On paper, Ballard has killed it this draft.

[Smoke317]

The more and more I look at the guys we got with our first 3 picks, the more and more excited I get.  All 3 guys are experienced players who have produced the last few years.  And all 3 are day 1 starters.  Kinda reminds me of Nelson, Leonard, & Smith.  Buckner, Pittman, & Taylor are ready now.  These aren’t projects.  They’re producers. Can’t ask for more from your first 3 picks. 

[MPStack]

[GoColts8818]

I really liked Pittman and Taylor.  I am okay with Blackmon.  Honestly I don’t know a lot about him and I think he’s a bit a project but that doesn’t make him a bad pick.  The Colts are okay at safety this year so they can develop him.  
 

Ballard talked about the need to add play makers on offense in his presser and that’s what he did with Pittman and Taylor I think.  Taylor is something the Colts haven’t had in a running back in a long time I think even before Edge back to Faulk.  A guy who can give you big explosive plays not just running the ball but also catching it.  Chunk plays as some would call them.  Between him and Mack and this line and the Colts ground game should be deadly.  Then oh yeah there is that Phillip Rivers guy.

 

Pittman is big, again something the Colts haven’t had in a while.  We know how good TY is.  If Campbell can stay healthy and develop the Colts should have three really good WRs and two in Campbell and TY that can burn you on any play and another in Pittman that can be physical.  Add in Pascel and the Colts should be pretty solid at WR.  

[Smoke317]

10 minutes ago, Superfly said:

I didn’t anoint them immediate pro bowlers (though Buckner has been) but I think all 3 of these guys are day 1 contributors. Not guys we hope will pan out. Barring injury, they will have positive impact game 1 & throughout. 

[Smoke317]

Just gotta hope Swift & say a Claypool or Mims don’t end up being head and shoulders above Pittman & Taylor because we could have had that combo in the 2nd as well. 

[GoColts8818]

1 minute ago, Smoke317 said:

I didn’t anoint them immediate pro bowlers (though Buckner has been) but I think all 3 of these guys are day 1 contributors. Not guys we hope will pan out. Barring injury, they will have positive impact game 1 & throughout. 

Blackmon probably won’t be.  He’s coming back from a torn ACL and it doesn’t sound they expect him to be ready until October at the earliest.  I am guessing he starts the year on PUP and misses off-season workouts, camp and what not.  For a guy so new to playing safety that’s going to take sometime to overcome.

[NewColtsFan]

29 minutes ago, Smoke317 said:

The more and more I look at the guys we got with our first 3 picks, the more and more excited I get.  All 3 guys are experienced players who have produced the last few years.  And all 3 are day 1 starters.  Kinda reminds me of Nelson, Leonard, & Smith.  Buckner, Pittman, & Taylor are ready now.  These aren’t projects.  They’re producers. Can’t ask for more from your first 3 picks. 

Blackmon may be a good player someday, but it’s not even clear that he’s healthy enough to play this year.

 

So even if there is a season, Blackmon is NOT a Day One starter.   He might play a fair amount as a third safety,  you can’t call him a Day One starter this year. 
 

Hopefully he gets enough seasoning in 2020 to start in ‘21 if Hooker goes elsewhere.  

[EastStreet]

4 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

Blackmon probably won’t be.  He’s coming back from a torn ACL and it doesn’t sound they expect him to be ready until October at the earliest.  I am guessing he starts the year on PUP and misses off-season workouts, camp and what not.  For a guy so new to playing safety that’s going to take sometime to overcome.

Even aside from the injury, he's already a CB to S conversion. Perhaps an early package guy, but if he's playing early as a starter, I'm worried about our DBs.

[Smoke317]

11 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

Blackmon may be a good player someday, but it’s not even clear that he’s healthy enough to play this year.

 

So even if there is a season, Blackmon is NOT a Day One starter.   He might play a fair amount as a third safety,  you can’t call him a Day One starter this year. 
 

Hopefully he gets enough seasoning in 2020 to start in ‘21 if Hooker goes elsewhere.  

I’m sorry. I should have clarified that I counted Buckner as our 13th pick.  So the 3 ‘picks” I was referring to are Buckner, Pittman, & Taylor.  Blackmon probably starts on Pup.  Many of his highlights looked like Hooker’s though. Lol. 

[TheNextGM]

It’s been a good offseason for Ballard.

 

[GoColts8818]

16 minutes ago, Smoke317 said:

I’m sorry. I should have clarified that I counted Buckner as our 13th pick.  So the 3 ‘picks” I was referring to are Buckner, Pittman, & Taylor.  Blackmon probably starts on Pup.  Many of his highlights looked like Hooker’s though. Lol. 

Which should tell us all what the Colts have in mind for him one day.

[WoolMagnet]

36 minutes ago, Smoke317 said:

Just gotta hope Swift & say a Claypool or Mims don’t end up being head and shoulders above Pittman & Taylor because we could have had that combo in the 2nd as well. 

Uh..... isn’t that why they scouted?

At least wait until they’ve played a game, let alone a couple seasons.  You’re thinkin too much.

  Pick an item on the menu and roll with it.

[crazycolt1]

IMO this pick was for the future, not necessarily this season.

Keep in mind we don't know for sure if and how much of this season is going to happen. 

[GoColts8818]

3 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

IMO this pick was for the future, not necessarily this season.

Keep in mind we don't know for sure if and how much of this season is going to happen. 

To me at least it’s pretty clear they drafted Blackmon expecting him to develop into Hooker’s replacement.

[crazycolt1]

1 minute ago, GoColts8818 said:

To me at least it’s pretty clear they drafted Blackmon expecting him to develop into Hooker’s replacement.

Makes sense.

[dw49]

34 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

Blackmon may be a good player someday, but it’s not even clear that he’s healthy enough to play this year.

 

So even if there is a season, Blackmon is NOT a Day One starter.   He might play a fair amount as a third safety,  you can’t call him a Day One starter this year. 
 

Hopefully he gets enough seasoning in 2020 to start in ‘21 if Hooker goes elsewhere.  

 

They figure Blackman should be ready to play in October. Listening to Ballard's presser , it sounds like he likes him as a corner also . Evidently they feel he has a lot of versatility . My take on Ballard's feelings were that he really wasn't sure how much the injury would effect his draft status. Sounds like he liked him too much to gamble he wouldn't go at the end of the 3rd.  Just my take listening to Ballard tonight.

[WoolMagnet]

First off, i dont watch much college football.  However i’ve watched enuff high school, college, and pro football to know who is special.  They tend to flash.  Sometimes you gave to look , as its subtle with some positions, but its there.  Always.

  I also have gained a trust in Ballard, our scouts, and the apparent “direction.”

  With that in mind, How can you not LOVE the potential (and immediate production) from Buckner, Pittman, and Taylor.  The more i think about ut, the more excited i get.

  Pittman should fill the “Reggie to Marvin” role i’ve been waiting on.  He’ll be a solid #2 that defenses will have to worry about.  I like the group of TY, Pittman, Campbell, Pascal, Johnson,  .  That one player (and his size) instantly changed my WR comfort level.

  And imagine Taylor.... maybe even with Nix leading,,, behind this OL.  Oh boy, this year could be fun. This offense could be-very exciting. 

  OL, DL CB, maybe TE for depth would also be nice possibly but , whatever.  Rhodes and Burton helped in this area some and we have more picks, UFAs , and cuts still to come.

 Ballard just builds and builds.  
 Im gonna start calling him “Iceman.”

The guy has been thru a ton since he’s been here and never panics.

[Smoke317]

2 minutes ago, WoolMagnet said:

First off, i dont watch much college football.  However i’ve watched enuff high school, college, and pro football to know who is special.  They tend to flash.  Sometimes you gave to look , as its subtle with some positions, but its there.  Always.

  I also have gained a trust in Ballard, our scouts, and the apparent “direction.”

  With that in mind, How can you not LOVE the potential (and immediate production) from Buckner, Pittman, and Taylor.  The more i think about ut, the more excited i get.

  Pittman should fill the “Reggie to Marvin” role i’ve been waiting on.  He’ll be a solid #2 that defenses will have to worry about.  I like the group of TY, Pittman, Campbell, Pascal, Johnson,  .  That one player (and his size) instantly changed my WR comfort level.

  And imagine Taylor.... maybe even with Nix leading,,, behind this OL.  Oh boy, this year could be fun. This offense could be-very exciting. 

  OL, DL CB, maybe TE for depth would also be nice possibly but , whatever.  Rhodes and Burton helped in this area some and we have more picks, UFAs , and cuts still to come.

 Ballard just builds and builds.  
 Im gonna start calling him “Iceman.”

The guy has been thru a ton since he’s been here and never panics.

Yessir. 

[shasta519]

Setting aside the Buckner trade...I would say it’s a solid start. I think both Pittman and Taylor have really nice floors. Blackmon not so much...and his injury makes him an unknown. A handful of guys I liked went right after the trade back...so I hope he nails that early 5th rounder.

[funktacious2]

For the most part, I think I agree. We got 3 guys (including Buckner) who can contribute right away. I think our two biggest remaining needs now are OL depth, TE, and DL in that order. We don't have to address them in that order, but I hope we can get some more help in those areas.  Our OL is a big strength, but we don't have a lot to offer behind our starters. Our TE situation got better with Burton, if healthy he can contribute well. But we can't count on him to remain available. Harrison Bryant and Albert O are two great options still available. I know some guys on here like Hopkins too. We got Buckner and Day, but Day was for only one year and we have a few other guys whose contracts are up after 2020, so we could definitely use some depth help there too. After that who knows? Probably more depth at WR, OL, and DB.

[superrep1967]

2 hours ago, crazycolt1 said:

IMO this pick was for the future, not necessarily this season.

Keep in mind we don't know for sure if and how much of this season is going to happen. 

yes very true

[superrep1967]

33 minutes ago, funktacious2 said:

For the most part, I think I agree. We got 3 guys (including Buckner) who can contribute right away. I think our two biggest remaining needs now are OL depth, TE, and DL in that order. We don't have to address them in that order, but I hope we can get some more help in those areas.  Our OL is a big strength, but we don't have a lot to offer behind our starters. Our TE situation got better with Burton, if healthy he can contribute well. But we can't count on him to remain available. Harrison Bryant and Albert O are two great options still available. I know some guys on here like Hopkins too. We got Buckner and Day, but Day was for only one year and we have a few other guys whose contracts are up after 2020, so we could definitely use some depth help there too. After that who knows? Probably more depth at WR, OL, and DB.

I agree we definitely need o-line depth. We also need a TE like you said I'm not big on Trey Burton. But even if I'm wrong about Burton we still need a TE. 

[superrep1967]

1 hour ago, WoolMagnet said:

First off, i dont watch much college football.  However i’ve watched enuff high school, college, and pro football to know who is special.  They tend to flash.  Sometimes you gave to look , as its subtle with some positions, but its there.  Always.

  I also have gained a trust in Ballard, our scouts, and the apparent “direction.”

  With that in mind, How can you not LOVE the potential (and immediate production) from Buckner, Pittman, and Taylor.  The more i think about ut, the more excited i get.

  Pittman should fill the “Reggie to Marvin” role i’ve been waiting on.  He’ll be a solid #2 that defenses will have to worry about.  I like the group of TY, Pittman, Campbell, Pascal, Johnson,  .  That one player (and his size) instantly changed my WR comfort level.

  And imagine Taylor.... maybe even with Nix leading,,, behind this OL.  Oh boy, this year could be fun. This offense could be-very exciting. 

  OL, DL CB, maybe TE for depth would also be nice possibly but , whatever.  Rhodes and Burton helped in this area some and we have more picks, UFAs , and cuts still to come.

 Ballard just builds and builds.  
 Im gonna start calling him “Iceman.”

The guy has been thru a ton since he’s been here and never panics.

Yeah, I agree I'm a big fan of Ballard's we got the right guy running this franchise that's for sure. IMHO 

[superrep1967]

3 hours ago, Smoke317 said:

The more and more I look at the guys we got with our first 3 picks, the more and more excited I get.  All 3 guys are experienced players who have produced the last few years.  And all 3 are day 1 starters.  Kinda reminds me of Nelson, Leonard, & Smith.  Buckner, Pittman, & Taylor are ready now.  These aren’t projects.  They’re producers. Can’t ask for more from your first 3 picks. 

That's you can say right now is that it looks good on paper until they start playing when the lights come on. 

[Thunderbolt]

I think they'll pick one of the QBs available to complement Pittman and Taylor in a year or two after sitting behind Rivers.  Hopefully this season is just the beginning of something special for the future of the organization.

[Rally5]

5 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Blackmon may be a good player someday, but it’s not even clear that he’s healthy enough to play this year.

 

So even if there is a season, Blackmon is NOT a Day One starter.   He might play a fair amount as a third safety,  you can’t call him a Day One starter this year. 
 

Hopefully he gets enough seasoning in 2020 to start in ‘21 if Hooker goes elsewhere.  

Agree, I read Blackmon as a contingency for Hooker's departure in 2021.

[richard pallo]

I wouldn't be surprised if we trade Hooker before the option deadline. We did field offers so maybe Ballard feels comfortable dealing him after the Blackmon pick.  Odom is a competent starter and I don't think he's a big drop off from Hooker right now.  I would call the Bucs and offer a Hooker for Howard swap.  Things have changed for them too.  When the draft is over and Ballard looks at our roster maybe he thinks we have added enough talent to win this thing and he decides to finishes the off season by adding the cherry on top and signs Clowney.  I know but I'm allowed to dream.  

[r a y s k i]

and add Buckner to that mix. Very good draft so far. 

[coming on strong]

i hate the running back pick like adding a wr.   i thought running back was our deepest position  .  we only have one solid tightend and reich loves using two tightend sets.   i am not sold on old man rivers and we need a young QB or its gonna be a struggle if we make the playoffs next year next draft we not gonna get a QB either. 

[Crunked]

Gotta wonder what Phillip Rivers thoughts are on the draft and FA signing of Burton.....he came here under the guise of "I think I still got a year or two of high level play left in me, and the Colts seem to be a team that is moving in the right direction, Ill give it a shot" to ....... ? Hopefully his feeling for (?) is..... "Holy shazaam I made a good choice !"

[Valpo2004]

I like the idea of an RB but I don't trust Taylor.  Wisconsin backs never seem to live up to the hype.  Plus fumbling issues and hasn't done much in the pass game.

 

9 minutes ago, Crunked said:

Gotta wonder what Phillip Rivers thoughts are on the draft and FA signing of Burton.....he came here under the guise of "I think I still got a year or two of high level play left in me, and the Colts seem to be a team that is moving in the right direction, Ill give it a shot" to ....... ? Hopefully his feeling for (?) is..... "Holy shazaam I made a good choice !"

 

Got him a receiver with a big catch radius and a RB who can block. I don't trust Taylor but if he lives up to the hype he helps right away.

[Crunked]

2 minutes ago, Valpo2004 said:

 

Got him a receiver with a big catch radius and a RB who can block.

Hilton, Campbell, Pittman, Pascal....Doyle, Burton, Cox, Mack, Thomas, Hines....a freakin' full back lol......behind a great O-line if we can avoid injuries....and build some O-line depth.....Ballard did about the best he could for 2020.....we still need that franchise QB, and a solid back up long term, but thats a pretty stout band aid for this year

[Mr.NotSoCreative]

8 hours ago, GoColts8818 said:

To me at least it’s pretty clear they drafted Blackmon expecting him to develop into Hooker’s replacement.

Couldnt he be a back up to Moore instead? With being able to play anywhere in the secondary, wouldnt that make more sense?

[Mr.NotSoCreative]

59 minutes ago, coming on strong said:

i hate the running back pick like adding a wr.   i thought running back was our deepest position  .  we only have one solid tightend and reich loves using two tightend sets.   i am not sold on old man rivers and we need a young QB or its gonna be a struggle if we make the playoffs next year next draft we not gonna get a QB either. 

Taylor isnt that much of a head scratcher with the type of team we want to be. RUN THE DAM BALL. Renember that? My problem was at thw TE position. Love Doyle. Not so much Burton who is on a vet minimum for a reason. MAC was a project and still is. Imo, this room needs a big upgrade. We will get one but all I ever hear about late picks is development, time, project. Understand we have a fullback for blocking.

[1959Colts]

9 hours ago, Smoke317 said:

Just gotta hope Swift & say a Claypool or Mims don’t end up being head and shoulders above Pittman & Taylor because we could have had that combo in the 2nd as well. 

One thing I like about Pittman and Taylor is their outstanding production.

 

Pittman  2017:   23 receptions - 404 yards - 17.6 average - 2 tds

                 2018:   41 receptions - 758 yards - 18.5 average - 6 tds

                 2019: 101 receptions - 1275 yards - 12.6 average -11 tds

 

Taylor     2017:  299 attempts - 1977 yards - 6.6 average - 13 tds

                 2018:  307 attempts - 2194 yards - 7.1 average - 16 tds

                 2019:  320 attempts - 2003 yards - 6.3 average - 21 tds

 

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/michael-pittman-jr-1.html

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jonathan-taylor-1.html

[crazycolt1]

13 minutes ago, Mr.NotSoCreative said:

Taylor isnt that much of a head scratcher with the type of team we want to be. RUN THE DAM BALL. Renember that? My problem was at thw TE position. Love Doyle. Not so much Burton who is on a vet minimum for a reason. MAC was a project and still is. Imo, this room needs a big upgrade. We will get one but all I ever hear about late picks is development, time, project. Understand we have a fullback for blocking.

Burton on a vet minimum is just for us. The Bears will also be paying him so it's not like he is lacking the talent to earn a bigger contract. That was a no brainer for Ballard to sign him. 

I think we will either draft a TE today or find another one before training camp. 

We have 7 TEs on the roster right now.

Doyle-6'6" 262 lbs.

Alie-Cox-6'5' 267 lbs.

Burton-6'2" 238 lbs.

Bunting- 6'7" 255 lbs

Brown-6'4" 248 lbs.

Lengel-6'7" 265 lbs.

Grimble-6'4" 261 lbs.

Evidently Ballard has seen talent in all of these guys or they wouldn't be on the roster. 

 

 

 

 

[Mr.NotSoCreative]

10 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

Burton on a vet minimum is just for us. The Bears will also be paying him so it's not like he is lacking the talent to earn a bigger contract. That was a no brainer for Ballard to sign him. 

I think we will either draft a TE today or find another one before training camp. 

We have 7 TEs on the roster right now.

Doyle-6'6" 262 lbs.

Alie-Cox-6'5' 267 lbs.

Burton-6'2" 238 lbs.

Bunting- 6'7" 255 lbs

Brown-6'4" 248 lbs.

Lengel-6'7" 265 lbs.

Grimble-6'4" 261 lbs.

Evidently Ballard has seen talent in all of these guys or they wouldn't be on the roster. 

 

 

 

 

That list is a lot of big bodies for sure, and there could be talent there. Just not the high end talent we could use. Im sticking to Burton not being good, contract is fine, player is not. 

[Smoke317]

32 minutes ago, 1959Colts said:

One thing I like about Pittman and Taylor is their outstanding production.

 

Pittman  2017:   23 receptions - 404 yards - 17.6 average - 2 tds

                 2018:   41 receptions - 758 yards - 18.5 average - 6 tds

                 2019: 101 receptions - 1275 yards - 12.6 average -11 tds

 

Taylor     2017:  299 attempts - 1977 yards - 6.6 average - 13 tds

                 2018:  307 attempts - 2194 yards - 7.1 average - 16 tds

                 2019:  320 attempts - 2003 yards - 6.3 average - 21 tds

 

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/michael-pittman-jr-1.html

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jonathan-taylor-1.html

Yes me too. Both should be ready to hit the ground running. 

[jameszeigler834]

10 hours ago, GoColts8818 said:

I really liked Pittman and Taylor.  I am okay with Blackmon.  Honestly I don’t know a lot about him and I think he’s a bit a project but that doesn’t make him a bad pick.  The Colts are okay at safety this year so they can develop him.  
 

Ballard talked about the need to add play makers on offense in his presser and that’s what he did with Pittman and Taylor I think.  Taylor is something the Colts haven’t had in a running back in a long time I think even before Edge back to Faulk.  A guy who can give you big explosive plays not just running the ball but also catching it.  Chunk plays as some would call them.  Between him and Mack and this line and the Colts ground game should be deadly.  Then oh yeah there is that Phillip Rivers guy.

 

Pittman is big, again something the Colts haven’t had in a while.  We know how good TY is.  If Campbell can stay healthy and develop the Colts should have three really good WRs and two in Campbell and TY that can burn you on any play and another in Pittman that can be physical.  Add in Pascel and the Colts should be pretty solid at WR.  

I could see him getting playing time though especially if Hooker sucks again.

[jameszeigler834]

For those on here worried about the mileage on Taylor Zeke Elliott had a lot of carries and touches in college too didn't stop him in the pro's.