Posts belonging to Category Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are one of the few teams that haven’t at least tinkered with the 3-4 defense in recent years. But that’s about to change.

The hiring of Chuck Pagano from the Ravens means the Colts defensive philosophy will change, as Pagano has already stated he is bringing Baltimore’s hybrid 3-4/4-3 defense with him.

While this does mean changes will be coming, it might not be as drastic a change as you may assume. For starters, over the past few years the Ravens have actually lined up in a base 4-3 defense more often than their 3-4. Assuming Pagano sticks with this strategy, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (assuming he’s re-signed) won’t need to make significant adjustments.

What the Colts do need, however, is a true nose tackle for those instances where they line up in a standard 3-4. Antonio Johnson could probably fill that role if absolutely necessary, but he isn’t a true space-eater like Pagano had in Baltimore with Terrence Cody

Obviously the Colts won’t be addressing this need in the 1st round, but there are a few options for them in round two or three:

1. Dontai Poe, Memphis – As the consensus top-rated nose tackle, there’s a decent chance Poe comes off the board in the 1st round. If he does slide to the 2nd round, however, he should be high on the Colts draft board.

2. Josh Chapman, Alabama – Chapman would be a slight reach at the top of round two, but would be a nice fit in Indianapolis. He has experience in the 3-4 defense at Alabama, which would make his transition to the NFL fairly easy.

3. Alameda Ta’amu, Washington – Ta’amu is more likely to be an option for the Colts in the 3rd round. He’s limited athletically, and more of a true space-eater who won’t be a three-down lineman at the next level.

The Colts now have a two-game lead in the Suck For Luck race, all but ensuring themselves a shot at drafting Peyton Manning’s eventual replacement. The only thing standing in their way could be Manning’s objection.

Apparently that won’t be an issue.

According to an AP report, Bill Polian stated “Peyton and I have spoken about [drafting his successor], and he’s OK with that.”

This has to come as a relief for Colts fans. They can now look forward to Manning’s return in 2012 (and possibly beyond) before he gives way to Luck. Few, if any, teams have ever had such a smooth transition planned out two to three years in advance. While this has been a rough year in Indy, there’s no reason to think they won’t reload and become contenders again for the next 10+ years with Luck at the helm.

Any casual football fan can tell you that Kerry Collins is a downgrade from Peyton Manning. But pinpointing exactly what area of the game the loss of Manning hurts most is more complicated.

If you give Kerry Collins time to throw, he will pick apart a defense nearly as well as Manning. The major difference between the two, however, is how they handle pressure.

I have been arguing for the past three or four years that the Indianapolis Colts had one of the worst offensive lines in all of football. Statistically speaking they weren’t bad, but it was mostly due to Manning’s sixth sense of pocket awareness and his impressively quick release.

Enter Collins, and suddenly the issues are oh so very apparent.

According to ProFootballFocus.com Kerry Collins was 6-19 (31.6%) when facing pressure against the Texans. Among quarterbacks with at least 25 total attempts against pressure in 2010, only Arizona’s John Skelton (26.7%) completed a lower percentage than Collins against Houston. Manning completed 54.5 percent of his passes against pressure in 2010.

This doesn’t mean Collins can’t still play in the league. There are varying degrees of pressure and Collins saw the worst of it time and time again on Sunday. And when the pressure was off, Collins completed 10 of 12 passes for 139 yards.

The problem here is that the Colts have ignored the offensive line in recent offseasons. If they had simply found better options than Jeff Linkebach, Ryan Diem and Joe Reitz, their outlook for 2011 could be vastly different.

It’s hard to get too excited about a five-man draft class, but the Indianapolis Colts did a nice job adding some instant-impact players to help allow Peyton Manning to make another run at a Super Bowl title.

I don’t think Anthony Castonzo is a 1st-round talent, but I certainly understand why the Colts took him. Charlie Johnson is not a left tackle, and while Castonzo isn’t the next Tarik Glenn, he is definitely an upgrade. Down the road he may end up on the right side, but for the immediate future the Colts didn’t have many other options.

The selection of Ben Ijalana shows how desperate the Colts were to upgrade the offensive line. He has a chance to win a starting job at left guard, but he’ll have to beat out Charlie Johnson (assuming Johnson is re-signed).

Drake Nevis is a perfect fit for the Colts defensive line. They like undersized, athletic tackles and Nevis fits the bill perfectly. He has an excellent chance to win a starting job, and at worst should see significant time in a backup role.

Delone Carter has starting potential, but only if he can stay healthy. Indy is a good fit for him because there’s no pressure to perform immediately. They can use him as part of the rotation and hopefully keep him fresh and healthy.

Chris Rucker is rare character risk by the Colts. He’s talented, and could see significant playing time, but only if he stays out of trouble.

As a whole, this class should give the Colts the boost they need to make another run at a Super Bowl title. However, this isn’t the type of class that will continue to make an impact five years down the road. The Colts had good reasons to make this a short-sighted draft class, but it doesn’t change the fact that it will contribute to their hard fall once Manning retires.

10. Thomas Dimitroff, Falcons
This Bill Belichick disciple rebuilt the Falcons in one draft, possibly even one draft pick, with Matt Ryan in 2008. What Dimitroff has accomplished in three drafts is impressive, and makes you wonder just how good he could make the Falcons in another three years.
Best 1st-round pick: Matt Ryan (2008)
Best late-round pick: Kroy Biermann (5th round, 2008)
Biggest bust: Peria Jerry (1st round, 2009)

9.  Mike Reinfeldt, Titans
Reinfeldt’s first two 1st-round picks (Micael Griffin, Chris Johnson) have already developed into Pro Bowlers, and Kenny Britt is poised for a breakout year in 2011. Reinfeldt has also started to get production from some late-round picks such as Jason McCourty, Gerald McRath and Alterraun Verner.
Best 1st-round pick: Chris Johnson (2008)
Best late-round pick: Jason McCourty (6th round, 2009)
Biggest bust: Chris Henry (2nd round, 2007) (more…)

Matt Peterson tracks the offseason needs of every team in the league. Today’s franchise, the Indianapolis Colts [full archive here].

Season Recap – Seems a bit early to be picking for the Colts, but 2010 was a different season for Indianapolis. Finishing 10-6, Peyton Manning and the Colts had their worst season since 2002. Injuries were a factor as they lost many important players including Dallas Clark, Bob Sanders, Austin Collie, and Jerraud Powers. The Colts found a way to win without them and secured their ninth consecutive playoff appearance. The Colts will be back to full strength in 2011 and figure to be among the top teams in the league.

Needs:
1. Left Tackle – GM Bill Polian admitted his mistake of taking DE Jerry Hughes over LT Rodger Saffold last season. Saffold started all 16 games in St. Louis and was the blindside protector for rookie Sam Bradford. This offseason, Polian will have to correct his mistake and try to find Manning a better protector. 2010 starter Charlie Johnson is scheduled to become a free agent, but due to his performance he may not return. There will be an OT available in the first round for Indy. Tyron Smith would be a great pick. (more…)

Bob Sanders is a former defensive players of the year who turns 30 on February 24. Normally, he would be one of the most coveted free agents on the market.

Sanders can still help a team, even if its only a part-time role

Unfortunately, Sanders has played more than six games just twice in his seven-year career, and the only real mark he’s made in the NFL is as one of the league’s all-time most injury prone players.

That said, a number of of teams will give him a call this offseason and his price tag is made more valuable by the lack of talent in this year’s draft. Anyone looking for an upgrade at safety is better off calling Sanders – even with the injury risks – than turning to the draft for help.

Rahim Moore is my highest-rated safety, with an early 2nd-round grade. After him there are four players with 3rd-round grades, but none of them are guaranteed answers for a team looking for a starting safety.

The best option for a team looking to upgrade the position would be to sign Sanders and then draft someone as insurance. A team like the Seahawks, Jaguars or Jets, which is hoping to compete in 2011, could role the dice on Sanders and then try to land someone such as Tyler Sash or Deunta Williams in the 3rd or 4th round. That way, even if Sanders gets hurt (which he will), he will at least be around to assist in the development of his replacement.

UCLA junior safety Rahim Moore has announced that he will enter the draft.

The casual football fan has probably never heard of him, as UCLA hasn’t exactly grabbed national headlines over the past few seasons, but Moore may be the one of the most highly sought after prospects in this year’s draft.

Moore could come off the board as high as No. 11 to the Texans

In a typical year Moore would probably be a late 1st round to mid 2nd-round pick. Due to a lack of talent at safety in this year’s draft class, however, Moore could come off the board in the top 15.

The Texans, who own the 11th pick in the draft, may be his best-case scenario. He likely won’t be the 11th-best player on anyone’s draft board, but he fills a huge need in Houston and there is a significant gap between him and the next best option.

Moore is an ideal fit at free safety, and could supplant Eugene Wilson as the starter in Houston. If they see him as a strong safety, he could replace free agent Bernard Pollard.

Other teams such as the Ravens (looking for Ed Reed’s eventual replacement) and the Colts (insurance behind Bob Sanders) could also target Moore.

Should he slide past Houston, it is possible that one of these teams with a late 1st-round pick will trade up in an effort to land Moore, who may be the only safety with a consensus 1st-round grade.

Cardinals – Need a lot more than one aging receiver to fix their quarterback situation.

Falcons – Why mess up a good thing between Matt Ryan and Roddy White?

Ravens – No room with Boldin, Mason and Housh. Moss would pout, ruin chemistry.

Bills – Ryan Fitzpatrick has been pleasantly surprising. Don’t mess with a good thing.

Panthers – Think Moss will be a good soldier on a team competing for the No. 1 pick?

Bears – Lovie and Martz have their hands full already with Jay Cutler in the locker room.

Bengals – T.O.  and Moss in the same locker room? No thanks.

Browns – If Mangini can’t get along with Braylon Edwards, how would Moss fit in?

Cowboys – The last thing they need is another distraction.

Broncos – Do you really think McDaniels will get along with Moss better than Marshall?

Lions – Can you picture Moss accepting role as a No. 2 receiver on a 2-5 team?

Packers – Chemistry on offense seems to be great. Don’t mess it up.

Texans – See above.

Colts – Manning prefers his no-name receivers. And it works just fine for him.

Jaguars – Last place Jags aren’t going anywhere. Don’t waste the money.

Chiefs – Already hold a big lead in a weak division. Why mess with what’s working?

Dolphins – Marshall and Moss is too much ego for any coaching staff to handle.

Vikings – Been there. Done that.

Patriots – Been there. Done that.

Saints – Brees seems to be doing o.k. for himself without an elite receiver.

Giants – Can you picture Moss backing up Nicks and Smith?

Jets – I think they’ve learned their lesson with Braylon Edwards.

Raiders – Been there. Done that.

Eagles – Been there. Done that.

Steelers – After trading Holmes, adding Moss would be a step backwards.

Chargers – Vincent Jackson is back.

49ers – Can you picture Moss being happy in last place in the worst division?

Seahawks – The last thing Mike Williams needs right now is a bad influence.

Rams – Last thing this young, overachieving team needs is a bad influence like Moss.

Bucs – See above.

Titans – Kenny Britt has enough issues to overcome without Moss influencing him.

Redskins – McNabb and T.O. didn’t work. Why would it work with Moss?

1. The Steelers are now heavy favorites to win the AFC in my opinion. A 3-0 start with Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch at quarterback is no fluke. As long as they stay healthy, they’re the deepest team in that conference and no one can stop them. But health was an issue for them last year, so nothing is guaranteed.

2. I’d like to know the real story behind Trent Edwards’ release in Buffalo. How does a Week 1 starter not even have a spot on the roster two weeks later? There has to be something going on behind the scenes that we all aren’t aware of.

3. It’s nice to see Darren McFadden finally living up to expectations. He went over 100 yards again this week and has 345 on the season. Now if only Oakland could get some consistency at quarterback…

4. The 49ers are panicking already by firing offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye. How long before they panic some more and pull Alex Smith in favor of David Carr or Troy Smith? He’s already thrown five interceptions this season and I can’t imagine Mike Singletary will have the patience to let him keep up that pace for much longer.

5. That was a great road win for the Titans against the Giants this weekend. But I think we’ll know a lot more about the Titans over the next three weeks. They’re at home against the Broncos, then at Dallas, then at Jacksonville on Monday night. All three of those games look winnable. But they could just as easily go 1-2. If they come out of that stretch with a 5-1 record, they could be headed towards a playoff berth.

6. The Chargers are lucky Marcus McNeill is coming to the rescue soon. But they better hope his temporary replacement Brandyn Dombrowski doesn’t get Phillip Rivers killed in the meantime. It seemed like Rivers was under pressure all day against the Seahawks – a team that doesn’t even have a great pass rush.

Peyton Hillis nearly led the Browns to an upset in Baltimore

7. Peyton Hillis is a beast. His 144 yards on Sunday were the most the Ravens have ever allowed to a division opponent. That’s in a division that has featured Jerome Bettis, Corey Dillon, Eddie George and plenty of other quality running backs over the years.

8. Want proof that Peyton Manning is a miracle worker? Austin Collie is the NFL’s leader in receiving yards.

9. I think the Broncos are a lot better than I expected, but they’re still going to finish in the bottom third of the league. They don’t have a running game, and no one on that roster appears ready to emerge as the answer to that problem. I’m even starting to wonder if it’s time to consider Knowshon Moreno a bust? It’s still early, but it rarely takes 1st-round running backs this long to develop. It’s not as though he’s playing in an inept offense. The Broncos have a solid passing game and a respectable offensive line. He should be producing by now.

10. The Chiefs may be 3-0, but I still put their chances of making the playoffs at well less than 50 percent. They’re off this week, then at Indy and at Houston. They’ll be 3-2 by mid-October and looking more like the team we all expected them to be.