Friday, February 15, 2013

I gotta come up with better headlines

It was interesting to hear was Pep had to say. As far as trick plays and formations are concerned, I wouldn't put too much stock it in. Like the Wildcat. Do you really want to take the ball out of Andrew Luck's hands? Maybe have Vick Ballard tossing it out there? I don't remember that sort of thing happening too often at Stanford.

The last time I remember the Colts doing anything like that was in 1988 when they ran the Wishbone a few times, wisely preferring to let Eric Dickerson and Albert Bentley do their stuff than just to let Chris Chandler, Gary Hogeboom and Jack Trudeau have all the fun.

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Speaking of the Stanford offense, I see a lot of Colts fans are hoping for a "speed back" to complement Ballard. Again, I don't see it happening. Modern NFL offenses are built with very specific tasks for halfbacks that require certain strengths. In what I like to call the Luck offense, backs must be able to pass block, contribute as receivers and get hard yards on the ground. Those backs are very strong, sometimes at the expense of speed. Let's compare forties of the Colts halfbacks from last season: Vick Ballard 4.52, Donald Brown 4.46, Mewelde Moore 4.65, Delone Carter 4.54 and Deji Karim 4.40. None are true speedsters, though Karim plays fast (and saw a total of zero downs on offense in 2012), and Brown appears to be on his ways out (so does Moore, but it's not related to speed because he never had any).

The primary halfbacks who played in the Luck offense at Stanford fit the same mold: Toby Gerhart (4.50) and Stepfan Taylor (hasn't offically run yet, but I'd peg him at 4.55-4.58). Gerhart is coming off a down season in Minnesota, but is very valuable as Adrian Peterson's backup and as a third-down specialist, so it's unlikely the Vikings would want to part with him in a trade. He is in a contract year, though. Taylor is an excellent fit for the offense, but his stock is rising fast, and it would not surprise me if he's gone before the Colts third-round pick rolls around.

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Pep's talk led many to believe that the fullback question is answered because he nominated Dwayne Allen (Pro Bowl tight end Dwayne Allen, that is) for the job. Allen is definitely up to it, but I wouldn't mind seeing a  genuine fullback on the roster as well.

A lot of people have mentioned Owen Marecic, a former Stanford Cardinal who has worn out his welcome in Cleveland. I guess it could happen, but I don't think he is a good enough receiver -- he actually dropped all four passes directed at him in 2012 -- to be a Colt. He is a pretty good blocker and special teamer, though.

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Looking at recent NFL cuts, I see cornerback Terrence McGee. He's pretty old, injury-prone and slow, but is smart and a very good tackler. If his knee checks out okay, he may be able to extend his career as a free safety, but that's a longshot at best.

The Bills also cut safety George Wilson and linebacker Nick Barnett. Wilson's a very good box safety with some coverage skills. He's drawing lots of interest around the league despite being 32. Although he would work well in the Colts' defense, he would not represent an upgrade over incumbent Tom Zbikowki, so the team would be unwise to enter a bidding war for his services. Barnett, a former first-round pick, has been a solid player for years, but failed his physical with the Bills (who just happened to gain $3M in cap space by cutting him). He played well last season, but is a bit light for the Colts. If they have any interest in him at all, they would be wise to check him over thoroughly.

Also available is former Titans linebacker Kevin Malast. More athlete than football player, I don't see how he would fit in Indy.

The biggest name cut recently is receiver Johnny Knox. But he has rather wisely decided to retire.

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Bleacher Report has a seven-round mock draft. Here's what they have the Colts getting:

1. Alex Okafor LB Texas
3. Sean Porter LB Texas A&M
4. Aaron Dobson WR Marshall
6. Reid Fragel OT Ohio State

I like Okafor, certainly, and pass rusher is a top need. Porter could be a fit inside, but it's really not a need and he's not special enough to transcend that. Dobson is an oustanding pick. Big and strong, he's a great red-zone target and has great YAC ability. Plus he's a great guy. Love this pick. As much as I like Fragel and think the former tight end would be a bargain in the sixth, I think the Colts need an offensive lineman before then.

If you replace Porter with someone like Cal center Brian Schwenke, it'd be a great draft.

1 comment:

Roy said...

I would not be happy if the COLTS ended up with the Bleacher Report mock draft for them as there are not enough O-Linemen. Now, if they sign two in free agency, that changes things.