Todd McShay 2017 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: Colts are Cooking

[richard pallo]

4 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Yeah, I was thinking Cook could be in play. He's basically the only offensive player I think we may take as Fournette should be gone. Pretty sure Cook will be a hit, and it's nice to hit on your 1st rounder, but we do need a defensive stud. As NCF said, the OLB's aren't very good in our range, I'd avoid them altogether. Guys like Myles Garrett, Jonathon Allen, and Rueben Foster won't fall to us (Foster has a slim shot). I'd consider going Jaml Adams if he was there, and get that elite safety. I think CB's are plentiful in the draft. Taco is a reach, TJ Watt I love, but he's a reach. Zach Cunningham is at a position we need, but a reach. The three guys I'm down too for now are Jamal Adams, Solomon Thomas, and Dalvin Cook. I think all three would be great picks for us.

All we have to do is sign our ER in FA then we don't have to reach for one in our range.   Ballard doesn't strike me as a guy who will reach for a player when there are better players in front of them.  I believe him when he says BPA.   Not to many people wanted a center with our 18th. pick last year.  "Never draft a center that high"  some said.  Wrong.   At least this year people are warming up to the idea of a RB and they should.  The man means what he says.   BPA. 

[NewColtsFan]

47 minutes ago, a06cc said:

I like Taco Charlton more than Barnett. I'm excited to see who we draft. It's been years since we picked so high. Overall this will help

our team drastically. 

 

I like Taco too.     I'm just not sure he can play OLB instead of just DE.

 

I think Taco is roughly 6'6" and about 275/280.       Now, ask yourself this....    how many OLB's in the NFL are that size?       Seriously?       Are there really many guys who are 6'6" and 280?       Playing someone that big out in space might work.    And it might not.      

 

I think if we use Taco right,  he can be a very good player.     I'm just not sure how we should use him best?

 

[Bluefire4]

My view on this has always been that it depends on free agency. If we address the most pressing needs there, we can afford to use the first pick on Fournette or Cook and hope they turn out to be our Ezekiel Elliot.

 

However, the closer we get to the draft both Fournette and Cook will probably rise like Zeke did. Zeke was getting mocked to us early in the process last year.

[LockeDown]

Ballard talks about team chemistry, so what interests me is which players he drafts vs which free agents he brings in.  This is what makes a great GM, imo.  The right mix.  Will he add veteran leadership in FA or does he want the homegrown talent to rise up?  

 

 

[krunk]

1 hour ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

I like Taco too.     I'm just not sure he can play OLB instead of just DE.

 

I think Taco is roughly 6'6" and about 275/280.       Now, ask yourself this....    how many OLB's in the NFL are that size?       Seriously?       Are there really many guys who are 6'6" and 280?       Playing someone that big out in space might work.    And it might not.      

 

I think if we use Taco right,  he can be a very good player.     I'm just not sure how we should use him best?

 

Does anybody ever ask if Chandler Jones, Julius Peppers, and Clowney should be defensive linemen because they are too tall? If you have the athleticism to play the position then why does Tacos height matter? Mountain out of a mole hill. Next you will move forward and make another mole hill out of his weight. You're essentially talking about 10-15 lbs of weight loss. Not uncommon to see a 3-4 OLB play around 265-270 and actually Peppers plays OLB at 285. He'd do multiple things in our scheme. Definitely 4-3 end and 3-4 OLB for sure. There's a ton you can do with this guy. Great athlete for that size, and he plays standing up, four point stance and his spin move is effortless. Always see him getting pressure on the ball. Lots of room to grow.

[Luck 4 president]

jets, eagles, jags, panthers, browns(x2), and saints all draft before us and all have a need at RB. I doubt he falls to us, and if he does I hope we trade back with someone who will overpay for him so we can still get an elite pass rusher and an extra pick. 

[Yoshinator]

2 minutes ago, Luck 4 president said:

jets, eagles, jags, panthers, browns(x2), and saints all draft before us and all have a need at RB. I doubt he falls to us, and if he does I hope we trade back with someone who will overpay for him so we can still get an elite pass rusher and an extra pick. 

We could pick before the Eagles. We have a coin flip with them at the combine to determine who picks 14th and who picks 15th.

[Jact.stark]

3 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

 

The comparison's of Wattt to Thomas were more along the lines of style of play and not physically.

 

Physically,  they are not close.    Watt is likely closer to 6'5" 1/2.    Thomas, I've heard is likely closer to 6'2" 1/2, maybe shorter.   Those three inches of height are huge.   They translate into longer arms for Watt and shorter for Thomas.     I think we're gong to find that the lengths of the arms (critically important)  are not close to being the same.       So, my hope for making Solly are likely not very good.      We won't know until official measurements at the Combine.

 

Believe me,  I'm a Stanford guy,  a big Solomon Thomas fan....    I'm just not sure he's a scheme fit for the Colts.

 

I think sometimes we can blind ourselves with all the media comparison, Thomas is great but i don't see him shining with the Colts and that just make me feel bad =(. 

[NewColtsFan]

1 hour ago, krunk said:

Does anybody ever ask if Chandler Jones, Julius Peppers, and Clowney should be defensive linemen because they are too tall? If you have the athleticism to play the position then why does Tacos height matter? Mountain out of a mole hill. Next you will move forward and make another mole hill out of his weight. You're essentially talking about 10-15 lbs of weight loss. Not uncommon to see a 3-4 OLB play around 265-270 and actually Peppers plays OLB at 285. He'd do multiple things in our scheme. Definitely 4-3 end and 3-4 OLB for sure. There's a ton you can do with this guy. Great athlete for that size, and he plays standing up, four point stance and his spin move is effortless. Always see him getting pressure on the ball. Lots of room to grow.

 

The height matters because it impacts movement skills.    It's just naturally harder for bigger, taller guys to play in space.

 

And while I think Jones is a really good comparison,  I'd hesitate before comparing Carlton to Peppers or Clowney who were only the 1st and 2nd overall picks in their drafts.     That means they're freaks,  exceptions to the rule.      I'm not sure Carlton is viewed by anyone in that light.     If he was,  then he'd be talked about as a top-3 player in this draft.      And he's not.

 

Hey,  I'm not saying he can't play OLB.    I just think it's highly unlikely.  

 

I suspect he's a DE,  but I'd be happy to be wrong.....

 

[richard pallo]

8 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

I like Taco too.     I'm just not sure he can play OLB instead of just DE.

 

I think Taco is roughly 6'6" and about 275/280.       Now, ask yourself this....    how many OLB's in the NFL are that size?       Seriously?       Are there really many guys who are 6'6" and 280?       Playing someone that big out in space might work.    And it might not.      

 

I think if we use Taco right,  he can be a very good player.     I'm just not sure how we should use him best?

 

Remember Ted "Mad Stork" Hendricks?

[MPStack]

1 minute ago, richard pallo said:

Remember Ted "Mad Stork" Hendricks?

I remember Hendricks, but the NFL has come along way since the 70`s. It`s more complicated!

[krunk]

5 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

The height matters because it impacts movement skills.    It's just naturally harder for bigger, taller guys to play in space.

 

And while I think Jones is a really good comparison,  I'd hesitate before comparing Carlton to Peppers or Clowney who were only the 1st and 2nd overall picks in their drafts.     That means they're freaks,  exceptions to the rule.      I'm not sure Carlton is viewed by anyone in that light.     If he was,  then he'd be talked about as a top-3 player in this draft.      And he's not.

 

Hey,  I'm not saying he can't play OLB.    I just think it's highly unlikely.  

 

I suspect he's a DE,  but I'd be happy to be wrong.....

 

I dont think you have to be some sort of freak as you call it to play something that you've shown on more than one occasion in your film to be capable of. Clearly he can stand up and rush the passer and play the run. Its on his film. I think you make too much of dropping into coverage because most linebackers are bad at it. You're only going to be doing that a small percentage of the time and he's athletic enough to do that if asked. You're calling him a DE simply because hes big while ignoring all the other stuff he does in the actual game film as an athlete.

[krunk]

1 minute ago, krunk said:

I dont think you have to be some sort of freak as you call it to play something that you've shown on more than one occasion in your film to be capable of. Clearly he can stand up and rush the passer and play the run. Its on his film. I think you make too much of dropping into coverage because most linebackers are bad at it. You're only going to be doing that a small percentage of the time and he's athletic enough to do that if asked. You're calling him a DE simply because hes big while ignoring all the other stuff he does in the actual game film as an athlete. Hes capable of playing both things for us.

 

[Andrew Luck fan club]

8 hours ago, Bluefire4 said:

My view on this has always been that it depends on free agency. If we address the most pressing needs there, we can afford to use the first pick on Fournette or Cook and hope they turn out to be our Ezekiel Elliot.

 

However, the closer we get to the draft both Fournette and Cook will probably rise like Zeke did. Zeke was getting mocked to us early in the process last year.

Lol and we literally never would have picked him, that just shows how stupid these mocks are with us taking Cook.

 

[Andrew Luck fan club]

9 hours ago, richard pallo said:

All we have to do is sign our ER in FA then we don't have to reach for one in our range.   Ballard doesn't strike me as a guy who will reach for a player when there are better players in front of them.  I believe him when he says BPA.   Not to many people wanted a center with our 18th. pick last year.  "Never draft a center that high"  some said.  Wrong.   At least this year people are warming up to the idea of a RB and they should.  The man means what he says.   BPA. 

I believe him when he says it starts in the trenches, and that D wins championships. 

 

And the majority was fine with the Kelly pick, because it was a humongous need and also a great talent. 

 

And I see more people not wanting a rb, than people that do. 

[richard pallo]

1 hour ago, Majin Vegeta said:

I believe him when he says it starts in the trenches, and that D wins championships. 

 

And the majority was fine with the Kelly pick, because it was a humongous need and also a great talent. 

 

And I see more people not wanting a rb, than people that do. 

I also believe defense wins championships and I also believe him when he says it starts in the trenches. That is why I can see him acquiring a G or T or NT in FA.  ER is not the trenches unless you consider a DE an ER.  Most people are clamoring for a standup OLB as our ER in a 3-4.   The majority was not fine with Kelly as a potential 1st. rd. pick.  The majority wanted defense.  They eventually warmed up to him when the draft got closer and Polian rated him the top 4 prospect in the draft.  I see more people warming to RB than you do.  A lot more than I would have thought considering so many want to draft defense.   I agree with an earlier post that it all depends on FA.  The discussion only gets better after FA.  And quite honestly I can see Ballard taking an OL with the pick too.  I don't think he's taking anything off the table.  It al depends on what he does in FA IMO.  

[Andrew Luck fan club]

1 minute ago, richard pallo said:

I also believe defense wins championships and I also believe him when he says it starts in the trenches. That is why I can see him acquiring a G or T or NT in FA.  ER is not the trenches unless you consider a DE an ER.  Most people are clamoring for a standup OLB as our ER in a 3-4.   The majority was not fine with Kelly as a potential 1st. rd. pick.  The majority wanted defense.  They eventually warmed up to him when the draft got closer and Polian rated him the top 4 prospect in the draft.  I see more people warming to RB than you do.  A lot more than I would have thought considering so many want to draft defense.   I agree with an earlier post that it all depends on FA.  The discussion only gets better after FA.  And quite honestly I can see Ballard taking an OL with the pick too.  I don't think he's taking anything off the table.  It al depends on what he does in FA IMO.  

Yeah I was talking about when we actually made the pick, like draft day.

I definitely agree this discussion will get easier once FA comes. 

[throwing BBZ]

10 hours ago, krunk said:

Does anybody ever ask if Chandler Jones, Julius Peppers, and Clowney should be defensive linemen because they are too tall? If you have the athleticism to play the position then why does Tacos height matter? Mountain out of a mole hill. Next you will move forward and make another mole hill out of his weight. You're essentially talking about 10-15 lbs of weight loss. Not uncommon to see a 3-4 OLB play around 265-270 and actually Peppers plays OLB at 285. He'd do multiple things in our scheme. Definitely 4-3 end and 3-4 OLB for sure. There's a ton you can do with this guy. Great athlete for that size, and he plays standing up, four point stance and his spin move is effortless. Always see him getting pressure on the ball. Lots of room to grow.

 Our new GM said, knows, you have to be able to get pressure with a 4 man rush.
 Charlton could be very effective as a DE for just that purpose.
   He can adjust his weight some as they find out what he is capable of after he gets some experience.
    I love the idea of giving our Offense an explosive running game, especially one that can get outside.
  And that is a bit of a problem when you have scrawny receivers that can`t block!
    Oh what fun it is watching Andrew Rip a D given a clean pocket.

[ztboiler]

11 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

The height matters because it impacts movement skills.    It's just naturally harder for bigger, taller guys to play in space.

 

And while I think Jones is a really good comparison,  I'd hesitate before comparing Carlton to Peppers or Clowney who were only the 1st and 2nd overall picks in their drafts.     That means they're freaks,  exceptions to the rule.      I'm not sure Carlton is viewed by anyone in that light.     If he was,  then he'd be talked about as a top-3 player in this draft.      And he's not.

 

Hey,  I'm not saying he can't play OLB.    I just think it's highly unlikely.  

 

I suspect he's a DE,  but I'd be happy to be wrong.....

 

So...you're saying he should go forward and chase QBs?  If he's really good at that....then do what we do here at the office and just don't put a title on his business card.

[dgambill]

15 hours ago, Bluefire4 said:

My view on this has always been that it depends on free agency. If we address the most pressing needs there, we can afford to use the first pick on Fournette or Cook and hope they turn out to be our Ezekiel Elliot.

 

However, the closer we get to the draft both Fournette and Cook will probably rise like Zeke did. Zeke was getting mocked to us early in the process last year.

Cook could move up....or maybe he falls as teams learn more about him. Anyone know the story behind this guy. Seems he has some off field concerns but just hasn't landed in any papers because he has been pretty fortunate....plus let's not pretend ...Tuscaloosa police just don't arrrest FSU stars.

 

https://walterfootball.com/draft2017RB.php

[SP_21]

1 hour ago, dgambill said:

Cook could move up....or maybe he falls as teams learn more about him. Anyone know the story behind this guy. Seems he has some off field concerns but just hasn't landed in any papers because he has been pretty fortunate....plus let's not pretend ...Tuscaloosa police just don't arrrest FSU stars.

 

https://walterfootball.com/draft2017RB.php

The Tuscaloosa PD probably doesn't have jurisdiction in Florida 

[dgambill]

27 minutes ago, SP_21 said:

The Tuscaloosa PD probably doesn't have jurisdiction in Florida 

Ha!! Nice catch...although I doubt they arrest anyone playing for Alabama either lol. Yeah Tallahassee lol.