Donnie Avery

[atapcl]

It seems that expectations for Donnie Avery are low. Avery was one of the fastest players drafted when he came out. He says he can still run 4.25 in the forty. His short shuttle and 3 cone times were some of the fastest ever. He had two productive years with the Rams before he hurt his knee. The Rams cut him the year after he hurt the knee and maybe they felt the injury was too bad for Avery to recover from. Tennessee signed him and he looked fairly well in the last game of the 2011-2012 season. If the knee injury is completely healed and the Colts strength and conditioning coaches can help Avery increase his overall strength then we would have a player with Marvin Harrison potential.

[Smonroe]

It seems that expectations for Donnie Avery are low. Avery was one of the fastest players drafted when he came out. He says he can still run 4.25 in the forty. His short shuttle and 3 cone times were some of the fastest ever. He had two productive years with the Rams before he hurt his knee. The Rams cut him the year after he hurt the knee and maybe they felt the injury was too bad for Avery to recover from. Tennessee signed him and he looked fairly well in the last game of the 2011-2012 season. If the knee injury is completely healed and the Colts strength and conditioning coaches can help Avery increase his overall strength then we would have a player with Marvin Harrison potential.

That would be awesome, but we have to assume there was a reason he didn't play in Tennessee. Maybe he needed another year to get healthy, we'll find out soon enough.

[Boneman2]

^{Marvin is one of the greatest of all time. Maybe Avery doesn't share his velcro-like snags and precise route running, very few ever have.}

[21isSuperman]

I think it's way too early to compare him to Marvin. I like Avery and think he can be a solid WR, but nowhere near Marvin's level

[buccolts]

If he can be at Garcon's level I'd be happy.

[z28eater]

I like him along with Wayne on the outside and Collie in the slot. Fleener/Green at TE and we are fine I think

[betheafan41]

I think imo the offense will be fine, draft a TE and get a RB late in the draft with one of the 7th round picks and the offense is set. its more the defense that needs help. maybe a draft day trade with freeney for a 3rd round pick or freeney and our 5th or 6th round pick for one of the teams who have two first round picks and try to get fleener or a WR so that way we can use the second round pick on a DB/LB/ DL . to be honest the team is looking good. there shouldnt really be a reason why the colts cant win 9 games if luck comes out playing like he did in stanford or better.

[oldunclemark]

Exepectations for our passing game are high and should be....considering the last 13 years

I hoipe Avery is under a lot of pressure..

No pressure means its okay to lose

[Malakai432]

If you total his stats he has 103 receptions for 1,308 yards 12.7 average. That to me would be a very great season if he was a starter and got the ball often. I think he could easily be a legitimate #2 as long as he stays healthy and works with Luck. Hopefully he came back fully from the injury which it sounds like he does and still is aggressive. Sometimes players coming back from injuries can be stand-offish. Lets hope Donnie isn't like that. Size wise he is ever so slightly smaller than Marvin Harrison and does seem like a speedster who has good route running capabilities and good hands. This acquisition was a low risk, high reward investment.

[bahhummbug]

If he can be at Garcon's level I'd be happy.

As long as his hands are better than Garcons i agree

[KarlKuffs]

I think imo the offense will be fine, draft a TE and get a RB late in the draft with one of the 7th round picks and the offense is set. its more the defense that needs help. maybe a draft day trade with freeney for a 3rd round pick or freeney and our 5th or 6th round pick for one of the teams who have two first round picks and try to get fleener or a WR so that way we can use the second round pick on a DB/LB/ DL . to be honest the team is looking good. there shouldnt really be a reason why the colts cant win 9 games if luck comes out playing like he did in stanford or better.

Just curious, but how would the "drafting a rb in round 7" part make us markedly better on offense, as opposed to us just drafting a TE and that be it?

[hawkeyes]

If he can be at Garcon's level I'd be happy.

I hope he is above Garcons level, otherwise it would have been smarter to sign PG.

[gthatch15]

i think that if he's healthy, he could come out a surprise a lot of people and bounce back. if he and collie stay healthy, then the colts could have a great receiving core with wayne, avery, and collie plus whatever WRs and TEs we get like possibly hill, jeffrey, fleener, green, etc.

[MSColtsFan]

If he produces 30-40 catches this year, I think that will be about what he is at the best. Which isn't a #2 kind of WR (Garcon had 70 last year with Painter...). My guess is when he gets on the field, we'll see lots of go routes, he will be winded, and he will sit down for Wayne and Collie, or two TE sets and FB, or even a rookie WR... I think he'll be the Colts deep threat novelty. I hope for more, but I have no expectations of anything more. I like the pick up, but like many of the other FAs signings, I can't see him making a huge difference. He's depth. He won't be carrying the load.

[FireJimCaldwell]

Saying he has a Harrison like potential is a stretch, but hey, it's done for other positions around here all the time... Have at it.

[buccolts]

I hope he is above Garcons level, otherwise it would have been smarter to sign PG.

Of course I agree with you regarding being better than Garcon, but if he's as good, there's nothing lost.

However, signing Garcon is a two way street, and he wasn't interested.

[Raycolts12]

I think imo the offense will be fine, draft a TE and get a RB late in the draft with one of the 7th round picks and the offense is set. its more the defense that needs help. maybe a draft day trade with freeney for a 3rd round pick or freeney and our 5th or 6th round pick for one of the teams who have two first round picks and try to get fleener or a WR so that way we can use the second round pick on a DB/LB/ DL . to be honest the team is looking good. there shouldnt really be a reason why the colts cant win 9 games if luck comes out playing like he did in stanford or better.

Agree we only have like 2 holes on offense, G and TE and maybe a 3rd in WR (Im not counting QB cuz its obvious war getting Luck even though he technically isn't on our roster yet) Where we really need help is on defense. We have about 5 holes on D. CB, ILB, DE depth, NT, S depth

[Carlos Danger]

I hope he is above Garcons level, otherwise it would have been smarter to sign PG.

PG wanted too much $$$... and he got it

[Andy]

Avery is a low risk high reward kinda guy. He could pan out and put up the same numbers that he put up in his rookie year, or he could warming the bench just like Gonzo did.

[Superman]

I hope he is above Garcons level, otherwise it would have been smarter to sign PG.

Garcon got way too much money.

[hawkeyes]

I think if Manning had been healthy last year Garcon would have had a HUGE year.

[Superman]

I think if Manning had been healthy last year Garcon would have had a HUGE year.

As opposed to the other two years he was in the lineup with Manning?

It's possible. I like Garcon, I just think $42.5 million is too much for a player with his skill set. I think he's overrated as a deep threat, and while I like how hard he plays, he's a limited route runner and has inconsistent hands. I hope he tears it up in Washington, but I don't see him being an 80 catch, 1,200 yard receiver, and that's what you should be doing every year for the kind of money he got.

[FireJimCaldwell]

I don't think 80/1200 would have been too much to ask out of Garcon last year.

I'd say Manning would have been close to 5k if he was healthy last year. It would have been interesting.

[atapcl]

Avery said on Colts.com a while back that he had added some weight. He also stated that he could still run a 4.25. Now Colts.com lists him at 5-11 and 200 lbs. That is 18 lbs more than he was listed at before and about 10 lbs more than his combine weight. Thats also 2 lbs heavier than Wayne is listed at. Maybe the added weight will help his injury problems and give him more confidence in blocking. If he is stronger without losing speed and he has worked on his consistancy in catching the ball he could be special this year.

[Scott Pennock]

He will more than likely be equal to and/or greater to Garcons production. As long as he lines up wide and stretches the field for Collie, Wayne, Fleener, Allen, et al then I will be happy with 30-50 catches for 800ish yards and 5ish td's!

He will surprise all of us this year as he has had a full offseason of recovery this year!

[Captain Americolt]

Besides the last 3 words, i agree.

[HarassedOffTheSite]

I mean, the situation is what it is.

Lightning quick guy who can play at an NFL level who got hurt.....seriously hurt.

He has recovered and says he is ready to go.

That is all anyone can really say about the situation unless they're wanting to rely on the less than state-of-the-art judgement of the Tennessee Titans' brain trust (good luck with that).

What we do know is Grigs and Pagano wanted him enough to pull him off of his tour of teams....divert him to Indy...and signed him. So, relying on the Colts brain trust, this guy is worth the shot.

ANYTHING else from there is pure speculation...not that there's anything wrong with that (wink)....but nobody should be typing something out and implying concrete conclusions.

We really are in a wait-and-see mode on this one.

With that said (typed) personally I am pulling for him. We as Colts fans have an intimate knowledge of the playmaking combination of great QB and lightning quick WR.

;)

[Michael Lebron]

I believe Avery will surprise this year. I think he will really thrive if our system mirrors the one in which the Steelers ran last season. Given I had Antonio Brown on my fantasy squad, I watched the Steelers play quite a bit. Areans does an excellent job of bunching receivers and creating mismatches for defenses. Though our WR's are relatively young, their speed with pose a ton of problems given Fleenor and Allen are capable of spreading the field. While I agree with the statement above stating Avery will produce numbers comparable to Garcon; I think Hilton will be our homeroom hitter.

[Smonroe]

I mean, the situation is what it is.

Lightning quick guy who can play at an NFL level who got hurt.....seriously hurt.

He has recovered and says he is ready to go.

That is all anyone can really say about the situation unless they're wanting to rely on the less than state-of-the-art judgement of the Tennessee Titans' brain trust (good luck with that).

What we do know is Grigs and Pagano wanted him enough to pull him off of his tour of teams....divert him to Indy...and signed him. So, relying on the Colts brain trust, this guy is worth the shot.

ANYTHING else from there is pure speculation...not that there's anything wrong with that (wink)....but nobody should be typing something out and implying concrete conclusions.

We really are in a wait-and-see mode on this one.

With that said (typed) personally I am pulling for him. We as Colts fans have an intimate knowledge of the playmaking combination of great QB and lightning quick WR.

;)

I was just thinking that with a little editing, this could apply to just about every guy that's been brought in. If half of them work out like we hope, we may be pretty decent.

[IndyTrav]

If you want to know what Avery will be doing this year, take a look at Pitts Antonio Brown last year. Arians likes his speedy deep guys. I don't think Avery is a Wallace type player but him and Brown are in the same ballpark.

69rec 1108yds 16.1avg 2tds, used on a handful of rushes as well.

Brown listed at 5-10 186. Avery at 5-11 186. Browns 40 4.47. Avery 4.25 (prob high 4.3s now)....pretty comparable fellas if you ask me.

[oldunclemark]

It seems that expectations for Donnie Avery are low. Avery was one of the fastest players drafted when he came out. He says he can still run 4.25 in the forty. His short shuttle and 3 cone times were some of the fastest ever. He had two productive years with the Rams before he hurt his knee. The Rams cut him the year after he hurt the knee and maybe they felt the injury was too bad for Avery to recover from. Tennessee signed him and he looked fairly well in the last game of the 2011-2012 season. If the knee injury is completely healed and the Colts strength and conditioning coaches can help Avery increase his overall strength then we would have a player with Marvin Harrison potential.

The premse is that 'it seems the expectations for Donnie Avery are very low'

Not in my mind. I think he can dupliacte Pierre Garcon's numbers and , if he is healthy and can stay that way,

I expect him to.

his problem, as others here have said, will be to stay healthy

[oldunclemark]

Garcon got way too much money.

Maybe..but I dont like to judge players buy where they were drafted or by how much money they make.

Pierre dropped a few but his numbers last season, considering our shaky QB situation, were strong...

I wsih him well..and I hope Avery can approach the 1,000 yard mark in his place...

Our passing attack, on paper, has almost unlimited potential with 'the tools' (Luck),

the vet (Reggie), the slot man (Collie), the speed (Avery) and the X-factor (Coby F.)

[Superman]

Maybe..but I dont like to judge players buy where they were drafted or by how much money they make.

Pierre dropped a few but his numbers last season, considering our shaky QB situation, were strong...

I wsih him well..and I hope Avery can approach the 1,000 yard mark in his place...

Our passing attack, on paper, has almost unlimited potential with 'the tools' (Luck),

the vet (Reggie), the slot man (Collie), the speed (Avery) and the X-factor (Coby F.)

I'm just comparing Garcon to the players who got similar money, and I think those players are all significantly better.

[HungarianColtsFan]

Avery has very good features, and I hope he will use his chance to prove. He makes me remember...let's say...Donnie Avery!

[oldunclemark]

I'm just comparing Garcon to the players who got similar money, and I think those players are all significantly better.

and I wish you would do that. I dont think its fair. Situations. offenses (and QBs) are different

But you are the 'man of steel'

[Superman]

and I wish you would do that. I dont think its fair. Situations. offenses (and QBs) are different

But you are the 'man of steel'

Garcon played with the best quarterback in the NFL for two whole seasons. Manning attempted more passes in 2010 than any quarterback ever has in the history of the NFL. And in that year, Garcon had a very pedestrian season. Jacob Tamme caught as many passes as Garcon in half as many games. So I don't know what's been so oppressive about Garcon's situation in his three years as a Colt, or why I can't use those three years to determine how good of a player he is in comparison with other receivers in the NFL.

[oldunclemark]

Garcon played with the best quarterback in the NFL for two whole seasons. Manning attempted more passes in 2010 than any quarterback ever has in the history of the NFL. And in that year, Garcon had a very pedestrian season. Jacob Tamme caught as many passes as Garcon in half as many games. So I don't know what's been so oppressive about Garcon's situation in his three years as a Colt, or why I can't use those three years to determine how good of a player he is in comparison with other receivers in the NFL.

I'm going to suggest that 'pedestrian' is a euphamism for 'bad'

I would say that last year...with a revolving clown college of QBs.(sorry Danny O) ..that Garcon did a fine job for us.

Recent eveidnce...Not 2 or 3 years ago...would suggest he's a quality receiver.

Not all-pro..but not Joe Schmoe...Better than average..

He earned his money here...

[Superman]

I'm going to suggest that 'pedestrian' is a euphamism for 'bad'

I would say that last year...with a revolving clown college of QBs.(sorry Danny O) ..that Garcon did a fine job for us.

Recent eveidnce...Not 2 or 3 years ago...would suggest he's a quality receiver.

Not all-pro..but not Joe Schmoe...Better than average..

He earned his money here...

Pedestrian means firmly average. Not bad. If I meant bad, I'd have said bad.

Garcon definitely earned a contract, and I thought that he'd get a multi year deal somewhere north of $7m/year. I hope he lives up to it. I just don't think his body of work justifies that kind of offer, and I don't think it's any surprise that the Redskins are the ones who broke the bank for him.

[oldunclemark]

Pedestrian means firmly average. Not bad. If I meant bad, I'd have said bad.

Garcon definitely earned a contract, and I thought that he'd get a multi year deal somewhere north of $7m/year. I hope he lives up to it. I just don't think his body of work justifies that kind of offer, and I don't think it's any surprise that the Redskins are the ones who broke the bank for him.

For what he was paid HERE...he was much better than average, agreed?