Superman's 2019 offseason mock (1.0)

[Superman]

The moment no one was waiting for...

 

Pre-combine, based on limited film viewing and research (although I've watched at least a little of every draft pick shown below). I plan to do another one after the combine, before free agency starts, but who knows if I'll have watched enough more film to do anything meaningful.

 

I'm adding some players in free agency to address some needs and upgrade some positions, and I'm letting some guys walk because I'm adding a different player that I like better. Geathers and Inman are gone; I'm re-signing Desir and I get the feeling some will think my contract projection for him isn't reasonable, but my mock can survive without him. Trying to get two-deep across the board. I think the thinnest spot winds up being OL.

 

Numbers from OTC and Spotrac:

Colts cap standing: 2019 projected cap of $189m (7% increase from 2018), rollover of $49m from 2018 = adjusted cap of ~$239m. As of now, including the Glowinski and AV contracts, the Colts have  $131.4m committed in 2019, cap space of $107.7m (committed $88m in 2020, projected cap of $200m). 

 

Releases: none

 

Colts free agents:

Glowinski, three years, $16.2m, cap hits $3.5m, $6.15m, $6.65m

Vinatieri, one year, $3.875m

Desir, two years, $9m, cap hits $4m, $5m

Hunt, one year, $3m

Webb, one year, $1.5m

Grissom, one year, $805k

Rhodes, ERFA tender, one year, $645k

Hewitt, one year, $805k

Moore, one year, $900k

Boehm, tender, $2.035m

Milton, one year, $900k

Farley, tender, $2.035m

Travis, one year, $900k

Rogers, tender, $2.035m

Martin, tender, $645k

Johnson, tender, $645k

Geathers -- FA

Inman -- FA

Grant -- FA

Woods -- FA

Mitchell -- FA

Wilcox -- FA

Slauson -- retired

> Added $20.2m to 2019 cap (approx $9.5m guaranteed), added $10m to 2020 cap (none guaranteed)

>> New cap position in 2019 -- $144m committed, remaining cap space of approx $95m

 

Free agent additions:

Adrian Phillips, four years, $27.5m, $10m guaranteed (none in year 2), cap hits of $6.25m, 6.25m, 7.25m, 7.75m; starting SS, plays well in the box, nickel pass coverage, can play man, good tackler/run support, instinctive, good range on the back end

Trey Flowers, five years, $87m ($17.4m/year), $50m guaranteed, $16.4m, 17.4m, 17.4m, 17.4m, 18.4m; edge rusher who lines up and plays effectively everywhere, gets a ton of QB pressures, only 26 next season so conceivably has more to show, just as good in run defense; paying a premium for a player I think is the best fit at a premium position

Steven Nelson, three years, $24m, $9m guaranteed, cap hits of  $7m, $8m, $9m; starting CB who can play man and zone, better in zone, feisty and competitive, good in run support, has enough quickness to play inside if necessary

Cameron Fleming, two years, $7m, $1m guaranteed, cap hits $3.5m each; swing tackle, competition, depth, upside

Adam Humphries, four years, $37m, 11.5m guaranteed,  cap hits of $8.5m, $9m, $9.5m, $10m; starting wide receiver, good YAC receiver, gets separation quickly, makes tacklers miss

Bryce Hager, one year, $1.2m; depth LB with range and quickness, decent tackler, special teamer

Draft pool, approx $8m in 2019

> Added $51.9m to 2019 cap, approx $49m to 2020 cap (approx $20m guaranteed, including draft pool)

>> New cap position in 2019 -- $196m committed (total), remaining cap space approx $48m

>>> Committed $146m in 2020, rolling approx $35-40m from 2019, estimated cap space $88m

 

Draft (conflicting info on the actual draft spots, especially past the third round, so I might be off by one here and there):

1/26 -- Deionte Thompson, Alabama, safety/dime defender, rangy, ball skills, aggressive tackler, capable in single high or in the box against TEs, allows for versatile usage of Hooker and other safeties, high ceiling prospect who probably slides out of the top 20 due to a recent, minor injury

2/34 -- Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio State, DT, three tech, versatility and athleticism to play multiple spots, mostly an interior rusher who needs work to become an every down player, but can have an immediate impact if used in the right packages

2/59 -- Riley Ridley, Georgia, WR, good ball catcher, strong route runner, good after catch, good size and enough speed to make, can be new possession receiver and scoring threat

3-90 -- Vosean Joseph, Florida, ILB, rangy, athletic, can hit, needs refinement in all areas but has the tools and shows ability to perform on tape, easy fit for our defense

4/129 -- Josh Oliver, San Jose State, TE, good route runner, athletic pass catcher, capable blocker, I feel like he would be a second rounder in another draft, but this draft is loaded with TEs and I view him as a steal with the potential to be a high level player in the NFL

4/135 -- Elijah Holyfield, Georgia, RB, prototypical prospect for every down back in the NFL, big, strong, has athleticism to get to the second level, finishes well, needs work as a receiver and blocker

5/165 -- Jordan Brailford, Oklahoma State, edge, good production with 10 sacks as a junior, two serious injuries in the past but was solid in 2018, has good traits as a versatile defender with athleticism and length, needs technical work but has the tools to be a good DE

6/198 -- Derrick Baity, Kentucky, CB, long, decent athlete, plays the ball and makes plays in zone coverage

7/241 -- Garrett Brumfield, G, LSU, good movement and range as an interior blocker, feisty and eager to finish, refinement needed with hands and balance, but fits the new Colts OL mindset

 

Depth chart (draft picks in bold, FA additions in italics, injury returns underlined)

QB -- Luck, Brissett, Walker

RB -- Mack, Hines, Wilkins, Holyfield

WR -- Hilton, Humphries, Rogers, Cain, Ridley, Fountain, Pascal

TE -- Doyle, Ebron, Oliver, Hewitt, Cox, Travis

LT -- AC, Fleming, Garcia

LG -- Nelson, Brumfield

C -- Kelly, Boehm, Andrews

RG -- Glowinski, Haeg

RT -- Smith, Webb, Clark

 

DT -- Autry, Hunt, Jones, Ridgeway, Stewart, Ward

DE -- Flowers, Sheard, Lewis, Turay, Muhammed, Brailford, Grissom

LB -- Leonard, Walker, Joseph, Franklin, Adams, Hager, S. Moore, Thomas

CB -- Desir, Nelson, Wilson, K. Moore, Collins, Baity, Milton, Hairston

S -- Hooker, Phillips, Thompson, Farley, Odum, Milligan

 

K -- Vinatieri

P -- Sanchez

LS -- Rhodes

 

Whatchu think??

 

GO COLTS!

[ColtStrong2013]

You didn't bold Thompson at safety as a draft pick. 

 

I will poop my pants if Ridley is there at 59... 

 

Do you think Ballard will spend this kind of cash this offseason? Part of me thinks this is the offseason for him, especially coming off executive of the year. The other part of me thinks he will continue finding value and penny pinch... especially coming off executive of the year. 

[Superman]

5 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

You didn't bold Thompson at safety as a draft pick. 

 

I will poop my pants if Ridley is there at 59... 

 

Do you think Ballard will spend this kind of cash this offseason? Part of me thinks this is the offseason for him, especially coming off executive of the year. The other part of me thinks he will continue finding value and penny pinch... especially coming off executive of the year. 

 

Good catch, I fixed it.

 

I don't know if Ballard spends like this, but I was recently reminded that the cap space can only be rolled over from one season to the next. So the extra space from 2018 should be spent in 2019, and I think this FA period might have a few players that Ballard will spend on. He might be more reserved and keep guys like Inman and Geathers, and maybe pay Desir more than I think. I'd rather get better players.

 

As for Ridley, it's interesting, I didn't feel there was a consensus on him or Jones. I ran a lot of mocks, and I checked a lot of boards. Some have both of them early in the second, some have both of them in the late second, or third. I'm not concerning myself too much with whether Ridley is there or not, but I prioritized Jones, and can replace Ridley with someone else if he blows up the Combine or something.

[boo2202]

Love the Oliver pick. Totally agree with you. Any other year he’d go in the 2nd round. He’s a steal in the 4th round. Let him sit behind Doyle and Ebron this year and he’ll replace one of them next year.

[Matthew Gilbert]

1 hour ago, Superman said:

4/135 -- Elijah Holyfield, Georgia, RB, prototypical prospect for every down back in the NFL, big, strong, has athleticism to get to the second level, finishes well, needs work as a receiver and blocker

Holyfield is on my wish list.

[Hoose]

I can see a S, Edge rusher and WR in free agency. Each of your picks at these spots are solid, feasible, and would definitely improve the team. The Nelson and Fleming selections are interesting. I get Fleming because the Tackle depth is so poor. I don't see Nelson, especially if Desir is kept. I suspect they will draft a CB for depth instead. 

 

As for the draft, I love the first three picks. Thompson is a needed upgrade and future stud; Jones has the talent to become the 3-tech of the future, and Ridley is a WR who has all the tools and might just be there late in the 2nd. The Combine will have a lot to say about that. 

 

I also like Oliver and Holyfield in the 4th, with each of these guys having a good chance of being there for the Colts. Many will see TE as a luxury pick, but I think the Colts should invest in another young guy. Ebron may fly the coop after next year, and Doyle has suddenly become an injury concern until he proves he can last a full season again. Holyfield seems like a smart RB investment at that point in the draft. Talented with a lot of room to grow. 

 

Many thanks for the work this took. A fun read and thought provoking. 

 

[Defjamz26]

So do you think that Jones will eventually learn to play the run?

[Hoose]

That's an unfair rap on Jones. The kid can play, and if the Colts get him at #34, he'd be a great pick. 

[Boiler_Colt]

Admitedly I don't really care for Thompson, especially after also signing a safety to start. Phillips seems like an excellent value signing that Ballard would make. If drafting a safety as well, I'd much rather get Chauncey Gardener-Johnson later, who is more versatile IMO.

 

Humphries would fit perfectly. I have doubts that Ballard would splurge on Flowers. I think he'd go after a cheaper option like Preston Smith but Flowers would be a great addition.

 

Overall, nicely done. I'd bring back Inman for 1 year though. To me, he earned it.

[chad72]

57 minutes ago, Hoose said:

That's an unfair rap on Jones. The kid can play, and if the Colts get him at #34, he'd be a great pick. 

 

If it just happens against an FCS playoff team, it is one thing. But then, Purdue, Maryland, Northwestern all ran rough shod on Ohio State's D-line in the running game.

 

He felt like he played well, as indicated in this, last year:

 

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2019-rose-bowl-game/2018/12/100586/dremont-jones-playing-in-rose-bowl-to-finish-what-i-started-at-ohio-state

 

Buckeye fans can tell me if it was Greg Schiano or their DL that was the problem on run D.

[Superman]

1 hour ago, Defjamz26 said:

So do you think that Jones will eventually learn to play the run?

 

1 hour ago, Hoose said:

That's an unfair rap on Jones. The kid can play, and if the Colts get him at #34, he'd be a great pick. 

 

Jones absolutely can play, I'm a huge fan after watching him. But he doesn't two gap well, and he can't hold up against a double team. He has to play in a gap, and that's fine. 

[Superman]

49 minutes ago, Boiler_Colt said:

Admitedly I don't really care for Thompson, especially after also signing a safety to start. Phillips seems like an excellent value signing that Ballard would make. If drafting a safety as well, I'd much rather get Chauncey Gardener-Johnson later, who is more versatile IMO.

 

 

Three safeties in dime situations. We had about 2300 safety snaps last year, and the starters only accounted for about 1700 of them. There's no reason a dime safety can't get 400+ snaps, which is plenty for a rookie.

 

Setting need aside, what don't you like about Thompson?

 

I assume Inman wants to test the market, and I see no need to wait for him. I'd rather have Humphries, if I have to choose.

 

Preston Smith is an okay consolation prize, but Flowers is much better. I'd definitely pay the premium for Flowers.

[esmort]

Even of we get Humphries I would like to see CB bring Inman back

[Maniac]

Why not bring Inman back?

[Boiler_Colt]

44 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Setting need aside, what don't you like about Thompson?

 

 

 

To me he is a true single high free safety who isnt that great in run support. Like a lesser version of Hooker. He was great the first month of the season but got picked on as the year went on. He's a good player I just think a 3rd safety isn't great value at 26. Especially if we get Phillips and bring back Farley as well.

 

If he's there in the 2nd i'd be more akin to take a look. The reason I personally like Chauncey Gardener-Johnsonis that he's a true hybrid who can play SS, FS, or nickel corner.

[BleedBlu8792]

1 hour ago, chad72 said:

Buckeye fans can tell me if it was Greg Schiano or their DL that was the problem on run D.

 

As a Buckeye fan, in my opinion, this was the worst LB and secondary group we've had in YEARS. The DL was actually good, as it has been for the last decade, but losing Bosa hurt a lot and the back 7 was young and no where near as talented as it had been. Dre'Mont had a really good season, but he is who he is - a good interior pass rushing DL that needs to get stronger and get better against the run. I look for him to come to the combine and knock it out of the park, but he's going to have to be AT LEAST 285 - 290 and do well on the bench to show teams he's training to be a true 3-down lineman at the NFL level. Everything else is there - the athleticism, the character, the talent, but is he of top-35 value being a 2-down player at this point in time?

 

As for Schiano, I'm glad he's gone. Again, we had some deficiencies on the back 7 of the defense and he really did nothing to help scheme around that and help the young guys out. If it weren't for the DL, they might have lost at least 2 or 3 more games notably the TCU and Penn State games. 

 

Keep an eye on Chase Young, that kid is NFL ready now. 6'4'ish at ~260 and is a freak (10.5 sacks and 15.5 TFL's last year). He took off once Bosa went down with his injury, and never looked back, so it will be interesting this year when teams have the bulls-eye full time on him. He'll EASILY be a top-10 pick next year. 

[stitches]

I don't know how to feel about picking Thompson in the first, especially considering he's a poor man's version of Hooker and the fact that you are giving a big long term contract to another safety. I feel like this is way too much capital being invested in players that cannot even get on the field at the same time in most packages. I'd almost rather we just overpay Earl Thomas if you want another rangy safety. 

 

I can get behind the other picks and I like Flowers and Nelson in FA as your big time additions. 

[ColtStrong2013]

14 hours ago, Superman said:

 

Good catch, I fixed it.

 

I don't know if Ballard spends like this, but I was recently reminded that the cap space can only be rolled over from one season to the next. So the extra space from 2018 should be spent in 2019, and I think this FA period might have a few players that Ballard will spend on. He might be more reserved and keep guys like Inman and Geathers, and maybe pay Desir more than I think. I'd rather get better players.

 

As for Ridley, it's interesting, I didn't feel there was a consensus on him or Jones. I ran a lot of mocks, and I checked a lot of boards. Some have both of them early in the second, some have both of them in the late second, or third. I'm not concerning myself too much with whether Ridley is there or not, but I prioritized Jones, and can replace Ridley with someone else if he blows up the Combine or something.

 

I think it's a perfect year to upgrade. I sincerely hope we don't take it easy in FA. Honestly, i'm ok with another offseason similar to last year. Autry, Slauson, Ebron, Desir in FA and a great draft pull. We upgraded the roster with incredible efficiency last offseason. Turn that over a couple times, and we'll have a championship roster. We are closing in on one for sure. 

[teganslaw]

Humphries would be a good fit, but I hope that they can keep Inman also. 

 

I don't know if Trey Flowers would be end up in Indy. His price might be more than Ballard is willing to pay. 

[chad72]

10 hours ago, BleedBlu8792 said:

 

As a Buckeye fan, in my opinion, this was the worst LB and secondary group we've had in YEARS. The DL was actually good, as it has been for the last decade, but losing Bosa hurt a lot and the back 7 was young and no where near as talented as it had been. Dre'Mont had a really good season, but he is who he is - a good interior pass rushing DL that needs to get stronger and get better against the run. I look for him to come to the combine and knock it out of the park, but he's going to have to be AT LEAST 285 - 290 and do well on the bench to show teams he's training to be a true 3-down lineman at the NFL level. Everything else is there - the athleticism, the character, the talent, but is he of top-35 value being a 2-down player at this point in time?

 

As for Schiano, I'm glad he's gone. Again, we had some deficiencies on the back 7 of the defense and he really did nothing to help scheme around that and help the young guys out. If it weren't for the DL, they might have lost at least 2 or 3 more games notably the TCU and Penn State games. 

 

Keep an eye on Chase Young, that kid is NFL ready now. 6'4'ish at ~260 and is a freak (10.5 sacks and 15.5 TFL's last year). He took off once Bosa went down with his injury, and never looked back, so it will be interesting this year when teams have the bulls-eye full time on him. He'll EASILY be a top-10 pick next year. 

 

I am glad he is gone to the Patriots then.  

[richard pallo]

18 minutes ago, teganslaw said:

Humphries would be a good fit, but I hope that they can keep Inman also. 

 

I don't know if Trey Flowers would be end up in Indy. His price might be more than Ballard is willing to pay. 

I think he is affordable.  His contract should not approach those of Lawrence, Clowney, and Jarrett.  These kind of players rarely make it to market and we will also be one of the destination franchises.  Ballard should be able to get him signed.   

[Superman]

11 hours ago, esmort said:

Even of we get Humphries I would like to see CB bring Inman back

 

10 hours ago, Maniac said:

Why not bring Inman back?

 

31 minutes ago, teganslaw said:

Humphries would be a good fit, but I hope that they can keep Inman also. 

 

 

Honest question: How good do you guys think Inman is?

 

To me, he's an average depth player. He's 30 years old, he's been in the league since 2014 and has one season over 500 yards and 40 catches, and I don't see that he does anything well enough that we just have to have him.

 

The fact that he's said he wants to be a Colt is awesome, but the fact that he hasn't signed yet suggests that either he wants more than is on the table, or that nothing is on the table. I feel like he's moving on, and I'm not heartbroken about it. If he stays, great; my first draft had us keeping him on a one year deal, but as more time went by, I got the impression he's out the door.

[chad72]

11 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Honest question: How good do you guys think Inman is?

 

To me, he's an average depth player. He's 30 years old, he's been in the league since 2014 and has one season over 500 yards and 40 catches, and I don't see that he does anything well enough that we just have to have him.

 

The fact that he's said he wants to be a Colt is awesome, but the fact that he hasn't signed yet suggests that either he wants more than is on the table, or that nothing is on the table. I feel like he's moving on, and I'm not heartbroken about it. If he stays, great; my first draft had us keeping him on a one year deal, but as more time went by, I got the impression he's out the door.

 

He is not Anquan Boldin strong to be that strong possession guy but he does make contested catches. He understands coverages well enough to get open when he does not play top notch physical CBs, which there are few in the league, IMO. He is no Edelman, for sure.

 

If we want the Anquan Boldin or Alshon Jeffery mold, Hakeem Butler fits that role. If we want an Edelman mold, Andy Isabella fits that mold, IMO.

 

Either way, we can draft his replacement. If he comes cheap enough after Ballard lets him test the market on a 1 or 2 yr. deal back again, we'd welcome him with open arms but he is by no means a game breaker for us to bend over backwards to accommodate him. 

[Superman]

10 hours ago, Boiler_Colt said:

 

To me he is a true single high free safety who isnt that great in run support. Like a lesser version of Hooker. He was great the first month of the season but got picked on as the year went on. He's a good player I just think a 3rd safety isn't great value at 26. Especially if we get Phillips and bring back Farley as well.

 

If he's there in the 2nd i'd be more akin to take a look. The reason I personally like Chauncey Gardener-Johnsonis that he's a true hybrid who can play SS, FS, or nickel corner.

 

2 hours ago, stitches said:

I don't know how to feel about picking Thompson in the first, especially considering he's a poor man's version of Hooker and the fact that you are giving a big long term contract to another safety. I feel like this is way too much capital being invested in players that cannot even get on the field at the same time in most packages. I'd almost rather we just overpay Earl Thomas if you want another rangy safety. 

 

I can get behind the other picks and I like Flowers and Nelson in FA as your big time additions. 

 

I see Thompson as capable of playing single high and strong, especially covering TEs. And I think Hooker can play slot DB in certain packages. I don't see putting three safeties on the field as a difficult problem to solve. I don't see him as a different version of Hooker, I think they're different players entirely, with some similar attributes.

 

I'm not interested in Earl Thomas, especially at a premium. He'll be 30 in May, he's broken his leg twice in three years, and to me, he's the same as Hooker, just a better hitter.

 

Farley isn't relevant to my mock, to be honest. He's a nice depth player, at best.

 

And the real question is, who's better and likely to still be on the board at #26? I think Thompson is a top 20 player who will drop because of his injury. I don't see Wilkins, Polite, Gary, etc., dropping, and I don't think Sweat is a good fit for our defense. I think Taylor, Hockenson or Marquise Brown might be the best players on the board at #26; Brown feels like an odd fit, and if Thompson is still there, I like him better than Hockenson or Taylor, both of whom are also not immediate needs for our roster, so I stuck to the board. (I also took the off field question mark players out of the mix; I don't think Ballard will take a chance in the first round.)

[Hoose]

2 minutes ago, chad72 said:

 

He is not Anquan Boldin strong to be that strong possession guy but he does make contested catches. He understands coverages well enough to get open when he does not play top notch physical CBs, which there are few in the league, IMO. He is no Edelman, for sure.

 

If we want the Anquan Boldin or Alshon Jeffery mold, Hakeem Butler fits that role. If we want an Edelman mold, Andy Isabella fits that mold, IMO.

 

Either way, we can draft his replacement. If he comes cheap enough after Ballard lets him test the market on a 1 or 2 yr. deal back again, we'd welcome him with open arms but he is by no means a game breaker for us to bend over backwards to accommodate him. 

Inman should be retained if the price is right. He stabilized a truly dreadful group of WRs not named TY Hilton after the team went through a plague of drops. He can play in this league, and he has terrific hands. I don't think he breaks the bank at all. Two years $6 million to a guy who was a FA until the middle of the season would be more than fair. He's earned it. 

[chad72]

3 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

I see Thompson as capable of playing single high and strong, especially covering TEs. And I think Hooker can play slot DB in certain packages. I don't see putting three safeties on the field as a difficult problem to solve. I don't see him as a different version of Hooker, I think they're different players entirely, with some similar attributes.

 

I'm not interested in Earl Thomas, especially at a premium. He'll be 30 in May, he's broken his leg twice in three years, and to me, he's the same as Hooker, just a better hitter.

 

Farley isn't relevant to my mock, to be honest. He's a nice depth player, at best.

 

And the real question is, who's better and likely to still be on the board at #26? I think Thompson is a top 20 player who will drop because of his injury. I don't see Wilkins, Polite, Gary, etc., dropping, and I don't think Sweat is a good fit for our defense. I think Taylor, Hockenson or Marquise Brown might be the best players on the board at #26; Brown feels like an odd fit, and if Thompson is still there, I like him better than Hockenson or Taylor, both of whom are also not immediate needs for our roster, so I stuck to the board. (I also took the off field question mark players out of the mix; I don't think Ballard will take a chance in the first round.)

 

I like the position you chose to be drafted in round 1. I will keeping an eye on Nasir Adderley at the combine and if the Colts chose him at No.26, I would not be disappointed either. 

4 minutes ago, Hoose said:

Inman should be retained if the price is right. He stabilized a truly dreadful group of WRs not named TY Hilton after the team went through a plague of drops. He can play in this league, and he has terrific hands. I don't think he breaks the bank at all. Two years $6 million to a guy who was a FA until the middle of the season would be more than fair. He's earned it. 

 

There in lies the true problem. We don't know what he wants and if he wants anything north of $5 mil. a year, I doubt Ballard invests in him.

 

[Superman]

6 minutes ago, Hoose said:

Inman should be retained if the price is right. He stabilized a truly dreadful group of WRs not named TY Hilton after the team went through a plague of drops. He can play in this league, and he has terrific hands. I don't think he breaks the bank at all. Two years $6 million to a guy who was a FA until the middle of the season would be more than fair. He's earned it. 

 

I had him coming back for one year, $4m. But I think he wants more.

[Hoose]

I suspect that if you guys are right about Inman's contract demands, Ballard will let him test the market. I just hope he remains a Colt. The team needs stability in the WR corps, and Inman provides it. 

[Matthew Gilbert]

17 hours ago, Superman said:

3-90 -- Vosean Joseph, Florida, ILB, rangy, athletic, can hit, needs refinement in all areas but has the tools and shows ability to perform on tape, easy fit for our defense

I watched his highlight video last night and now a little crush might be forming here. I need to watch more game film. His listed size looked a little concerning but he certainly doesn't play small in his highlights. This guy might be a steal in the 3rd/4th round range. 

[DougDew]

I like what you did at S and WR.  And Holyfield at RB.  Not sure about the DL additions, although the pass rush should improve quite a bit, and that was the main problem with it last year.

 

What about Gerald Willis from The U instead of Jones?

[stitches]

1 hour ago, Superman said:

 

 

I see Thompson as capable of playing single high and strong, especially covering TEs. And I think Hooker can play slot DB in certain packages. I don't see putting three safeties on the field as a difficult problem to solve. I don't see him as a different version of Hooker, I think they're different players entirely, with some similar attributes.

 

I'm not interested in Earl Thomas, especially at a premium. He'll be 30 in May, he's broken his leg twice in three years, and to me, he's the same as Hooker, just a better hitter.

 

Farley isn't relevant to my mock, to be honest. He's a nice depth player, at best.

 

And the real question is, who's better and likely to still be on the board at #26? I think Thompson is a top 20 player who will drop because of his injury. I don't see Wilkins, Polite, Gary, etc., dropping, and I don't think Sweat is a good fit for our defense. I think Taylor, Hockenson or Marquise Brown might be the best players on the board at #26; Brown feels like an odd fit, and if Thompson is still there, I like him better than Hockenson or Taylor, both of whom are also not immediate needs for our roster, so I stuck to the board. (I also took the off field question mark players out of the mix; I don't think Ballard will take a chance in the first round.)

I feel like this is truly the crux of the matter. I simply don't value him as highly as you seem to. I thought he had some truly bad games to end the season. He didn't look like a 1st rounder for the last month or two of play. He was having trouble misdiagnosing plays consistently, biting on fakes, misreading keys, etc. I don't think he has anywhere close to Hooker's natural instincts or even his range for that matter. And we got Hooker mid-1st. I personally would probably rather have Nasir Adderley at 26 than Thompson. And I do think it would be quite easy for me to find other players I like better at 26. Multiple WRs, multiple DLs, I'd probably have some CBs ranked higher too... 

[DaveA1102]

57 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

I had him coming back for one year, $4m. But I think he wants more.

 

Do you see Rogers as a better option than Inman for us next year?  I know Rogers is the younger and cheaper option, but he didn't seem to offer much last year in my opinion whereas Inman seemed to step up more than anyone else not named Hilton.

 

I appreciate that wasn't every game but I thought he brought more than Chester.

[Superman]

7 minutes ago, DaveA1102 said:

 

Do you see Rogers as a better option than Inman for us next year?  I know Rogers is the younger and cheaper option, but he didn't seem to offer much last year in my opinion whereas Inman seemed to step up more than anyone else not named Hilton.

 

I appreciate that wasn't every game but I thought he brought more than Chester.

 

No, but we have Rogers' rights as a restricted FA. Rogers probably has a hard time making the final roster this season, Inman or not.

[Superman]

37 minutes ago, Matthew Gilbert said:

I watched his highlight video last night and now a little crush might be forming here. I need to watch more game film. His listed size looked a little concerning but he certainly doesn't play small in his highlights. This guy might be a steal in the 3rd/4th round range. 

 

He plays with an edge. He'll need to be more disciplined and avoid stupid penalties, but I like his glass-eater attitude.

[Superman]

14 minutes ago, stitches said:

I feel like this is truly the crux of the matter. I simply don't value him as highly as you seem to. I thought he had some truly bad games to end the season. He didn't look like a 1st rounder for the last month or two of play. He was having trouble misdiagnosing plays consistently, biting on fakes, misreading keys, etc. I don't think he has anywhere close to Hooker's natural instincts or even his range for that matter. And we got Hooker mid-1st. I personally would probably rather have Nasir Adderley at 26 than Thompson. And I do think it would be quite easy for me to find other players I like better at 26. Multiple WRs, multiple DLs, I'd probably have some CBs ranked higher too... 

 

Yeah, it's probably just a different view on Thompson, which is fine. I could be overrating him, but I see him being a versatile DB who can do a lot of different things in base and sub packages. Not just a single high safety.

 

So how would you project the first round going right now, and who do you have left at #26?

[stitches]

50 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Yeah, it's probably just a different view on Thompson, which is fine. I could be overrating him, but I see him being a versatile DB who can do a lot of different things in base and sub packages. Not just a single high safety.

 

So how would you project the first round going right now, and who do you have left at #26?

It's hard to project this one. I think it's very possible to have most if not all WRs available at 26. Maybe Metcalf would be already taken. Did you see his pictures from his preparation. He's scarily jacked. He does look like Megatron. I'd pick him at 26 if he was there. I think there is a good chance 3 QBs go before us. I think there is a good chance Josh Jacobs goes before us. 

 

I think there is a chance most of Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, Jerry Tillery, Jeffery Simmons, DreMont Jones, Charles Omenihu are there. I personally like Simmons and TIllery the best from that group and would pick them without hesitation at 26(no idea about their off-the-field stuff... GMs should have much better info in order to make informed decision. I'm talking purely football talent). I would also be willing to trade up for Ed Oliver if for some reason he starts to drop to the teens. 

 

I wonder about the EDGE rushers. People seem to not be extremely high on Ferrell and a lot of people have him dropping to the 20s. If he drops to us I think he's a no-brainer pick. Burns, Polite, Gary, Sweat... I think there is about 50/50 chance one or two of them is there for us to pick at 26. You wrote that you are not the biggest Sweat fan for our system. 

 

I'm intrigued by the TEs from Iowa. I think one of them(probably Hockenson) will be picked before us... I wonder if Ballard has the balls to take Fant at 26. He might be BPA, but he's at position we already have some nice players. He's a true playmaker. I think he could be a great successor to Ebron, once his contract expires after this coming season and we all know how much Andrew loves his TEs. The value might be better where you picked a TE, though(3d-4th round). 

 

I'm higher on some of the CBs this year than most. Murphy, Baker are both great in zone but can also play some man-to-man. Greedy is a bit more of a traditional man corner, but I would still pick him if he drops to us. I wonder if any of them is there for us to pick? Probably at least one of them?

 

Offensive line ... from what I'm reading it seems like there are at least 3 OTs that are likely to go before us - Jawaan Taylor, Cody Ford and Jonah Williams. Lets say one interior lineman goes before us too. 

 

OK... lets make the calculation then... 

3QBs, 1 RB, 3OT+1OC/OG, 1 WR. 1TE... that's 10 gone. 

 

Bosa, Quinnen, Josh Allen, Oliver, Ferrell, 2CBs, 1S, Lets say 2 of the EDGE defenders and 3 of the remaining IDL are gone too... lets say Devin White is gone...  We are at 24... There are players like Andrew Dillard(OT), Nasir Adderley, Johnathan Abram(S), Devin Bush(LB), Kelvin Harmon, Marquise Brown, N'Keal Harry(WRs) that very well might go before us. It's hard to project what really will happen past 15-20 of the draft. Teams in a lot of cases have very different evaluations of those players. 

 

Now, we would probably have some surprises of players falling or others getting picked surprisingly high, but this generally shows a picture IMO of a draft where we would have good choice between talent from different positions. 

 

Is there a player you would trade up for like I feel about Oliver? Or do you value the picks more than getting a specific player that might be slipping? 

[teganslaw]

I agree with some other posters that Inman provides stability and understands routes. He isn't a star, but IMO has the ability to make large plays if given the chance. I like his enthusiasm, and Indy seems to provide the right atmosphere for him.

[MikeCurtis]

15 hours ago, chad72 said:

 

 

Buckeye fans can tell me if it was Greg Schiano or their DL that was the problem on run D.

From a HUGE Buckeye fan.......

 

Jones is stronger as a pass rusher vs a run stopper

 

After our star DE went down, Jones recieved mucho double teams.

 

The problems with our run defense is mostly on the LBs and DBs, they were constantly out of position........ enormous holes with no back end created ugly runs

 

Im a fan of Jones at 34

 

 

 

 

[Superman]

14 minutes ago, stitches said:

OK... lets make the calculation then... 

3QBs, 1 RB, 3OT+1OC/OG, 1 WR. 1TE... that's 10 gone. 

 

Bosa, Quinnen, Josh Allen, Oliver, Ferrell, 2CBs, 1S, Lets say 2 of the EDGE defenders and 3 of the remaining IDL are gone too... lets say Devin White is gone...  We are at 24... There are players like Andrew Dillard(OT), Nasir Adderley, Johnathan Abram(S), Devin Bush(LB), Kelvin Harmon, Marquise Brown, N'Keal Harry(WRs) that very well might go before us. It's hard to project what really will happen past 15-20 of the draft. Teams in a lot of cases have very different evaluations of those players. 

 

Now, we would probably have some surprises of players falling or others getting picked surprisingly high, but this generally shows a picture IMO of a draft where we would have good choice between talent from different positions. 

 

Is there a player you would trade up for like I feel about Oliver? Or do you value the picks more than getting a specific player that might be slipping? 

 

Good stuff. 

 

I don't value the receivers in the first round, especially the HWS guys. 

 

I have Thompson higher than Adderley and Abram because of range and ball skills. I'll tell you who I'm not high on, is Taylor Rapp. I probably need to watch all the safeties again.

 

Devin Bush is a good option.

 

I'm torn on Oliver. I haven't settled on how he'd fit our defense and what kind of production he'd bring. I'm not against moving up for the right player, at the right price. That might be Oliver, depending on how far he's sliding. As it stands, it's hard to see Oliver not going top fifteen, and I don't know if that big of a trade up would make sense. But I don't include trades in my mock, so I didn't allow for that possibility.

 

Not a big fan of Ferrell, either.

 

I like a lot of the corners, also. End of the day, like you said, I think it's just that I think Thompson is a top 20 guy and you don't. 

[Superman]

Matt Miller's updated board has Thompson at #36.