47 Dan FeeneyDan Feeney OG

[mintor]

have  top rate Rg  , with a RT    .

19	Ryan Ramczyk	OT	2	6'6"	314		Stevens Point Area HS Stevens Point, WI	Wisconsin Badgers
29	Garett Bolles	OT	3	6'5"	308		Westlake HS Saratoga Springs, UT	Utah Utes

[PrincetonTiger]

Huh?

[IndyD4U]

Yeah! 

[NewColtsFan]

 

I'm with Princeton Tiger.......

 

Huh?

 

What are you trying to say?

 

[mintor]

Just now, NewColtsFan said:

 

I'm with Princeton Tiger.......

 

Huh?

 

What are you trying to say?

 

   colts  need  right guard  and  right tackle  protect luck  see 2 ot in top  

9	Ryan Ramczyk                                        and           29 Garett Bolles   29

[mintor]

Just now, mintor said:

   colts  need  right guard  and  right tackle  protect luck  see 2 ot in top    30 ranking

9	Ryan Ramczyk                                        and           29 Garett Bolles   29

 

[akcolt]

The last thing I want to see is 2 rookies starting on the right side. I think we need to get immediate help in this draft on D as much as possible.

 

We need a RG without question. It sounds like Ballard is going to handle that in FA. That's what we should do IMO. I thought we should have brought in a FA G last year.

 

If we don't have a better option at RT on the roster than is available in the draft. I would be disappointed. I think everyone wants to see Clark make a big jump myself included. 

 

That being said if an OLineman is the BPA I have no issue drafting him. Mewhort's knee could put us in a position where we sign a FA G and look to draft one too. 

[Jason_]

2 hours ago, PrincetonTiger said:

Huh?

 

[Tmoney]

9 minutes ago, akcolt said:

The last thing I want to see is 2 rookies starting on the right side. I think we need to get immediate help in this draft on D as much as possible.

 

We need a RG without question. It sounds like Ballard is going to handle that in FA. That's what we should do IMO. I thought we should have brought in a FA G last year.

 

If we don't have a better option at RT on the roster than is available in the draft. I would be disappointed. I think everyone wants to see Clark make a big jump myself included. 

 

That being said if an OLineman is the BPA I have no issue drafting him. Mewhort's knee could put us in a position where we sign a FA G and look to draft one too. 

I was more impressed with Haeg then Clark last year. Haeg will control the RG spot in camp I'm sure but Clark is a question mark. Has a ton of potential and is working with one of the better o-line coaches but we will find out if he is ready. I liked what I saw the last 3 games of the year but that's a small sample size. I hope Joe Philbin is confident enough in both to tell Ballard focus on the D becuz I got these young guys. We will see tho

[UKColt13]

So you're arguing we should use our first 2 picks on Oline? Or am I reading this wrong?

 

Considering the god awful Oline class this year that is a horrific idea.

 

Why not just pickup one of Zeitler, Warford, Leary or Lang and let Clark and Haego battle it out for RT?

 

I'll be annoyed if we don't pick up at least 2 defensive players in the first 2 rounds.

[ColtsBlueFL]

Beyond the two mentioned above, this O line class is pretty poor.  But even in good years, it is difficult for NFL teams wanting O linemen.  The reasons are multi layered.  First, college teams run spread offenses to allow smaller schools with lesser talent to compete with the powerhouses.  The O line guys never put a hand in the dirt in college while their team runs a Zone Read or other type Run/Pass option schemes. Now NFL coaches have to teach the guy (yes, even many of those round one projects, I mean prospects) how to get in a 3 point stance and run block.  Fundamentals are at the point worst ever IMO, and the kids need good, solid coaching.  This is why Philbin and his group is so important to the Colts. I hope they have the skill and inclination to do the job.

 

The problem, and I have mentioned this before, is the CBA almost deters this from happening!  We can't coach the kids up to where they need to be.  Why?  The coaches can't see or even talk to a (the) player(s) from the end of the NFL season until OTA's or mini camp.  No longer are 'two a days' allowed where a lot of teaching was performed.  Now teams get one padded practice and a walk through each day at training camp.  Once the season begins, (17 weeks), this CBA only allows for 14 padded practices of which 11 are used in the first 11 weeks of the season (maximum one per week).  The last 3 padded practices have to be spread out within the last 6 weeks of the season.

 

What does this do?  Not only does it reduce time to coach (as this time has to be used to install and practice the game plan plays etc...) players into being better at their craft, it reduces the physicality and thus edginess of players and teams.  {Some} teams seem less prepared for the intensity and physicality of a game. (Slow starts anybody?)  In addition, we have this deterioration to look forward to up until 2021 !!!)

 

In the run game, lack of hitting and working on technique in practice leaves O lineman less prepared to get push and dominate at the point of attack that is necessary for a good run game. How often do you see our O line blow defenders of the ball at the LOS?   Yeah, thought so...

 

Pass protection.  There is limited time to work on and refine protection schemes against various blitzes and stunts.  How often have you seen a pass protection blocking assignment or mistake on a blitz or stunt that resulted in a sack or forced an early pass that was incomplete (drive killer) or even intercepted?  How many hits can Andrew Luck sustain?  Needles to say, it's on the coaches to coach these guys up.  Even though the CBA makes it difficult.  O line is a skill, and Howard Mudd says it takes 2 years to coach up a player for good O line play.

 

“People in the NFL, they say these guys don’t know how to play, it takes us two years to coach them,” Mudd said. “We’ve been doing that for 40 years, coaching an offensive lineman who didn’t know how to play when they got here.   Go coach them. My brow is furrowed because it pisses me off to say it’s their fault. It ain’t their fault. It’s your fault. Go coach them.”

 

It has to be done, but isn't easy.  Look at Eric Fisher, Luke Joeckel, Greg Robinson, and even the guy supposed to be overall #1 pick last year, Laremy Tunsil.  But  there are a couple stars (though rare), such as Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, and David DeCastro.  The only O line guys drafted since 2012 to be original pro bowl selections.  It's not a talent problem (O line), it's a development problem.  One I hope Joe Philbin and his group is capable of addressing. Because Mudd also believes a lack of quality coaches plagues the league, and there are only a handful of good offensive line gurus found among the 32 franchises. 

"The rest are pretenders," Mudd said. "Look at how many times the quarterback gets hit. Then we all cry because we don’t have quarterbacks."

Another problem area from the CBA IME... QB development.  Many of these guys have to learn how to take snaps under center, perform 3, 5, and 7 step drops from under center (and not in pistol or shotgun).  They have to learn to go through progressions, when to throw hot, and read defense keys. This and develop timing with receivers.  And they can't becasue the CBA limits them to nothing until 6 hours a day at OTA's (which includes meetings, weight room, treatment, etc, not just 6 hours practice time).

 

The Manning's, verified star veteran QB's each with 2 Super Bowl rings,  have/had instituted their own workouts with invited receivers separate from team activities at Duke University, because of lack of time at the off season and pre-season camps to get necessary work in.  And they already know defenses, progressions, etc...  Do you think rookies are at a major disadvantage?  They are not even used to the speed of the NFL game, let alone all the things mentioned above.

 

And some may wonder why a journeyman QB like 37 y/o Josh McCown lasts so long in the NFL... 14 years and counting.  {He may even back up Dak Prescott for 2017, depending on the Romo situatuion.}  He may not be elite, but he has developed all the skills and can make many plays. Hue Jackson has even offered him a coaching job if McCown decides to hang up the jersey. So even talented rookie QB's have a tough row to hoe, the CBA makes it even tougher.

 

On defense I see the CBA adversely affecting-

Tackling.  We've all watched the demise of tackling.  Lack of practice on proper angles and other fundamentals have hurt the level of defensive play, notably displayed in horrendous tackling.  Fortunately, robot tackling dummies will continue to get better and be used by more and more teams in the future.

 

Sorry for the length of this rant, but the last CBA really ticks me off for a few reasons... the above is just partial venting.