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Let's talk 2019 offseason


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30 minutes ago, ClaytonColt said:

You're quite right. Reason wasn't the right word at all and by product was much more accurate way to express it. The clarification is appreciated. 

 

Given that the strength of this team is the QB and WR1 and should be the O-line over time given the resources spent on it then we should be able to get by with a group of other targets that are closer to being serviceable rather than superstars.

 

Saturday was kind of a perfect storm, with Hilton being hurt, Luck and Reich both being off, and the OL not playing very well. So I'm resistant to declaring that Saturday is proof that we need another good receiver.

 

But I've been saying we need another good receiver all season long, so take that for what it's worth. 

 

This season in general did show that we can get by with a B-level cast of receivers. But it also showed that the offense is prone to stall out at time, that you'll probably be among the league leaders in dropped passes (third overall) and near the bottom in terms of YAC (third worst overall, and that's with Hilton being 9th best among all pass catchers). 

 

I think our offense needs one more legitimate weapon to be a top five offense. And that would mean taking days like Saturday where the offense struggles to even get a first down and turning them into productive -- if not explosive -- performances. Not that we're one player away, but improving the receiving corps would go a long way to improving the team's performance.

 

9 minutes ago, horseshoecrabs said:

I agree with Superman, but we need to, pursue, with caution with who we pick in FA to personify our goals as a team efferent , as  to not distract  from our team's  goal. We are a young team that needs to build on this year 's success.  We need players that are all about the team's goal, not about me as a player. I understand that this is a business , but in my mind it is the teams success  in the final analogy , that defines the success  of our team.   

 

I agree 100%.

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21 hours ago, Superman said:

@Coffeedrinker @stitches

 

It sounds like the staff have been higher on Braden Smith at RT than I have, maybe from the beginning. Ballard in his presser said Morocco Brown thought Smith could play tackle from before the draft, and Gugs has been saying it since before camp.

 

And I guess it's obvious that he can play RT. I'm not saying he can't; Mewhort obviously wasn't good at RT, that's a different story. Smith can be serviceable at RT, probably more. I think we'd be better off improving that position, though, and in turn, also improving RG.

With Smith, he seems technically sound in the tackle position and I don't think his troubles with speed rushers is because of any physical limitations, I think it's just a matter of learning how to play speed. 

 

I use this example a lot, Tarik Glenn always struggled with speed rushers until the Colts drafted Freeney.  And you could tell by about mid season that practicing against Freeney took Tarik from a good LT (which I got in numerous arguments on the old Indystar forum when I would call LT good not great tackle) to one of the top LTs in the league.... because he figured out how to handle speed rushers.  And I think, if given the chance, Smith can learn how to handle speed rushers.

 

And just to be clear, I'm not against improving the tackle position (or any position for that matter), it would just be further down on the priority list than things like, DL and safety positions.

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4 minutes ago, Coffeedrinker said:

With Smith, he seems technically sound in the tackle position and I don't think his troubles with speed rushers is because of any physical limitations, I think it's just a matter of learning how to play speed. 

 

I use this example a lot, Tarik Glenn always struggled with speed rushers until the Colts drafted Freeney.  And you could tell by about mid season that practicing against Freeney took Tarik from a good LT (which I got in numerous arguments on the old Indystar forum when I would call LT good not great tackle) to one of the top LTs in the league.... because he figured out how to handle speed rushers.  And I think, if given the chance, Smith can learn how to handle speed rushers.

 

And just to be clear, I'm not against improving the tackle position (or any position for that matter), it would just be further down on the priority list than things like, DL and safety positions.

 

Glenn was a Pro Bowl LT though. Smith was a guy drafted to play RG who was moved to RT.

 

I have to agree that Smith's limitations at RT made themselves apparent as the season went on (and he had no real chance against someone like Ford). Of course that regression to be expected. He was a rookie that was drafted to play RG.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if that's where he ends up...RG. From watching him, he's fairly explosive and strong...but not as quick. That would seem to lend itself much better to G and blowing people off the line, as opposed to handling speed rushers doing spin moves and bending around the edge. 

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30 minutes ago, Coffeedrinker said:

With Smith, he seems technically sound in the tackle position and I don't think his troubles with speed rushers is because of any physical limitations, I think it's just a matter of learning how to play speed. 

 

I'm sure you've watched Smith more closely than I have; that's your specialty. But I feel like he has serviceable traits for a  tackle, but excellent traits for a guard. I think that's where his ceiling is highest.

 

We could do worse at RT, but it's like they say -- don't let "good" be the enemy of "great." I'd like to improve every spot that was just "good enough" in 2018. And I know we can't snap our finger and have a top five roster, there's a process, and there's probably higher priorities than RT. There's also the possibility that Smith improves at RT in Year 2, which would be great. But I definitely think the play on the right side needs to be better.

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Just looking at Free Agent WRs for this year, I don't see any that will come available and be able to improve our position by a lot, best bet to improve the position will be the draft or trade and I'd prefer the draft. It's still super early and without knowing measurables can't be sure but some of the prospects are interesting for this year like N’Keal Harry or J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. It would be nice to see Hilton matched with a receiver who can catch those 50-50 passes

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21 hours ago, Superman said:

 

This season in general did show that we can get by with a B-level cast of receivers. But it also showed that the offense is prone to stall out at time, that you'll probably be among the league leaders in dropped passes (third overall) and near the bottom in terms of YAC (third worst overall, and that's with Hilton being 9th best among all pass catchers). 

 

I'll wager that we have been near bottom of the league in YAC for years. 

 

For a new WR, the attributes that matter most are separation, hands, and YAC, IMO.  Height would be the least of my concerns. 

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26 minutes ago, DougDew said:

I'll wager that we have been near bottom of the league in YAC for years. 

 

For a new WR, the attributes that matter most are separation, hands, and YAC, IMO.  Height would be the least of my concerns. 

We were second in 2014. Since then we've been bottom 5 every year.  We lack playmakers on offense. 

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1 hour ago, stitches said:

We were second in 2014. Since then we've been bottom 5 every year.  We lack playmakers on offense. 

The only difference I can think of between 2014 and the other years is the health of Reggie Wayne, but I never thought of him as a YAC guy in that way.  Was DA getting YAC?  Who was the #3 that year?

 

Yes, we need somebody for that role.  Absent of YAC, accumulating yardage relies too much upon Luck hitting his receivers.  Getting some YAC and a few TDs off of it takes the pressure off of him.

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Pass coverage needs to be a focus for 2019. But I am not talking about CBs...I am specifically talking about SS, nickel S and LB.

 

The Colts gave up the most receptions and yards to TEs this season. And that was without facing the top two TEs in Kelce and Kittle. And while the Colts aren't allowing the highest yards/catch...they are still below average in this area. 

 

They also were tied for second-most receptions given up to RBs...but were near the top in yard/catch...which definitely speaks to flying around the ball. But it's still troubling to be giving up that many catches to RBs...especially when those can turn into big plays...but TEs are a much more pressing issue.

 

The weakness in the short-intermediate areas has been exploited by teams...with the most recent game being a prime example of what that looks like.

 

I know the system plays a role in this...as it tries to take away big plays. And improving the pass rush will help everything. But I think this defense could get to another level with another stud S and LB that can cover. That increases the chances to for takeaways and helps them get off the field on 3rd down (especially if the pass rush isn't landing).

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5 minutes ago, DougDew said:

The only difference I can think of between 2014 and the other years is the health of Reggie Wayne, but I never thought of him as a YAC guy in that way.  Was DA getting YAC?  Who was the #3 that year?

 

Yes, we need somebody for that role.  Absent of YAC, accumulating yardage relies too much upon Luck hitting his receivers.  Getting some YAC and a few TDs off of it takes the pressure off of him.

 

Bradshaw. Plus that was Fleener's big season.

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2 hours ago, shastamasta said:

 

Glenn was a Pro Bowl LT though. Smith was a guy drafted to play RG who was moved to RT.

That's the point though, Glenn was not a pro bowl LT until after Freeney was drafted.  Prior to that he was a good LT that struggled against speed rushers.

2 hours ago, shastamasta said:

 

I have to agree that Smith's limitations at RT made themselves apparent as the season went on (and he had no real chance against someone like Ford). Of course that regression to be expected. He was a rookie that was drafted to play RG.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if that's where he ends up...RG. From watching him, he's fairly explosive and strong...but not as quick. That would seem to lend itself much better to G and blowing people off the line, as opposed to handling speed rushers doing spin moves and bending around the edge. 

And I think more of the opposite, I don't know if he has the lower body strength to handle NFL DTs.  I think it would be the same thing, he goes against smaller DTs he would handle them but when he faces powerful DTs they will push him back.

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2 hours ago, Superman said:

 

I'm sure you've watched Smith more closely than I have; that's your specialty. But I feel like he has serviceable traits for a  tackle, but excellent traits for a guard. I think that's where his ceiling is highest.

 

We could do worse at RT, but it's like they say -- don't let "good" be the enemy of "great." I'd like to improve every spot that was just "good enough" in 2018. And I know we can't snap our finger and have a top five roster, there's a process, and there's probably higher priorities than RT. There's also the possibility that Smith improves at RT in Year 2, which would be great. But I definitely think the play on the right side needs to be better.

I agree the play needs to be better and more consistent.  But just like the "weapons" discussion is it better to get improvement from current players or by bringing in new players.

 

I think Smith can improve enough and Glow is good enough that the oline will be vastly improved from this year.  Just like on the weapons, I think if the Colts resign Inman, with Eborn, TY and the return of Doyle and one of Cain, Fountain or Moby Dick (They call me Ishmael) emerges then the improvement is already on the roster.

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1 minute ago, Coffeedrinker said:

That's the point though, Glenn was not a pro bowl LT until after Freeney was drafted.  Prior to that he was a good LT that struggled against speed rushers.

And I think more of the opposite, I don't know if he has the lower body strength to handle NFL DTs.  I think it would be the same thing, he goes against smaller DTs he would handle them but when he faces powerful DTs they will push him back.

 

He had one of the better verticals and broad jump in the Combine. He's pretty explosive for a giant man. Without looking, I would assume his lower body strength is up there with many of the better Gs in the NFL. And that type of explosion would serve him well when facing any type of DTs. If he can blow them off the ball, he will win more often than not, regardless of size.

 

His strength comes in handy at RT against someone like Watt, but not Ford...who just spins, runs or bends past him.

 

It will be interesting to see how they approach RT. Ideally, Smith is good enough to solidify RT long-term...but I am not sure if Ballard will depend on that. If they bring in a RT and re-sign Glow...they now have a healthy competition for both spots on the right side AND great depth. That seems to be the prudent way to address it.

 

 

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3 hours ago, stitches said:

@Superman @Mr. Irrelevant

 

PFF just came up with a small video on Oliver, I thought you guys might enjoy it:

 

 

 

I wonder if there will be a scenario where the Colts could trade up for Oliver.

 

The guy I would love to trade up for would be Rashan Gary. I know he underperformed in college...but I don't care...from a skill set...he is the perfect fit for LDE in this defense.

 

I also really like Ferrell and Josh Allen (who is like a stronger Leonard with pass rush moves).

 

If the Colts had a playoff season and still got one of those four guys...wow.

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Hopefully some of the bigger defensive players, Clowney, Ford, Mosley hit FA. I'd way rather make a run at several of those guys than AB or Lev. It would give Ballard more ability to go after offensive skill players in the draft if we squared away some of the defensive holes in FA. It's gonna be an extremely memorable off-season boys!

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On 1/14/2019 at 1:08 PM, Superman said:

 

Oh, you're playing a zero sum game. 

 

Offense played bad + defense didn't give up 50 = defense played well?

 

Or wait, now you're saying they "held their own"? 

 

The defense was awful, with the exception of a handful of plays. Our defense was no match for the Chiefs offense, from the first drive of the game. Just because they didn't run up the score on us doesn't mean the defense played well. We can't win consistently with this defense, and Saturday was the perfect example.

 

And then look across the conference at the other matchup. The Pats marched on a better defense just like they marched on our defense in October, and just like the Chiefs marched on us.

 

And look at the Rams vs the Cowboys, another 'statistically good' defense that played an easy schedule this year. The Cowboys were 31st I think in opponent ranking (we were 32nd), based on a study posted here last week. And as soon as the Rams clicked, it was like a hot knife through butter. 

 

The Saints played a defense that's actually good, not just statistically good, and had to fight for their lives for 20 points, at home, in a dome. 

 

These are the kind of teams the Colts will have to compete with to win a Super Bowl. "Good enough" isn't good enough. Our defense isn't good enough, and was downright bad on Saturday.

 

And that's true even though they got zero help from the offense. It's not either/or.

It's like someone dug you up out of a long slumber, look at you go! 

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That was an enjoyable thread to read through. Some of y'all are really smart haha

 

As for WR, there's multiple ways for the Colts to address this issue. It all depends on how FA plays out the draft board. Ideally for me, I'd love to see spend a little money on a guy who can come in and play 2WR across from Hilton right away (Humphries? Tate?), while also drafting someone in the top 3 rounds that fits your scheme/the measurables the team wants (Harry? Butler? whoever).

 

That way you have a vet option for Luck to rely on whilst also having some talented young guys with high ceilings in your draft pick and Deon Cain to develop (without having the pressure of needing to produce right away). 

 

Bring back one of Inman or Rodgers too (probably the former) to round out your main group with:

WR1 - Hilton, draft pick/Cain

WR2 - FA, Inman, draft pick/Cain

 

But again, that's just one way to do it. 

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On ‎1‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 3:47 PM, Superman said:

 

Saturday was kind of a perfect storm, with Hilton being hurt, Luck and Reich both being off, and the OL not playing very well. So I'm resistant to declaring that Saturday is proof that we need another good receiver.

 

This is a tough one. I think everyone is aware that the Colts played "above their talent level" getting into and in the playoffs. I think by the time KC rolled around their physical and emotional tank was about empty - having given it their all in the prior weeks. Yes, a few more high-talent players will make a huge difference because our key players won't have to give 110% (or more) all the time. That's unrealistic.

 

I'd like to see a very good #2 WR, an elite edge rush and - if we are very lucky - a monster right offensive tackle. Filling in the rest with competent backups, and I'd be a happy camper. No need for super-hero effort, either. That only leads to injury. You don't have to be perfect to win most games.

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