What unproven players do you have a soft spot for?

[Golfr]

Vick Ballard - I love this kid. He played against the best competition and was the work horse. I see him as an upgrade over Donald and a better option then Delone although I do like Delone.

TY Hilton - Speed kills and this kid has plenty. The Colts have not had anyone with speed like this since Marvin. I know Garcon was fast but he seemed to have straight line speed.

Josh Chapman - HA, The big guy we have wanted forever. It starts up front and in the middle and this kid is gonna be a man.

I could go on.........Luck, Fleener, Allen..........this topic made me realize we had a a good draft. I bet this is the best draft the Colts have had in a long time.

[Boiler_Colt]

I would love to stand by Texas players here but sadly Indy doesn't take to kind to Longhorns

Well I do, big fan.

[TKnight24]

Vick Ballard - I love this kid. He played against the best competition and was the work horse. I see him as an upgrade over Donald and a better option then Delone although I do like Delone.

TY Hilton - Speed kills and this kid has plenty. The Colts have not had anyone with speed like this since Marvin. I know Garcon was fast but he seemed to have straight line speed.

Josh Chapman - HA, The big guy we have wanted forever. It starts up front and in the middle and this kid is gonna be a man.

I could go on.........Luck, Fleener, Allen..........this topic made me realize we had a a good draft. I bet this is the best draft the Colts have had in a long time.

I agree with you. Ballard is going to be a Force in our Running Game. Chapman hands down is going to be a Nightmare for QB's. Especially if Him & Nevis are on the Field together. Hilton's Speed leaves me Drooling lol. And totally agree that this is one of our BEST Drafts in Franchise History

[TKnight24]

Well I do, big fan.

Hook 'Em Horns. I'm a TCU Fan, but I do enjoy watching Texas play when TCU isn't on TV. Mack Brown is a GREAT HC. And Manny Diaz Defense is something to be FEARED lol.

[Boiler_Colt]

Hook 'Em Horns. I'm a TCU Fan, but I do enjoy watching Texas play when TCU isn't on TV. Mack Brown is a GREAT HC. And Manny Diaz Defense is something to be FEARED lol.

All my cousins live in Austin and some of them attended UT so I've been a fan all my life. They're rarely on TV in Indy though which stinks.

[IndyTrav]

I'll be watching Castonzo/Satele....I'm hoping these two are able to perform. Two lynchpins to a rookie QBs development. I'm more worried about Castonzo. He has all the intangibles I feel, but I'm really hoping its not another Ugoh situation.

[TKnight24]

All my cousins live in Austin and some of them attended UT so I've been a fan all my life. They're rarely on TV in Indy though which stinks.

My advice personally, you should invest in LongHorn Network. Contact your Cable Provider and ask them for Details. (I sound like a Commercial)

[TKnight24]

I'll be watching Castonzo/Satele....I'm hoping these two are able to perform. Two lynchpins to a rookie QBs development. I'm more worried about Castonzo. He has all the intangibles I feel, but I'm really hoping its not another Ugoh situation.

With #12 under Center, I feel like Castonzo will Excel. Poor QB play is my reason for him being an "Underpreformer" as some would say last year

[Malakai432]

Pretty much all these guys. Chapman (61) looks like a pretty stout fella.

Also, am I the only one that thinks Rico Mathews and Drake Nevis look like freakin twins?

Yeah Chapman looks jacked, someone you wouldn't want to go up against.

[TKnight24]

Yeah Chapman looks jacked, someone you wouldn't want to go up against.

^^^^ When was the last time you were able to SAY & Believe that about a Colts' NT/DT?

[Golfr]

I agree with you. Ballard is going to be a Force in our Running Game. Chapman hands down is going to be a Nightmare for QB's. Especially if Him & Nevis are on the Field together. Hilton's Speed leaves me Drooling lol. And totally agree that this is one of our BEST Drafts in Franchise History

I agree with you. Ballard is going to be a Force in our Running Game. Chapman hands down is going to be a Nightmare for QB's. Especially if Him & Nevis are on the Field together. Hilton's Speed leaves me Drooling lol. And totally agree that this is one of our BEST Drafts in Franchise History

I believe Ballard is the most talented back on the roster. I do not know how well he protects as I have not seen him asked to do it. One thing he needs to work on is switching the ball from his left hand when running to the right. I love how he runs behind his pads and has good vision.

Ahh Nevis................I thought this was a great draft pick and I like his ability to penetrate into the backfield and cause trouble. I imagine on passing downs with Chapman, Nevis, Redding penetrating the middle and Freeny and Mathis on the outside up at the line we should have a very good pass rush.

[braveheartcolt]

He's not really an unknown player but at this point it's unknown how he will do but I am really hoping for big things from Freeney. I've have long thought that he is a much better all around player than what he was given credit and that he got the "poor against the run label" because of his size and the scheme. And I think this year, in this scheme, he has a chance to show that not only he is one of the NFL's best pass rushers, he is one of the NFL's best defensive players.

There is a poster on this forum who rewatched all the games last year and specifically watched Hughes and, after doing that, his opinion was quite a but different than both of yours. And no offense to either of you but that poster has proven that he understand what he sees on the field.

Also this thread was started so people could tell which player they are rooting for to do well, why do you feel the need to jump on someone's choice?

Sorry, I responded to a poster who said he hadn't had a chance, which I 100% refute. Check back if you need to. He has had chances and didn't take them. Otherwise we would not be discussing this. People see different things, and I'm no expert, but in my opinion he will be gone by Christmas. Time will tell, of course.....

[Boiler_Colt]

My advice personally, you should invest in LongHorn Network. Contact your Cable Provider and ask them for Details. (I sound like a Commercial)

That would probably require me paying extra money, which I am not a fan of.

[TKnight24]

I believe Ballard is the most talented back on the roster. I do not know how well he protects as I have not seen him asked to do it. One thing he needs to work on is switching the ball from his left hand when running to the right. I love how he runs behind his pads and has good vision.

Ahh Nevis................I thought this was a great draft pick and I like his ability to penetrate into the backfield and cause trouble. I imagine on passing downs with Chapman, Nevis, Redding penetrating the middle and Freeny and Mathis on the outside up at the line we should have a very good pass rush.

Ballard comes from Miss. State. If I'm not mistaking, they run an Spread Offense. So Ballard had to do some Pass Blocking I would think. But I do hope he is Good at it

[TKnight24]

That would probably require me paying extra money, which I am not a fan of.

the way this Economy is going, I don't think anyone is a Fan of that smh

[Moncrief]

Yep. Wouldn't mind Drafting offensively in a few years. Come grab Jaxon Shipley & Joe Bergeron

Malcolm Brown.

[Golfr]

Cameron Chism

Jabin Sombrano

But Cameron Chism...I love the guy

"Fear the Turtle"

[Coffeedrinker]

Sorry, I responded to a poster who said he hadn't had a chance, which I 100% refute.

Yeah, the jumping on the guy was more a comment towatds Nobody.

Check back if you need to. He has had chances and didn't take them. Otherwise we would not be discussing this.

He's unproven that is why he's being discussed and also because people see or don't see what they want to a lot of times when it comes to players. And Superman wrote pretty extensively about Hughes performance last year. And, while I don't remember everything he wrote or saw, the gist of it was... Hughes saw quite a bit of action last year and showed good hustle and technique and was around the ball a lot even though he didn't make any impact plays. (Superman if I misrepresented what you wrote I apologize and please correct me). And Superman is one of the more "expert" people on this forum.

[Nobody]

He's not really an unknown player but at this point it's unknown how he will do but I am really hoping for big things from Freeney. I've have long thought that he is a much better all around player than what he was given credit and that he got the "poor against the run label" because of his size and the scheme. And I think this year, in this scheme, he has a chance to show that not only he is one of the NFL's best pass rushers, he is one of the NFL's best defensive players.

There is a poster on this forum who rewatched all the games last year and specifically watched Hughes and, after doing that, his opinion was quite a but different than both of yours. And no offense to either of you but that poster has proven that he understand what he sees on the field.

Also this thread was started so people could tell which player they are rooting for to do well, why do you feel the need to jump on someone's choice?

He said he rooted for Hughes, I said he doesn't try, and hasn't impressed coaches at LB. Thats hardly jumping on his choice. I don't see how anyone can say he gives his all, or hasn't been a bust, or looks like he will turn out to be a good player. He has had plenty of chances, but hasnt done anything. We all want Hughes to succeed as well, I just know that all the signs say he won't. I respect everyones original opinion, but he did also agree with us after our posts.

[Nobody]

Moving away from that, I am hoping Fili Moala can realize the potential that had him mocked so high before his final year at USC with the switch to DE. Any word on him, or who seems to be leading the race to start opposite Redding?

[Coffeedrinker]

He said he rooted for Hughes, I said he doesn't try, and hasn't impressed coaches at LB. Thats hardly jumping on his choice.

That's exactly what you are doing... jumping on his choice.

I don't see how anyone can say he gives his all, or hasn't been a bust, or looks like he will turn out to be a good player. He has had plenty of chances, but hasnt done anything.

Again, someone who has actually watched him and knows what he's talking about disagrees with you.

But it doesn't really matter my point on quoting you was because you felt the need to jump on a guy because he has a soft spot for a player you don't like.

[ConBro]

Delone Carter. This kid was a beast for Syracuse-- he had no fumbles at all his senior year if I recall correctly.... He's built like a treestump too. He could be a great 3rd down back or even a fullback in goal line sets. I'm rooting for him-- hopefully less fumbles this season

[Nobody]

That's exactly what you are doing... jumping on his choice.

Again, someone who has actually watched him and knows what he's talking about disagrees with you.

But it doesn't really matter my point on quoting you was because you felt the need to jump on a guy because he has a soft spot for a player you don't like.

Well I didn't mean any offense to him, so if his feelings were hurt because I insulted an underachiever on our team, I apologize to him. Aren't you jumping on my opinion? It goes both ways buddy. Just because you don't agree with me, it doesn't mean I'm the attacker and you're the defender. IMO, Hughes doesn't give 100%, will be and is a bust. You can disagree, and I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

[BrentMc11]

Yeah Chapman looks jacked, someone you wouldn't want to go up against.

Atypical NT....low to the ground.....looks like our guy...good to have Big Brandon too....even though we really do not know how solid he is. Pagano felt he was a NT, so we will see....cannot wait!!!

[TKnight24]

Moving away from that, I am hoping Fili Moala can realize the potential that had him mocked so high before his final year at USC with the switch to DE. Any word on him, or who seems to be leading the race to start opposite Redding?

Haven't heard any News. Probably won't till Training Camp nears it's Closure. Me personally, I'm rooting for Nevis to Beat out the Competition for the other DE Spot. Short Rookie year, I feel like he'd come to play with a Chip on his Shoulder & cause CHAOS for the opposing team

[Coffeedrinker]

Well I didn't mean any offense to him, so if his feelings were hurt because I insulted an underachiever on our team, I apologize to him. Aren't you jumping on my opinion? It goes both ways buddy.

One. I'm not your buddy. Two I'm not jumping on your opinion... Here's the difference. TK said he was rooting for Hughes, you tell him not to because he doesn't give 100% and the coaches are impressed with him (although I'd like to see that quote from the coaches). I am not telling you you should like Hughes or that you have to be impressed with him or have a soft spot for him. All I'm saying is; a) you should let the poster have a soft spot for any players he wants and b) there is some differing views from what you claim.

Just because you don't agree with me, it doesn't mean I'm the attacker and you're the defender. IMO, Hughes doesn't give 100%, will be and is a bust. You can disagree, and I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

LOL poor Nobody. No, what makes you the attacker is the fact that you attacked someone because they have a soft spot for a player you don't like, it has nothing to do with whether I agree with you or not.

[BrentMc11]

I am going to jump into the Hughes conversation. I will not call him a bust until he gets a chance in this 3-4....In fact to me he can be key on plays where we disguise.

He had a couple of flaws on the Special Teams (missed a key block on a blocked kick) but I constantly saw him as one of the first down the field on our not-so special teams. I think we all must agree that if he does not impress a coach that believes in smash mouth football, he will be in another uniform. We have some non stop motors....Addison, Harvey, Freeman, Fugger and Hickman chomping at the bit to make this team. I wish Hughes nothing but the best. This is HIS chance!

[Coffeedrinker]

Delone Carter. This kid was a beast for Syracuse-- he had no fumbles at all his senior year if I recall correctly.... He's built like a treestump too. He could be a great 3rd down back or even a fullback in goal line sets. I'm rooting for him-- hopefully less fumbles this season

I think he could be an every down back if he can control his fumbles. People look at his size and just assume he's a between the tackles runner but last year he showed that he is as shifty as Addai, good acceleration and agility and then really knew how to gain the extra yards after contact. He just needs to be a bit smarter about it and know that defenders are going to try and strip the ball and he's fighting for the extra yards.

[Nobody]

One. I'm not your buddy. Two I'm not jumping on your opinion... Here's the difference. TK said he was rooting for Hughes, you tell him not to because he doesn't give 100% and the coaches are impressed with him (although I'd like to see that quote from the coaches). I am not telling you you should like Hughes or that you have to be impressed with him or have a soft spot for him. All I'm saying is; a) you should let the poster have a soft spot for any players he wants and b) there is some differing views from what you claim.

LOL poor Coffeedrinker. No, what makes you the attacker is the fact that you attacked someone because they have a dont have a soft spot for a player you don't like, it has nothing to do with whether I agree with you or not.

I'm not telling TK who to root for. This is over. Oh, and I fixed the last part of you're post.

[BrentMc11]

I think he could be an every down back if he can control his fumbles. People look at his size and just assume he's a between the tackles runner but last year he showed that he is as shifty as Addai, good acceleration and agility and then really knew how to gain the extra yards after contact. He just needs to be a bit smarter about it and know that defenders are going to try and strip the ball and he's fighting for the extra yards.

Carter was a beast before the fumbling started....he was the only bright spot in the 62-7 debacle in Bounty-Town. He did fumble but ran for 85 yards....did not see much action after...He must have felt like De-Lone Ranger Edited July 5, 2012 by BrentMc11

[Nobody]

Haven't heard any News. Probably won't till Training Camp nears it's Closure. Me personally, I'm rooting for Nevis to Beat out the Competition for the other DE Spot. Short Rookie year, I feel like he'd come to play with a Chip on his Shoulder & cause CHAOS for the opposing team

Whoever is better. That's who I want to win. It would be nice to have Nevis not be a wasted pick, and he has a high motor. I also would like Moala to be good, too, but who doesn't? I apologize for "telling you not to" root for Hughes, which I wasn't.

[TKnight24]

I'm not telling TK who to root for. This is over. Oh, and I fixed the last part of you're post.

Appreciate that lol

I am going to jump into the Hughes conversation. I will not call him a bust until he gets a chance in this 3-4....In fact to me he can be key on plays where we disguise.

He had a couple of flaws on the Special Teams (missed a key block on a blocked kick) but I constantly saw him as one of the first down the field on our not-so special teams. I think we all must agree that if he does not impress a coach that believes in smash mouth football, he will be in another uniform. We have some non stop motors....Addison, Harvey, Freeman, Fugger and Hickman chomping at the bit to make this team. I wish Hughes nothing but the best. This is HIS chance!

Horned Frogs always rise to a Challenge. He WILL prove himself this year. I quote Pagano on this "You wouldn't be here, if we didn't believe you had Potential". So, he's still on the roster so he must be impressing the Coaches. I really hope Hughes pulls it together this year *Crosses Fingers*

TK said he was rooting for Hughes, you tell him not to because he doesn't give 100% and the coaches are impressed with him (although I'd like to see that quote from the coaches). I am not telling you you should like Hughes or that you have to be impressed with him or have a soft spot for him. All I'm saying is; a) you should let the poster have a soft spot for any players he wants and b) there is some differing views from what you claim.

I am rooting for Hughes. People will have their views on him, but no matter what anyone says... I'm sticking with him. He's a Horned Frog, we aim to please

[ColtsPRIDE11]

Chapman and Fugger as far as rookies. Chapman is a beast and I have no doubt in my mind that he will tear things up for us. I like what little I've seen out of Fugger on tape, and I think he doesn't get the credit he deserves. If he works hard and plays ball like he should he can correct that.

[i could say Andrew Luck, Colby Fleener, Griff Whalen as well (heck the whole rookie class!) but I will refrain. It all comes from the hope of the team I want to see. So for the rookies I will just stick to Chapman and Fugger.]

As far as FA or those that still haven't had ample time to prove themselves (IMO only): Castonzo, Statele, and Justice. Can we say O-line anyone??? These guys have a very bright future in my humble opinion.

I'm also going to add Redding to my list.(Cory may be a tad more proven to some, but to me he hasn't yet had a solid chance). I look forward to seeing what Cory can do. He should bring leadership and knowledge to our locker room due to his experience at Baltimore and the fact that most of our team is young enough that he has more years under his belt than them Plus, if you all know me then you know I've been excited about Redding from the get go.

[Nobody]

Appreciate that lol

Horned Frogs always rise to a Challenge. He WILL prove himself this year. I quote Pagano on this "You wouldn't be here, if we didn't believe you had Potential". So, he's still on the roster so he must be impressing the Coaches. I really hope Hughes pulls it together this year *Crosses Fingers*

I am rooting for Hughes. People will have their views on him, but no matter what anyone says... I'm sticking with him. He's a Horned Frog, we aim to please

He is here because he has potential, and also because keeping him is cheaper than releasing him I do hope he succeeds.

[BrentMc11]

Appreciate that lol

Horned Frogs always rise to a Challenge. He WILL prove himself this year. I quote Pagano on this "You wouldn't be here, if we didn't believe you had Potential". So, he's still on the roster so he must be impressing the Coaches. I really hope Hughes pulls it together this year *Crosses Fingers*

I am rooting for Hughes. People will have their views on him, but no matter what anyone says... I'm sticking with him. He's a Horned Frog, we aim to please

HA HA! Good stuff TK! Better to be a Horned Frog than a Horny Toad....just sayin

[Nobody]

As far as FA or those that still haven't had ample time to prove themselves (IMO only): Castonzo, Statele, and Justice. Can we say O-line anyone??? These guys have a very bright future in my humble opinion.

And don't forget, Justice protected Vick's blind side, and was pretty good at it.

[Superman]

IMO, Hughes doesn't give 100%, will be and is a bust. You can disagree, and I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

I don't think it takes very much for a player to get a bad rap sometimes, and it can often snowball into something it's not. So far, you've mentioned one play that it seemed like Hughes didn't give full effort on (I agree that he seemed to dog it, by the way). That was two seasons ago, though.

Last season, he played a lot more than some seem to realize, and he had an impact on a lot of plays. Only one sack, not very many tackles, and nothing especially impressive, but he wasn't the complete bum that people make him out to be. Not a good pick, not for our team, and he doesn't seem like he's worthy of a high draft pick from any team, to be honest. But not only have we not used him in a way that's congruent with his abilities, but he's still just going into his third year.

I don't care whether he's a bust or not, because I don't like the draft pick. He could turn into an All Pro, and I'll still second guess the pick for our team. Doesn't matter to me where he was drafted at this point. What matters is whether he can be a productive player for our team. I think he can, with the scheme change, and I'm looking forward to seeing some improvement from him.

The other unproven player I'd like to see do well is Kevin Thomas. Not just because our corner situation is subpar, but because he's another player that didn't fit the scheme we ran, but has talent. He played better in man coverage than he did in zone last year. Good play out of him would make quite a difference in our defense this year, and would impact our draft and free agency strategy next year.

[ColtsPRIDE11]

And don't forget, Justice protected Vick's blind side, and was pretty good at it.

Very true Nobody, very true!

[Superman]

He is here because he has potential, and also because keeping him is cheaper than releasing him I do hope he succeeds.

When final cuts come up, that won't matter all that much. If he's not worthy of a roster spot, he won't get one. I'm not sure what the cap penalty would be for releasing him, but I don't think it's so prohibitive that we wouldn't consider it. My rudimentary understanding is that his prorated cap hit if we released him in training camp would be about $3.465m, compared to his $2.37m cap hit as it stands. Not a big deal. And we could split that $3.465m into two installments, and let half of it hit this year at $1.733m, and the other half next year when we have a league high amount of cap space.

This is just to say that I don't think his projected cap hit is the reason he's still on the team. We took big dead hits for a lot of other players who weren't productive anymore. I don't think a $1.095m bump for Hughes is prohibitive at all. I think the reason he's still on the team is because he's young, and because he projects to be a better OLB than a DE, which makes him a potentially good fit for Pagano's hybrid defense.

[TKnight24]

He is here because he has potential, and also because keeping him is cheaper than releasing him I do hope he succeeds.

He WILL Succeed!! He's a Horned Frog for Life. Just give him a chance. Coming in behind two of the BEST Pass Rushers in the NFL, you don't get much opportunities to Shine. But with this 3-4 Rotation, it's about to go down in Indy!!