Pagano Envisions Freeney as Suggs

[CS Colts Fan]

from rotoworld/ NFP..

Good News.. hopefully Freeney will restructure his contract his contract and retire a colt... He should be happy with this..

Dwight Freeney - DL - Colts

Colts HC Chuck Pagano envisions Dwight Freeney in a role that mirrors what Terrell Suggs does for the Ravens.

Pagano, of course, was Baltimore's defensive coordinator in 2011. "Suggs’ hand is in the dirt way more than he is standing up," Pagano said. "I’d be crazy to have those guys dropping more than rushing." Pagano estimates that Freeney will drop into coverage only five to 10 percent of the time. Likely to be listed as both a defensive lineman and linebacker in your league, Freeney will have some extra appeal this season.

HAPPY EASTER

[alfred87]

First!

This would be great, if he restructures then we would have even more cap space and a belived player would retire as a Colt

Happy Easters!

[Carlos Danger]

Great players find a way to succeed. As long as we have a healthy big fatty to clog up the middle, Freeney will still wreak havoc on opposing QBs in our 3-4 looks IMO. I wonder what will happen when he has to cover and I do not like his 2012 contract, but if Freeney can play like Suggs in the 3-4 we would still be wise to pay the man.

Edit: by "pay the man" I meant "sign him before the end of 2012 season" I like the idea of restructuring to keep him in Indy, but there are still some ?s about how he will handle standing up.

[21isSuperman]

Good to hear. I was wondering how they would use him and how much they would have him drop into coverage. Personally, I saw Mathis as the Suggs-type guy...but there's nothing wrong with having 2 very good pass rushers on your team (plus throw in how Jerry Hughes could do and we should be set). I'm excited to see how Freeney does this season

[Restored]

Good to hear. I was wondering how they would use him and how much they would have him drop into coverage. Personally, I saw Mathis as the Suggs-type guy...but there's nothing wrong with having 2 very good pass rushers on your team (plus throw in how Jerry Hughes could do and we should be set). I'm excited to see how Freeney does this season

And the thing is I swear Jerry Hughes was projected to be a OLB in a 3-4 scheme coming out. I hope he can spell Freeney or Mathis at times and really come into things.

[ruksak]

Certainly can tell Pagano is a defensive mind. He's apparently green-lighted the release of many of our offensive stars while retaining our defensive stars. Which is why I feel our draft is going to be heavily oriented toward the offense. Which gives me some hope that Fleener may be a Colts next year.

[Andy]

That seems like a good fit. Hopefully he ends up like Suggs too!

This is great news!

[21isSuperman]

And the thing is I swear Jerry Hughes was projected to be a OLB in a 3-4 scheme coming out. I hope he can spell Freeney or Mathis at times and really come into things.

He was. His best fit was a 3-4 OLB, but we still drafted him thinking he could succeed as an undersized, speedy DE like Mathis

[CS Colts Fan]

I read awile back that Freeney would be Suggs and Mathis would be like Johnson.. ?? either way Freeney should be happier that he won't be standing up the whole time and we may actually see his and Mathis numbers go up .... OH YEA~!~!~!

[Moncrief]

Whose the other LB going to be? Conner?

[Andy]

Whose the other LB going to be? Conner?

The LB core is probably going to look like this:

OLB: Freeney

ILB: Angerer

ILB: Conner

OLB: Mathis

and then in a 4-3, it will probably look like this:

OLB: Conner

MLB: Angerer

OLB: Ernie Sims/Draftee/Other free agent

[Moncrief]

We re-signed Sims?

[Andy]

We re-signed Sims?

No we didn't, but he's still a FA, and there is a chance we resigned him, so I listed him as one of the options.

[21isSuperman]

The LB core is probably going to look like this:

OLB: Freeney

ILB: Angerer

ILB: Conner

OLB: Mathis

and then in a 4-3, it will probably look like this:

OLB: Conner

MLB: Angerer

OLB: Ernie Sims/Draftee/Other free agent

Where do you think Hughes fits in to all of this?

[Andy]

Where do you think Hughes fits in to all of this?

Backup 3-4 OLB and backup 4-3 DE. I just don't think he can start over Freethis.

[WithSomeLuck12]

Hughes may still surprise everyone this year. Let's see how he does in a scheme he's built for.

[Ryan Pelley]

Interesting. Does Suggs leave the field every 2 plays gasping for air?

[dgambill]

Good to hear. I was wondering how they would use him and how much they would have him drop into coverage. Personally, I saw Mathis as the Suggs-type guy...but there's nothing wrong with having 2 very good pass rushers on your team (plus throw in how Jerry Hughes could do and we should be set). I'm excited to see how Freeney does this season

Yeah I saw Mathis as that type of player too. I guess I prefered Mathis blitzing and having a rookie brought in or allowing Hughes to stand up more and using that huge salary to field a more complete team. Having that much salary wrapped up into Freeney doesn't leave me feeling all warm inside. Even when Freeney gets to the quarterback it is only like 10 times a year. I know he gets more pressures than that but that leaves a lot of work on the rest of the team with him eating up that salary and seeing we need upgrades in the secondary, DT, and probably the other ILB and not even mentioning the offensive side of the ball that money could go a long way. I guess I was hoping to see Mathis take on that role and we would invest that money in the youth movement.

[DS3]

Jerry hughes may shock some people But how good our D may be will

[CR91]

Backup 3-4 OLB and backup 4-3 DE. I just don't think he can start over Freethis.

why can we just move him to LBer on 4-3 and let him rush like we did with wheeler

[BProland85]

Certainly can tell Pagano is a defensive mind. He's apparently green-lighted the release of many of our offensive stars while retaining our defensive stars. Which is why I feel our draft is going to be heavily oriented toward the offense. Which gives me some hope that Fleener may be a Colts next year.

Still would rather have CB Janoris Jenkins with our 2nd round pick, then we can target Orson Charles, AJ Jenkins, and Joe Adams with our other picks. That's my preference.

[CR91]

3-4

ILB-angerer,connor

OLB-freeney,mathis

DE-redding,moala

NT-mckinnely

4-3

OLB-hudges,connor

MLB-angerer

DE-freeney,mathis

DT-antiono johnson,drake nevis

[jvan1973]

Interesting. Does Suggs leave the field every 2 plays gasping for air?

[Creekside]

whether there are 3 down linemen or 4, I'm thinking maybe the best thing about this is Freeney will have Redding next to him, overwhelming the offense's weak side...........

[Fx Stryker]

I still think our linebacking core is going to be Freeney, Edds, Angerer, and Mathis. I mean who has more chemistry than that group? Freeney and Mathis have been playing together since 2003. Then Edds and Angerer go back to Iowa.

[21isSuperman]

Backup 3-4 OLB and backup 4-3 DE. I just don't think he can start over Freethis.

A solid rotation with the three of them would be deadly. It would keep all of them fresh as the offensive linemen get tired

[Malakai432]

That's great to hear that from coach Pagano. I'm really looking forward to seeing this new defense, have a happy Easter! Throw in a couple solid pieces through the draft this year and next, maybe extra depth through FA and hopefully the D will be solid.

Happy Easter!

[colts1993]

I hope jerry excells in the 3-4. I can see him get 5+ sacks this season if he gets his chance.

[Andy]

A solid rotation with the three of them would be deadly. It would keep all of them fresh as the offensive linemen get tired

Well it all depends on how Hughes adapts to the new position. If Pagano feels he's doing well, then it's worth putting him in and taking Freeney out for a couple of plays.

[PMan Escape Plan]

very happy hes not being traded

[RGIII]

One of the charms of a hybrid system is being able to give more looks with the same personnel. To that end, I think it would be unwise to bank on Pagano using completely different personnel groupings between his three and four man base fronts. That means that Mathis is probably going to have to play a fair amount of 4-3 LB (unless another player supplants him as starter).

[hawkeyes]

Freeney is Freeney not Suggs - envision him as such!

[IndyTrav]

Freeney is Freeney not Suggs - envision him as such!

Thats kind of how I see it as well.

Suggs won DPOY, lets set the bar a little lower.. He's younger, bigger, doesn't have an injury history, and wasn't adjusting to a new(ish) position.

[chad72]

from rotoworld/ NFP..

Good News.. hopefully Freeney will restructure his contract his contract and retire a colt... He should be happy with this..

Dwight Freeney - DL - Colts

Colts HC Chuck Pagano envisions Dwight Freeney in a role that mirrors what Terrell Suggs does for the Ravens.

Pagano, of course, was Baltimore's defensive coordinator in 2011. "Suggs’ hand is in the dirt way more than he is standing up," Pagano said. "I’d be crazy to have those guys dropping more than rushing." Pagano estimates that Freeney will drop into coverage only five to 10 percent of the time. Likely to be listed as both a defensive lineman and linebacker in your league, Freeney will have some extra appeal this season.

HAPPY EASTER

Well, it is all up to how often they ask him to defend the run while rushing the passer. Kinda like Lawrence Taylor, forget about dropping him back in coverage, just rush the passer if that is the best aspect of his play, that is what Bill Parcells did. But LT and even Suggs are of a different mold. Maybe Freeney will surprise us and answer our questions!!!

[Indianapolis-Colts-Fan]

Freeney is Freeney not Suggs - envision him as such!

I think some need to calm down. Never said he was Suggs. Said he will play a Suggs type role. Also, to a diff poster. Freeney doesn't have an injury history. He's been injured once in the last friggin ten years for cryin out loud.guess he's the next bob sanders.

[chad72]

One of the charms of a hybrid system is being able to give more looks with the same personnel. To that end, I think it would be unwise to bank on Pagano using completely different personnel groupings between his three and four man base fronts. That means that Mathis is probably going to have to play a fair amount of 4-3 LB (unless another player supplants him as starter).

Not sure about that. We may go with more 4 man fronts against teams that go no huddle more like the Patriots and Packers to minimize those situations.

If we go 3-3-5 instead of a 3-4-4 D, then we can switch to a 4-2-5 nickel defense right away with the same personnel against pass oriented teams, just a thought.

[oldunclemark]

from rotoworld/ NFP..

Good News.. hopefully Freeney will restructure his contract his contract and retire a colt... He should be happy with this..

Dwight Freeney - DL - Colts

Colts HC Chuck Pagano envisions Dwight Freeney in a role that mirrors what Terrell Suggs does for the Ravens.

Pagano, of course, was Baltimore's defensive coordinator in 2011. "Suggs’ hand is in the dirt way more than he is standing up," Pagano said. "I’d be crazy to have those guys dropping more than rushing." Pagano estimates that Freeney will drop into coverage only five to 10 percent of the time. Likely to be listed as both a defensive lineman and linebacker in your league, Freeney will have some extra appeal this season.

HAPPY EASTER

This sounds great. This is what I've wanted to hear.

Pagano obviously has told Freeney and Mathis that he will feature them in his defense...

but the Colts need to restructure that contract.../ Freeney must have some doubts about his role... or he'd jump at a contarct extension here...

If he can stay and adapt....we'd have a top defense quickly under Pagano...

he clearly isnt interested in a beat down year while we get reorganized

We were good at the and of last year on 'D' and we have made a couple of additions (including the new coach)

I still have worries about the offense....Its hard not to....

but its hard to doubt that Pagano knows what he's doing...with the defense

[The Peytonator]

As a pure pass rusher, Freeney > Suggs.

Although Suggs seems to be a more complete football player. Look for Freeney to get 16+ sacks this year.

[oldunclemark]

As a pure pass rusher, Freeney > Suggs.

Although Suggs seems to be a more complete football player. Look for Freeney to get 16+ sacks this year.

To use Freeney in Suggs role would allow fro Nevis to play 3-4 end...right?

I think he will be a major troublemaker if opponenets have to account for Freeney and Mathis coming at them from unknown angles

[oldunclemark]

Certainly can tell Pagano is a defensive mind. He's apparently green-lighted the release of many of our offensive stars while retaining our defensive stars. Which is why I feel our draft is going to be heavily oriented toward the offense. Which gives me some hope that Fleener may be a Colts next year.

100% right, ruk....1000%

I have hated this blowing up of our old team...but if we can turn Freeney into a standing or set 'Demoliton man' coming from all angles and have Mathis roaming....and confisuying the O-linemen...

withn Zbikiowski plus Connor and Angerer......we could have a defense that puts on quite a show

..and teaming Luck and Fleener (I still dont see how he lasts the 1st round) plus Reggie. Collie and Avery

...and our rebuilding may not take as long a I fear