After just 14 snaps and one six-yard reception, Austin Collie's 2012 season is over. Although it was a torn patellar tendon and not another of the concussions that have so bedeviled his career, I wouldn't be overly surprised if he called it a career after this. Austin, you are a great receiver and a huge asset to the team, but this is your brain we're talking about here.
To replace him, the Colts have grabbed a prospect from the 49ers' practice squad. Nathan Palmer (5110/192/4.34pd in 2012) looks the part, and has great workout numbers, but was not as productive at Northern Illinois as you'd like him to have been. And, despite his timed speed, he didn't appear to play fast. Still, he did put up 47-695-7 receiving, 6-30-0 rushing as a senior last season, and appears to hvae a good rapport with Colts rookie quarterback Chandler Harnish.
***
In another roster move borne of desperation, the Colts cut guard Trai Essex (himself signed during an offensive line depth crisis), and replaced him with cornerback Darius Butler (5103/183/4.41c in 2009). This caught me as a bit of a surprise, not only because (aside from a couple of penalties), I thought Essex played fairly well by the standards of those around him, but because Butler had been around for a very long time and the Colts acquired what seemed like dozens of corners before coming around to him. Situations like that make you think the team has decided against a veteran.
But that's what Butler is, having played with the Patriots and Panthers after being drafted by New England in the second round of the 2009 draft. Butler has talent, no doubt. He's speedy and deceptively strong, is strong in zone coverage and can tackle better than most corners. However, he's prone to dangerous mental lapses (and pass-interference calls), is not at all suited to man coverage and can be suckered by play-action and other fakes.
Signing Butler is something of a gamble. He may turn out to be a contributor, but there's a strong chance he could do more harm than good.
***
Speaking of corners, did anyone notice Vontae Davis' performance against Jacksonville? I'll admit he was terrible in Game 1, I stand by my minority opinion that he was decent in Game 2, and I thought he was very good in Game 3. I think his career with the Colts will be an average of the three, a competent starting corner with flashes of greatness tempered by moments of terror.
Another of my favorites I think did well against Jacksonville was Winston Justice. There was a great deal of doubt about him coming into the season after his problems in Philadelphia (particularly when he was asked to play left tackle), but he has been by far and away the best of the Colts line at keeping Luck upright.
I think the Kris Adams as third receiver experiment is over now. Hilton just offers so much more. I'd actually be surprised if Adams makes it through the season. Here are how many yards each wideout has gained every time he's been thrown to:
Hilton 16.00
Brazill 10.00
Wayne 7.74
Avery 7.04
Collie 6.00
Adams 3.71
Obviously, those numbers are skewed by small sample sizes, but you get the point.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Practise squad shuffling
The Colts made some practice squad changes, cutting NT Chigbo Anunoby and T Darrion Weems, replacing them with somewhat more esteemed players at the same positions.
The new NT is former Baylor Bear Nicolas Jean-Baptiste (6012/330/5.46pd in 2012). There's not a ton to say about him other than that he's huge, really thick and strong in the lower body, and has a pretty impressive first step. On the minus side he has short arms and legs, no pass-rush moves at all and the predictable conditioning and stamina issues you'd expect from such a behemoth. I know lots of fans are excited about him — many of them predicted the former guard to be as high as a fifth-round draft pick —but right now I see him as much the same light as Anunoby. Until he shows me something different, he's just a big guy in a uniform, not an NFL player.
I'm more excited with T Tony Hills (6051/309/4.98pd in 2008), in no small part because I have seen him play in the NFL. A converted a pumped-up tight end, Hills is a superior athlete, but lacks the requite sand in his pants to be an NFL regular. As you might expect, the former Steeler and Bronco is a better pass blocker than run blocker, although he was savaged the one time I saw him play for an extended period at left tackle. A few people have said he'll likely play guard for the Colts, but he has never played there in college or the pros.
The new NT is former Baylor Bear Nicolas Jean-Baptiste (6012/330/5.46pd in 2012). There's not a ton to say about him other than that he's huge, really thick and strong in the lower body, and has a pretty impressive first step. On the minus side he has short arms and legs, no pass-rush moves at all and the predictable conditioning and stamina issues you'd expect from such a behemoth. I know lots of fans are excited about him — many of them predicted the former guard to be as high as a fifth-round draft pick —but right now I see him as much the same light as Anunoby. Until he shows me something different, he's just a big guy in a uniform, not an NFL player.
I'm more excited with T Tony Hills (6051/309/4.98pd in 2008), in no small part because I have seen him play in the NFL. A converted a pumped-up tight end, Hills is a superior athlete, but lacks the requite sand in his pants to be an NFL regular. As you might expect, the former Steeler and Bronco is a better pass blocker than run blocker, although he was savaged the one time I saw him play for an extended period at left tackle. A few people have said he'll likely play guard for the Colts, but he has never played there in college or the pros.
Colts 23, Vikings 20
Ah, and there's much rejoicing in Coltsland now that the new edition of the team has its first win. It was tenuous, and it almost slipped away, but the Colts are now on the board. Here are some of ColtPlay's observations:
QB: I always knew Andrew Luck was a rare talent, but this game really indicated how special he really is. With no running game (the team went 26-63-0, a 2.42 average, if you subtract Luck's four runs) and opponents infesting the pocket, he managed to perform brilliantly.
HB: Donald Brown had one of those days he seems to have far too often. He dashed once for 15 yards around left tackle on a shotgun play, but the rest of the day saw him go 15-30 on the ground. Perhaps mindful of his two drops last week, Luck didn't throw to Brown once. The excitement that surrounded backup and erstwhile heir apparent Vick Ballard appears to have evaporated. Almost useless as a rusher against the Vikings, he failed to catch the single pass thrown his way. Speaking of shaken faith, my own in Mewelde Moore as a useful, role-playing veteran is waning. I can forgive his -2 yards on one rush because it was a dumb play call and the O-line did not help him at all, and I like his 8-yard reception on 2nd and three, but his drop was really, really ugly. The situation is bad here, but expect it to stay the seam because there's not really any other option.
WR: Can we stop the Donnie Avery hate now? Against the Vikings, he performed well inside and out against favorable matchups and not-so-favorable matchups. Do I expect 100-yard games from him regularly? No, but i do think he'll be a fine contributor for the rest of the season at least. A lot of Avery's looks probably came because the Vikings did their best to bottle up Reggie Wayne. They didn't do a great job as Wayne caught everything thrown his way, including a touchdown. Kris Adams was the third receiver again, but after catching just two of six passes for 26 yards in two games, I'm not sure he'll keep it. Barring the triumphant return of Austin Collie, the options to replace Adams would be rookies TY Hilton or LaVon Brazill. So far, both have looked talented, but lost.
TE: Neither Coby Fleener nor Dwayne Allen have lived up to the preseason hype yet, but both have showed promise. Against the Vikings, Fleener had some key catches, but also a drop. Allen scored a touchdown on his first and only catch of the season. Neither did anything good or bad as a blocker, but ColtPlay favorite Dominique Jones didn't play much, but he did get a little push in the run game.
OL: Awful, just awful. Surprisingly, Jeff Linkenbach was not the worst, Seth Olson was. After Samson Satele went down and Mike McGlynn slid over from right guard to take his place, recent signee Trai Essex played. If it wasn't for his two penalties, Essex would have graded out as the best of the Colts' linemen. that says a lot.
DL: The starting ends, Cory Redding and Fili Moala, both played very well, but were let down by Mookie Johnson's inability to deal with Vikings center John Sullivan. His backup, Martin Tevaseu, did little better, and the backup ends, Ricardo Matthews and Drake Nevis, added little.
OLB: Am I nuts, or did Jerry Hughes actually look like an NFL player? Maybe the new scheme was all he needed. Still, I'm reserving judgement until I see some consistency. Robert Mathis continued his pass-rushing excellence, and was more solid against the run than I had seen in a while. Backups Mario Addison and Justin Hickman played a bit, but didn't make much difference.
ILB: When everyone was going crazy over Jerrell Freeman for his Pick-6 last week, I took the time to point out his missed tackles and problems shedding blocks. Now it looks like I was quibbling after he played lights-out against the Vikings. Well, he had problems in coverage (especially against Percy Harvin, but that's forgivable), but maybe I am quibbling. His excellent performance was equaled (and perhaps helped out) by a similar effort from Kavell Conner. Backup Moise Fokou also looked quite good. This will be quite the position of strength when Pat Angerer comes back from injury.
CB: After a shaky debut, Vontae Davis rebounded with a good game, much to the relief of Colts fans everywhere. On the other side, Jerraud Powers provided his usual solid showing. Harvin made life hard for slot guy Justin King, but he held up fairly well, certainly better than most would have predicted in the offseason.
S: Both Tom Zbikowski and Antoine Bethea played at a high standard, although Bethea did have a costly missed tackle. Backups Sergio Brown and Joe Lefeged showed up, but didn't make any difference good or bad.
ST: The Colts are blessed with two outstanding kickers. Adam Vinatieri won the game on a long field goal after the Vikings tied it up, and Pat McAfee continued his excellence on both kickoffs and punts. TY Hilton did not look exciting on returns, but at least he held on to the ball. Coverage teams continued to be fast and energetic, but not all that disciplined.
QB: I always knew Andrew Luck was a rare talent, but this game really indicated how special he really is. With no running game (the team went 26-63-0, a 2.42 average, if you subtract Luck's four runs) and opponents infesting the pocket, he managed to perform brilliantly.
HB: Donald Brown had one of those days he seems to have far too often. He dashed once for 15 yards around left tackle on a shotgun play, but the rest of the day saw him go 15-30 on the ground. Perhaps mindful of his two drops last week, Luck didn't throw to Brown once. The excitement that surrounded backup and erstwhile heir apparent Vick Ballard appears to have evaporated. Almost useless as a rusher against the Vikings, he failed to catch the single pass thrown his way. Speaking of shaken faith, my own in Mewelde Moore as a useful, role-playing veteran is waning. I can forgive his -2 yards on one rush because it was a dumb play call and the O-line did not help him at all, and I like his 8-yard reception on 2nd and three, but his drop was really, really ugly. The situation is bad here, but expect it to stay the seam because there's not really any other option.
WR: Can we stop the Donnie Avery hate now? Against the Vikings, he performed well inside and out against favorable matchups and not-so-favorable matchups. Do I expect 100-yard games from him regularly? No, but i do think he'll be a fine contributor for the rest of the season at least. A lot of Avery's looks probably came because the Vikings did their best to bottle up Reggie Wayne. They didn't do a great job as Wayne caught everything thrown his way, including a touchdown. Kris Adams was the third receiver again, but after catching just two of six passes for 26 yards in two games, I'm not sure he'll keep it. Barring the triumphant return of Austin Collie, the options to replace Adams would be rookies TY Hilton or LaVon Brazill. So far, both have looked talented, but lost.
TE: Neither Coby Fleener nor Dwayne Allen have lived up to the preseason hype yet, but both have showed promise. Against the Vikings, Fleener had some key catches, but also a drop. Allen scored a touchdown on his first and only catch of the season. Neither did anything good or bad as a blocker, but ColtPlay favorite Dominique Jones didn't play much, but he did get a little push in the run game.
OL: Awful, just awful. Surprisingly, Jeff Linkenbach was not the worst, Seth Olson was. After Samson Satele went down and Mike McGlynn slid over from right guard to take his place, recent signee Trai Essex played. If it wasn't for his two penalties, Essex would have graded out as the best of the Colts' linemen. that says a lot.
DL: The starting ends, Cory Redding and Fili Moala, both played very well, but were let down by Mookie Johnson's inability to deal with Vikings center John Sullivan. His backup, Martin Tevaseu, did little better, and the backup ends, Ricardo Matthews and Drake Nevis, added little.
OLB: Am I nuts, or did Jerry Hughes actually look like an NFL player? Maybe the new scheme was all he needed. Still, I'm reserving judgement until I see some consistency. Robert Mathis continued his pass-rushing excellence, and was more solid against the run than I had seen in a while. Backups Mario Addison and Justin Hickman played a bit, but didn't make much difference.
ILB: When everyone was going crazy over Jerrell Freeman for his Pick-6 last week, I took the time to point out his missed tackles and problems shedding blocks. Now it looks like I was quibbling after he played lights-out against the Vikings. Well, he had problems in coverage (especially against Percy Harvin, but that's forgivable), but maybe I am quibbling. His excellent performance was equaled (and perhaps helped out) by a similar effort from Kavell Conner. Backup Moise Fokou also looked quite good. This will be quite the position of strength when Pat Angerer comes back from injury.
CB: After a shaky debut, Vontae Davis rebounded with a good game, much to the relief of Colts fans everywhere. On the other side, Jerraud Powers provided his usual solid showing. Harvin made life hard for slot guy Justin King, but he held up fairly well, certainly better than most would have predicted in the offseason.
S: Both Tom Zbikowski and Antoine Bethea played at a high standard, although Bethea did have a costly missed tackle. Backups Sergio Brown and Joe Lefeged showed up, but didn't make any difference good or bad.
ST: The Colts are blessed with two outstanding kickers. Adam Vinatieri won the game on a long field goal after the Vikings tied it up, and Pat McAfee continued his excellence on both kickoffs and punts. TY Hilton did not look exciting on returns, but at least he held on to the ball. Coverage teams continued to be fast and energetic, but not all that disciplined.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Desperate times
Desperation for depth along the offensive line has forced the Colts
to poach tackle Bradley Sowell (6067/309/5.22pd in 2012) from the Bucs'
practice squad.
You may recall that Sowell had the dubious distinction of replacing folk hero Michael Oher at left tackle for Ole Miss. That, and a penchant for looking like he wasn't always playing hard, made him a whipping boy for Ole Miss fans for his entire career there. But, in truth, Sowell isn't a bad prospect. Like most of the rest of the Colts' linemen, he's a much better pass protector than he is a run blocker. And, sadly, he also appears to be missing the same mean streak as most of the rest of the Colts' big fellows.
If he has to play this season, I think Sowell will be sorely overmatched, as would most rookie left tackles. But he has enough potential to be a pretty decent swing backup.
A further indication that the Colts need depth on the line is the fact that they re-signed center AQ Shipley (one of the two guys cut to make room for Sowell and potential Sunday starter Trai Essex) to the practice squad. To make room for him, they dumped DJ Johnson, one of the several dozen corners they traded for in the offseason.
***
The injury list looks pretty grim:
• As we all knew WLB/WILB Pat Anger is out. Jerrell Freeman will play in his place. He's a step down, but not a terrible option.
• LG Joe Reitz is out. There will be a three-way battle to replace him among Seth Olson, who stepped in last week and was horrible, Jeff Linkenbach, who lost the job to Olson in preseason, or Essex, who was just signed the other day. My money is on Essex — who is arguably more accustomed to the Colts' offense than the other two — unless he's a few bags of Doritos over the limit. Then it'll be Olson.
• RDE/WOLB Dwight Freeney is out. That's a tragedy. Next on the depth chart, as we all know, is the outlaw Jerry Hughes. Neither he nor Mario Addison looked anything like NFL pass rushers in Game 1, and Justin Hickman, the other option, didn't play on defense. No matter who plays, I would not expect much.
• WR Austin Collie's participation is up in the air again. I would err on the side of safety, and — with TY Hilton looking healthier — I think the Colts may actually agree.
• On the plus side, it looks like RT Winston Justice is back.
***
I'm running short on time, but I promised a look at the secondary's performance against the Bears.
• Jerraud Powers: Hindered, perhaps, by the poor pass rush, Powers was no better than okay, allowing a number of completions in front of him, and playing to avoid being burned. He was a non-factor in the run game.
• Vontae Davis; He was tragic, allowing two touchdowns and all but one of the passes thrown his way top be completed. He was nearly as bad against the run, missing a clean tackle.
• Justin King: Aside from being flagged twice, King stood up admirably in coverage.
• Cassius Vaughn: Came in for a single play and was flagged for pass interference.
• Antonie Bethea: Had his hands full taking care of other people's mistakes, and did not grade out any better than average. He also blitzed ineffectively.
• Tom Zbikowski: It's funny, people love him in run support and are leery of his coverage abilities, but in Game 1, he graded out well in coverage and not so great against the run.
• Joe Lefeged: Ran around for six snaps, didn't do much good or bad of note. I guess he added a little containment on running plays.
You may recall that Sowell had the dubious distinction of replacing folk hero Michael Oher at left tackle for Ole Miss. That, and a penchant for looking like he wasn't always playing hard, made him a whipping boy for Ole Miss fans for his entire career there. But, in truth, Sowell isn't a bad prospect. Like most of the rest of the Colts' linemen, he's a much better pass protector than he is a run blocker. And, sadly, he also appears to be missing the same mean streak as most of the rest of the Colts' big fellows.
If he has to play this season, I think Sowell will be sorely overmatched, as would most rookie left tackles. But he has enough potential to be a pretty decent swing backup.
A further indication that the Colts need depth on the line is the fact that they re-signed center AQ Shipley (one of the two guys cut to make room for Sowell and potential Sunday starter Trai Essex) to the practice squad. To make room for him, they dumped DJ Johnson, one of the several dozen corners they traded for in the offseason.
***
The injury list looks pretty grim:
• As we all knew WLB/WILB Pat Anger is out. Jerrell Freeman will play in his place. He's a step down, but not a terrible option.
• LG Joe Reitz is out. There will be a three-way battle to replace him among Seth Olson, who stepped in last week and was horrible, Jeff Linkenbach, who lost the job to Olson in preseason, or Essex, who was just signed the other day. My money is on Essex — who is arguably more accustomed to the Colts' offense than the other two — unless he's a few bags of Doritos over the limit. Then it'll be Olson.
• RDE/WOLB Dwight Freeney is out. That's a tragedy. Next on the depth chart, as we all know, is the outlaw Jerry Hughes. Neither he nor Mario Addison looked anything like NFL pass rushers in Game 1, and Justin Hickman, the other option, didn't play on defense. No matter who plays, I would not expect much.
• WR Austin Collie's participation is up in the air again. I would err on the side of safety, and — with TY Hilton looking healthier — I think the Colts may actually agree.
• On the plus side, it looks like RT Winston Justice is back.
***
I'm running short on time, but I promised a look at the secondary's performance against the Bears.
• Jerraud Powers: Hindered, perhaps, by the poor pass rush, Powers was no better than okay, allowing a number of completions in front of him, and playing to avoid being burned. He was a non-factor in the run game.
• Vontae Davis; He was tragic, allowing two touchdowns and all but one of the passes thrown his way top be completed. He was nearly as bad against the run, missing a clean tackle.
• Justin King: Aside from being flagged twice, King stood up admirably in coverage.
• Cassius Vaughn: Came in for a single play and was flagged for pass interference.
• Antonie Bethea: Had his hands full taking care of other people's mistakes, and did not grade out any better than average. He also blitzed ineffectively.
• Tom Zbikowski: It's funny, people love him in run support and are leery of his coverage abilities, but in Game 1, he graded out well in coverage and not so great against the run.
• Joe Lefeged: Ran around for six snaps, didn't do much good or bad of note. I guess he added a little containment on running plays.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Is the line offensive?
It's interesting that the big news on the day I choose to write about the Colts' offensive line, there's a big shakeup there. The Colts cut backup center AQ Shipley and backup tackle Mike Person — neither of whom played in the opener — and signed veteran lineman Trai Essex (6044/322/5.61c5.46pd in 2005).
I hesitate to put a position down for Essex because in 2011 alone, he played right guard, right tackle, left tackle, left guard, center and even fullback for Bruce Arians and the Pittsburgh offense. The Colts have him listed at guard, and it would appear that he will compete with Seth Olson for the right to start in Joe Reitz's left guard spot.
But he might wind up playing right tackle. The situation is almost as tenuous there. Starter Winston Justice was knocked out of Game 1 with a concussion and his replacement, Jeff Linkenbach, did not play well. If Justice can't play, Essex could get the call with Linkenbach likely to be kicked inside to see if he can oust Olson.
The scouting report on Essex is largely agreed-upon by fans and media alike. He's very talented and smart, but lazy and he carries a little more weight around the midsection than is ideal. He reminds me a bit of Tony Ugoh. Not because he's a great athlete like Ugoh or because he has terrible technique like Ugoh, but because he has moments that make you wonder if he actually likes playing football. When he's motivated — and let's hope having a paying job rather than waiting by the phone is motivating enough — he's a plus pass protector, but even at his best, he's not an asset in the run game.
Looking back at the Bears game, I think I may have been too harsh to call the offensive line's effort a debacle. There were some promising signs.
Left tackle Anthony Castonzo had the unenviable task of reining in Julius Peppers most of the night and faced first-rounder Shea McClellin most of the rest of the time. Castanzo graded out decently in pass protection, but did not get much push in the run game.
Left guard Olson, playing for the injured Reitz, looked better than he had in preseason, but still not up to NFL starter standards. He was close to adequate in pass-pro, but offered no help for the running game, failing to get any push.
Center Samson Satele was, in my opinion, the biggest disappointment. A veteran coming off a mostly successful 2011 season in Oakland, Satele was beaten frequently by the Bears' Henry Melton on pass plays, and generally made Andrew Luck's debut an adventure. On the plus side, Satele generated the most push of all the Colts' linemen in the run game, but that's little consolation when compared to his contributions in pass-pro, especially since the Colts only ran 13 times.
Right guard Mike McGlynn, thoroughly criticized throughout the preseason, actually played the best of the bunch, busting his butt to help keep Luck's jersey clean and to open holes for Donald Brown (which Brown often didn't see). My one criticism with McGlynn's play was that he could have done more to help Satele, who was obviously having a tough outing.
Right tackle Winston Justice also graded out decently, effectively silencing Israel Idonije as a pass rusher. But, again, I didn't see him do anything positive in the run game. After he left the game, Linkenbach stepped in and, to be honest, stunk the place up. The Bears just ran right over him like a speed bump. I don't think Linkenbach is as bad as he appeared to be Sunday, but his confidence must be shaken after all the moving around and criticism he's had to withstand of late.
Overall, I think we can make some conclusions about the line:
• It was designed to protect Luck, not pummel defenses with a heavy-duty rushing attack. All of the starters are more accomplished in pass-pro than run blocking (although you couldn't tell by Satele's effort), and the Colts' halfbacks will most likely do little to make the men in front of them look good.
• Depth is perilously thin. Olson's play is making me long for the return of Joe Reitz. Yeah, Joe Reitz. That's how much faith I have in Olson. And Linkenbach was terrible in relief of Justice. Imagine if he had to stand in for Castanzo. Behind them now are the recently signed Essex and nobody else.
• There are no stars. Obviously Castanzo is the big name here, but while he is a pretty good player and still improving, hopes that he'll be the next Joe Thomas are quickly fading. The other starters and major contributors are stopgap players, and will probably all be replaced in three years if not sooner.
• Say what you will, they did a great job avoiding penalties.
Other things (aside from the secondary and special teams, which I will get to later) I'm thinking about:
• Luck attempted just three passes of over 20 yards in the air. One was a pick, one was incomplete and the other was caught by Reggie Wayne for 23 yards.
• The more I think about Brown's two dropped passes, the more I can't get over them. Come on, Donald, you've improved in just about every other area, why is this happening now? Maybe it's just a statistical anomaly, and he'll bag the rest of them.
• Although he saw just a smattering of plays, I really liked what I saw from Dominque Jones.
• To all those who-knew-Tim-Jennings-was-good? people: Me, I did, look it up. I always supported him as a Colt, and was really bummed when they got rid of him.
• You know who was way better than I thought? Martin Tevaseu. I wouldn't sit Mookie for him quite yet, but he bears watching.
• Let's see more Drake Nevis.
• Yes, I know Jerrell Freeman had a Pick-6, but he also missed a few tackles. That's a break even. Still, he's not likely to get an interception every week, but you can be pretty sure he's gonna miss a few tackles.
• I think injuries will decide who will fill the currently open roster spot. It could be a pass rusher or another offensive lineman.
Note: ColtPlay has recently switched to an all-text format because a large proportion of our readers access the site on mobile devices.
I hesitate to put a position down for Essex because in 2011 alone, he played right guard, right tackle, left tackle, left guard, center and even fullback for Bruce Arians and the Pittsburgh offense. The Colts have him listed at guard, and it would appear that he will compete with Seth Olson for the right to start in Joe Reitz's left guard spot.
But he might wind up playing right tackle. The situation is almost as tenuous there. Starter Winston Justice was knocked out of Game 1 with a concussion and his replacement, Jeff Linkenbach, did not play well. If Justice can't play, Essex could get the call with Linkenbach likely to be kicked inside to see if he can oust Olson.
The scouting report on Essex is largely agreed-upon by fans and media alike. He's very talented and smart, but lazy and he carries a little more weight around the midsection than is ideal. He reminds me a bit of Tony Ugoh. Not because he's a great athlete like Ugoh or because he has terrible technique like Ugoh, but because he has moments that make you wonder if he actually likes playing football. When he's motivated — and let's hope having a paying job rather than waiting by the phone is motivating enough — he's a plus pass protector, but even at his best, he's not an asset in the run game.
Looking back at the Bears game, I think I may have been too harsh to call the offensive line's effort a debacle. There were some promising signs.
Left tackle Anthony Castonzo had the unenviable task of reining in Julius Peppers most of the night and faced first-rounder Shea McClellin most of the rest of the time. Castanzo graded out decently in pass protection, but did not get much push in the run game.
Left guard Olson, playing for the injured Reitz, looked better than he had in preseason, but still not up to NFL starter standards. He was close to adequate in pass-pro, but offered no help for the running game, failing to get any push.
Center Samson Satele was, in my opinion, the biggest disappointment. A veteran coming off a mostly successful 2011 season in Oakland, Satele was beaten frequently by the Bears' Henry Melton on pass plays, and generally made Andrew Luck's debut an adventure. On the plus side, Satele generated the most push of all the Colts' linemen in the run game, but that's little consolation when compared to his contributions in pass-pro, especially since the Colts only ran 13 times.
Right guard Mike McGlynn, thoroughly criticized throughout the preseason, actually played the best of the bunch, busting his butt to help keep Luck's jersey clean and to open holes for Donald Brown (which Brown often didn't see). My one criticism with McGlynn's play was that he could have done more to help Satele, who was obviously having a tough outing.
Right tackle Winston Justice also graded out decently, effectively silencing Israel Idonije as a pass rusher. But, again, I didn't see him do anything positive in the run game. After he left the game, Linkenbach stepped in and, to be honest, stunk the place up. The Bears just ran right over him like a speed bump. I don't think Linkenbach is as bad as he appeared to be Sunday, but his confidence must be shaken after all the moving around and criticism he's had to withstand of late.
Overall, I think we can make some conclusions about the line:
• It was designed to protect Luck, not pummel defenses with a heavy-duty rushing attack. All of the starters are more accomplished in pass-pro than run blocking (although you couldn't tell by Satele's effort), and the Colts' halfbacks will most likely do little to make the men in front of them look good.
• Depth is perilously thin. Olson's play is making me long for the return of Joe Reitz. Yeah, Joe Reitz. That's how much faith I have in Olson. And Linkenbach was terrible in relief of Justice. Imagine if he had to stand in for Castanzo. Behind them now are the recently signed Essex and nobody else.
• There are no stars. Obviously Castanzo is the big name here, but while he is a pretty good player and still improving, hopes that he'll be the next Joe Thomas are quickly fading. The other starters and major contributors are stopgap players, and will probably all be replaced in three years if not sooner.
• Say what you will, they did a great job avoiding penalties.
Other things (aside from the secondary and special teams, which I will get to later) I'm thinking about:
• Luck attempted just three passes of over 20 yards in the air. One was a pick, one was incomplete and the other was caught by Reggie Wayne for 23 yards.
• The more I think about Brown's two dropped passes, the more I can't get over them. Come on, Donald, you've improved in just about every other area, why is this happening now? Maybe it's just a statistical anomaly, and he'll bag the rest of them.
• Although he saw just a smattering of plays, I really liked what I saw from Dominque Jones.
• To all those who-knew-Tim-Jennings-was-good? people: Me, I did, look it up. I always supported him as a Colt, and was really bummed when they got rid of him.
• You know who was way better than I thought? Martin Tevaseu. I wouldn't sit Mookie for him quite yet, but he bears watching.
• Let's see more Drake Nevis.
• Yes, I know Jerrell Freeman had a Pick-6, but he also missed a few tackles. That's a break even. Still, he's not likely to get an interception every week, but you can be pretty sure he's gonna miss a few tackles.
• I think injuries will decide who will fill the currently open roster spot. It could be a pass rusher or another offensive lineman.
Note: ColtPlay has recently switched to an all-text format because a large proportion of our readers access the site on mobile devices.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Bears 41, Colts 21
Okay, that's about what I thought would happen. I can't say that I expected the Bears to roll up 41 points, but I did expect the Colts would have a hard time running, abandoning the running attack and suffer to score points, while they would also have a tough time keeping the Bears out of the end zone.
QB
Considering his diminished receiving corps and the even less-talented quintet in front of him, Andrew Luck did a pretty creditable job. It's important to note that he improved steadily throughout the game, despite the fact that everybody in the stands knew he was virtually forced to pass on almost every play. Readers of ColtPlay know I had no belief Luck would work miracles right away, and he didn't. Instead, he looked like a rookie with great promise.
HB
The Colts virtually abandoned the run game, but it was pretty ineffective before they did. Brown was as wildly inconsistent as ever, tempering the widely held idea he has the potential to be a successful feature back. To give you an idea of how feast-or-famine he runs, here are his rushes against Chicago: -2, -4, 18, 18, 1, -3, 0, 7, 13. Four carries went for seven or more yards, but the other five were for minus-eight. I realize nine carries is a small sample size to judge a back, but it's annoyingly inline with his career tendencies. His inability to come down with both balls thrown to him were very disappointing. The other backs did not accomplish much, and are unlikely to challenge Brown for many snaps. Mewelde Moore caught a nice little dump he stretched for 11 yards, but it was part of his niche role. Vick Ballard, a more likely challenger to Brown's spot, could not get anything started.
WR
Austin Collie was a late scratch, and TY Hilton was also out, so the Colts started veterans Reggie Wayne and Donnie Avery with rookie LaVon Brazill and first-year Kris Adams shuttling in and out. Wayne appeared like his usual self, but was a victim of Luck's high throws, especially early. Avery was also a victim of frequent overthrows, but did not look like a polished or refined receiver. Ordinarily, I'd say he'd have to step it up to stay in the lineup, but without Collie and Hilton, the team has little choice but to run him out there and hope for the best. Brazill appeared a little overwhelmed by the experience. He caught a late-game pass, but had an incomplete wiped out by a penalty. Kris Adams appeared a little more comfortable, but not as talented.
TE
After a quiet preseason, Coby Fleener was a pleasant surprise, looking like the team's best receiving option after Wayne. His blocking was not very good, but that's forgivable. Dwayne Allen was mostly invisible, but Dominique Jones showed some flash at fullback.
OL
This was such a debacle, I'm gonna devote and entire post to it.
DL
Except for one third-quarter assist by Cory Redding, the starting defensive line was completely skunked on the stat sheet. But that does not mean they did not play decently. They tangled up linemen a bit, provided some containment and Redding, at least, offered a little push against Cutler. That all said, they played decently, not well. They'll have to step it up if they want to make a difference, and they will see much better o-lines than Chicago's.
OLB
Dwight Freeney, as many predicted, looked somewhat out of place in the team's new scheme before leaving with an ankle problem. He was replaced by the outlaw Jerry Hughes, who totally disappeared. On the other side, however, Robert Mathis looked very much like he was designed for his new position, recording two sacks, a tackle for loss and even some decent coverage.
ILB
As expected, Kavell Conner was stout against the run and terrible in coverage. His contributions as a blitzer were a pleasant surprise. Jerrell Freeman made two huge plays — an early pick-6 that put the Colts on the board and a great stuff of Devin Hester — but was also inconsistent and occasionally pushed around. He shows great potential, but I think the team will improve when Pat Angerer returns.
DB
This, too, deserves its own post.
ST
As does this.
QB
Considering his diminished receiving corps and the even less-talented quintet in front of him, Andrew Luck did a pretty creditable job. It's important to note that he improved steadily throughout the game, despite the fact that everybody in the stands knew he was virtually forced to pass on almost every play. Readers of ColtPlay know I had no belief Luck would work miracles right away, and he didn't. Instead, he looked like a rookie with great promise.
HB
The Colts virtually abandoned the run game, but it was pretty ineffective before they did. Brown was as wildly inconsistent as ever, tempering the widely held idea he has the potential to be a successful feature back. To give you an idea of how feast-or-famine he runs, here are his rushes against Chicago: -2, -4, 18, 18, 1, -3, 0, 7, 13. Four carries went for seven or more yards, but the other five were for minus-eight. I realize nine carries is a small sample size to judge a back, but it's annoyingly inline with his career tendencies. His inability to come down with both balls thrown to him were very disappointing. The other backs did not accomplish much, and are unlikely to challenge Brown for many snaps. Mewelde Moore caught a nice little dump he stretched for 11 yards, but it was part of his niche role. Vick Ballard, a more likely challenger to Brown's spot, could not get anything started.
WR
Austin Collie was a late scratch, and TY Hilton was also out, so the Colts started veterans Reggie Wayne and Donnie Avery with rookie LaVon Brazill and first-year Kris Adams shuttling in and out. Wayne appeared like his usual self, but was a victim of Luck's high throws, especially early. Avery was also a victim of frequent overthrows, but did not look like a polished or refined receiver. Ordinarily, I'd say he'd have to step it up to stay in the lineup, but without Collie and Hilton, the team has little choice but to run him out there and hope for the best. Brazill appeared a little overwhelmed by the experience. He caught a late-game pass, but had an incomplete wiped out by a penalty. Kris Adams appeared a little more comfortable, but not as talented.
TE
After a quiet preseason, Coby Fleener was a pleasant surprise, looking like the team's best receiving option after Wayne. His blocking was not very good, but that's forgivable. Dwayne Allen was mostly invisible, but Dominique Jones showed some flash at fullback.
OL
This was such a debacle, I'm gonna devote and entire post to it.
DL
Except for one third-quarter assist by Cory Redding, the starting defensive line was completely skunked on the stat sheet. But that does not mean they did not play decently. They tangled up linemen a bit, provided some containment and Redding, at least, offered a little push against Cutler. That all said, they played decently, not well. They'll have to step it up if they want to make a difference, and they will see much better o-lines than Chicago's.
OLB
Dwight Freeney, as many predicted, looked somewhat out of place in the team's new scheme before leaving with an ankle problem. He was replaced by the outlaw Jerry Hughes, who totally disappeared. On the other side, however, Robert Mathis looked very much like he was designed for his new position, recording two sacks, a tackle for loss and even some decent coverage.
ILB
As expected, Kavell Conner was stout against the run and terrible in coverage. His contributions as a blitzer were a pleasant surprise. Jerrell Freeman made two huge plays — an early pick-6 that put the Colts on the board and a great stuff of Devin Hester — but was also inconsistent and occasionally pushed around. He shows great potential, but I think the team will improve when Pat Angerer returns.
DB
This, too, deserves its own post.
ST
As does this.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Midweek notes
Here's what the official injury report had to say for the Colts today:
Pat Angerer LB Did Not Participate in Practice
Coltplay says: No surprise.
Austin Collie WR Full Participation in Practice
Coltplay says: I'm worried about his long-term health, and I'm sure the Colts will be very careful with him, especially early in the season. That is, if he even plays.
Delone Carter RB Limited Participation in Practice
Coltplay says:
T.Y. Hilton WR Limited Participation in Practice
Coltplay says: Hmmm, not good, especially with Collie likely to be treated with kid gloves after all we know about his head issues. Hilton's development has already been delayed with injuries, so it's sad to see them continue.
Jerraud Powers CB Full Participation in Practice
Coltplay says: Whew. Without him, the secondary is a mess.
Cory Redding DE Full Participation in Practice
Coltplay says: Great, he's the veteran presence the line desperately needs.
Joe Reitz G Did Not Participate in Practice
Coltplay says: Uh oh, with Linkenbach moved back to tackle it's likely that human turnstile Seth Olsen will take his place.
Football Outsiders makes projections for selected skill-position players every year. This is what they think the Colts will do:
QB*
Chandler Harnish No prediction
Andrew Luck 497-307-3,543-18-17 passing 65-267-2 rushing
Drew Stanton 463-271-3,149-11-12 passing 43-50-2 rushing
Coltplay says: I think Luck will do somewhat better and Stanton, in the same position, somewhat worse.
*Unlike other positions, Football Outsiders' predictions for QBs assumes they'll start all 16 games.
HB
Vick Ballard No prediction
Donald Brown 184-752-4 rushing 20-246-1 receiving
Delone Carter 119-355-3 rushing 7-52-0 receiving
Mewelde Moore 33-120-1 rushing 20-154-0 receiving
Coltplay says: Brown's and Carter's numbers seem depressingly accurate, while Moore's befit a veteran third-down back. Although they had no prediction for Ballard (who I see contributing 250-300 yards rushing and perhaps a couple dozen receiving), they thought since-cut Deji Karim would chip in 29-94-0 rushing and 14-120-0 receiving.
WR
Kris Adams No prediction
Donnie Avery 16-226-1 receiving
LaVon Brazill No prediction
Austin Collie 54-607-2 receiving
T.Y. Hilton 14-161-1 receiving
Reggie Wayne 62-848-4 receiving
Coltplay says: Harsh. Football Outsiders has a major hate-on for Avery, judging him solely (it seems) on his poor performance with Tennessee last season. Those are good numbers for Collie if his head stays on, but Wayne will do better than that.
TE
Dwayne Allen 33-357-2 receiving
Coby Fleener 53-706-5 receiving
Dominique Jones No prediction
Coltplay says: A little ambitious for Fleener, I think, and a little mean for Allen.
In other news, the Colts waived CB Brandon King, DE James Aiono and S Mike Newton from injured reserve. None appeared to be part of the team's future.
Pat Angerer LB Did Not Participate in Practice
Coltplay says: No surprise.
Austin Collie WR Full Participation in Practice
Coltplay says: I'm worried about his long-term health, and I'm sure the Colts will be very careful with him, especially early in the season. That is, if he even plays.
Delone Carter RB Limited Participation in Practice
Coltplay says:
T.Y. Hilton WR Limited Participation in Practice
Coltplay says: Hmmm, not good, especially with Collie likely to be treated with kid gloves after all we know about his head issues. Hilton's development has already been delayed with injuries, so it's sad to see them continue.
Jerraud Powers CB Full Participation in Practice
Coltplay says: Whew. Without him, the secondary is a mess.
Cory Redding DE Full Participation in Practice
Coltplay says: Great, he's the veteran presence the line desperately needs.
Joe Reitz G Did Not Participate in Practice
Coltplay says: Uh oh, with Linkenbach moved back to tackle it's likely that human turnstile Seth Olsen will take his place.
Football Outsiders makes projections for selected skill-position players every year. This is what they think the Colts will do:
QB*
Chandler Harnish No prediction
Andrew Luck 497-307-3,543-18-17 passing 65-267-2 rushing
Drew Stanton 463-271-3,149-11-12 passing 43-50-2 rushing
Coltplay says: I think Luck will do somewhat better and Stanton, in the same position, somewhat worse.
*Unlike other positions, Football Outsiders' predictions for QBs assumes they'll start all 16 games.
HB
Vick Ballard No prediction
Donald Brown 184-752-4 rushing 20-246-1 receiving
Delone Carter 119-355-3 rushing 7-52-0 receiving
Mewelde Moore 33-120-1 rushing 20-154-0 receiving
Coltplay says: Brown's and Carter's numbers seem depressingly accurate, while Moore's befit a veteran third-down back. Although they had no prediction for Ballard (who I see contributing 250-300 yards rushing and perhaps a couple dozen receiving), they thought since-cut Deji Karim would chip in 29-94-0 rushing and 14-120-0 receiving.
WR
Kris Adams No prediction
Donnie Avery 16-226-1 receiving
LaVon Brazill No prediction
Austin Collie 54-607-2 receiving
T.Y. Hilton 14-161-1 receiving
Reggie Wayne 62-848-4 receiving
Coltplay says: Harsh. Football Outsiders has a major hate-on for Avery, judging him solely (it seems) on his poor performance with Tennessee last season. Those are good numbers for Collie if his head stays on, but Wayne will do better than that.
TE
Dwayne Allen 33-357-2 receiving
Coby Fleener 53-706-5 receiving
Dominique Jones No prediction
Coltplay says: A little ambitious for Fleener, I think, and a little mean for Allen.
In other news, the Colts waived CB Brandon King, DE James Aiono and S Mike Newton from injured reserve. None appeared to be part of the team's future.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Looking at the 'final' roster
QB
12 Andrew Luck, 5 Drew Stanton, 8 Chandler HarnishColtPlay says: A Couldn`t be happier. All three looked better than I expected in the preseason, and Luck and Harnish should be together in town for at least a decade.
HB
31 Donald Brown, 26 Mewelde Moore, 33 Vick Ballard, 34 Delone Carter
ColtPlay says: C Uh oh, a collection of role players! Of course, that can work ... but only if the passing attack is fearsome. We
WR
87 Reggie Wayne, 17 Austin Collie, 11 Donnie Avery, 13 TY Hilton, 15 LaVon Brazill, 7 Kris Adams
ColtPlay says: C+ A lot of talent, but the veterans are brittle and the youngsters are inexperienced. Of course, none of this applies to Reggie, who will continue to be awesome.
TE
80 Coby Fleener, 83 Dwayne Allen, 46 Dominique Jones
ColtPlay says: C+ A treasure trove of young (and unproven) talent. Keep an eye on Jones, whose versatility and big-play ability are enticing.
T
74 Anthony Castonzo, 69 Winston Justice, 72 Jeff Linkenbach, 60 Mike PersonColtPlay says: C+ I like the starters, but worry about the depth. Linkenbach is the fill-in guy at every position except center, but that doesn`t mean he`s good at it. Person has skills, but is raw, and, by the standards of his position, tiny.
G
76 Joe Reitz, 75 Mike McGlynn, 73 Seth Olsen
ColtPlay says: D- A huge weakness: Two guys who should be backups and one who shouldn`t be in the league.
C
66 Samson Satele, 62 AQ Shipley
ColtPlay says: C Pretty good starter, pretty good backup.
DE
90 Cory Redding, 95 Fili Moala, 94 Drake Nevis, 91 Ricardo Mathews
ColtPlay says: C+ I`m surprised Mathews made the team, but the top three appear to be NFL quality.
NT
99 Antonio Johnson, 68 Martin Tevaseu
ColtPlay says: D- (maybe F) I like Mookie, but he`s not a starting NFL nose tackle, and Tevaseu hardly inspires me. But they just have to hold up for six games until Chapman is ready.
OLB
93 Dwight Freeney, 98 Robert Mathis, 92 Jerry Hughes, 97 Mario Addison, 55 Justin Hickman
ColtPlay says: Freeney and Mathis are too good not to find a way to the QB, and the kids have shown some flair.
ILB
51 Pat Angerer, 53 Kavell Conner, 50 Jerrell Freeman, 45 Moise Fokou, 54 Mario Harvey
ColtPlay says: Until Angerer comes back, this is an iffy spot.
CB
25 Jerraud Powers, 23 Vontae Davis,21 Justin King, 20 Cassius Vaughn, 40 Josh Gordy
ColtPlay says: Wholesale changes looks like it means marked improvement.
S
41 Antoine Bethea, 28 Tom Zbikowski, 35 Joe Lefeged, 38 Sergio Brown
ColtPlay says: Not a position I`m worried about, keep an eye on Brown
K
4 Adam Vinatieri
ColtPlay says: It`ll be fun to watch the retirement tour.
P
1 Pat McAfee
ColtPlay says: The new face of the Colts, and that`s a good thing.
LS
45 Matt Overton
ColtPlay says: Sure it`s a gamble, but do you really think this is a Super Bowl team?
12 Andrew Luck, 5 Drew Stanton, 8 Chandler HarnishColtPlay says: A Couldn`t be happier. All three looked better than I expected in the preseason, and Luck and Harnish should be together in town for at least a decade.
31 Donald Brown, 26 Mewelde Moore, 33 Vick Ballard, 34 Delone Carter
ColtPlay says: C Uh oh, a collection of role players! Of course, that can work ... but only if the passing attack is fearsome. We
87 Reggie Wayne, 17 Austin Collie, 11 Donnie Avery, 13 TY Hilton, 15 LaVon Brazill, 7 Kris Adams
ColtPlay says: C+ A lot of talent, but the veterans are brittle and the youngsters are inexperienced. Of course, none of this applies to Reggie, who will continue to be awesome.
80 Coby Fleener, 83 Dwayne Allen, 46 Dominique Jones
ColtPlay says: C+ A treasure trove of young (and unproven) talent. Keep an eye on Jones, whose versatility and big-play ability are enticing.
74 Anthony Castonzo, 69 Winston Justice, 72 Jeff Linkenbach, 60 Mike PersonColtPlay says: C+ I like the starters, but worry about the depth. Linkenbach is the fill-in guy at every position except center, but that doesn`t mean he`s good at it. Person has skills, but is raw, and, by the standards of his position, tiny.
G
76 Joe Reitz, 75 Mike McGlynn, 73 Seth Olsen
ColtPlay says: D- A huge weakness: Two guys who should be backups and one who shouldn`t be in the league.
66 Samson Satele, 62 AQ Shipley
ColtPlay says: C Pretty good starter, pretty good backup.
90 Cory Redding, 95 Fili Moala, 94 Drake Nevis, 91 Ricardo Mathews
ColtPlay says: C+ I`m surprised Mathews made the team, but the top three appear to be NFL quality.
99 Antonio Johnson, 68 Martin Tevaseu
ColtPlay says: D- (maybe F) I like Mookie, but he`s not a starting NFL nose tackle, and Tevaseu hardly inspires me. But they just have to hold up for six games until Chapman is ready.
93 Dwight Freeney, 98 Robert Mathis, 92 Jerry Hughes, 97 Mario Addison, 55 Justin Hickman
ColtPlay says: Freeney and Mathis are too good not to find a way to the QB, and the kids have shown some flair.
51 Pat Angerer, 53 Kavell Conner, 50 Jerrell Freeman, 45 Moise Fokou, 54 Mario Harvey
ColtPlay says: Until Angerer comes back, this is an iffy spot.
25 Jerraud Powers, 23 Vontae Davis,21 Justin King, 20 Cassius Vaughn, 40 Josh Gordy
ColtPlay says: Wholesale changes looks like it means marked improvement.
41 Antoine Bethea, 28 Tom Zbikowski, 35 Joe Lefeged, 38 Sergio Brown
ColtPlay says: Not a position I`m worried about, keep an eye on Brown
4 Adam Vinatieri
ColtPlay says: It`ll be fun to watch the retirement tour.
1 Pat McAfee
ColtPlay says: The new face of the Colts, and that`s a good thing.
45 Matt Overton
ColtPlay says: Sure it`s a gamble, but do you really think this is a Super Bowl team?
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Post cuts news
Of course, of the three new Colts, everyone will want to know about the nose tackle, because that's where the team is weakest. Martin Tevaseu (6012/308/5.46pd in 2010) is immensely strong. Forget about his 308 draft weight, he plays at 325-330 and once got as high as 417 in college. Other than that, there's not much to say. He's slow off the ball, his agility is nonexistent and his play recognition is so-so. Besides, I'm always leery of a guy who's been released five times in two years. Still, he's not bad at shedding despite no real pass-rush moves and is a pretty good tackler. Also on the plus side is the fact that he's a fine young man. But unless he shows me something new, I'd say he's little more than a space holder for the team until Josh Chapman returns from injury.
Former Patriot Sergio Brown (6005/210/4.49pd in 2010) is a very interesting prospect at safety. He played significant snaps last season for the Pats and was pretty darn good on defense (even in coverage, unlike most strong safeties these days) and was excellent on special teams. The only thing I saw that caused me pause was that he had a propensity for drawing penalties. If he can tighten up his game, he could be a major contributor for this team. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he could be groomed as a starter if he can handle the mental/emotional aspects of the task. I'm glad they claimed him, even though I was rooting for Jermale Hines, the guy he replaced.
The third guy they claimed was Mike Person (6044/299/5.07c) who was a dominating tackle at Montana State of the FCS. But a 6'4, 299-pound tackle in the NFL? I worry. Of course, that might make you think that the Colts should bring him inside. Not so fast, Tiger, What was totally impressive about Person when he played was how he played in space, especially his outstanding kick'n'slide footwork. That's tackle stuff. And his greatest weakness was picking up second-level guys. That's guard stuff. He's a dancer, not a wrestler. The Colts, I think wisely, list him as a tackle. Despite his size constraints, I think his skill set works better there. Unless he somehow finds two inches and 30 pounds of muscle, I don't see person developing into a starter, but I think he can keep Andrew Luck out of the hospital if he has to play.
The practice squad has been set up, and I'm a tad disappointed not see an influx of new talent:
NT Chigbo Anunoby Everyone saw this one coming
OLB Jerry Brown They must have seen something I missed
G Hayworth Hicks They needed some depth here
TE Kyle Miller Ditto, he knows the playbook
WR Kashif Moore Picked up late in preseason, they want a longer look
S Latarrius Thomas this one I like a lot, Thomas is raw and full of potential
Of the other cuts, I would not have argued much. Maybe I would have kept Ross over Adams at WR because of his obvious big-play ability, but they mostly seemed astute.
Former Patriot Sergio Brown (6005/210/4.49pd in 2010) is a very interesting prospect at safety. He played significant snaps last season for the Pats and was pretty darn good on defense (even in coverage, unlike most strong safeties these days) and was excellent on special teams. The only thing I saw that caused me pause was that he had a propensity for drawing penalties. If he can tighten up his game, he could be a major contributor for this team. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he could be groomed as a starter if he can handle the mental/emotional aspects of the task. I'm glad they claimed him, even though I was rooting for Jermale Hines, the guy he replaced.
The third guy they claimed was Mike Person (6044/299/5.07c) who was a dominating tackle at Montana State of the FCS. But a 6'4, 299-pound tackle in the NFL? I worry. Of course, that might make you think that the Colts should bring him inside. Not so fast, Tiger, What was totally impressive about Person when he played was how he played in space, especially his outstanding kick'n'slide footwork. That's tackle stuff. And his greatest weakness was picking up second-level guys. That's guard stuff. He's a dancer, not a wrestler. The Colts, I think wisely, list him as a tackle. Despite his size constraints, I think his skill set works better there. Unless he somehow finds two inches and 30 pounds of muscle, I don't see person developing into a starter, but I think he can keep Andrew Luck out of the hospital if he has to play.
The practice squad has been set up, and I'm a tad disappointed not see an influx of new talent:
NT Chigbo Anunoby Everyone saw this one coming
OLB Jerry Brown They must have seen something I missed
G Hayworth Hicks They needed some depth here
TE Kyle Miller Ditto, he knows the playbook
WR Kashif Moore Picked up late in preseason, they want a longer look
S Latarrius Thomas this one I like a lot, Thomas is raw and full of potential
Of the other cuts, I would not have argued much. Maybe I would have kept Ross over Adams at WR because of his obvious big-play ability, but they mostly seemed astute.
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