Offense & Defense Please

[carmelcolt]

Let me preface this by saying i have really enjoyed watching Manning and how the offense was designed to bring out the his strengths and they were fun to watch. They lit up the scoreboard for years and was the team that always could be counted on to have a shot at the SB.

But because he was so prolific did the defense suffer? Other than a few mainstays, the rest of the guys have been plug & play. I'm not complaining i just hope we can even it up.

Look at the Giants. Everyone would agree Eli is a superb QB, BUT it been stated on talk show opinion from sports pundits and so forth, compare Eli to Peyton and most said they would take Peyton based on how he can read defenses, changing plays, basically run the O and have complete command of the field.

Eli has 2 rings and i think its because the Giants have more of a balanced attack on both sides of the ball. I often wonder if the Colts would have spent a little more on the D and not be so offense heavy, how many rings would the best QB to ever play could have had.

I bring this up because i'm sure Indy will take Luck(from what i have read) and i think as good as Luck is, if they maybe spend a little more on the D, it can only help Luck in his maturation as an excellent QB.

Thoughts............

[coltsblue1844]

My thought is that all starting QBs in the NFL make a good chunk of money...and the truly elite QBs in the NFL all make top dollar...

So if Luck turns out to be as good as expected, in 5yrs, he will be making about as much money as Peyton does now, anyhow... so how much of a change would that really be?

And personally, i LIKE having the best QB in the NFL as OUR QB...hopefully Peyton gets to stick around a couple more years and then retires on his own terms...and then Luck turns out to be the next best thing, and we have another dominant QB on our team for years to come

[Malakai432]

I agree it's critical to have a well balanced team.

[BOTT]

had nothing to do with spending more on d i don't think...the colts had a failed defensive philosophy imo. the reliance on smaller/faster players was just *ic. and the didn't draft that well the last few/several years under polian.

[Wyld1]

had nothing to do with spending more on d i don't think...the colts had a failed defensive philosophy imo. the reliance on smaller/faster players was just *ic. and the didn't draft that well the last few/several years under polian.

I agree, it is almost like they went out of their way to draft small fast guys insead of players that could actually help regardless of the scheme.

[JoKeR]

Yes I agree a balanced team is better but they have spent money on D, the problem was they gave the wrong players huge contracts (Sanders, Heydon) then let good linebackers go like Peterson and Session (but they were somewhat overpaid) And just to be clear on Sanders, he was great when healthy but Polian should've structured his contract differently, too much guaranteed money for a injury prone player.

[MR. Blueblood]

Balance is essential if you want the best chance to win. The more complete you are the harder it is for your opponent to beat you, plain and simple.

[dgambill]

With our cap the way it is I would think if Peyton restructured there is no reason he can't come back and we resign Garcon and Saturday. Wayne and Mathis is gone unless we can get Freeney to restructure which I think heck will freeze over first. We have a lot of holes to fill and I think O and D line have to be the primary focus. Perhaps we find a gem in the draft at receiver or someone step up like Garcon has would be nice. I don't know why we are paying Brackett $5 million a year as I think he is replacable with how Angerer played. Clearly if some of the top guys on the team don't restructure they have to understand they will be let go for rebuilding. If they do then we can have a playoff team for the next couple years and they go out with another shot. Else they have to try to figure out where they will get the money elsewhere. No one is going to give Freeney 14 million and Brackett 5 million. I can see Peyton willing to rework his contract if they bring back enough of the same team to get him to the playoffs. Big plus is if we bring back Peyton and he plays well enough he can be moved for draft picks once he shows he is healthy. Luck learns under him and Peyton plays another year and we make a run. Then we move him if we have to and should get picks in first round...heck if Raiders gave up 1st and 2nd rounders for Carson Palmer...Peyton can give us similar.