More offseason thoughts

I like that the media is giving Drew Stanton some love by claiming Bruce Arians wants to take him to the desert with him. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but after the years of bad quarterbackery there, fans really don't want to see a guy with a 2-2 record in a possible 96 games brought in as anything more than a backup.

The old adage that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none applies here except that the Cards would just be throwing Stanton on a pile that already includes Kevin Kolb (9-12), John Skelton (8-9), Ryan Lindley (1-3) and, perhaps, Brian Hoyer (0-1). The Cards are looking to restructure Kolb's massive deal, and could easily and cheaply cut ties with Skelton and Hoyer. Kolb's a better fit in Arians' offense than he was in the previous one, but the problem with him has always been his durabilty. The Cards could go into the season with him as the starter, Stanton as the backup and Lindley as the baseball cap guy.

They could, but it wouldn't be an upgrade.

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A lot of Colts fans are hoping their team drafts huge Alabama tackle DJ Fluker in the first round. Don't count me among them. While there's no doubt Fluker is a first-round talent, he is a bad fit for the Colts. Heavy-footed and slow, his pass blocking is not up to the standard the Colts require at the position, especially when facing speed rushers. Even in the run game, the Colts' offensive scheme requires more motion than I think Fluker is actually capable of. Oklahoma's Lane Johnson, an athletic former quarterback and tight end, would represent a much better choice if he's available. He reminds me a lot of Nate Solder.

A better choice than either would be North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper, if he's available. Fans tend to undervalue guards, but Cooper is a special one.

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Most mock drafts I've seen have the Colts selecting a nose tackle prospect in the first round. It makes some sense. Last years' starter, Mookie Johnson, didn't do a great job and is scheduled to become a free agent. That would leave the job to 2012 fifth-round pick Josh Chapman and 2012 free agent signing Brandon McKinney. Neither is a top-notch talent, and both missed 2012 with serious knee injuries.

Barring a trade up, I can't see the Colts snagging Georgia's John Jenkins, but Alabama's Jesse Williams (Chapman's replacement with the Tide) is a realistic target. After him, though, the pickings get slim.

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If the Colts go for a cornerback in the first round, I'd like to suggest Oregon State's Jordan Poyer. I like the way he plays. Seems a good fit for the Colts (but, in all likelihood, never a No.1), and his arrest doesn't bother me.

Of course, any interest in a corner in the first round would be greatly influenced by the Colts' actions regarding their own free-agent corners (Jerraud Powers, Darius Butler and Cassius Vaughn) and any free agents they may pursue, like Malcolm "Possum" Jenkins.

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Of course, there is still a strong possibility the Colts could go with a pass rusher even if they re-sign Dwight Freeney or attract a free agent like Paul Kruger.

But the pass-rusher market is incredibly volatile. Look at least year's first round. Who, at this time last year, thought Bruce Irvin (who went 15th), Shea McClellin (19th), Chandler Jones (21st) or Nick Perry (28th) were potential first rounders?

Of course, a lot of water's gonna pass under the bridge before the draft, but I think the Colts can forget about Florida State's Bjoern Warner, Georgia's Jarvis Jones, Texas A&M's Demontre Moore, LSU's Barkevious Mingo, Oregon's Dion Jordan and, after his Senior Bowl breakout, BYU's Ezekiel Ahnsah.

That leaves LSU's Sam Montgomery (8 sacks in 2013), Texas' Alex Okafor (12.5) and maybe Southern Mississippi's Jamie Collins (10) as first-round possibilities. Who knows? A dark horse like Florida State's Cornelius Carradine (11) or Ohio State's John Simon (9) could emerge.