Jerry Hughes

[BrentMc11]

I think he's still going to remain a bust, and likely may not even be on the opening day roster.

Hughes or Freeney? Both? Hughes has a chance to make himself now....Freeney may or may not fit....my guess is not!!

[JoKeR]

Correct: He was projected correctly. As an undersized DE he was 'stood up' anytime he was on the field with a good blocking RT or RG. He gets his opportunity NOW! I am all for Hughes to turn some heads.

Well played

[fvantagio]

See now this is the stuff that I dont get. The consensus has been that Freeney could struggle in this defense. And ok that is a reasonable concern on some level but then to come out and say Hughes could essentially replace him? Am I the only one who finds that ridiculous. Hughes hasnt shown me anything to believe he can outplay a future HOF. In fact he has hardly shown me a reason for him to be on the team yet he is going to thrive? While one of the greatest pass rushers ever will struggle?

[Superman]

See now this is the stuff that I dont get. The consensus has been that Freeney could struggle in this defense. And ok that is a reasonable concern on some level but then to come out and say Hughes could essentially replace him? Am I the only one who finds that ridiculous. Hughes hasnt shown me anything to believe he can outplay a future HOF. In fact he has hardly shown me a reason for him to be on the team yet he is going to thrive? While one of the greatest pass rushers ever will struggle?

I'm not one who thinks Freeney will struggle in his new role. I think "his new role" has been sort of overstated, and that he'll do fine. I also think Jerry Hughes is a better fit as an outside linebacker, but I'm not expecting him to take Freeney's place.

[Dtman513]

Sad to say, but I think the NFL is too big for Hughes. Mentally, physically, I don't think he can hang.

Hopefully he proves me wrong as well as the doubters....

[Superman]

Sad to say, but I think the NFL is too big for Hughes. Mentally, physically, I don't think he can hang.

Hopefully he proves me wrong as well as the doubters....

Don't take this the wrong way, I just want to know what gives you any insight into Jerry Hughes mental make-up.

[KarlKuffs]

Hughes or Freeney? Both? Hughes has a chance to make himself now....Freeney may or may not fit....my guess is not!!

I was referring to Hughes. My uneducated opinion is that I just don't think the guy is a legit NFL player.....in any system.

I'd love to be wrong and eat some crow, though.

[BrentMc11]

I was referring to Hughes. My uneducated opinion is that I just don't think the guy is a legit NFL player.....in any system.

I'd love to be wrong and eat some crow, though.

I hope I am wrong on Freeney and you are wrong on Hughes....We need players!!

[Scott Pennock]

While Hughes hasnt shown much yet............I believe we will have decent depth at OLB/DE with the likes of Mario Addison and Jerry Hughes.........thuse the need to draft someone high shouldn't be needed. Instead in the later rounds they can afford to take the guy that has talent but needs a bit refined (i.e. sit and learn for a year)!?

[Dtman513]

Don't take this the wrong way, I just want to know what gives you any insight into Jerry Hughes mental make-up.

Not taking it at all the wrong way!

I guess his in-ability to crack the lineup as a solid backup. When you watch him play it just looks like to him everything is overwhelming.

[Superman]

Not taking it at all the wrong way!

I guess his in-ability to crack the lineup as a solid backup. When you watch him play it just looks like to him everything is overwhelming.

When I watch him play, I don't see him struggle mentally. I see him outmatched physically against offensive linemen, and I also see him not playing with the proper pad level. Moving him to OLB fixes the first, and coaching fixes the second.

I have zero insight into his mental makeup, aside from how hard he played down the stretch last season. He got plenty of reps in at least the last three games of the season, and contributed to two wins. I saw him chasing ball carriers from the opposite side of the field. I saw him get double-teamed out of run plays to his side, then turn and pursue the play. I saw him hustle on special teams. Not a whole lot to show for his efforts statistically, and I think that's partly because of the way we used him and all of our ends last season. But he played hard. A player that doesn't have the mental makeup to play NFL football would have given up in the middle of a 2-14 season. Jerry Hughes didn't.

Again, I don't mean to defend him as a first round pick. He was a terrible pick, not only for our team, but for what he's contributed so far. Given the draft board when he was selected, he'll never live up to his draft status. But I think it's time to stop holding him accountable for Polian's bad decision. It's time to evaluate him fairly as a player. I decided a few weeks ago to give everyone on the team a clean slate, and go back and watch every game. I've been surprised by a) how many reps Hughes got at the end of the season, and b) how involved he was in a lot of plays when he was on the field.

[Dtman513]

When I watch him play, I don't see him struggle mentally. I see him outmatched physically against offensive linemen, and I also see him not playing with the proper pad level. Moving him to OLB fixes the first, and coaching fixes the second.

I have zero insight into his mental makeup, aside from how hard he played down the stretch last season. He got plenty of reps in at least the last three games of the season, and contributed to two wins. I saw him chasing ball carriers from the opposite side of the field. I saw him get double-teamed out of run plays to his side, then turn and pursue the play. I saw him hustle on special teams. Not a whole lot to show for his efforts statistically, and I think that's partly because of the way we used him and all of our ends last season. But he played hard. A player that doesn't have the mental makeup to play NFL football would have given up in the middle of a 2-14 season. Jerry Hughes didn't.

Again, I don't mean to defend him as a first round pick. He was a terrible pick, not only for our team, but for what he's contributed so far. Given the draft board when he was selected, he'll never live up to his draft status. But I think it's time to stop holding him accountable for Polian's bad decision. It's time to evaluate him fairly as a player. I decided a few weeks ago to give everyone on the team a clean slate, and go back and watch every game. I've been surprised by a) how many reps Hughes got at the end of the season, and b) how involved he was in a lot of plays when he was on the field.

I respect your response! Well put. I do hope the guy can turn it around and become a stud!

[Superman]

I respect your response! Well put. I do hope the guy can turn it around and become a stud!

I hope he can be a stud, too, but I've kind of given up on that. That's more of a Dear Santa letter than a reasonable expectation. I'm just looking for him to be solid on special teams and a decent rotational player. That's much better than what he's done so far. I'm just saying that I think he gets a bad rap mostly because he was a bad draft pick. No arguing that, but his play wasn't as atrocious last season as you'd think from reading this thread.

[Dtman513]

I hope he can be a stud, too, but I've kind of given up on that. That's more of a Dear Santa letter than a reasonable expectation. I'm just looking for him to be solid on special teams and a decent rotational player. That's much better than what he's done so far. I'm just saying that I think he gets a bad rap mostly because he was a bad draft pick. No arguing that, but his play wasn't as atrocious last season as you'd think from reading this thread.

true. I'm curious to see how his transition in training camp will go. Maybe Pagano will turn him around.

[Coffeedrinker]

When I watch him play, I don't see him struggle mentally. I see him outmatched physically against offensive linemen, and I also see him not playing with the proper pad level. Moving him to OLB fixes the first, and coaching fixes the second.

I have zero insight into his mental makeup, aside from how hard he played down the stretch last season. He got plenty of reps in at least the last three games of the season, and contributed to two wins. I saw him chasing ball carriers from the opposite side of the field. I saw him get double-teamed out of run plays to his side, then turn and pursue the play. I saw him hustle on special teams. Not a whole lot to show for his efforts statistically, and I think that's partly because of the way we used him and all of our ends last season. But he played hard. A player that doesn't have the mental makeup to play NFL football would have given up in the middle of a 2-14 season. Jerry Hughes didn't.

Again, I don't mean to defend him as a first round pick. He was a terrible pick, not only for our team, but for what he's contributed so far. Given the draft board when he was selected, he'll never live up to his draft status. But I think it's time to stop holding him accountable for Polian's bad decision. It's time to evaluate him fairly as a player. I decided a few weeks ago to give everyone on the team a clean slate, and go back and watch every game. I've been surprised by a) how many reps Hughes got at the end of the season, and b) how involved he was in a lot of plays when he was on the field.

I just want to say it's nice to read a post by someone who actually watches the game and reports what you observed. This is the way a post should be done on this forum. Well done Superman.

Also I agree. I tried telling people last year that Hughes was getting a lot of playing time and was really hustling on his plays and wreaking some havoc. You do have an excellent point about his strength though. He tries to play tackles like he's a 290lb DE, when he needs to do more like Mathis, who is not the strongest DE in the NFL but plays with near perfect leverage and explosion.

It will be interesting to see how the Colts use his pursuit speed and flower body agility.

[KarlKuffs]

When I watch him play, I don't see him struggle mentally. I see him outmatched physically against offensive linemen, and I also see him not playing with the proper pad level. Moving him to OLB fixes the first, and coaching fixes the second.

I have zero insight into his mental makeup, aside from how hard he played down the stretch last season. He got plenty of reps in at least the last three games of the season, and contributed to two wins. I saw him chasing ball carriers from the opposite side of the field. I saw him get double-teamed out of run plays to his side, then turn and pursue the play. I saw him hustle on special teams. Not a whole lot to show for his efforts statistically, and I think that's partly because of the way we used him and all of our ends last season. But he played hard. A player that doesn't have the mental makeup to play NFL football would have given up in the middle of a 2-14 season. Jerry Hughes didn't.

Again, I don't mean to defend him as a first round pick. He was a terrible pick, not only for our team, but for what he's contributed so far. Given the draft board when he was selected, he'll never live up to his draft status. But I think it's time to stop holding him accountable for Polian's bad decision. It's time to evaluate him fairly as a player. I decided a few weeks ago to give everyone on the team a clean slate, and go back and watch every game. I've been surprised by a) how many reps Hughes got at the end of the season, and b) how involved he was in a lot of plays when he was on the field.

I can buy all of this.

Good response.

[RGIII]

When I watch him play, I don't see him struggle mentally. I see him outmatched physically against offensive linemen, and I also see him not playing with the proper pad level. Moving him to OLB fixes the first, and coaching fixes the second.

Moving him to OLB likely won't fix the first the problem unless Hughes is seriously quick and it will only exacerbate the second problem. Not being a regular Colts game viewer (especially last season), I'm obviously not really familiar with Hughes' skillset as it pertains to the NFL but I have seen those kinds of problems get worse when a guy stands up. If you're playing with a high pad level when you're starting low you don't often fare much better when you're starting high. Coaching can still fix that... but some guys just don't take to it well, regardless. He'll also have to develop NFL-caliber short-range cover ability. If he had a knack for that in college he should be fine but if not that's yet another thing that will set him back and possibly keep him away from playing time.

I guess you could say that if there's one thing I've learned over the past few years it's to be extremely skeptical of any 4-3 player moving to a 3-4 position when the 4-3 is all they have known at the professional level. You will be pleasantly surprised by some guys but most just seem to play better in a scheme like the one they were originally drafted into.

[Superman]

Moving him to OLB likely won't fix the first the problem unless Hughes is seriously quick and it will only exacerbate the second problem. Not being a regular Colts game viewer (especially last season), I'm obviously not really familiar with Hughes' skillset as it pertains to the NFL but I have seen those kinds of problems get worse when a guy stands up. If you're playing with a high pad level when you're starting low you don't often fare much better when you're starting high. Coaching can still fix that... but some guys just don't take to it well, regardless. He'll also have to develop NFL-caliber short-range cover ability. If he had a knack for that in college he should be fine but if not that's yet another thing that will set him back and possibly keep him away from playing time.

I guess you could say that if there's one thing I've learned over the past few years it's to be extremely skeptical of any 4-3 player moving to a 3-4 position when the 4-3 is all they have known at the professional level. You will be pleasantly surprised by some guys but most just seem to play better in a scheme like the one they were originally drafted into.

Hughes is seriously quick. Melvin Ingram and Shea McClellin are the highest rated OLBs in the draft, and Hughes measurables rival theirs.

His pad level issue is because he doesn't stay low in close quarters, and allows the tackle to get under him and stand him up. We're talking about a three-point stance. Coming from a two point stance and having a chance to get moving and get his leverage right before engaging the blocker would help, as would his speed and quickness. Not a cure-all, which is why I said he needs coaching.

He was actually projected as an OLB, not an end. We drafted him as an end, and never used him in any other capacity. He was supposed to be a wild card type of player, someone we could move around the field, use as a stand up rusher with Freeney and Mathis on the field, or as a backup to either of them. But we didn't. We hardly got him on the field as a rookie, and the times he did play he was clearly not strong enough. To me, he's always been more of a linebacker prospect than an end prospect. Think Brian Orakpo, who was a college end who moved to OLB in the NFL.

[RGIII]

His pad level issue is because he doesn't stay low in close quarters, and allows the tackle to get under him and stand him up. We're talking about a three-point stance. Coming from a two point stance and having a chance to get moving and get his leverage right before engaging the blocker would help, as would his speed and quickness. Not a cure-all, which is why I said he needs coaching.

Think Brian Orakpo, who was a college end who moved to OLB in the NFL.

I certainly remember Hughes being considered an OLB prospect first and foremost when he was drafted. Incidentally, Orakpo is the main reason why I raise these concerns. Orakpo is a good pass-rusher. He's quick and he's very strong for a player his size. Unlike Hughes, he does possess the ability to physically outmatch offensive linemen. However, he is nowhere near as productive as he should be for several reasons. The biggest one is that his hand use is sub-par relative to his other skills and he too often lets opposing linemen grab him in ways that the refs tend not to flag. The part that's relevant to this discussion is that he also tends to play too high (particularly on his speed rush) at the point where the offensive lineman engages him. The poor leverage combined with the lack of hand use means that he gets shut down in situations where he should have his man beat flat-out.

This was less of a problem for Orakpo when playing from a three point stance than it is from a two point stance. When he starts low he tends not to get so high so quickly whereas when he starts high he stays high. He's still a productive OLB but he's an extremely frustrating player to watch when you know he could be much closer to having a DeMarcus Ware-like impact out of the position. As of right now he's immensely talented but not even close to being elite.

[a06cc]

Hughes is very fast off the edge. I'm glad we're changing schemes because these will give him a chance to showcase his talents. Now NFL strenght is something that needs to be taught. Jerry Hughes is physically strong. Going up against polished NFL lineman he isn't. He just needs time to develope, and this season he will.

[oldunclemark]

Hughes is very fast off the edge. I'm glad we're changing schemes because these will give him a chance to showcase his talents. Now NFL strenght is something that needs to be taught. Jerry Hughes is physically strong. Going up against polished NFL lineman he isn't. He just needs time to develope, and this season he will.

I agree..Give him a chance....another chance..

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