That Guy's New Staff Mock Offseason

[That Guy]

We have a staff!  Most of one, at least...  This answers some of the scheme questions, and allows us to find players that'll fit.  No CAP figures as the market is just getting set, but we're pretty flush.  I'm going to be fairly aggressive on the free agents, and I see us landing a few of the big names.

 

Priority Re-sign:

Rashaan Melvin - CB - Played well enough to earn at least another year

Jack Mewhort - OG - I still believe he can play well, but he needs to find his way back to the field

Donte Moncreif - WR - Our offense was handicapped last year, but Moncreif has enough talent to keep around

Adam Vinatieri - K - Until he says otherwise

Darius Butler - FS - A good veteran presence for our young DBs

 

Secondary Re-Sign:

Christine Michael - RB - Depth signing

 

Priority Free Agents:

Andrew Norwell - OG Panthers - The obvious cure for our main illness.  I hope we pay this man (Carolina is tight against the CAP anyway).

Trey Burton - TE Eagles - A Reich signing who played well when Ertz was on the bench

Anthony Hitchens - LB Cowboys - Another player who follows his coach from the NFC East

Nigel Bradham - OLB Eagles - We need a LB who can cover unless we want to put Geathers in that roll and find another safety

EJ Gaines - CB Bills - Would upgrade a position of weakness and add healthy competition

Allen Robinson - WR Jaguars - Seems like the type of WR Ballard and Sirianni like

Trent Murphy - DE Redskins - Helps us create a solid rotation at DE

 

Backup Plan Free Agents:

Dwight Freeney - DE Everywhere - Probably not going to happen, but it would be great if it did!

Delvin Breaux - CB Saints - This is the backup plan if EJ Gaines doesn't materialize

Cody Latimer - WR Broncos - This is the backup plan if Allen Robinson doesn't materialize

Tank Carradine - DE 49ers - They have way too much CAP for this to happen, but this would be the backup plan for Trent Murphy

 

Draft:

1 - Browns take Josh Rosen / 2 - Giants take Sam Darnold / 3 - Colts trade pick to Jets to acquire their two second round picks.  Jets take Josh Allen / 4 - Browns take Saquon Barkley / 5 - Denver trades back with Bills who take Baker Mayfield (or flip the QBs into whatever order you prefer)

Colts Picks:

1.6 - Quenton Nelson - OG ND - Offensive line just became a position of strength

2.36 - Derrius Guice - RB LSU - Great talent here, and Irsay gets his way

2.37 - Arden Key - DE LSU - Draft this man, but don't let him go ANYWHERE without Robert Mathis watching over him

2.49 - Leighton Vander Esch - LB Boise St

3.67 - Tyrell Crosby - T Oregon

4.?? - Hercules Mata'Afa - DE Washington State (best name in the draft!)

5.?? - Fred Warner - LB BYU

6.?? - Michael Joseph - CB Dubuque

7.?? - Dejon Allen - C Hawaii

 

Rough Depth Chart:

QB - Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett

RB - Derrius Guice, Marlon Mack, Christine Michael, Matt Jones

TE - Jack Doyle, Trey Burton, Brandon Williams

LT - Anthony Costanzo, Jeremy Vujnovich

LG - Andrew Norwell, Jack Mewhort

C - Ryan Kelly, Dejon Allen

RG - Quenton Nelson, Joe Haeg

RT - Tyrell Crosby, LeRaven Clark

WR1 - TY Hilton (plays slot)

WR2 - Allen Robinson

WR3 - Donte Moncreif, Chester Rogers

 

DE - Trent Murphy, Arden Key, Hercules Mata'Afa

DT - Henry Anderson, Margus Hunt

DT - Jonathan Hankins, Hasaan Ridgeway

DE - Jabaal Sheard, Tarell Basham

OLB - John Simon, Anthony Walker

MLB - Anthony Hitchens, Leighton Vander Esch

OLB - Nigel Bradham, Fred Warner

CB1 - EJ Gaines, Quincy Wilson

CB2 - Rashaan Melvin, Michael Joseph

CB3 - Nate Hairston

FS - Malik Hooker, Darius Butler

SS - Clayton Geathers, Matthias Farley

 

LS - Luke Rhodes

P - Rigoberto Sanchez

K - Father Time

[Maniac]

Why keep Michael?

 

Turbin is under contract next season, isn't he?

 

[That Guy]

2 minutes ago, Doyle84 said:

Why keep Michael?

 

Turbin is under contract next season, isn't he?

 

I have us signing him for depth.  Whichever one wins that battle in the camp stays on the team, but there's no CAP hit for cutting Turbin.

[NewColtsFan]

 

You think we will use a high 1, 2 and 3 on offense?

 

Not if Chris Ballard remains the GM....

 

[That Guy]

7 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

You think we will use a high 1, 2 and 3 on offense?

 

Not if Chris Ballard remains the GM....

 

I think that Ballard sticks to his board.  If BPA at our pick is offense, I think he'll draft offense.  Especially if it's on the offensive line.  We still get an upgrade on defense through free agency and the draft.

 

Is it really that hard to believe our GM will spend two of our top five picks on our biggest weakness?

[throwing BBZ]

oh boy.  Way off from what will happen. JMO

[Exodus]

This is the best one I’ve seen. I don’t care if he’s a guard, ten years from now people will be saying how much of a steal Nelson was at six.

 

Great FA too. Burton would be such a low key signing, that would instantly pay off. He played some stellar football when Ertz was injured. I’m also a huge Robinson fan. He’s a excellent WR, who took the fattest L by playing with Bortles his career thus far

[That Guy]

25 minutes ago, throwing BBZ said:

oh boy.  Way off from what will happen. JMO

Ha!  I knew it would be way off going into the project.  They’re ALL way off in the end.  I’d say, overall, I’m too optimistic about our free agent haul, I predict a trade which is unlikely, and most of my draft picks will go before I have them slotted.

 

Even the most likely looking mock will be way off in the end.  It’s like predicting lotto numbers.

 

7 minutes ago, Exodus said:

This is the best one I’ve seen. I don’t care if he’s a guard, ten years from now people will be saying how much of a steal Nelson was at six.

 

Great FA too. Burton would be such a low key signing, that would instantly pay off. He played some stellar football when Ertz was injured. I’m also a huge Robinson fan. He’s a excellent WR, who took the fattest L by playing with Bortles his career thus far

I appreciate it!  Burton is exactly the kind of signing I see Ballard jumping all over, and I think he’ll want Allen after missing out on Jeffery last year.

[NewColtsFan]

7 hours ago, That Guy said:

I think that Ballard sticks to his board.  If BPA at our pick is offense, I think he'll draft offense.  Especially if it's on the offensive line.  We still get an upgrade on defense through free agency and the draft.

 

Is it really that hard to believe our GM will spend two of our top five picks on our biggest weakness?

 

Well....     since you asked,   yes.     It is that hard.

 

I was more than a bit surprsied that you see Cosby lasting until pick 67,  AND you see him starting as a rookie.

 

Not sure why you think that......

 

I would not be surprised at all to draft Nelson.    He is an exception to every rule about drafting a guard high.

 

And if we got a good guard in FA,  then we'd have quality bookends on either side of Kelly.

 

Leaving Good, Clark and Haeg to compete at RT.       I wouldn't expect a rookie RT taken at 67 to start.

 

If we trade back and collect picks,  I'd expect the vast majority of them to go to the defense.

 

[Maniac]

6 hours ago, Exodus said:

This is the best one I’ve seen. I don’t care if he’s a guard, ten years from now people will be saying how much of a steal Nelson was at six.

 

Great FA too. Burton would be such a low key signing, that would instantly pay off. He played some stellar football when Ertz was injured. I’m also a huge Robinson fan. He’s a excellent WR, who took the fattest L by playing with Bortles his career thus far

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

QN is my favourite player in this draft and we NEED him.

[OhioColt]

new RT just seen to be projected as a FA is Dolphins Ja'Wuan James (Round 1 Pick 19th in 2014).  Seen his 2017 PFF Grade of 80.0 was #17.  Does well in both Run/Pass blocking.

[Jackie Daytona]

12 hours ago, Doyle84 said:

Why keep Michael?

 

Turbin is under contract next season, isn't he?

 

He cost literally next to nothing, has connections to management, and will be given a chance to show out?  what's to lose.....  that said, I didnt realize michael was only one year younger...... yeah, Id roll with whoever proves themselves in camp..... not like 3rd RB behind Barkley and Mack is where we need a ton of potential.... ; )

[That Guy]

8 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Well....     since you asked,   yes.     It is that hard.

 

I was more than a bit surprsied that you see Cosby lasting until pick 67,  AND you see him starting as a rookie.

 

Not sure why you think that......

 

I would not be surprised at all to draft Nelson.    He is an exception to every rule about drafting a guard high.

 

And if we got a good guard in FA,  then we'd have quality bookends on either side of Kelly.

 

Leaving Good, Clark and Haeg to compete at RT.       I wouldn't expect a rookie RT taken at 67 to start.

 

If we trade back and collect picks,  I'd expect the vast majority of them to go to the defense.

 

Some good points in there, but...

 

We were 31st in the league in offense last year.  Even if Andrew Luck comes back, he's not going to fix all of our problems.  Ballard and Reich have both come out and said that they don't want to be reliant on Andrew Luck.  Our Offense needs just as much help as our defense, and our GM has stated that he tends to focus on the lines.  At this point, I would be more surprised if we DIDN'T have three new starters on the O-Line next year.

 

As for Crosby, NFL.com has him listed as a round 2-3 prospect, and walterfootball.com has him mocked in the third (after our pick) and the fifth.  I could easily see him lasting to our early third.  Once he's in the building, I would like to give him a shot at starting since, as you mentioned, we would have a solid interior that could help make up for rookie mistakes and speed up his growth.

 

I expect the vast majority of our picks to be BPA.  Not necessarily focused on offense or defense.  I think that will be Ballard's style, and my mock reflects that.

[FalseStart]

Not a fan of Key...(We got Mingo...) Would go Evans ILB, Williams OT, Hand DE or Payne DT at that pick if available.  Nice Mock.

[That Guy]

2 hours ago, FalseStart said:

Not a fan of Key...(We got Mingo...) Would go Evans ILB, Williams OT, Hand DE or Payne DT at that pick if available.  Nice Mock.

Those would all be great options!

 

We don't really have Mingo, though; he's a free agent.  That being said, Arden Key is larger and better suited to being a pass rushing DE in our new scheme.  I understand why people are wanting to avoid him altogether, but I am wondering if Mathis can mentor this kid for a few years.  Someone needs to teach him how to be a pro, and we have a good candidate for that position.  I think he has more potential than the players you listed (even though it's balanced with way more risk).

[Nesjan3]

this is one of the better ones i have seen IMO