What the Colts have and what they still need on O

[ty4atd]

This season is a throwaway. Coming into the year I had high hopes, I thought Luck might miss a game or two but he would definitely play, I thought the OL would play more like they did by the end of last season instead they've regressed big time and of course the coaching is still abysmal. Who would have thought that the D would be the most exciting thing about Indy this year. Now the Colts are and forever will be my team, but now this year win and losses basically don't mean %. It's about identifying the players the Colts will need to keep for next year and where they need to find someone new. I'm going to look at each position group and tell you where I think we're good for 2018 and where Chris Ballard is going to have to do some digging. Lucky for the Colts they are going to have a # load of cap space and some high picks. Ballard will have all the ammunition he needs in 2018 to bring the Colts back to glory, he just better not # it up! 

 

 

QB: Obviously this depends on how Luck can rehab his shoulder and how/when he returns next year. If he comes back like I hope and like he has before he's a top 5 QB in the league. But for once if he can't the Colts actually have a backup plan! If the worst should happen and Luck is forced to miss another year, Brissett will have had basically a full season and off-season as "The Guy" and he's already shown he can keep us competitive while being thrust into the job a week after landing in Indy. So this spot should be good to go for next year no need to make any moves.

 

RB: Ballard is going to have to do some work here. Gore has had a great, maybe HOF, career but 2017 will be the last year as the lead back for a team and may be his last altogether. Marlon Mack so far has shown glimpses in his rookie year but not enough to say, "he's our #1 going forward". He has great speed and can take any touch to the house, but he also bounces it too often and needs to improve in pass pro (like most rookies). Unless in the last 5 games the Colts give Mack more touches and he really shows off with them I think the Colts will have to look for another mid round back to be part of a rotation next year. Some guys I like in the draft are Bryce Love, Royce Freeman or Jaylen Samuels in Rds 3-4. Pairing any of those guys with Mack would give the Colts a strong 1-2 punch. If the Colts go the FA route for a RB to pair with Mack then I think someone like Thomas Rawls or Carlos Hyde would be a good compliment. 

 

TE: Not much needs to be said here, Doyle has been great this year and was just resigned this off season. A second TE will probably be added in FA to compete with Swoope in camp for the 2nd spot. 

 

WR: This is a group that is definitely going to need some work through FA and/or the draft next year. T.Y is our #1 and has been very good this year, the thing about him though is he's a high risk high reward WR. 2014 was the only season he caught at least 60% of his targets, so far in 2017 he's only caught 51%. So because of this he needs to be targeted allot. This year he's had 3 games over 150 yards but hasn't broke 60 in any other. Some of that is because him and Briss seemingly haven't always been on the same page. But it's mostly because he's not getting thrown at. Last year in over half of the games T.Y got at least 10 targets, that hasn't happened once this season. 3 times he's been targeted 9 times and.....  you guessed it those were when he went over 150 yards. 

SLXLM

With T.Y being a "go big or go broke WR" the Colts #2 guy needs to be steady and reliable. Coming into the year I was hoping Monqueef would finally live up to his potential and be that guy, but that has not happened. After 2015 I thought Donte would take the next step and him and T.Y would be like Reggie and Marvin once were. Then he got a pass last year for being hurt and at least being a redzone monster, 7 TDs in 9 games. But he's been brutal this year, he's getting no separation, dropping passes and not scoring TDs. Unless he will take a dirt cheap 1 year prove it deal in the off-season, then you can kiss his butt goodbye! Kamar Aiken was added on a 1 year deal this year but he's been atrocious, 14 catches in 10 games 7 where he started! So he's not coming back. Chester Rogers started the year hurt but now that he's healthy and getting worked into the offence I think he can step in and be a good slot #3 receiver. So between Hilton and Rogers and Doyle at TE I think the Colts could use another WR to help either Luck or Briss next year, but it won't be something they need to invest heavily in. If the Colts want to add someone via the draft some targets I like are Equanimeous St. Brown, if he slides to Rd 3 because ND just doesn't throw, David Sills in Rd 4-5 or Antonio Callaway after the 4th, if Ballard thinks he can keep his nose clean. I doubt Ballard will use any high picks on WR unless the value is just too good. I bet he picks up another WR on a similar cheap deal to what he gave Aiken last year. Some potential FAs to keep an eye on are Dontelle Inman, Micheal Floyd, Jordan Matthews or if they wanted to splurge some Jarvis Landry would do wonders for the Colts quick passing game.

 

OL: It would be an understatement to say that the OL has been bad this year, it's been retched. Now saying that it hasn't been all bad. Castonzo has been stellar, even though Colts fans love to rag on him, Haeg has been decent at "Reitz" like RT and Good has played good when he's been healthy. So the OT spots aren't as defunct as you might think on the team with the most sacked QB again. And I don't think OT will be a major concern in the off-season. It's the inside of the line that's killed the offence this year and injuries have made it even worse. Mewhort is a good guard, when he's healthy, so it's too bad his knees work as good as my 60+ year old uncle's. This will be the 2nd year in a row he's landed on IR because of his knees and his contract is coming up. So similar to Monqueef's situation unless Mewhort takes a cheap 1 year prove it deal, say goodbye! Hopefully they can pull something like that together because otherwise they are going to need to find 2 new guards. Even when Jack was playing the Colts needed another guard, because Jeremy Vujnovich makes the baby Jesus cry with how bad he is and Le'Raven Clark can't beat him out. Then at center Ryan Kelly hasn't played well this year but he has been very beat up and we all saw how good he was last year as a rookie so i'll give him a pass. With all that said I'm looking at Ballard to invest heavily in the draft and FA at the guard position and maybe a backup swing tackle. In the draft, I've mentioned Quenton Nelson is my other posts as someone I would be happy with picking up. Nelson has been one of if not the best player in college football regardless of position. Some sites and scouts have compared Nelson to Logan Mankins and David Decastro as prospects. So while where the Colts end up picking in Rd. 1 might be a little rich for a guard, Nelson is the rare prospect that's worth it. If they don't get a chance or pass on Nelson then either Billy Price or Will Hernandez in Rd 2 would be my main targets. As far as upcoming FAs there are a few who I think would be well worth the investment if they hit the open market. My dream scenario would be to sign one of Andrew Norwell or Josh Kline and trade down just slightly in Rd 1 to draft Nelson and have a pretty good looking OL. Castonzo-Norwell-Kelly-Nelson-Good/Haeg would have me feeling pretty good.  

 

So going into next year on offence I would say QB,TE,OT and C are good, a new LG and RG are needed and another RB and WR could be added.

 

Next up I will be looking at what the Colts have and still need on D. Thanks for reading any comments or ideas on what you want to read about are much appreciated.

 

[lollygagger8]

O-Line is obviously top priority. I think spend the money on a good guard and RT in FA and use a higher draft pick on another guard or RT. Colts have plenty of money to dive into FA. 

 

We could use:

 

WR: (Moncrief isn't worth hanging onto if he commands a big payday IMO)

RB: I absolutely love Gore, but he deserves better than what the Colts are offering. I'm not sold on Mack just yet. He's awesome in open space, but it doesn't seem like running in between the tackles is his forte.

TE: O'Doyle rules, but what would happen if he ever got hurt? Swoope seemed to be hitting a stride, but he got hurt.

 

[1959Colts]

I am not sold on Brissett as the "backup plan". Watching him this season has been inconclusive. I'm not convinced he is the guy to carry this team without Luck. To me, the status of Andrew Luck is the key to what we need on offense. 

 

[ty4atd]

We aren't going to be able to find a better backup plan than Brissett, unless we draft Lamar Jackson in the 1st and that's not happening.

[Defjamz26]

11 hours ago, 1959Colts said:

I am not sold on Brissett as the "backup plan". Watching him this season has been inconclusive. I'm not convinced he is the guy to carry this team without Luck. To me, the status of Andrew Luck is the key to what we need on offense. 

 

Not sure how much can be expected from any QB behind our line. He’s also young as well. I think he’s got potential.

[1959Colts]

8 hours ago, ty4atd said:

We aren't going to be able to find a better backup plan than Brissett, unless we draft Lamar Jackson in the 1st and that's not happening.

Why not? A lot of teams sign quality backups every year.

 

[NewColtsFan]

1 minute ago, 1959Colts said:

Why not? A lot of teams sign quality backups every year.

 

 

Yes, that's true...   but the Colts won't be one of them.    Brissett is the backup.

 

Now if Luck is hurt for another year or has to retire, then we're in the market for a new starter.    But not a new backup.     That's Brissett's job.

 

[1959Colts]

1 minute ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Yes, that's true...   but the Colts won't be one of them.    Brissett is the backup.

 

Now if Luck is hurt for another year or has to retire, then we're in the market for a new starter.    But not a new backup.     That's Brissett's job.

 

Even if Brissett stinks it up in these last three games?

 

[crazycolt1]

7 minutes ago, 1959Colts said:

Even if Brissett stinks it up in these last three games?

 

Just how is Brissett going to look good with half a team?

[NewColtsFan]

6 minutes ago, 1959Colts said:

Even if Brissett stinks it up in these last three games?

 

 

Probably....   it depends on how bad the stink is...   remember, he is NOT surrounded by a very good team.    And it's further compounded by injuries to key players like Kelly.     It's hard to know how much of the problem is Brissett and how much is everyone around him...    

 

So JB will likely get the benefit of the doubt.    I don't see the Colts cutting JB and trying to find a new backup after only giving the kid one year with an historically bad team.

 

[Defjamz26]

8 minutes ago, 1959Colts said:

Even if Brissett stinks it up in these last three games?

 

He’s got 1-2 receivers that actually show up to play each week, a terrible playcaller, and one of the worst O-lines in the league. Did you expect him to make the Pro Bowl?

[B~Town]

QB all depends on Luck 

HB need a lead back 

WR would like to bring in a prototype number 1 receiver and a vet route runner and a few solid depth players . 

TE a solid number 2 would be nice addition 

LT fine for now

LG need a starter

C would keep Kelly's current back up around 

RG need a starter

RT ok but would be looking at a upgrade if it didn't break the bank 

This is how I perceive our needs on offense . 

[1959Colts]

16 minutes ago, Defjamz26 said:

He’s got 1-2 receivers that actually show up to play each week, a terrible playcaller, and one of the worst O-lines in the league. Did you expect him to make the Pro Bowl?

 

No. But to be honest, I really have my doubts about his future.

The last several weeks it seems like he's had a hard time completing a forward pass.

I think these next three games should be a good indicator of if Brissett is improving, or regressing. 

 

[Jaredfor3]

Brissett has a bad supporting cast around him and he is getting thrown under the bus. Bull!  I get it that he is the QB, but keep in mind the Bengals and Steelers made interceptions late in the game that were flukey plays. We fumbled the ball at the 5 yard line vs the Titans, and the refs made a bad call on the two point conversion verses the Bills.   The only game that Brissett really lost it for us was the Cardinals game. Then again, that was his first full game. 

 

Colts are suffering from bad coaching, lack of game changers, bad luck, and our best player hasn’t played all season. 

 

If Luck does play again, the Colts are easily a 9 win team. 

 

 

[Luck 4 president]

I’d like to see Luck playing at a pro bowl level again with a fixed O line through FA and the draft.

 

it would be nice to have Jimmy Graham and/or Jarvis Landry added to our offense. 2 new ILBs who can cover 

 

We have the money and draft picks to make this all happen if everything goes our way.

[ty4atd]

2 hours ago, 1959Colts said:

Why not? A lot of teams sign quality backups every year.

 

And how many of those signed in the last say 5 years are better than Brissett and weren't paid 10+ million???

 

[Smoke317]

We “still have” Chud running our offense.  So, I’d say on O we need new coaches & a new offense altogether.  Start there then let the new staff figure who fits the new scheme & who we need to let go.

[zibby43]

Need a TE1.  There are things savvy Jack just can't do.

 

Need a WR2 and WR3.  Moncrief aka the Invisible Man had his chance this year, and he kind of blew it.

 

Need a RB1.  Frank is nails, but he can't hit home runs and scores a 0.0 as a receiving threat out of backfield.  Mack is terrible in pass pro.  You can't have a creative or effective offense when the aforementioned descriptions are reality.

 

Need 3 OL, including a LT.  Kelly had a down year this year, still 1 of the 2 best OL.  Haeg has really regressed.

 

Oh, and maybe a QB1 (please don't let this turn out to be true).  Luck is off playing Where's Waldo in Europe.  Not good.

 

Other than that, rock solid.

[ty4atd]

Doyle is a very fine number 1 TE sure there are things he can't do, just like any other TE except for Gronk, but he's still in the top half of the league for #1 TEs  

 

We do not need a LT Costanzo has been very good for whatever reason Colts fans just love to hate him. 

 

[Jackie Daytona]

Moncrief has been nothing if not underwhelming, but I was just curious as to whether you dislike him the most, or you simply couldn't come up with any crass misspellings for any other players performing poorly?  

 

Good analysis though, and thanks for taking the time to be so in depth.

[will426]

Hilton isn’t boom or bust you kinda Contradicted  yourself he got 10 targets often  last year and out of the 3 games he’s gotten 10 targets this year he’s went over 150..that’s not Him that’s The QBs decision to throw him the ball..other than that I like this a lot lol I’d throw a low round pick to take Duke Johnson from the browns I like his pass catching ability and he’s great in space just ask the colts defense  

[Superman]

If I were in charge of this roster, I'd be moving forward with a three basic principles in mind: 1) I'm not willing to rely on any player to start in 2018 if they finished 2017 injured or with surgery planned; 2) I'm not relying on any rookies in 2018 (they might earn spots, but I'm not going to assume that I can depend on them), and 3) I want to be at least 2 deep at every position, without injured players or rookies, by June.

 

With those principles in mind:

 

QB -- We need a starting caliber QB, and a trustworthy backup. Brissett probably fits the bill, but without relying on Luck, I want another dependable backup.

 

Starting RB -- I wouldn't hand Mack the starting job, so I'm willing to add a starting caliber RB in free agency in free agency.

 

Change RB -- This is where Mack is penciled in for me, and I want someone to fill in for him as well.

 

Outside WR -- We have Hilton, and that's probably it, unless Moncrief re-signs. Need 2-3 receivers who can legitimately play on Sundays.

 

Slot WR -- We have Rogers, and probably need to upgrade and make him the backup slot.

 

TE -- Doyle is locked in, not counting on Swoope, but I'd keep Brandon Williams and add another receiving TE, at least. 

 

OL -- We have AC and Kelly. I want starting caliber guards and a RT, with reliable depth/competition at all five spots. I might go three deep at OL, with a couple extra guys.

 

DL -- Woods and Hunt are still under contract, and so is Hankins. I like Stewart and Ridgeway for depth, but I'd be looking for another vet or two to bolster the competition at all three spots. I'm more willing to rely on Anderson at this position since his injury doesn't seem like something that is going to affect his performance moving forward, but he's also been on IR twice in three years, and is going into a contract year, so anything to push him is welcome.

 

OLB -- Sheard is the only lock here. I'd re-sign Mingo as Sam #2, but not to start him. If Basham finishes strong, he's Sheard's backup, maybe a Sam candidate. We obviously need a blue chip "dog" pass rusher, but that's probably coming in the draft, if it happens at all. I want a GM who actually lives up to the cliche about never having too many pass rushers. 

 

ILB -- We need 4-5 inside linebackers, period. For ILB and OLB, I'm assuming we're still in a 3-4  in 2018. If we have a new head coach who wants to go more 4-3, then we need even more off ball linebackers, and fewer DL.

 

CB -- Assume Melvin finishes the season active and we re-sign him, and assume Quincy finishes strong, we probably still need two capable backups who can do more than get torched in off coverage. At nickel, Hairston is the man, but a corner who can play boundary and slot would be a good add.

 

S -- Not counting Hooker, we need two guys to play free. I'm good with Farley and Geathers at strong, if they finish healthy.

 

K -- Assuming AV stays, bring in another kicker just in case his leg falls off over the summer.

 

P -- Sanchez is good, maybe the extra kicker can punt as well.

 

Cliff notes -- we still need a lot. I know the OP was just about offense, but I got carried away. On offense, an almost complete rehaul of the OL, plus TE2, WR2/3, and another backup QB who can maybe go 2-2 if he has to play for a month.

 

On defense, a lot of it depends on the scheme, but basically it's a retool of the LB corps, a pass rusher and some help at FS.

[Virtuoso80]

21 minutes ago, Superman said:

If I were in charge of this roster, I'd be moving forward with a three basic principles in mind: 1) I'm not willing to rely on any player to start in 2018 if they finished 2017 injured or with surgery planned; 2) I'm not relying on any rookies in 2018 (they might earn spots, but I'm not going to assume that I can depend on them), and 3) I want to be at least 2 deep at every position, without injured players or rookies, by June.

 

With those principles in mind:

 

QB -- We need a starting caliber QB, and a trustworthy backup. Brissett probably fits the bill, but without relying on Luck, I want another dependable backup.

 

Starting RB -- I wouldn't hand Mack the starting job, so I'm willing to add a starting caliber RB in free agency in free agency.

 

Change RB -- This is where Mack is penciled in for me, and I want someone to fill in for him as well.

 

Outside WR -- We have Hilton, and that's probably it, unless Moncrief re-signs. Need 2-3 receivers who can legitimately play on Sundays.

 

Slot WR -- We have Rogers, and probably need to upgrade and make him the backup slot.

 

TE -- Doyle is locked in, not counting on Swoope, but I'd keep Brandon Williams and add another receiving TE, at least. 

 

OL -- We have AC and Kelly. I want starting caliber guards and a RT, with reliable depth/competition at all five spots. I might go three deep at OL, with a couple extra guys.

 

DL -- Woods and Hunt are still under contract, and so is Hankins. I like Stewart and Ridgeway for depth, but I'd be looking for another vet or two to bolster the competition at all three spots. I'm more willing to rely on Anderson at this position since his injury doesn't seem like something that is going to affect his performance moving forward, but he's also been on IR twice in three years, and is going into a contract year, so anything to push him is welcome.

 

OLB -- Sheard is the only lock here. I'd re-sign Mingo as Sam #2, but not to start him. If Basham finishes strong, he's Sheard's backup, maybe a Sam candidate. We obviously need a blue chip "dog" pass rusher, but that's probably coming in the draft, if it happens at all. I want a GM who actually lives up to the cliche about never having too many pass rushers. 

 

ILB -- We need 4-5 inside linebackers, period. For ILB and OLB, I'm assuming we're still in a 3-4  in 2018. If we have a new head coach who wants to go more 4-3, then we need even more off ball linebackers, and fewer DL.

 

CB -- Assume Melvin finishes the season active and we re-sign him, and assume Quincy finishes strong, we probably still need two capable backups who can do more than get torched in off coverage. At nickel, Hairston is the man, but a corner who can play boundary and slot would be a good add.

 

S -- Not counting Hooker, we need two guys to play free. I'm good with Farley and Geathers at strong, if they finish healthy.

 

K -- Assuming AV stays, bring in another kicker just in case his leg falls off over the summer.

 

P -- Sanchez is good, maybe the extra kicker can punt as well.

 

Cliff notes -- we still need a lot. I know the OP was just about offense, but I got carried away. On offense, an almost complete rehaul of the OL, plus TE2, WR2/3, and another backup QB who can maybe go 2-2 if he has to play for a month.

 

On defense, a lot of it depends on the scheme, but basically it's a retool of the LB corps, a pass rusher and some help at FS.

Did you forget John Simon at OLB?

[Superman]

1 hour ago, Virtuoso80 said:

Did you forget John Simon at OLB?

 

Nope, but he's on IR and I wouldn't rely on him going into next season.

[Virtuoso80]

38 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Nope, but he's on IR and I wouldn't rely on him going into next season.

I didnt see him go on IR, when?

[Superman]

10 minutes ago, Virtuoso80 said:

I didnt see him go on IR, when?

 

A week ago.

 

http://www.colts.com/news/article-1/Colts-Place-Outside-Linebacker-John-Simon-On-Injured-Reserve/a0003c9e-a6c4-47e4-842c-9f537205cd2b

[Dark Superman]

- Offensive line help.

- Reliable backup TE that can help stretch the field.

- A WR who can help take some pressure off of TY. I like Chester Rogers, but he's more of a #3 IMO. I would love for the Colts to snag Jarvis Landry, but he plays a lot of slot in Miami. We could use a big target since the rest of our WR's our smaller guys with speed. A lot will depend on if Moncrief comes back next season, but we definitely could add another WR.

Running back. Frank Gore will be gone and I'm not sure if Turbin is in our future plans. I'm looking for Ballard to bring in another RB to compliment Mack. Give Luck a two-headed monster running attack and keep Turbin fresh for short yard situations.

 

[ty4atd]

7 hours ago, will426 said:

Hilton isn’t boom or bust you kinda Contradicted  yourself he got 10 targets often  last year and out of the 3 games he’s gotten 10 targets this year he’s went over 150..that’s not Him that’s The QBs decision to throw him the ball..other than that I like this a lot lol I’d throw a low round pick to take Duke Johnson from the browns I like his pass catching ability and he’s great in space just ask the colts defense  

The boom or bust thing I was talking about is more his big play ability. The QB/coaches need to make sure he's targeted more because of the routes he runs and the way he can take the top of a D he'll never have a super high catch% but if he gets 10 targets and catches 5 of them there's a good chance that at least 1 is going to be a big play. 

[chrisfarley]

On 12/13/2017 at 11:44 AM, ty4atd said:

We aren't going to be able to find a better backup plan than Brissett, unless we draft Lamar Jackson in the 1st and that's not happening.

Backup is the key word.  Patriots obviously knew how slow he was to react, now we have been experiencing it.  Kid has promise, but more as a #2

[ty4atd]

 

On 12/14/2017 at 11:45 PM, chrisfarley said:

Backup is the key word.  Patriots obviously knew how slow he was to react, now we have been experiencing it.  Kid has promise, but more as a #2

Ideally he's just a  #2 but I can think of at least a couple of teams where if he had a whole off-season with the team he would be their starter. Remember he hasn't looked great lately but the whole line minus AC is broken, Hilton and Doyle are his only reliable targets and he got here week 2 and was just thrown in. He's easily the best backup QB we've had since Hass and this is only his 2nd year QB with hopefully more competent coaching and a full off-season with the team I think he'd be just fine. Right now can you think of a better backup QB in the NFL? Case Keenum or Pat Mahomes (QB of the future) are the only ones I could and who knows with Mahomes. Luck should be back next year but worst case scenario if we build a decent team around Briss he'd be average and maybe better IMO. 

[chrisfarley]

On 12/16/2017 at 3:22 AM, ty4atd said:

 

Ideally he's just a  #2 but I can think of at least a couple of teams where if he had a whole off-season with the team he would be their starter. Remember he hasn't looked great lately but the whole line minus AC is broken, Hilton and Doyle are his only reliable targets and he got here week 2 and was just thrown in. He's easily the best backup QB we've had since Hass and this is only his 2nd year QB with hopefully more competent coaching and a full off-season with the team I think he'd be just fine. Right now can you think of a better backup QB in the NFL? Case Keenum or Pat Mahomes (QB of the future) are the only ones I could and who knows with Mahomes. Luck should be back next year but worst case scenario if we build a decent team around Briss he'd be average and maybe better IMO. 

Let's take a look at just a few specific Jacoby numbers :  QBR via ESPN 39.4  via NFL  36.8 (which puts him at rank 28).  A number that I find interesting is "Point Added".  Definition:  PTS ADDED: Number of points contributed by a quarterback over the season, accounting for QBR and how much he plays, above the level of an average quarterback.  Brissett is ranked 30 out of 33 players (ESPN).  His net yards gained per pass attempt is very low at 5.40 (this takes into account sack yards lost), referred to as NY/A , which is not good but speaks partly to his pass protection but decision making factors as well.  He has been sacked 49 times, which is just simply alarming on multiple counts. Some of those by holding on to the ball too long, but probably just 15% or fewer (maybe someone has developed a stat but seems to me it would be subjective).  I agree with you that if we build around him, he could be just average.  Several things I like for sure is that he is hard to bring down, he's got good size, and he's very young (24)  --- This Aside from all of the other positives (arm, etc..)

•  

[2006Coltsbestever]

5 minutes ago, chrisfarley said:

Let's take a look at just a few specific Jacoby numbers :  QBR via ESPN 39.4  via NFL  36.8 (which puts him at rank 28).  A number that I find interesting is "Point Added".  Definition:  PTS ADDED: Number of points contributed by a quarterback over the season, accounting for QBR and how much he plays, above the level of an average quarterback.  Brissett is ranked 30 out of 33 players (ESPN).  His net yards gained per pass attempt is very low at 5.40 (this takes into account sack yards lost), referred to as NY/A , which is not good but speaks partly to his pass protection but decision making factors as well.  He has been sacked 49 times, which is just simply alarming on multiple counts.  That could probably be attributed to many of those by holding on to the ball too long, but probably just 15% or fewer (maybe someone has developed a stat but seems to me it would be subjective).  I agree with you that if we build around him, he could be just average.  Several things I like for sure is that he is hard to bring down, he's got good size, and he's very young (24)  --- This Aside from all of the other positives (arm, etc..)

•  

He is what he is, a Great backup but a suspect starter. As a backup I would love that to Luck. Luck when healthy is easily a Top 10 QB so he isn't close to Luck. I think with Luck we would be above .500 because our Defense has kept us in a lot of games.

[chrisfarley]

8 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

He is what he is, a Great backup but a suspect starter. As a backup I would love that to Luck. Luck when healthy is easily a Top 10 QB so he isn't close to Luck. I think with Luck we would be above .500 because our Defense has kept us in a lot of games.

agree, also luck has an uncanny feel for the pocket, is quicker processing everything (which is huge at this level)....I find it ironic that we have the same complaints with Brissett that we did with Luck (not getting rid of the ball quick enough when a play breaks down or not getting rid of it at all and risking life and limb)...it will shorten their NFL life-spans, no matter how big and tough they are.  The problem i see with Brissett is how much more starting time are teams (colts, etc.) going to give him?  It will be due to injury unless he goes somewhere else as a projected starter on a bad team, but will have the same issues (protection, decision making, etc.).

[MasterCrief]

4 minutes ago, chrisfarley said:

agree, also luck has an uncanny feel for the pocket, is quicker processing everything (which is huge at this level)....I find it ironic that we have the same complaints with Brissett that we did with Luck (not getting rid of the ball quick enough when a play breaks down or not getting rid of it at all and risking life and limb)...it will shorten their NFL life-spans, no matter how big and tough they are.  The problem i see with Brissett is how much more starting time are teams (colts, etc.) going to give him?  It will be due to injury unless he goes somewhere else as a projected starter on a bad team, but will have the same issues (protection, decision making, etc.).

We do have the same basic complaint with Luck and Brissett (holding the ball too long), but I think it's important to be clear that they have that problem for very different reasons. Obviously playcalling is a factor with both of them, but Luck tends to hold the ball too long for the same reason Aaron Rodgers holds onto the ball so long, because he's waiting for the play to develop down field so that he can make a big play, while Brissett generally holds the ball because he's slow as molasses at processing what's happening and going through his reads.