Losing draft picks? Have you forgotten the $$ we'll have next year?

[Quantum88]

The figure I have seen is $48 million. We should be able to get several solid starters for that. But, our long term strength will be built through the draft.

[Mameluc]

The stories about 'cap space' for the Colts peg us right around $40 mill.

I've never seen a figure higher than that. But $40 mill is a LOT. I think it's the most in the NFL for next year. It's 1/3 of the roughly $120 mill a team has to spend.

I just don't know how much talent will be available to us to use that money on. Looking forward to finding out.

I'm confident that the figures $45 to $60 mill is much too high.

i agree, im thinking something in the 30's , but thats a lot and that should get us some starters...however it also deppends on the quality of FA class next year, quite honestly i havent seen much names besides WR that are that appealing, you know like a true CB, a stud G, or a DT, dont just get a player cause we got the money. but hopefully there will be some talented tones or someone who fits what we do.

[smittywerb]

I just don't know how much talent will be available to us to use that money on.

A LOT of talent. http://nfltraderumors.co/2013-nfl-free-agents/

[chad72]

The figure I have seen is $48 million. We should be able to get several solid starters for that. But, our long term strength will be built through the draft.

Yep, we all know how throwing money at free agents worked out for the Redskins.

Best way to build a winning team in the salary cap era is to maximize the cap to keep outstanding talent that has blossomed while drafting cheaper quality replacements and role players with great upside to complement it.

[NewColtsFan]

A LOT of talent. http://nfltraderumor...fl-free-agents/

Thanks, I really do appreciate that list... and I hope you'll bookmark it because I'm sure we'll need to refer back to it often over the next year or so...

That said.... that really isn't a lot of talent. That's a tiny amount of talent. The ledger said the names in 'blue' were the top players and there were a very small number of them. And of those, many, if not most of them will either be signed to long-term contracts or be put on a Franchise Tag.

In other words, they'll never make it to full free agency next spring. They'll stick with their original teams.

That thins out an already thin group of possible free agents. From a Colt's fans perspective, that's a very, very disappointing list.

Sigh.... oh well....

[Superman]

Thanks, I really do appreciate that list... and I hope you'll bookmark it because I'm sure we'll need to refer back to it often over the next year or so...

That said.... that really isn't a lot of talent. That's a tiny amount of talent. The ledger said the names in 'blue' were the top players and there were a very small number of them. And of those, many, if not most of them will either be signed to long-term contracts or be put on a Franchise Tag.

In other words, they'll never make it to full free agency next spring. They'll stick with their original teams.

That thins out an already thin group of possible free agents. From a Colt's fans perspective, that's a very, very disappointing list.

Sigh.... oh well....

That's why I posted the list of last year's most notable free agents. Six of the top ten, and fourteen of the top twenty, switched teams. That doesn't include Peyton Manning, by the way. (I don't know how they've ordered that list, and it's definitely not 100% accurate; for instance, it doesn't include Robert Mathis, and that might be because he was tagged, same thing with Drew Brees, Wes Welker, etc. But I think the point stands.)

It's too early now to look at the list of next year's free agents. For instance, the list that you're referring to has Jason McCourty as a free agent, and he just signed a new deal. Take him off the list. Mike Wallace is listed, and it's unlikely he'll be an unrestricted free agent. And so on. That list will undoubtedly thin out by the time free agency starts. But it won't be completely devoid of talent. And by that time, there will be a significant number of players switching teams.

We don't need to sign a player like Carl Nicks for $50 million. We certainly don't need to sign a player like Mario Williams for $100 million. But we can get a starting caliber veteran guard for a reasonable figure. Steve Hutchinson got three years, $16 million. Honestly, I don't know what Jake Scott's deal is, but it would make my day to see him added to the roster right now.

If the point is that we don't need to worry so much about trading a couple draft picks, then the point is correct. We can fill needs in free agency. No, we can't just make out a wish list and hope for a Merry Christmas. But, as another poster said, we can supplement our draft strategy with some smart signings in free agency. And we have the cap space to do so.

[NewColtsFan]

The figure I have seen is $48 million. We should be able to get several solid starters for that. But, our long term strength will be built through the draft.

According to ESPN's John Clayton, the Colts have the most Cap Space next year.... slightly bigger than I thought....

$43 Million.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth/post/_/id/37621/a-look-ahead-at-2013-cap-situations

[BProland85]

Hopefully we can continue to make doubters believers of our trades. Losing a 2nd round pick is not the end of the world when you have 45 million to spend in free agency. Not that we'll spend it all next offseason, but we should be able to find at least 3 solid starters from it. Then we can use some other money to extend our younger currrent players that are worth extending.

And we should probably end up around 6-10 at the worst, 9-7 at best so a mid 1st is where we're looking at drafting. A spot we could easily trade down and acquire an extra 2nd if we like.

We were pathetic at CB talent wise outside of Powers, so this Davis deal instantly helps and if Pagano coaches him up like he has done in the past, then we should have a star at CB and a potential shutdown guy.

[Carlos Danger]

I hope we don't overpay at skill positions in FA next year. Nor do I want to sign old guys. I like what Grigson has done so far, but who we decide to spend $$ on in FA next year will do a lot to make or break my opinion of his GM prowess.

[masterlock]

My priority would be in the trenches....OL especially. Protect the franchise. Look at Brady....for years no one even could even get close enough to make him remotely nervous in the pocket....and when they did he looked human. If we build a great a great line around Andrew I think he could pick teams apart. Not only that but it makes running the ball so much easier. I think we are a RG and RT away from the playoffs. Sure Reggie is getting long in the tooth and clearly now Collie won't return after this year but our young guys and the draft I think is where you can address that....but it takes time to develop Linemen. I would love to see us get some quality beef on that line...not just some ground chuck that we have filling in this year.

With that addressed we can then really start targeting specific positions like OLB or NT and so on as those positions age or reveal needs. This cb trade should really take cb off our target list....it allows Powers to move over to #2 where he belongs and the rest of those guys to fight over nickle and dime packages where they are a better fit and won't be exposed as much. That money will go fast but there is no reason we can't identify those needs and address them...thus letting us use the draft for best player available instead of reaching for needs.

Completely agree. The trenches are where it's at.

[dgambill]

I hope we don't overpay at skill positions in FA next year. Nor do I want to sign old guys. I like what Grigson has done so far, but who we decide to spend $$ on in FA next year will do a lot to make or break my opinion of his GM prowess.

I don't like paying a bunch for skilled position players either. Usually their best years are behind them or they have perhaps 1 break out season. Typically once paid they never have that hunger to continue to push to the next level. I prefer to draft and develop our own talent at wr and rb. Typically great bargains can be found in middle to later rounds and I 100% believe SYSTEMS can make players. Not that every great player is because of their system but I truely believe with a great offensive line you generally most nfl quality backs can be great in it. I also believe that receivers with adequate skills can be made great by a great qb. I'm not saying Peyton did that with all our guys but I do think Luck can make receivers better. Working together and learning what the qb wants in his routes can make an avg receiver good. I look at Hilton and Brazill and Garcon and Collie and sure we would love to have more Harrisons and Waynes but the value is there for finding WRs and RBs later in the draft and not over paying in the open market.

Now...pass rushers, corners, safety's, DL/OL. Sure you have your steady journeymen and solid players but I just feel they are harder to find in the draft. Those are the guys I would like to target in FA. Sure we drafted Freeney, Mathis, and Costanzo but I just feel its hard to find those guys in the draft year after year. If you can get a difference maker in FA...take them...not only does it usually take years to develop at those positions but I think they are much harder to replace.

[chad72]

I don't like paying a bunch for skilled position players either. Usually their best years are behind them or they have perhaps 1 break out season. Typically once paid they never have that hunger to continue to push to the next level. I prefer to draft and develop our own talent at wr and rb. Typically great bargains can be found in middle to later rounds and I 100% believe SYSTEMS can make players. Not that every great player is because of their system but I truely believe with a great offensive line you generally most nfl quality backs can be great in it. I also believe that receivers with adequate skills can be made great by a great qb. I'm not saying Peyton did that with all our guys but I do think Luck can make receivers better. Working together and learning what the qb wants in his routes can make an avg receiver good. I look at Hilton and Brazill and Garcon and Collie and sure we would love to have more Harrisons and Waynes but the value is there for finding WRs and RBs later in the draft and not over paying in the open market.

Now...pass rushers, corners, safety's, DL/OL. Sure you have your steady journeymen and solid players but I just feel they are harder to find in the draft. Those are the guys I would like to target in FA. Sure we drafted Freeney, Mathis, and Costanzo but I just feel its hard to find those guys in the draft year after year. If you can get a difference maker in FA...take them...not only does it usually take years to develop at those positions but I think they are much harder to replace.

Agree. I would put the money on the NT and OG/OT position, a position harder to transition from the draft to the NFL. The DT position is the only position where a player is drafted based on potential over production consistently because it is real hard to project.

The rest, you can draft, even pass rushers and CBs. The OG and DT positions are the hardest to predict and draft, followed by safety.