Spencer Ware visited the colts today

[CR91]

 

 

Also for those interested in Ray, Apparently he visited the raiders.

[PrincetonTiger]

3 minutes ago, CR91 said:

 

Also for those interested in Ray, Apparently he visited the raiders.

Who are the Raiders not interested in signing

 

   BTW I like Ware

[Coltsfan66]

Thanks for the update!  Indy had Ajayi in for a visit and now Ware, I wonder if one will be signed should a running back not be drafted?  Of course, Ajayi needs to prove he is healthy first.

[DerekDiggler]

Definitely need to upgrade the RB position 

 

glad to see this

[Boiler_Colt]

Seems like the Colts are absolutely interested in getting another back. Likely they'll wait until after the draft and if they do not select one, they will circle back on Ajayi or Ware.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

I think getting a FA running back is probably better then drafting one. We need to give Wilkins more carries. He averaged over 5 yards a carry.

[LockeDown]

these RBs would be players our staff has evaluated with their former teams.  

[Four2itus]

1 hour ago, DerekDiggler said:

Definitely need to upgrade the RB position 

 

glad to see this

We had the 6th ranked rusher. In a perfect world, all positions need an upgrade. I would consider the RB position to be one that is solid, while other positions get upgraded first. 

[NewColtsFan]

54 minutes ago, Four2itus said:

We had the 6th ranked rusher. In a perfect world, all positions need an upgrade. I would consider the RB position to be one that is solid, while other positions get upgraded first. 

6th ranked?

 

Based on what?   The metric?   Average per carry?

 

[Four2itus]

1 hour ago, NewColtsFan said:

6th ranked?

 

Based on what?   The metric?   Average per carry?

 

Yards/game

[shasta519]

24 minutes ago, Four2itus said:

Yards/game

 

Part of that has to do with volume. Not that Mack wasn't good last season...but I don't necessarily think his individual performance means that the RB group is a top 10 unit.

 

As a team....they ranked in the bottom half in yds/game, yds/carry and EXP. They ranked a bit higher in DVOA.

 

I don't think they need a RB1 or anything...but adding a good RB that can catch the ball wouldn't hurt.

[NewColtsFan]

1 hour ago, Four2itus said:

Yards/game

 

Interesting....  I’ve read all off season that the Colts had the 20th ranked run game.   Now I wonder what metric that is based on? 

[akcolt]

4 hours ago, DerekDiggler said:

Definitely need to upgrade the RB position 

 

glad to see this

I agree we struggled without Mack last year. It didn't realize Ware was only 26 

[EastStreet]

4 hours ago, DerekDiggler said:

Definitely need to upgrade the RB position 

 

glad to see this

per all the stats, he's perfectly fine as the lead back. he's no Eliott or Gurley, but his averages are in the top half of RBs if not top 10. keep in mind he only played in 12 games if you're looking at his total (900ish yards). his yards/attempt really went up from 2017 with the upgrades on the OL.

 

short of getting a top 5 guys (which there are really none available in FA or in the draft), we just need to 1) give Mack more opportunity if he can stay healthy, and 2) find a complimentary power back. our RB group is pretty decent, just lacks a true power guy for short yardage situations. Wilkins is a dancer, but is an adequate backup to Mack. Hines is an APB and was our 4th leading receiver (that says more about the lack of productivity of our WR group than Hines). 

 

give me a guy late in the draft like snell and push jonathan williams to the practice squad. 

[EastStreet]

10 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Interesting....  I’ve read all off season that the Colts had the 20th ranked run game.   Now I wonder what metric that is based on? 

You're right about the team. 

Here's both Mack's individual ranks as well as team.

 

Mack (individual)

6th y/game

7th TDs

15th in attempts

16th total yards (Mack only played 12 games)

Tied for 14th 20+ yard rushes

Tied for 17th in y/attempt (Eliott had the same)

 

Team 

20th in total yards and yards per game

22nd in y/attempt

Tied for 16th in TDs

16th in fumbles, but 10th in fumbles lost.

17th in attempts

 

[DerekDiggler]

18 minutes ago, Irish YJ said:

per all the stats, he's perfectly fine as the lead back. he's no Eliott or Gurley, but his averages are in the top half of RBs if not top 10. keep in mind he only played in 12 games if you're looking at his total (900ish yards). his yards/attempt really went up from 2017 with the upgrades on the OL.

 

short of getting a top 5 guys (which there are really none available in FA or in the draft), we just need to 1) give Mack more opportunity if he can stay healthy, and 2) find a complimentary power back. our RB group is pretty decent, just lacks a true power guy for short yardage situations. Wilkins is a dancer, but is an adequate backup to Mack. Hines is an APB and was our 4th leading receiver (that says more about the lack of productivity of our WR group than Hines). 

 

give me a guy late in the draft like snell and push jonathan williams to the practice squad. 

Nah.   Mack isn’t as good as everyone thinks he is.   Upgrade is needed 

[EastStreet]

3 minutes ago, DerekDiggler said:

Nah.   Mack isn’t as good as everyone thinks he is.   Upgrade is needed 

I don't think he's a world beater either, but the draft sucks this year for RBs, and FA is a zero.

a stud X WR in this draft will go a lot farther than a new RB in terms of point differential. at most i'd go complimentary power back in the 4th. 

[crazycolt1]

6 minutes ago, DerekDiggler said:

Nah.   Mack isn’t as good as everyone thinks he is.   Upgrade is needed 

So you really think you are more knowledgeable that Ballard and Reich?

[NewColtsFan]

26 minutes ago, Irish YJ said:

You're right about the team. 

Here's both Mack's individual ranks as well as team.

 

Mack (individual)

6th y/game

7th TDs

15th in attempts

16th total yards (Mack only played 12 games)

Tied for 14th 20+ yard rushes

Tied for 17th in y/attempt (Eliott had the same)

 

Team 

20th in total yards and yards per game

22nd in y/attempt

Tied for 16th in TDs

16th in fumbles, but 10th in fumbles lost.

17th in attempts

 

 

Thanks very much...   excellent post.    

 

Self explanatory.  

 

Much appreciated.      

[LJpalmbeacher2]

4 hours ago, Four2itus said:

We had the 6th ranked rusher. In a perfect world, all positions need an upgrade. I would consider the RB position to be one that is solid, while other positions get upgraded first. 

6th? .... I thought we were ranked like 20th?

[EastStreet]

8 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

So you really think you are more knowledgeable that Ballard and Reich?

The argument I'd use is that we were a top 10 (tied for 10th) rushing team when Mack returned (game 6). 

 

I don't necessarily agree with DD, but GMs and Coaches typically prop up their guy, and aren't always correct. The "coaches and GMs always know best" argument is not sound as we know plenty of coaches and GMs make bad moves all the time. Ballard is doing a fantastic job so far, but he's still a young GM, and every move he's made has not been great. Reich had subpar results in SD, didn't really call plays in Philly, and is a new HC. Our results last year (2018) are pretty much the same as the last year Luck was fully healthy (2014). I'm closer to crowing CB than FR. 

[ScotColt]

I think Mack is a good RB and Hines and Wilkins aint bad at all either. I honestly think picking a RB in the draft would be a complete waste (especially with what's on offer) and is certainly down there with our team needs. That is of course just my opinion but I am far more in favor of signing a FA goal line RB for a year if the Colts are adamant about it.

[crazycolt1]

58 minutes ago, Irish YJ said:

The argument I'd use is that we were a top 10 (tied for 10th) rushing team when Mack returned (game 6). 

 

I don't necessarily agree with DD, but GMs and Coaches typically prop up their guy, and aren't always correct. The "coaches and GMs always know best" argument is not sound as we know plenty of coaches and GMs make bad moves all the time. Ballard is doing a fantastic job so far, but he's still a young GM, and every move he's made has not been great. Reich had subpar results in SD, didn't really call plays in Philly, and is a new HC. Our results last year (2018) are pretty much the same as the last year Luck was fully healthy (2014). I'm closer to crowing CB than FR. 

Ballard and Reich don't have to prop up Mack. His play does that itself.

All you have to do is go back and look for yourself on tape what Mack did last season.

Now you are bringing negativity to Frank? Figures.

[crazycolt1]

1 hour ago, Irish YJ said:

I don't think he's a world beater either, but the draft sucks this year for RBs, and FA is a zero.

a stud X WR in this draft will go a lot farther than a new RB in terms of point differential. at most i'd go complimentary power back in the 4th. 

So how disappointed are you going to be when Ballard takes a couple of trench guys in the first two rounds? The receiver you speak of might be picked in the 4th round?

[EastStreet]

10 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

Ballard and Reich don't have to prop up Mack. His play does that itself.

All you have to do is go back and look for yourself on tape what Mack did last season.

Now you are bringing negativity to Frank? Figures.

I'm bringing reality/history/fact. Is anything I said incorrect? I cheer for his success. I'm not blind to history.

[crazycolt1]

1 minute ago, Irish YJ said:

I'm bringing reality/history/fact. Is anything I said incorrect? I cheer for his success. I'm not blind to history.

Your comment about Ballard and Reich propping up Mack is not reality/history or fact.

You discarded Mack's ability by even making that comment.

As far as Riech, he took a bunch of rookies and 2nd year players into the playoffs. That is fact.

My question to you is why do you always have to disregard and find something negative with every point most of us talk about in these threads?

[EastStreet]

7 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

So how disappointed are you going to be when Ballard takes a couple of trench guys in the first two rounds? The receiver you speak of might be picked in the 4th round?

I'll be very happy if he takes an iDL with the first pick. If he doesn't take a WR in the second, I'll be disappointed, but life goes on, and I'll cheer no less harder. If he gets a WR that turns out to be a stud in the 4th, I'll be ecstatic. 

[EastStreet]

10 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

Your comment about Ballard and Reich propping up Mack is not reality/history or fact.

You discarded Mack's ability by even making that comment.

As far as Riech, he took a bunch of rookies and 2nd year players into the playoffs. That is fact.

My question to you is why do you always have to disregard and find something negative with every point most of us talk about in these threads?

I'm also the guy who pointed out that Mack was 6th in y/carry, and that we were top 10 yard/game as a team when he came back in game 6th. I also said he was just fine as a lead back and all I'd do was grab a power compliment in the later rounds.

 

I don't have to pump sunshine to be a fan of Mack. I am a fan. I'm just not going to act like he's on par with other guys like Eliot, Barkley, or Gurley. We don't need a guy like that to win a SB. We can be balanced with Mack. We won the the SB in 2006 with roughly the same y/game rushing, but we ha had two stud WRs with 1000+ yards... 

 

As far as Reich goes, I don't fully blame him for SD's failures. But you can't ignore the team's balance got worse when he took over as OC. They went from 5th in total offense to 18th in his first year. They also went from 12th in pts/game to 17th in his first year, and 26th in his second/last year. Sorry, but that's a flag. And Pederson called plays in Philly so it's really hard to grade Reich's time there. I hope he's in a better position with the Colts (that he was in SD), and I hope he's taken the learnings from both stops. He had a decent first year on par with Pagano's 2014 season. I want him to do better.

 

Sorry, I'm just not a guy who ignores fact/history, and sunshine pumps.

[crazycolt1]

31 minutes ago, Irish YJ said:

I'm also the guy who pointed out that Mack was 6th in y/carry, and that we were top 10 yard/game as a team when he came back in game 6th. I also said he was just fine as a lead back and all I'd do was grab a power compliment in the later rounds.

 

I don't have to pump sunshine to be a fan of Mack. I am a fan. I'm just not going to act like he's on par with other guys like Eliot, Barkley, or Gurley. We don't need a guy like that to win a SB. We can be balanced with Mack. We won the the SB in 2006 with roughly the same y/game rushing, but we ha had two stud WRs with 1000+ yards... 

 

As far as Reich goes, I don't fully blame him for SD's failures. But you can't ignore the team's balance got worse when he took over as OC. They went from 5th in total offense to 18th in his first year. They also went from 12th in pts/game to 17th in his first year, and 26th in his second/last year. Sorry, but that's a flag. And Pederson called plays in Philly so it's really hard to grade Reich's time there. I hope he's in a better position with the Colts (that he was in SD), and I hope he's taken the learnings from both stops. He had a decent first year on par with Pagano's 2014 season. I want him to do better.

 

Sorry, I'm just not a guy who ignores fact/history, and sunshine pumps.

All you have really done was exchange the words from stats/metrics to fact/history.

What you call sunshine pumps is optimism brought on by being a fan.

You sanitizing things and take out the human factors in the game of football.

There is no such thing as perfection.

[r a y s k i]

I'm a fan of Ware, the only thing is that he isn't a long term answer imo. Get him in to compete with the guys but if he can't outplay Wilkins, let him go. But I hope he can compete somewhere to be number 2.

 

Myself, not interested in Ray, unless it's a deal close to a minimum deal.

[PureLuck]

1 hour ago, Irish YJ said:

I'll be very happy if he takes an iDL with the first pick. If he doesn't take a WR in the second, I'll be disappointed, but life goes on, and I'll cheer no less harder. If he gets a WR that turns out to be a stud in the 4th, I'll be ecstatic. 

 

So if Ballard drafts a stud WR in the 4th you are as ecstatic as you are regarding the stud RB he drafted in the 4th 2 years ago?

[superrep1967]

5 hours ago, Irish YJ said:

I don't think he's a world beater either, but the draft sucks this year for RBs, and FA is a zero.

a stud X WR in this draft will go a lot farther than a new RB in terms of point differential. at most i'd go complimentary power back in the 4th. 

I agree 

[coltsfansince65]

It seems like they are looking to upgrade our RB position in some manner. I would have liked to have picked up CJ Anderson myself.

[JPFolks]

14 hours ago, PrincetonTiger said:

Who are the Raiders not interested in signing

 

   BTW I like Ware

Yeah, I was surprised he didn't bounce back big in KC... don't know if it was that he dropped off after injury or the kid that took the spot was just that good.  Ware definitely had some excellent games before getting hurt.  I also suspect that KC just knows how to block for the running game much better than most.  

[krunk]

I have more confidence in Ajayi being the #2 runner than i do Spencer Ware. Im not sure if i see him carrying the load if Mack goes down. I see him more as the hard charger/pounder type who picks up the tough yards. I could be wrong.

[Mitch Connors]

42 minutes ago, coltsfansince65 said:

It seems like they are looking to upgrade our RB position in some manner. I would have liked to have picked up CJ Anderson myself.

 

Agreed. This feels to me like the Colts are confident in Macks ability to be a lead back but they're not confident that Hines or Wilkins can deliver the production of a #1 if/when Mack misses time. 

Seems like the depth chart is; Mack #1, OPEN, Hines #3 and Wilkins #4.

 

Fill the Open in the draft or one of these guys.

[Coffeedrinker]

5 hours ago, crazycolt1 said:

All you have really done was exchange the words from stats/metrics to fact/history.

 

Stats are facts.

[Coffeedrinker]

46 minutes ago, JPFolks said:

Yeah, I was surprised he didn't bounce back big in KC... don't know if it was that he dropped off after injury or the kid that took the spot was just that good.  Ware definitely had some excellent games before getting hurt.  I also suspect that KC just knows how to block for the running game much better than most.  

I think part of it was he was never fully healthy last year.  On top of that, he's not a great back, he's good at several things but doesn't stand out in any one category.

 

That being said, if he is now fully recovered from his torn PCL, I would not mind him as a Colt.  He's better than Wilkins, IMO, and a much tougher runner.

[Mitch Connors]

2 hours ago, JPFolks said:

Yeah, I was surprised he didn't bounce back big in KC... don't know if it was that he dropped off after injury or the kid that took the spot was just that good.  Ware definitely had some excellent games before getting hurt.  I also suspect that KC just knows how to block for the running game much better than most.  

 

So true about the KC running game. Since Priest Holmes it seems like the Chiefs can put any player back there and they produce. The Broncos were the same way forever  - I think they had 4 consecutive years with 4 different starting backs getting more than 1000 rushing yards (that was like 10 years ago if I recall correctly).

Some teams can just run the ball it seems.

 

 

[Four2itus]

12 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Interesting....  I’ve read all off season that the Colts had the 20th ranked run game.   Now I wonder what metric that is based on? 

I think you are confusing running game, with RB position. I was responding to someone else's post regarding upgrading the RB position. Carolina has a great "running game" because their QB is a massive part of that. Had the post I quoted referred to "running game", I would have responded differently. 

 

Also like to point out that the greatest RB in the league last year scored zero points against us. So much for having that vaunted running RB....