Crunked]

2 hours ago, Steamboat_Shaun said:

No objections from me. One thing I'd try to do is lock down a legit veteran LT in free agency and move Castonzo over to RT. Easier said than done, I know, but the Cowboys made a move similar to this with Doug Free and it proved to be pivotal for their line. This could make the Colts OL REALLY good moving forward assuming they bring in someone that's proven at LT.

Steamboat, I have seen others talk about trading AC, etc. etc. I agree he has regressed for whatever reason. However, I think the only way you can realistic replace him is spending a 1st round pick to do so, and we have so many glaring needs I might be apt to roll the dice that the rest of the line improves enough to make him less of a liability and use those top rounds to build the defense. I just think its a needle in a haystack proposition to find a legit LT in free agency, good ones teams just wont let walk......

 

[Steamboat_Shaun]

15 minutes ago, crunked said:

Steamboat, I have seen others talk about trading AC, etc. etc. I agree he has regressed for whatever reason. However, I think the only way you can realistic replace him is spending a 1st round pick to do so, and we have so many glaring needs I might be apt to roll the dice that the rest of the line improves enough to make him less of a liability and use those top rounds to build the defense. I just think its a needle in a haystack proposition to find a legit LT in free agency, good ones teams just wont let walk......

 

 

There will be a few available. Getting Whitworth on a 2-year rental, & sliding AC over to the right side would be nice. Not sure how realistic that is, but that would probably be best-case scenario.

 

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/left-tackle/

[akcolt]

I don't see any reason for Bray to come back. We have some nice WR's on the PS. I don't think he makes the roster again. 

[UKColt13]

4 hours ago, akcolt said:

I don't see any reason for Bray to come back. We have some nice WR's on the PS. I don't think he makes the roster again. 

 

He's a good KR. Him and Chester Rogers are good enough depth at WR.

[Crunked]

Bray and Todman on KR pleases my senses as well....

[Archer]

According to overthecap.com, Ayers is under contract in 2017.  He's due a salary of $1,550,000, a roster bonus of $550,000, and pro-rated signing bonus of $500,000.  Therefore, his total cap hit in 2017 will be $2,600,000, but he'll have $500,000 of dead money if you cut him...  Here's the site I use for this stuff:

 

http://overthecap.com/salary-cap/indianapolis-colts/

 

I'd be interested to know if there are other discrepancies between the two sites...

[Archer]

overthecap also shows Mount and Vujnovich under contract in 2017...

[Valpo2004]

23 hours ago, crunked said:

As Arm Chair GM I would cut Arthur Jones, try to restructure Dwayne Allen, (wish) Anthony Castanzo's and as is common Andrew Luck's. to get a bit of additional wiggle room.

These moves assuming ALL are successful and fit in my arm chair........would make LB'ers and D-Line top priority needs in that order. CB's, and RB's, more O-line the next level of need. Below I have added what I would feel comfy offering each player, but it wont always shake out like that as you will have to pay more than you want for some I am sure.

Please feel free to share your arm chair view.......

 

 

According to spotstrac.com these are the Colts expiring contracts with position and age included:

Robert Mathis	OLB	35					He and Reggie were my fav's but its time to say goodbye
Erik Walden	OLB	31					(2) year deal at or near his past contract level
Darius Butler	CB	30					(2-3) year deal at or near previous level contract.
Mike Adams	SS	35					Thank you for your service its time to say goodbye
Trent Cole	OLB	34	-----------				To be Hoosier polite, Thank you and goodbye
Hugh Thornton	G	25					A Hugh-ge disappointment (4) year low base high incentive type deal
Akeem Ayers	OLB	27					His one year deal with bonus was over 3 mil. if that's what it takes, no thanks
Jack Doyle	TE	26					(4) year pay the man.....please
Jonotthan Harrison	C	25					(4) year middle of the road deal
Zach Kerr	DT	26					(2-3) year rotational level player deal
Josh McNary	ILB	28					Thank you goodbye
Erik Swoope	TE	24					(4) year Jack Doyle-ish's last contract level
Quan Bray	WR	23					(2) year return specialist typish deal
Jordan Todman	RB	26					(2) year back up RB return specialist type deal
Chris Carter	OLB	27					Goodbye
Robert Turbin	RB	27					(3) year back  up RB deal
Duke Williams	FS	26					Goodbye
Darryl Morris	CB	26					Goodbye
Charles James	CB	26					Goodbye
Jeremy Vujnovich	LT	26					Goodbye
Deiontrez Mount	OLB	23					Goodbye
Kristjan Sokoli	G	25					Goodbye
Frankie Williams

 

Eric Swoope and Quan Bray are exclusive rights free agents.  They have to accept a minimum salary with no guaranteed money contract or not play in the NFL.  Therefore they should both get minimum salary with no guaranteed money.  There is zero reason from a team prospective to give them anything more.  

 

I'm not even sure if Bray is worth keeping around.  Seems like we have Chester Rodgers and others who can return kicks/punts but are competent receivers as well.  If they can do that, why have a roster spot just for a return man?  Roster spots are scarce.

 

Kerr, McNary and Harrison are RFA's which means we can tender them a low amount and if another team wants to offer them more we can either match that offer keep them or let the other team have them.  Or we could tender them higher amounts and if another team wants them we can force them to give up a draft pick to get them.  

 

Of them maybe Kerr is worth a 2nd round tender but probably not.  Harrison is maybe worth a minimum tender.  

 

You are also mishandling your backup's contracts entirely.  With backup players like Todman, Thornton, Turbin, and Butler you just offer them short term 1 or 2 year deals because there is less risk to the team in short term deals.  Few teams ink their backups to long term extensions like that.  There is zero reason for example to give Thornton more then a 2 year contract.  With depth players short contracts are better.  (Why do you think Turbin and Todman, who where just signed by the Colts before this season are already on the FA list?  Because backups don't get long contracts.)

 

I would say it might be worthwhile to bring Adams back for another year.  He's still playing well, but he's really old so you don't have to give him much money or a long contract.  And bringing him back does give us depth at safety.  

[Crunked]

Valpo, my thoughts on Bray are you need a #5 receiver, and he has been a competent return man....He is not high enough profile either way for me to make a passionate plea for clemency however all things being equal I would still take a stab at a contract with him. In regard to your other points (all valid) I was/am subject to the source info I used, it did not indicate anyones "status ERFA or RFA wise" so I will yield to your ascertations there....simply wanted to spark some "how we gunna' done start fixin; this here thing" discussion   In the future I will use better resources as you and Archer suggest......walks out singin' the day google let me down..............lol

[akcolt]

16 hours ago, UKColt13 said:

 

He's a good KR. Him and Chester Rogers are good enough depth at WR.

Bray has 3 catches 36 yards for his career. I don't see him making the team next year regardless. TY Moncrief and Dorsett aren't going anywhere. We will have 2 maybe 3 spots up for grabs. 

 

Rogers who has 15 catches for 201 yards with one game to go his rookie season.

 

Tevaun Snith has been with the team all season. He has elite size and speed 6'1 210 ram a 4.37 40.

 

Markus Leak was the talk of camp before being injured prior to the first preseason game. He also has good size 6'0 212lbs runs in the 4.4's. When he got healthy we quietly signed him to the PS and held on to him all season. 

 

All 3 of those guys are better WR's  with much higher ceilings than Bray IMO.

 

The return man advantage has been cancelled out by Todman and Rogers. Rodgers averages a yard more per PR. He needs to stop fair catching the ball inside the 10. We should be able to fix that. 

 

That is the competition he faces before FA, the draft, and  UDFA's are added to the mix. I think Bray's days in Indy are done.