Don't Board The Jerry Hughes Hype Train Just Yet

[Superman]

Moala alot but admittedly I havent been focused on the D Line alot, They have been mixing and matching first teamers with second teamers at times to seemingly just trying to find what combination works best

I think, much like Hughes, Moala stands to gain a lot from the new defensive scheme.

[JCPatriot]

Not good choices.

I'm not saying that they were. I'm not trying to defend those draft picks. I was just responding to the post stating that you don't draft depth in the 1st round. My point was that I don't think any of Polian's 1st round picks were intended to be only depth. They were intended to be temporary depth and then replace the starter. I don't think that's a terrible strategy......if you can stay a year or two ahead of needs.

As for there being more pressing immediate needs at the time, I can't argue with that. I have never been high on Donald Brown (hope he proves me wrong), and I think Polain overpaid to keep Gary Brackett. Don't get me wrong. I liked Brackett, I just don't think that he was worth a big money contract. They did eventually get a solid replacement for him in Angerer, but that was after he was overpaid.

I'm a bit less critical of Hughes, though. I have never bought Polian's assessment that the OL was the reason that they lost the Super Bowl. I'm not saying that there were not any OL issues, but I don't think the OL played that bad. There were bigger issues than OL, and one of those issues was the complete inability to get any pass rush pressure after Freeney stiffened up at halftime. As critical as that position was for the style of defense that Indy was playing under Polian, I can't fault him too much for jumping on Hughes if he felt that he could replace Freeney. Freeney was not going to be an easy guy to find a suitable replacement for. Plus, they did spend a decent portion of that draft on OL, but it was in later rounds. If anything, I would say that was one of Polian's draft faults in the last few years of his tenure. He developed a tendency to throw draft picks at a position of need even if they weren't particularly good picks.

[Freenyfan102]

I doubt he gets his chance to even play......Again he is 3rd stringer behand mathis and Freeny.....not to be mean i dont think they diserves that roster spot and it should go to hughes it his more natural position.

[TKnight24]

I doubt he gets his chance to even play......Again he is 3rd stringer behand mathis and Freeny.....not to be mean i dont think they diserves that roster spot and it should go to hughes it his more natural position.

Hughes played DE in College. OLB wouldn't be a DE's "Natural" Position. And plus, Freeney & Mathis aren't gonna be around forever. So, if he at least proves a little bit this year, he'll be a Future Player

[Freenyfan102]

didnt he play in that OLD spot at times

[Superman]

I'm not saying that they were. I'm not trying to defend those draft picks. I was just responding to the post stating that you don't draft depth in the 1st round. My point was that I don't think any of Polian's 1st round picks were intended to be only depth. They were intended to be temporary depth and then replace the starter. I don't think that's a terrible strategy......if you can stay a year or two ahead of needs.

As for there being more pressing immediate needs at the time, I can't argue with that. I have never been high on Donald Brown (hope he proves me wrong), and I think Polain overpaid to keep Gary Brackett. Don't get me wrong. I liked Brackett, I just don't think that he was worth a big money contract. They did eventually get a solid replacement for him in Angerer, but that was after he was overpaid.

I'm a bit less critical of Hughes, though. I have never bought Polian's assessment that the OL was the reason that they lost the Super Bowl. I'm not saying that there were not any OL issues, but I don't think the OL played that bad. There were bigger issues than OL, and one of those issues was the complete inability to get any pass rush pressure after Freeney stiffened up at halftime. As critical as that position was for the style of defense that Indy was playing under Polian, I can't fault him too much for jumping on Hughes if he felt that he could replace Freeney. Freeney was not going to be an easy guy to find a suitable replacement for. Plus, they did spend a decent portion of that draft on OL, but it was in later rounds. If anything, I would say that was one of Polian's draft faults in the last few years of his tenure. He developed a tendency to throw draft picks at a position of need even if they weren't particularly good picks.

I don't think he should have drafted for need without regard for the board. I'm a big believer in BPA, but the picks he made didn't make sense for our team. You don't draft a running back in the first round when you're a pass first team with an All Pro quarterback. And BPA is a very fluid concept once you get out of the top 25 picks or so. There's usually a group of players that you have rated pretty similarly, not one clearly better player.

Same thing with Hughes; there were a ton of good, highly rated players on the board. We took a guy that couldn't even challenge the starters, because they were so good. That's a good time to trade down if you really think the market is that high for the player in question. We absolutely did not need a defensive end right there, and to take a player that won't even get the reps he needs to develop is a mistake. Do you know that Rob Gronkowski was still on the board. Terrence Cody? If you're going to pick a player and stash him, why not make it a dynamic player at a position that you can actually get him on the field at?

I think it's unfair to play the hindsight game with the draft, but we did so poorly with those two picks that it's impossible not to be critical. I've been called a Polian apologist, but there's no question those were bad picks. The approach was wrong, the picks were wrong, and the results likely cost Polian his job.

[Superman]

Hughes played DE in College. OLB wouldn't be a DE's "Natural" Position. And plus, Freeney & Mathis aren't gonna be around forever. So, if he at least proves a little bit this year, he'll be a Future Player

didnt he play in that OLD spot at times

Not really.

I get the idea that his more natural position is OLB, but that's because he was projected to be an OLB by pre-draft scouts and analysts. But so was Robert Mathis. Even Freeney was considered to be too small to play end. And there's another couple dozen ends over the past ten years or so who "can't play end in the NFL," but do, and very well. Matthias Kiwanuka, for example. Polian obviously felt Hughes could be another. It seems he was wrong.

[JCPatriot]

You don't draft a running back in the first round when you're a pass first team with an All Pro quarterback.

Edge and Addai were both drafted in the 1st round. I agree that you don't draft a backup running back in the 1st round, but the starting running back position is a position that the Colts have always placed a lot of value in, even going back before Polian. I can understand that there were better players available than Donald Brown, and I agree with you. I cannot get behind the statement that you don't draft a RB in the 1st round period, though.

Same thing with Hughes; there were a ton of good, highly rated players on the board. We took a guy that couldn't even challenge the starters, because they were so good. That's a good time to trade down if you really think the market is that high for the player in question. We absolutely did not need a defensive end right there, and to take a player that won't even get the reps he needs to develop is a mistake.

Yeah, but if you are anticipating having to let one of those starters go within a couple years for cap reasons and you have an opportunity to pick up a player that you feel has the ability to replace one of the starters when that time comes, I can see jumping on that opportunity. Freeney and Mathis are not players that you can replace in just any draft, and that is a position of vital importance for the defense that the Colts ran at the time. True, we didn't need a DE right at that moment, but we were likely going to need one soon, and it would have been a pretty severe blow to the defense if we couldn't find one when we did need one.

Do you know that Rob Gronkowski was still on the board. Terrence Cody? If you're going to pick a player and stash him, why not make it a dynamic player at a position that you can actually get him on the field at?

I'll openly admit that I don't. I'm definitely not a draft junkie, and I've never tried to map or predict draft picks. Way too much time and effort required for that.

I think it's unfair to play the hindsight game with the draft, but we did so poorly with those two picks that it's impossible not to be critical. I've been called a Polian apologist, but there's no question those were bad picks. The approach was wrong, the picks were wrong, and the results likely cost Polian his job.

I am critical of those two draft picks. In fact, I have said on a couple occasions that I believe last season was the result of the cumulative effect of several years of bad drafting just as much as it was the result of Manning's absence. I also pointed to one year in particular (can't remember which one) where the entire draft was pretty much thrown away. I think Polian was involved in some very poor drafting towards the end of his tenure, and you can't afford poor drafting when you insist on building the team solely through the draft. I think Irsay recognized that, and that is why he was fired. And I get lumped in as a Polian apologist too.

[Gavin]

I think, much like Hughes, Moala stands to gain a lot from the new defensive scheme.

They should both get there shot this year, But for me this is Moalas last chance, Depending on our record this year there are 3-4 DE/OLB's I am looking at in the draft next year but if Hughes has a breakout year then hey who knows but it will have to be big for me to say 'hey he is our man going into the future'

[unitaswestand]

It is amazing how failed 4-3 lineman turn things around as 3-4 rushing linebackers. I remember Calvin Pace on the Cardinals was a big disappointment as an end of the Cards. His last year with Cards they switched him to OLB since they moved more to 3-4, and he had his best year. Goes to the Jet, and was a very good OLB for them. I think OLB in 3-4 are often overrated because often so much confusion is going on they are getting free shots at the QB versus a 4-3 end.

I actually thing Hughes will do very well if he finally shows some heart. But bothered me about games last year is he seemed like he was jogging.

[HtownColt]

I'm boarding the Jerry Hughes hype train because he is from Houston like myself and I like to see Houstonians succeed just like Andrew Luck

[gacker65]

Hughes was NOT a 3-4 OLB at TCU. He ws a DE throughout college. Idk where people are getting this 3-4 OLB in college thing from. He was projected as an OLB by many drft scouts because of his size and lack of power (for a DE).

from draft notes on him. He was a Demarcus Ware type OLB/DE at TCU

[gacker65]

It is amazing how failed 4-3 lineman turn things around as 3-4 rushing linebackers. I remember Calvin Pace on the Cardinals was a big disappointment as an end of the Cards. His last year with Cards they switched him to OLB since they moved more to 3-4, and he had his best year. Goes to the Jet, and was a very good OLB for them. I think OLB in 3-4 are often overrated because often so much confusion is going on they are getting free shots at the QB versus a 4-3 end.

I actually thing Hughes will do very well if he finally shows some heart. But bothered me about games last year is he seemed like he was jogging.

Because very few 245-255 lb players can make it at DE in a 43 defense. Mathias is the exception not the rule. Most 43 Defense DEs weigh around 275-290 lbs.

[coltsblue1844]

I don't think he should have drafted for need without regard for the board. I'm a big believer in BPA, but the picks he made didn't make sense for our team. You don't draft a running back in the first round when you're a pass first team with an All Pro quarterback. And BPA is a very fluid concept once you get out of the top 25 picks or so. There's usually a group of players that you have rated pretty similarly, not one clearly better player.

Same thing with Hughes; there were a ton of good, highly rated players on the board. We took a guy that couldn't even challenge the starters, because they were so good. That's a good time to trade down if you really think the market is that high for the player in question. We absolutely did not need a defensive end right there, and to take a player that won't even get the reps he needs to develop is a mistake. Do you know that Rob Gronkowski was still on the board. Terrence Cody? If you're going to pick a player and stash him, why not make it a dynamic player at a position that you can actually get him on the field at?

I think it's unfair to play the hindsight game with the draft, but we did so poorly with those two picks that it's impossible not to be critical. I've been called a Polian apologist, but there's no question those were bad picks. The approach was wrong, the picks were wrong, and the results likely cost Polian his job.

I'm actually glad that Polian is gone, and i think that Grigson will do a great job...but i do have to say that i DO see why Polian made some of the picks the way he did....if you look at our team at the time of the picks made, and the contracts of some of our current guys at that time, he was always looking ahead and trying to draft a possible replacement for an upcoming expiring contract player. They sometimes worked out and sometimes didnt...and most of the more recent ones didnt, but it's pretty easy to see what his actual thought process was

[funktacious2]

I don't anticipating a lot of people jumping on the Jerry Hughes train. I think most fans who know who he is knows he's entering the do or die years of his time here in Indy.

[braveheartcolt]

A few months ago, I smirked and commented at the monthly 'Jerry Hughes Ra Ra' threads we were getting. They are coming in almost weekly now, as the season looms. Shakes head......

We all know, at least since the SB win, Polian had no clue what to, or how to draft. He was fired 5 years too late, and was perhaps the real reason Peyton never realised his position as undisputed GOAT.

[throwing BBZ]

Very much this. I still don't get it. And the Colts have done the same thing with Brown and other picks. Somehow, we determine that our depth lacks at a certain area. One year, it is RB, so we use our 1st on Donald Brown. The next, it's injuries to Mathis or Freeney that negate our pass rush and we decide we need another DE, so we select Hughes in the 1st.

I get the idea that a team needs depth, but you don't normally look for depth in round 1. You look for a potential starter. In the case of the Colts, we had a pretty decent guy in Addai at RB. We had an awesome tandem of passrushers in Freeney and Mathis. So why not look to fortify a position of actual need (and select the next BPA) as opposed to selecting a guy whose only opportunities will come at the expense of the current starter(s).

I would have like to seen us draft a solid offensive lineman or defensive tackle in either of those drafts. After Donald Brown their were picks available such as Ziggy Hood, Eben Britton, Ron Brace,etc. Any one of those guys had a legitimate chance to start for us, and do so as a rookie. After Hughes there were Rodger Saffold, Patrick Robinson, Chris Cook, Brian Price, Lamar Houston, etc. Any one of those guys had a legitimate chance to earn a starting position. But not Brown, and certainly not Hughes.

To me, I don't hold too much against Hughes. If his only opportunities come at the expense of Freeney and Mathis, his chances are going to be slim and none until one of them is injured. As much as I like Dwight, I really hope for a stand out year from Hughes, enough so that the team has the option to let Freeney go in favor of Hughes who will finally get a chance to see the field as a starter, and thus maybe have a bit of a money to go out and sign and stand out type of player either for the offensive or defensive line, or perhaps elsewhere as deemed necessary after this season.

Who knows what we'll see, I just hope this team begins to realize that we need to find a way to utilize our top talent. They have already ousted Manning giving Luck the reigns, which, unfortunately, was the right way to do it (IE - not making Luck sit a year to see the field). I just hope they continue down that path. If they have to part ways with an existing starter to give the 1st rounder a chance, so be it. But there is no sense grabbing a guy in the 1st round, and then having the spot he should occupy be held by a legitimate starter. Why select the guy there if our starter has no chance of being ousted. There are plenty of 2nd round and later picks that can acquire the depth we need. Shonne Greene instead of Brown. George Selvie (or similar) instead of Hughes.

Depth is one thing, but 1st round depth on a team that lacks talent seems to be a waste, IMO.

Addai was a pretty crappy runner. Brown had just rushed for 2,000 yards. Our running game sucked. (as much because of Stats Manning IMO)

The Colts had their draft board, we hear about yours in hindsight. bla bla bla

How did you feel about Ugoh at mid-season his rookie year. Bet you were fine with the pick!

I didn`t like polians draft results after the first couple years. He MISSED on a bunch of early round picks.

[throwing BBZ]

I have to imagine that Polian did not see Hughes as just adding depth and ride the pine unless Freeney or Mathis got hurt. He had to see Hughes as playing a major role in the rotation to give and be a impact on the defense right away. I cannot blame him for looking at Hughes because once Freeney goes down our defense was useless and Mathis would just get doubled team and shut down. He had to see Hughes as commanding enough attention that they would not be able to double Mathis or if they did Hughes was good enough to get after the QB, which none of our other DEs could ever do. To me the logic was sound, but they probably reached a bit higher then they should have and when they did reach they just picked a bust.

Polian also had to be thinking to the next season with Freeney's huge contract and that if Hughes lived up to his rating our scouts gave him then that would make Freeney expendable, freeing up some money, and helping with the cap.

I was not a fan of Caldwell at all, but one would think if Hughes showed anything in practice it would be hard to hold him off the field. To me Hughes just is not a good player and it will not matter if he is playing OLB or DE. I hope he proves me wrong this year and makes Freeney expendable at OLB, but I think a snowball has a better chance of surviving in heck then Hughes doing that.

Very good points. Hughs was highly rated for just what the Colts drafted him for. Smaller DE`s need to be freak athletes, he just isn`t. Don`t know why they couldn`t see that.

You draft a top pass rush prospect early because of VALUE. Remember some of those stiffs that played for Freeney. Slow white guys...

Our D was bend, bend, bend then break with Freeney, worse with no pass rush.

BTW, Freeney had 7 games last season that he went o-for. No tackles or sacks. Pathetic.

[mvbighead]

I agree with your assessment, but the bigger problem is this: We had needs at other positions, and there were players available who could fill those needs. Not just in hindsight, either. It would have been better to draft Brackett's replacement than Addai's replacement, and James Laurinitis is someone that a lot of people thought the Colts would have their eye on. Then Brackett could have walked the next season. We had needs at offensive line in 2010, and Polian had just gotten through blaming the offensive line for the Super Bowl loss. Instead, we drafted a pass rusher who couldn't get on the field for two seasons.

Not good choices.

This is more along the lines of what I was trying to get at. We had obvious needs. DT and offensive line have long been woefully inadequate throughout the years. Problems that have been getting progressively worse. In each draft, there were options for players that were talented and fit a need. Polian could spin the BPA stuff all he wanted. The reality is, he took the player he wanted, regardless of need or if they were the "best."

For one, I just don't buy it. I suppose I figured he had a plan and all was well at the time, but it really seemed like he was always thinking too far ahead. Instead of drafting the DT that you need, he drafts the DE that he will eventually need. Instead of drafting the OL that he needed, he drafts the RB that he may eventually need. Both of the decisions seemed to reflect issues from the prior season. One was Dwight going down with injury, and the other Addai. As we didn't have sufficient backups, it may've been logical. But the reality was, if your star DE goes down, and no one else along the line is a threat, your pass rush will most definitely be neutralized. If your RB goes down, and your line is inadequate, no one is going to move the ball well.

I am hoping that this staff figures it out, or at least plays to their needs in the draft. There will be absolutely 0 sense in drafting Mathis' replacement in the next draft, as he is still under contract for 3 more years (from that point). Nor will there be any sense in drafting Fleener's replacement, or whomever. We'll have needs at that time, most likely at corner and perhaps some LB spots to fill, as well as adding true talent to the offensive line. We shouldn't pass those types of players up to bring in a guy that can take over for Mathis in 3 years, when improving one area of the defense should improve the defense moreso that adding quality depth that may at one day take over.

The biggest problem I had was with Hughes, as the two ahead of him were key pieces of our defense. There is no chance he sees the field without them going down first. So why waste a first on a guy whose best opportunity comes at our defenses' worst moment?

[mvbighead]

Addai was a pretty crappy runner. Brown had just rushed for 2,000 yards. Our running game sucked. (as much because of Stats Manning IMO)

The Colts had their draft board, we hear about yours in hindsight. bla bla bla

How did you feel about Ugoh at mid-season his rookie year. Bet you were fine with the pick!

I didn`t like polians draft results after the first couple years. He MISSED on a bunch of early round picks.

Hindsight? Hardly. I don't call watching Freeney and Mathis for 7-8 years hindsight. We knew what we had at that position, and we continued to have starter issues at DT and OT. We didn't have a clear cut starter anywhere there, just some guys that were getting us by and Manning having the right amount of awareness to avoid serious trouble.

As for Addai, he was hardly crappy. And, his lack of numbers had more to do with defenders being in the backfield at the time of the handoff, as opposed to him just sucking. That brings us back to OL, doesn't it?

Ugoh was a good choice, he just didn't have the mental make up to want to be a starter. it was a good selection, it just didn't work out. I can't blame Polian for trying on that one.

This has nothing to do with hindsight. It has plenty to do with us pinning our hopes on Charlie Johnson, Jeff Linkenbach, and a handful of others. None of these guys were top talent. But because of Manning, we got by for a while. We'd be much better off now with Saffold, who I thought at the time they might pick, than we ended up being with Jerry Hughes. There were at least 4 spots we could've plugged Saffold into to get him started, there were only two for Hughes. The four Saffold could have occupied were held by mostly a bunch of never-beens. The ones Hughes was looking at was held by two Pro Bowl DEs. You tell me who had the better chance at the time to make a contribution to this team?

As for the depth we needed at DE at that time, that could've been served with a later pick. A pick that would undergo far less scrutiny because they wouldn't be expected to start in a short time frame.

[Vinny BoomBatz]

Moala alot but admittedly I havent been focused on the D Line alot, They have been mixing and matching first teamers with second teamers at times to seemingly just trying to find what combination works best

Thanks Gavin! Much appreciated!

[Superman]

Edge and Addai were both drafted in the 1st round. I agree that you don't draft a backup running back in the 1st round, but the starting running back position is a position that the Colts have always placed a lot of value in, even going back before Polian. I can understand that there were better players available than Donald Brown, and I agree with you. I cannot get behind the statement that you don't draft a RB in the 1st round period, though.

The game has changed quite a bit from 1999, and even since 2006. Plus, Addai still had two years under contract. And again, you can get a good back later in the draft who will give you good production. It's not a high value position anymore, and especially not when you have a quarterback like Manning.

Yeah, but if you are anticipating having to let one of those starters go within a couple years for cap reasons and you have an opportunity to pick up a player that you feel has the ability to replace one of the starters when that time comes, I can see jumping on that opportunity. Freeney and Mathis are not players that you can replace in just any draft, and that is a position of vital importance for the defense that the Colts ran at the time. True, we didn't need a DE right at that moment, but we were likely going to need one soon, and it would have been a pretty severe blow to the defense if we couldn't find one when we did need one.

I understand the logic behind drafting Hughes. Freeney just got hurt. Mathis has two years under contract. You're anticipating Manning's contract coming up in a year. It's a passing league. I get all that.

But you just lost the Super Bowl. Your team has needs that you are not going to address in free agency (because you don't participate in free agency). You have two or three spots that you could upgrade on the offensive line, and you just blamed the line for the Super Bowl loss. And then, you don't draft a lineman until the 4th round, and he plays more tight end than he does line.

You also sustained critical injuries to your secondary throughout that season, but you don't put a premium on that position either.

Surprisingly, I'm less critical of the Hughes pick than I am of the Brown pick, even though Hughes has been more disappointing than Brown. But I still don't think it was a good direction for us to take. I talked myself into the Hughes pick after the draft for the same reasons you're offering now, but I think it's pretty obvious that we messed that pick up.

I'll openly admit that I don't. I'm definitely not a draft junkie, and I've never tried to map or predict draft picks. Way too much time and effort required for that.

I've never tried to map picks, but I do pay attention to what happens after the draft, especially for players the Colts pick. And it's hard to defend a lot of the picks Polian made in his last few years.

I am critical of those two draft picks. In fact, I have said on a couple occasions that I believe last season was the result of the cumulative effect of several years of bad drafting just as much as it was the result of Manning's absence. I also pointed to one year in particular (can't remember which one) where the entire draft was pretty much thrown away. I think Polian was involved in some very poor drafting towards the end of his tenure, and you can't afford poor drafting when you insist on building the team solely through the draft. I think Irsay recognized that, and that is why he was fired. And I get lumped in as a Polian apologist too.

Agreed on all points. I just don't think there's any defense for the Brown and Hughes picks. I get the logic behind them, but I don't agree with it.

[Superman]

The biggest problem I had was with Hughes, as the two ahead of him were key pieces of our defense. There is no chance he sees the field without them going down first. So why waste a first on a guy whose best opportunity comes at our defenses' worst moment?

Here's why: In 2007, we lost in the playoffs because we had no pass rush. In 2009, Freeney's injury affected our defensive scheme so much in the Super Bowl that we refused to pressure the Saints receivers (indefensible strategy, but it happened). Injuries to our pass rushers -- our defense's worst moment -- hurt our chances at two Super Bowl in three years.

Polian was evidently determined to never be short on pass rushers again.

I get the logic behind the pick, but I do not agree with it.

[mvbighead]

Here's why: In 2007, we lost in the playoffs because we had no pass rush. In 2009, Freeney's injury affected our defensive scheme so much in the Super Bowl that we refused to pressure the Saints receivers (indefensible strategy, but it happened). Injuries to our pass rushers -- our defense's worst moment -- hurt our chances at two Super Bowl in three years.

Polian was evidently determined to never be short on pass rushers again.

I get the logic behind the pick, but I do not agree with it.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the point. I just figure that there is more than one way to add pressure from a defensive standpoint. They're called Defensive tackles, which we were (and have been) in dire need of a good one. Brace or Price were both guys, at one time or another, that we could've used to address the problem.

I guess that's long been my BPA problem. Too often, Polian bought that logic as though it was infallible. And there was so much bias in it that things got overlooked. Personally, I'd have preferred they use a 2nd or 3rd on that depth passrusher. Use the 1st on a supremely talented player that we need. There are plenty available, even at the end of the 1st, that you can find a real player there. That doesn't have to be the, awe, we had problems with our starter last year, lets pick up his backup kinda guy. Let it be a, we don't have any suitable player for this position, lets see if we can upgrade.

Hughes was unlikely to ever be an upgrade, especially over Freeney or Mathis.

[Superman]

Don't get me wrong, I understand the point. I just figure that there is more than one way to add pressure from a defensive standpoint. They're called Defensive tackles, which we were (and have been) in dire need of a good one. Brace or Price were both guys, at one time or another, that we could've used to address the problem.

I guess that's long been my BPA problem. Too often, Polian bought that logic as though it was infallible. And there was so much bias in it that things got overlooked. Personally, I'd have preferred they use a 2nd or 3rd on that depth passrusher. Use the 1st on a supremely talented player that we need. There are plenty available, even at the end of the 1st, that you can find a real player there. That doesn't have to be the, awe, we had problems with our starter last year, lets pick up his backup kinda guy. Let it be a, we don't have any suitable player for this position, lets see if we can upgrade.

Hughes was unlikely to ever be an upgrade, especially over Freeney or Mathis.

Agreed on all points.