Jump to content
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts Fan Forum

Shaq cap hit 2024


MikeCurtis

Recommended Posts

Its a shame. Sad really. Was on pace to be a hall of fame backer before injuries derailed him. Not gunna lie though if I were him I would absolutely go back to Darius instead of Shaq lol. Call me crazy or superstitious but he literally is a different player. 

 

 

Side note, thank god for the break out of Franklin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, kymd82222 said:

You just provided more support for why he should be cut if he shows no improvement this year. What do you mean fans aren't paying his contract? Indirectly we are.  Through ticket sales, TV deals, merch sales.  Without fans pumping in the money, the owners and the players wouldn't make a dime ....So you're incredibly incorrect that the fans don't have a say when they're literally the fuel that keeps the fire burning.  

We indirectly provide the $$$ - but - fans have NO SAY in whether a team keeps or releases a player.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, colts89 said:

He's got a few games left to prove what he's got, but if he continues with this level of production then it's gonna be hard to justify keeping him on the team for how big his cap hit is currently. I will say he's been more involved the last two weeks, which is nice to see.

I concur.

 

You really don't think that the front office would keep a player who isn't up to par after a full season - do you?

 

I'm just surprised that everyone wants to "cut bait" with more than half the season left.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, chad72 said:

He is just shying away from contact, I can see that. A weird thought went through my head that he may retire at the end of this season. He is mentally and physically not there, IMO. It is almost like he is there after the fact, after the play is done, in that capacity. If the player runs into him, he will get him down or drag him down but rarely do you see him being aggressive or initiating it.

 

I don't see the progressive improvement of a guy who is supposed to be improving with every game, I just don't. Not making impactful plays in passing lanes, or in running lanes. The numbers don't lie.

Its almost like the vax issue, changing his name, and getting injured has him interested in deeper things and less interested in football than before.  And he doesn't need the money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Its almost like the vax issue, changing his name, and getting injured has him interested in deeper things and less interested in football than before.  And he doesn't need the money.

 

He wants to see through this year to get what he needs for his life and then whatever happens, happens. That is the feeling I get.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Bravo said:


 

Well maybe he should go out and make some splash plays then…..

 

 

I know he’s still getting back to form but does he not realize he has been playing poorly!?

Kevin Bowen has more to this. He basically threw Bradley under the bus and said he can’t play as free as what he did in the past.

He is going to be gone at the end of the year. Throwing the DC under the bus is not good.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Kevin Bowen has more to this. He basically threw Bradley under the bus and said he can’t play as free as what he did in the past.

He is going to be gone at the end of the year. Throwing the DC under the bus is not good.

Probably. But there is a possibility that irsay sides with Leonard on this.   And Bradley is the one that goes.   If not both. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, DougDew said:

Probably. But there is a possibility that irsay sides with Leonard on this.   And Bradley is the one that goes.   If not both. 

Yeah now that I think about it might come down to Bradley. Heck they both might be gone.

Players are frustrated with losing. It takes a toll on them.  It’s not a good look no matter what for this franchise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Yeah now that I think about it might come down to Bradley. Heck they both might be gone.

Players are frustrated with losing. It takes a toll on them.  It’s not a good look no matter what for this franchise.

Leonard's contract hangs around his neck like a boat anchor, so he has that problem.

 

What I meant to say is that Irsay might think Leonard is right, that he is being too confined, and will view it as an accurate mark against Bradley.  Not that seeing it that way will alleviate Leonard's contract problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, hanging on to that teeny hope that Leonard might make a few splash plays as the season goes along. Let us hope for the best, that is all you can do. Just don't think he would survive this entire season without a few splash plays. His calling card was initiating contact and creating fumbles but when you see him shying away from contact, it has to make you wonder what is going on.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, chad72 said:

Well, hanging on to that teeny hope that Leonard might make a few splash plays as the season goes along. Let us hope for the best, that is all you can do. Just don't think he would survive this entire season without a few splash plays. His calling card was initiating contact and creating fumbles but when you see him shying away from contact, it has to make you wonder what is going on.


Oddly enough….   On the list just posted….  When it came to linebackers, the Colts highest graded linebacker was none other than Shaq Leonard.   Yes, higher than Franklin and Speed.   I confess I didn’t see that coming. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rick Venturi said it years ago.  Leonard makes his living off of "splash plays" which then makes everyone forget his missed tackles and blown assignments.  Without the splash plays now and coupled with his mega-contract, his days are numbered.

 

The lack of speed and explosive quickness he had during his rookie contract amplifies the bad play now.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Kevin Bowen has more to this. He basically threw Bradley under the bus and said he can’t play as free as what he did in the past.

He is going to be gone at the end of the year. Throwing the DC under the bus is not good.

Honest question. 
 

A team has a bona fide star player. His coach leaves the team. New coach comes in. New coach doesn’t use said star player in a way that let’s him thrive and use his full ability. Who’s the problem?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, chad72 said:

Well, hanging on to that teeny hope that Leonard might make a few splash plays as the season goes along. Let us hope for the best, that is all you can do. Just don't think he would survive this entire season without a few splash plays. His calling card was initiating contact and creating fumbles but when you see him shying away from contact, it has to make you wonder what is going on.

There are nine regular season games to go and he has been improving weekly.  I have a feeling he will be back to being a difference maker in time for the playoffs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, richard pallo said:

There are nine regular season games to go and he has been improving weekly.  I have a feeling he will be back to being a difference maker in time for the playoffs.

 

First things first, let us make the playoffs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, richard pallo said:

There are nine regular season games to go and he has been improving weekly.  I have a feeling he will be back to being a difference maker in time for the playoffs.

Similar to Kenny Moore last year Bradley has to put him in position to make plays. He said right there in that clip he isn’t allowed to play free like before.   In order to get those splash plays Bradley has to put him in that position.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Similar to Kenny Moore last year Bradley has to put him in position to make plays. He said right there in that clip he isn’t allowed to play free like before.   In order to get those splash plays Bradley has to put him in that position.

I think Gus has had him on a pitch count similar to Taylor’s.  Gus isn’t stupid.  When Leonard is back to being his old self he is a difference maker.  He wants him there like the rest of us.  So far so good actually.  Still more than half a season to play.  Fans here need to whip on somebody.  I guess it’s Leonard’s turn now even though he’s improved enough already to be our best linebacker now.  Still not fast enough for the fans apparently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Solid84 said:

Honest question. 
 

A team has a bona fide star player. His coach leaves the team. New coach comes in. New coach doesn’t use said star player in a way that let’s him thrive and use his full ability. Who’s the problem?


Honest answer:

 

I think you’ve made an assumption here and an omission.  
 

You’ve assumed Bradley isn’t using Shaq correctly.   And you’ve omitted the part where Shaq has been badly injured and is still not playing close to what he once was.  
 

Ballard said he picked Bradley to replace Flus because the defenses were similar enough that the defense should be able to make the transition with the least amount of difficulty.   The team should be to learn it and react fast. 
 

Im not worried about Shaq — yet.   And I think Bradley has always been on borrowed time.   I think it’s likely he gets replaced this off-season, but I wouldn’t call it a lock just yet. 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, NewColtsFan said:


Honest answer:

 

I think you’ve made an assumption here and an omission.  
 

You’ve assumed Bradley isn’t using Shaq correctly.   And you’ve omitted the part where Shaq has been badly injured and is still not playing close to what he once was.  
 

Ballard said he picked Bradley to replace Flus because the defenses were similar enough that the defense should be able to make the transition with the least amount of difficulty.   The team should be to learn it and react fast. 
 

Im not worried about Shaq — yet.   And I think Bradley has always been on borrowed time.   I think it’s likely he gets replaced this off-season, but I wouldn’t call it a lock just yet. 
 

Leonard played solely Will in Flus’ scheme. He’s playing both Will and Mike in Bradley’s, so he’s at least not using him in the same way as Flus where Leonard has had his best years. 
 

And I’m not saying he’s fully up to speed physically, though I don’t think he’s far from that point. In my opinion it’s more about getting back into the flow of the game, but at week 9 now how much more game time can he need to get up to speed?

 

Leonard himself alluded to not having the same freedom as he did in Flus scheme, so yeah, not making assumptions…

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

Leonard played solely Will in Flus’ scheme. He’s playing both Will and Mike in Bradley’s, so he’s at least not using him in the same way as Flus where Leonard has had his best years. 
 

And I’m not saying he’s fully up to speed physically, though I don’t think he’s far from that point. In my opinion it’s more about getting back into the flow of the game, but at week 9 now how much more game time can he need to get up to speed?

 

Leonard himself alluded to not having the same freedom as he did in Flus scheme, so yeah, not making assumptions…


I don’t think Shaq is even a little bit close to his old self.   I think he’s a fraction of what he once was.    
 

If Shaq doesn’t like the scheme, that’s on him.   I’m only telling you what Ballard said when Bradley was hired.   That it was close enough to the scheme run by Flus.  

Im hoping Shaq is just talking out of frustration.   That he’ll hopefully calm down in the days to come like Pittman did.  
And if not, then he’d be making the decision to part ways with him next off season that much easier. 
 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Moosejawcolt said:

I’m not doubting some has to do with scheme. It is hard to deny though that he seems to be struggling with the physicality and his speed is lacking.

 

Which is to be expected but Speed and Franklin are playing better than him and getting paid half the salary.

 

Ill give him to the end of the year before I make a harsh judgement. Not that it matters what I think anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Bravo said:

I’m not doubting some has to do with scheme. It is hard to deny though that he seems to be struggling with the physicality and his speed is lacking.

 

Which is to be expected but Speed and Franklin are playing better than him and getting paid half the salary.

 

Ill give him to the end of the year before I make a harsh judgement. Not that it matters what I think anyway.

Speed and Franklin are way more physical  and were so coming out of college. I had said 2 years ago that Leonard looks good and all, but he could not get off of blocks, and that was in his prime. I said having a linebacker at 215 would catch up with us. Not sustainable.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Moosejawcolt said:

Speed and Franklin are way more physical  and were so coming out of college. I had said 2 years ago that Leonard looks good and all, but he could not get off of blocks, and that was in his prime. I said having a linebacker at 215 would catch up with us. Not sustainable.


I have said for years the colts lb’s are too small. Not saying they all need to be big, but at least one should be big and physical. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/30/2023 at 12:32 PM, NorthernColt said:

Its a shame. Sad really. Was on pace to be a hall of fame backer before injuries derailed him. Not gunna lie though if I were him I would absolutely go back to Darius instead of Shaq lol. Call me crazy or superstitious but he literally is a different player. 

I'm afraid what made him a different player was putting his feet up after he got paid.  He was always a strange dude, I didn't see that coming but paying certain personality types can be hazardous to their production.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, husker61 said:


I have said for years the colts lb’s are too small. Not saying they all need to be big, but at least one should be big and physical. 

That's kind of an outdated view of the lb position. today you really want a player that is a hybrid between a safety and a linebacker, because the big guys are usually slow and a complete liability in the pass coverage 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Makes me wonder if he or someone he knows sees these messages. He received a massage second contract, changes his first name and plays the victim. I do not fault Ballard for his second contract but he is not the same player anymore and I doubt he will. He looks so timid on the field and arrives late on tackles. I bought his jersey and I sure appreciate all he has done for the team but it may well be his last year as a Colt

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Zoltan said:

That's kind of an outdated view of the lb position. today you really want a player that is a hybrid between a safety and a linebacker, because the big guys are usually slow and a complete liability in the pass coverage 


100 percent, thanks!    :thmup:
 

I’ll be writing a post about linebackers for the bye week.   A good time to get some unique conversations in the middle of the season.   
 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/2/2023 at 2:51 PM, richard pallo said:

I think Gus has had him on a pitch count similar to Taylor’s.  Gus isn’t stupid.  When Leonard is back to being his old self he is a difference maker.  He wants him there like the rest of us.  So far so good actually.  Still more than half a season to play.  Fans here need to whip on somebody.  I guess it’s Leonard’s turn now even though he’s improved enough already to be our best linebacker now.  Still not fast enough for the fans apparently.

He’s not our best LB.  PFF grades need to be taken with a grain of salt.  When teams run to his side he gets blown away.  He can’t shed blocks at all.  He looks a step behind everyone and is noticeably doing everything he can to avoid big hits. He’s removed in coverage because he’s bad at it. I’d be happy if he was playing just average football this year. Frankly, a lot of the things I described was the case when he was good. Now he lacks the burst to make up for those things and wreak havoc creating turnovers.  He also lacks the confidence and desire to mix things up and take a hit. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Zoltan said:

That's kind of an outdated view of the lb position. today you really want a player that is a hybrid between a safety and a linebacker, because the big guys are usually slow and a complete liability in the pass coverage 

Why do you need 3 small lb’s for coverage? Instinks are more important in zone coverage and 3 lb’s matching up in man coverage is very rare. Unless you have a dominant and big d-line, small lb’s are going to let teams run down the field.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, husker61 said:

Why do you need 3 small lb’s for coverage? Instinks are more important in zone coverage and 3 lb’s matching up in man coverage is very rare. Unless you have a dominant and big d-line, small lb’s are going to let teams run down the field.

Well first you rarely have 3 lbs on the field these days, its often a 2 LB nickel set. The reason you want these hybrid linebackers is because they are fast from sideline to sideline, which is needed in todays league because teams have adapted to a style that they are gonna try to stretch the field horizontally as well as vertically. In this sense if you have the stereotypical big run stopping LB they are effectively out of the play because they are slow.

 

That's why you see more teams trying to switch Strong Safeties into LBs. The Cowboys have been very effective at this with Markquese Bell who switched from Safety to LB this year and has a pff of 90.0 for the season and I believe is the highest rated LB in the league. The Cardinals were early in this when they had Deone Bucannon a first round safety that they had success moving him to LB. Back when Pagano was here I always wanted them to move Geathers to LB because he was an average safety but in my opinion would have made a better LB.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • I think I like AD. But that's not what is motivating my posts. I'm enjoying the dialogue as I distract myself from a spreadsheet but I do have a point to make.   That is, you noted: what if McGinn's article is correct? Well, what if its not? He, personally, will have cost AD Mitchell MILLIONS of dollars. Not the scouts; McGinn. McGinn is the one with the platform. If the scouts had a platform, they wouldn't be anonymous sources. The difference between bottom of the 1st round and where AD was selected is $5 to $10 million over 4 years.   As another poster noted, does McGinn have any responsibility in regards to articles he releases that are not factual, whether they were written in good faith or not?
    • There's more about his diabetes and about him being uncoachable and hard to work with. Can't find direct link. The rest might be behind a paywall, but it's quoted in the linked article by Destin Adams. You can read it there.
    • The McGinn column that I can find describes what happened at the combine in front of all of the scouts (below). Is there another column from him about Mitchell? There must be based on the conversation in this thread.    DRAFT Part 1, WR/TE: Hall of Fame talent at the top, then (many) questions Marvin Harrison Jr. leads the way. You'll see receivers fly off the board the first two rounds. But scouts have concerns. Bob McGinn's 40th annual series begins.   Part 1, WR/TE: Hall of Fame talent at the top, then (many) questions - golongtd.com   By Bob McGinn   (About halfway through the column is a discussion of Mitchell's combine performance)   Coming off a 55-reception, 11-touchdown season at Texas, Mitchell did everything at the combine other than the short shuttle, the 3-cone and the bench press. And, after his blazing 40 of 4.35 and exceptional distances in the jumps, his decision to work at the combine appeared to be paying off.   Then Mitchell, wearing the WO19 jersey, started running the various routes in line with other wide receivers. His performance was insufficient, to say the least.   “He blew that 40 out, which didn’t surprise me,” one veteran scout said. “But then his position workout might have been the worst I’ve seen by a top receiver. He was falling over. He dropped balls. He had to keep redoing. It seemed as if he didn’t know how to run routes. He just seemed out of it.   “Generally, I don’t get alarmed by a combine. That was alarming.”   Based on television coverage, Mitchell staggered and fell during the gauntlet, dropped the first two slants, dropped an out and either messed up the route or failed to make the catch on his next three attempts. His performance was adequate after that.   “He was very linear, very straight line,” another scout said watching Mitchell at the combine. “Which surprised me, because in my limited exposure, for a fast guy, I thought he could actually bend and get in and out of his cuts.   “After running fast, the position stuff didn’t match. It wasn’t terrible. It wasn’t fatal. But it definitely raised some alerts with me. He didn’t have a great combine.”   Mitchell stood on his combine numbers and did position drills March 21 at Texas pro day, leaving the bench press and shuttles void.
    • Pretty much sums up what most of feel on here but it is the slow time of year and hopefully can enlighten some and spark some conversation.   https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/32-nfl-teams-in-32-days-colts-need-a-healthy-anthony-richardson/ar-BB1omOPy?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=72b391309fba48589a10207956078d03&ei=29  
    • Does a reporter bear any responsibility about what he includes in his pieces? Sourced or not? Is everything a source tell you printable? Is everything worth printing? BTW I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, I just wonder if there are any ethical considerations a reporter might have when reporting on this type of touchy subject, especially when some of those anonymous scouts might have vested interest in a player getting drafted higher or lower than currently projected? 
  • Members

    • stitches

      stitches 19,969

      Senior Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • TheRadiantAerynSun

      TheRadiantAerynSun 6

      Rookie
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • krunk

      krunk 8,435

      Senior Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • bestQBever

      bestQBever 1,127

      Senior Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • DynaMike

      DynaMike 162

      Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • ADnum1

      ADnum1 3,214

      Senior Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • atapcl

      atapcl 83

      Senior Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • Ernest Brunelli

      Ernest Brunelli 37

      New Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • lester

      lester 302

      Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • IndyEV

      IndyEV 97

      Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
×
×
  • Create New...