Colts needs after the draft

[CR91]

Colts filled some holes during the draft, but some positions still need work.

 

RG - I said it in another thread we're most likely signing a vet G after not drafting one. Some Gs still on the market are Gabe Jackson and Trai Turner. 

 

LB - This mostly depends on Shaq, but LBer is thin in terms of playing time after Franklin and Speed. Jojo was good on STs, but depth is lacking. 

 

CB - Yes they drafted three, but we're putting a lot of pressure on Brents and two day three corners to produce especially with Kenny and Rodgers going into their contract years.

 

LT - It seems Raimann is the LT going forward which is fine, but there's very little proven depth behind him. Currently the only Ts on the roster for depth are O'Donnell and Jordan Murray. 

[GRUMPY OLD MAN]

9 minutes ago, CR91 said:

Colts filled some holes during the draft, but some positions still need work.

 

RG - I said it in another thread we're most likely signing a vet G after not drafting one. Some Gs still on the market are Gabe Jackson and Trai Turner. 

 

LB - This mostly depends on Shaq, but LBer is thin in terms of playing time after Franklin and Speed. Jojo was good on STs, but depth is lacking. 

 

CB - Yes they drafted three, but we're putting a lot of pressure on Brents and two day three corners to produce especially with Kenny and Rodgers going into their contract years.

 

LT - It seems Raimann is the LT going forward which is fine, but there's very little proven depth behind him. Currently the only Ts on the roster for depth are O'Donnell and Jordan Murray. 

I agree with all and we still need some game changers on defense, pass rushers, and secondary. on offense we need all you mentioned plus game changers at wr and tight end.

[TimetobringDfence!]

Has anyone signed G Risner yet. He would really round out the oline nicely.

[CR91]

16 minutes ago, TimetobringDfence! said:

Has anyone signed G Risner yet. He would really round out the oline nicely.

 

Still on the market 

[OLD FAN MAN]

23 minutes ago, DEFENSE said:

I agree with all and we still need some game changers on defense, pass rushers, and secondary. on offense we need all you mentioned plus game changers at wr and tight end.

yes we have a serious lack of elite game changers on both sides of the ball, we have a team full of just average or below talent.

[Hark]

Agree with all of this. Need more o-line depth plus help at RG, At least one CB with outside experience. As you stated, the LB situation depends entirely on Leonard. If he is back and healthy it becomes a much lower priority. Having said that, I don't have a lot of confidence in that right now.

[CR91]

47 minutes ago, DEFENSE said:

I agree with all and we still need some game changers on defense, pass rushers, and secondary. on offense we need all you mentioned plus game changers at wr and tight end.

 

Taylor, Pitt, Alec, Woods, McKenzie, and Downs are something to work with for now so AR does have some weapons.

[DattMavis]

IOL is my biggest concern, followed by LB. I don’t have as many concerns about CB and T as others. 

[DattMavis]

1 minute ago, CR91 said:

 

Taylor, Pitt, Alec, Woods, McKenzie, and Downs are something to work for now so AR does have some weapons.

Yeah, I actually love the potential of our TE room, even if we move Mo to make room for Will Mallory. I was a big Mallory guy leading up to the draft though, just like I was with Jelani last year. Ballard is listening to my opinion on TEs I think.

I think if they actually use him, Jelani will have a massive breakout year, and our TE room might look like the strongest spot.

 

I have concerns about us not having a true #1 “take over a game” WR, but considering what he was working with previously, AR will be in heaven with MPJ, Alec, and Josh.

[Archer]

Yeah, I actually only see one major need that I would address before TC - a veteran OT depth piece.  I’d hate to go into TC with the two rookies as by far the best depth we have at the position.

 

OG - Pinter, French, Hambright, Shepley, and Ekiyor.  Pretty sure we can field good depth from that group.

 

LB - Virtually none of my mock drafts had us selecting a LB bc I was confident in the guys we have already.  

 

CB - we’re going young, plain and simple.  Don’t forget about Dallis Flowers.

[Nesjan3]

The whole Oline with the exception of Braden at RT is extremely sketchy and were rolling the dice not addressing it with FA or the draft. Not sure what Ballard is thinking here. He seems to have adapted this mindset of giving people jobs and expecting them to be good rather than creating competition and letting the best man win.

 

LT- I love what Raimann did last year, but he I raw and just handing him the starting job at one of the most important positions is a gamble

 

LG- Nelson struggled last year, has not played up to his contract since he got signed and has quite obvioulsy been dealing with his lingering back issues for awhile now. Back injuries can be a backbreaker for lineman no pun intended.

 

C- Kelly has sucked for two seasons

 

RG- ?

[chad72]

OG starter and NT behind Grover Stewart are the 2 main ones I see, that is it.

 

There will be growing pains for the CBs but they will be coached up. This is a mulligan year for AR, and the young CBs to learn in the line of fire, so I don't think they will get another CB unless an opportunity presents itself.

 

They will play a lot of 3 safety looks in a 4-2-5 front.

[hoosierhawk]

My greatest concern is Leonard. Is he ready? Does he want it? If he is not ready to go I believe our depth behind him may be the weakest of any position on the team. 

Would like an IOL signing in FA. Besides that and LB I feel good that we let these young guys grow and develop. 

[FanFromtheWasteland]

QB.

 

(just kidding)

[tweezy32]

Every team needs a difference maker at wideout. We need one, we have good/average receivers. 

[richard pallo]

Starting RG is my only concern.  I actually like the roster overall.  If I had to choose another position group to improve it would be safety.  Cross is still a big unknown.  I wish we could find a way to get Budda Baker who wants a new team right now.  I’m dreaming but adding him to the defense would give us another playmaker to go along with Buckner, Leonard and Moore.   I think we would have a top 10 defense right there.

[tweezy32]

Unfortunately, We are a couple years out from being competitive i think. By the time we get there our playmakers will be old and need to be replaced like Buckner, Taylor, Nelson and Leonard. They will need to be replaced soon too.

[jchandler7]

1 hour ago, DattMavis said:

IOL is my biggest concern, followed by LB. I don’t have as many concerns about CB and T as others. 

My thoughts exactly. If Ballard is able to sign Dalton Risner & Rashaan Evans we'd be set! IMO

[richard pallo]

6 minutes ago, tweezy32 said:

Unfortunately, We are a couple years out from being competitive i think. By the time we get there our playmakers will be old and need to be replaced like Buckner, Taylor, Nelson and Leonard. They will need to be replaced soon too.

Buckner is only 29 and Leonard and Nelson are only 27, Taylor 24.  They are far from being old.  If Richardson is the real deal we should be competitive very quickly.  Teams go from last to first in their division all of the time.  No one believes we are a rebuilding franchise.  We will be if Richardson busts though.

[Hark]

1 hour ago, richard pallo said:

Teams go from last to first in their division all of the time.  No one believes we are a rebuilding franchise.  We will be if Richardson busts though.

I believe this as well. We have some pretty good players on offense and a competitive defense. Unfortunately last year none of them were put in a position to succeed due to our awful o-line and QB play.

[coltsfan_canada]

None we are ready for lombardi trophy at Allegiant Stadium. 

[Shive]

3 hours ago, Archer said:

CB - we’re going young, plain and simple.  Don’t forget about Dallis Flowers.

I think Flowers is good depth at Nickel, but we don't have an entrenched starter on the boundary opposite of Isaiah Rodgers. I'm assuming we plan on one of our rookies to start.

[Smonroe]

If AR and JT can move the chains, the strain on the D won’t be bad.  Playing with the lead changes everything.  
 

Like everyone said, the Oline has to return to form.  Thin at RG and depth all around.  
 

With a mobile QB, maybe they don’t have to hold the blocks as long.  But they can’t be revolving doors like last season.  

[TimetobringDfence!]

3 hours ago, richard pallo said:

Starting RG is my only concern.  I actually like the roster overall.  If I had to choose another position group to improve it would be safety.  Cross is still a big unknown.  I wish we could find a way to get Budda Baker who wants a new team right now.  I’m dreaming but adding him to the defense would give us another playmaker to go along with Buckner, Leonard and Moore.   I think we would have a top 10 defense right there.

Cross played really good I think he will be even better this year. I wish we had one more G/C type player. Kelly is up and down and injured a lot. We need a RG and IOL depth. If Leonard doesn't return to full form we could be hurting at LB too. 

[jvan1973]

5 hours ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

yes we have a serious lack of elite game changers on both sides of the ball, we have a team full of just average or below talent.

Do you actually watch games?  Or just come here to troll?

[jbaron04]

6 hours ago, CR91 said:

Colts filled some holes during the draft, but some positions still need work.

 

RG - I said it in another thread we're most likely signing a vet G after not drafting one. Some Gs still on the market are Gabe Jackson and Trai Turner. 

 

LB - This mostly depends on Shaq, but LBer is thin in terms of playing time after Franklin and Speed. Jojo was good on STs, but depth is lacking. 

 

CB - Yes they drafted three, but we're putting a lot of pressure on Brents and two day three corners to produce especially with Kenny and Rodgers going into their contract years.

 

LT - It seems Raimann is the LT going forward which is fine, but there's very little proven depth behind him. Currently the only Ts on the roster for depth are O'Donnell and Jordan Murray. 

Vet Guard 

vet Cb

FB 

Punter competition to test rigo 

[a06cc]

6 minutes ago, jbaron04 said:

Vet Guard 

vet Cb

FB 

Punter competition to test rigo 

Correct in saying we need competition for the punter. We may need one depending on how he’s come back from injury. 

[a06cc]

1 hour ago, TimetobringDfence! said:

Cross played really good I think he will be even better this year. I wish we had one more G/C type player. Kelly is up and down and injured a lot. We need a RG and IOL depth. If Leonard doesn't return to full form we could be hurting at LB too. 

Cross didn’t play well. He was pulled for McLeod. Hope Cross makes a jump year 2. 

[Dunk]

2 hours ago, a06cc said:

Cross didn’t play well. He was pulled for McLeod. Hope Cross makes a jump year 2. 

Don't forget about Thomas. He played well for a rookie.

[a06cc]

58 minutes ago, Dunk said:

Don't forget about Thomas. He played well for a rookie.

Yeah he did! 

[ProblChld32]

I’m almost certain they will bring in a Vet DB and IOL. 

[philba101]

The Colts should definitely look at D. Risner for guard depth and possibly M. Garcia, A.J. Cann. Tackle depth might include: Donavan Smith if healthy, J. Eluemenor.

[DougDew]

From the comments over the last part of the season and into the offseason, these were probably the consensus needs:

 

QB

IOL

Pass Rush

Secondary

WR deep speed.

 

After FA/Draft:

 

QB, addressed

IOL, No Change

Pass rush - No Change  shifted one $13M a year player for another, and drafted another Dayo/Lewis tweener in the 4th round.

Secondary:  Addressed. Traded the best cover corner creating a bigger need, but drafted 3 CBs and a S. 

WR deep speed.  No Change (Downs is not that guy, according to pundits)

[funktacious2]

To be honest we won’t really know for several months what we’re really lacking but I do think It’s fair to acknowledge that we are somewhat gambling with OL, CB, and LB.

 

I’d say that if hypothetically this turns out to be a great draft class then our three biggest needs are a playmaking TE, an elite WR and and an elite pass rusher (if we are comparing ourselves to championship caliber contenders)

[Shepman]

46 minutes ago, DougDew said:

From the comments over the last part of the season and into the offseason, these were probably the consensus needs:

 

QB

IOL

Pass Rush

Secondary

WR deep speed.

 

After FA/Draft:

 

QB, addressed

IOL, No Change

Pass rush - No Change  shifted one $13M a year player for another, and drafted another Dayo/Lewis tweener in the 4th round.

Secondary:  Addressed. Traded the best cover corner creating a bigger need, but drafted 3 CBs and a S. 

WR deep speed.  No Change (Downs is not that guy, according to pundits)

I don't see how you can say no change on the rest and addressed on QB.  We have to see how all the pieces come together and work first.  Maybe nothing is addressed or all are addressed.  Hoping our new coaching staff brings out the best and surprises us in a good way.

[DougDew]

44 minutes ago, Shepman said:

I don't see how you can say no change on the rest and addressed on QB.  We have to see how all the pieces come together and work first.  Maybe nothing is addressed or all are addressed.  Hoping our new coaching staff brings out the best and surprises us in a good way.

We made no additions to the IOL.  That's a fact, unless you want to say that one UDFA is a significant addition.

We have not added more deep speed than what we had last year.  In fact, by losing Parris, you could argue that we took a step backwards and got another possession receiver in Downs.

Pass rush appears to be a push, with Yannick departing for another nondominant FA at RDE.  And Adewedare is another repeat of what we already have in Tweeners Lewis and Dayo.

[sb41champs]

The players need to continue to work in OTA's - and - the mini-camps - so the coaching staff can begin evaluating who are expendable early on - so they can begin to assess actual position strengths and weaknesses.

 

Ballard mentioned at his press conference that there were a couple of veteran free agents out there that he felt could help the team.  Whether or not any of them will be brought in - is another question entirely.

[Shepman]

2 hours ago, DougDew said:

We made no additions to the IOL.  That's a fact, unless you want to say that one UDFA is a significant addition.

We have not added more deep speed than what we had last year.  In fact, by losing Parris, you could argue that we took a step backwards and got another possession receiver in Downs.

Pass rush appears to be a push, with Yannick departing for another nondominant FA at RDE.  And Adewedare is another repeat of what we already have in Tweeners Lewis and Dayo.

Perhaps someone moves inside is what I mean by pieces coming together so yes so far we have 2 T and 1 G added.  We added 1 FA WR, drafted 1 and several UDFA.  A healthy Lewis disrupts the problem is he can't stay healthy.  Hopefully coaching is better, second year players progress and the QB room develops but we won't know until we see the finished product.  I am not attacking what you stated just curious on how QB is addressed with 13 games under Richardson and a journeyman so far under Minshew but the other players added don't equate to addressed.  Addressed versus fixed is a whole other question as well. 

[throwing BBZ]

2 hours ago, DougDew said:

We made no additions to the IOL.  That's a fact, unless you want to say that one UDFA is a significant addition.

We have not added more deep speed than what we had last year.  In fact, by losing Parris, you could argue that we took a step backwards and got another possession receiver in Downs.

Pass rush appears to be a push, with Yannick departing for another nondominant FA at RDE.  And Adewedare is another repeat of what we already have in Tweeners Lewis and Dayo.

 

 I'll parry with you Doug.

 We have a Major addition to the IOL with Smith. Not that Fries has been ruled inadequate by the staff. No addition to this point suggests otherwise.

 Paris was primarily a possession receiver, and maybe Steichen's system will create more space than our last coaches.

 Dayo was breaking out by seasons end at DE. And we spent serious $ on a DT that gets sacks. Our rush should take Another jump.

 

[DougDew]

15 hours ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

 I'll parry with you Doug.

 We have a Major addition to the IOL with Smith. Not that Fries has been ruled inadequate by the staff. No addition to this point suggests otherwise.

 Paris was primarily a possession receiver, and maybe Steichen's system will create more space than our last coaches.

 Dayo was breaking out by seasons end at DE. And we spent serious $ on a DT that gets sacks. Our rush should take Another jump.

 

 

It sounds like you think Steichen will change everything from how it was last season..so that simply adding a new HC helps the WRs get faster and the IOL block better.

 

IOL...not addressed

Deep speed...not addressed

Edge rush...push...one middling FA for another.....Not Addressed.

QB  Addressed

Secondary:  Addressed.

 

Whether or not the Addressed areas actually work out is another matter, but the decision to address those areas is clear, while the others clearly not.