As explained in the title, this a second go around for a full 2011 Colts mock draft.  I used the constructive criticism given by commentors (special thanks to shake and invisibulman) as well as changes in the landscape ie Draft Stocks.  Updates are in all 7 Rounds as well as the removal of the minimal free agency acquisitions I guessed at.  Damn you Players!  Damn you Owners!  Are you really telling me you can't figure a way to split a 9.3 BILLION DOLLAR pie?  Really?  Really?  But I digress...

Resigned players are: Melvin Bullitt (SS), Antonio Johnson (1-tech DT), Charlie Johnson (LT/LG), Kyle Devan (LG),  Joseph Addai (RB), and Adam Vinatieri.

Free Agent Losses are: Clint Session (OLB), Keyunta Dawson (DE), Daniel Muir (DT), Mike Hart(RB),and Gijon Robinson (TE)

ON TO THE DRAFT...

Round 1 Pick 22 - Derrick Sherrod (LT, Mississippi State)  (previously Nate Solder, LT Colorado) I still think we have to go Offensive Tackle here.  Two of our three most pressing needs are on the D-Line and O-Line.  This draft is particularly heavy with D-Line talent meaning two things for the Colts.  1)  A top tier talent can fall to us even at 22, or 2) In this scenario, many teams draft D-line in the first round and not addressing it again until the later rounds or in UDFA.  The biggest knock I've read about Sherrod is he's not great at run blocking and does not engage D-Ends as physically as he should.  Some reports say he can drive block, others specifically say he can't.  What I do recall reading is Miss St. line had the second best rushing attack in the SEC, so Sherrod can't be that bad.  In addition, I think Costanzo (my first choice), Smith, and Solder will all be off the board by the time we draft.   

Round 2 Pick 53 - Tyler Sash (SS, Iowa)  (previously Stephen Paea DT, Oregon State)     I know this seems almost like Deja Vu, replacing Bob Sanders with a player from the same school with similar measurables, but the more I dug into it, the more it made sense.  Polian likes his Big Ten conference players, it's a position of absolute need (with or without Melvin Bullitt), and Sash can help in the box.  At 6ft 1in, 210 pounds with a 4.6 40, he has a good speed/size combination to play Safety in our zone coverage scheme.  Finally, and I haven't a clue if this a rumor or not, but his full name is Tyler "Motherf*ckin'" Sash.

Round 3 Pick 87 - Sione Fua (DT, Stanford) (previously Austin Pettis WR, Boise State)     I think Fua would be an ideal compliment to Antonio Johnson at the 1-tech spot.  We all saw what happened in the playoff loss to the Jets.  Without another true 1-tech on our roster, we had an out of position Daniel Muir/Fili Moala or an over matched Ricardo Matthews fill in, with terrible results.  At 6ft 2in, 310 pounds, and playing on an underrated Standford defense, Fua has the ability to come in from day one as a rotational run stuffer.  Plus if this happens, we will have to come up with some type of Samoan flavored nickname for Moala and Fua ala "The Williams Wall" in Minnesota.

Round 4 Pick 118 Joseph Barksdale (RT, LSU) (same)     At 6ft 5in and 325 pounds, he hits hard!  Watching him violently attack other linemen holding blocking pads made me smile.  I still think Barksdale could be there at this pick.  In a perfect world, Barksdale would come in and immediately displace Ryan Diem (cut) while simultaneously, Sherrod could push Charlie Johnson to guard or into more of a rotational role.  This would make our starting lineup look like Sherrod/McClendon(or Johnson)/Saturday/Devan/Barksdale.  A more likely scenario would put either Sherrod or Johnson at Right Tackle while Barksdale works his way in.  Either way, our new line would be much improved.

Round 5 Pick 149 Roy Helu (RB, Nebraska) (previously Shiloh Keo SS, Idaho)     Roy Helu, hopefully, offers a characteristic lacking in our current stable of running backs, durability.  As a HUGE University of Michigan fan, I was excited when the Colts selected Mike Hart.  Unfortunately, I see no way Mike Hart makes the roster again and, while a fan favorite, Dominic Rhodes really doesn't offer enough at this point in his career.  Helu had back to back 1,000yd seasons for the Cornhuskers, but lacks the top-end speed and make you miss agility that separates runners at the next level.

Round 6 Pick 183 Tejay Johnson (FS, TCU) (previously not picked, thought to be traded to the Redskinsfor Justin Tryon ie I'm an idiot) Scouts view him as a great leader with good coverage skills with adequate speed.  Ideal for a special teams spot as well as a developmental player.

Round 7 Pick 202 Justin Tryon Trade

Thoughts?  

As explained in the title, this a second go around for a full 2011 Colts mock draft.  I used the constructive criticism given by commentors (special thanks to shake and invisibulman) as well as changes in the landscape ie Draft Stocks.  Updates are in all 7 Rounds as well as the removal of the minimal free agency acquisitions I guessed at.  Damn you Players!  Damn you Owners!  Are you really telling me you can't figure a way to split a 9.3 BILLION DOLLAR pie?  Really?  Really?  But I digress...

Resigned players are: Melvin Bullitt (SS), Antonio Johnson (1-tech DT), Charlie Johnson (LT/LG), Kyle Devan (LG),  Joseph Addai (RB), and Adam Vinatieri.

Free Agent Losses are: Clint Sessions (OLB), Keyunta Dawson (DE), Daniel Muir (DT), Mike Hart (RB),and Gijon Robinson (TE)

ON TO THE DRAFT...

Round 1 Pick 22 - Derrick Sherrod (LT, Mississippi State)  (previously Nate Solder, LT Colorado) I still think we have to go Offensive Tackle here.  Two of our three most pressing needs are on the D-Line and O-Line.  This draft is particularly heavy with D-Line talent meaning two things for the Colts.  1)  A top tier talent can fall to us even at 22, or 2) In this scenario, many teams draft D-line in the first round and not addressing it again until the later rounds or in UDFA.  The biggest knock I've read about Sherrod is he's not great at run blocking and does not engage D-Ends as physically as he should.  Some reports say he can drive block, others specifically say he can't.  What I do recall reading is Miss St. line had the second best rushing attack in the SEC, so Sherrod can't be that bad.  In addition, I think Costanzo (my first choice), Smith, and Solder will all be off the board by the time we draft.   

Round 2 Pick 53 - Tyler Sash (SS, Iowa)  (previously Stephen Paea DT, Oregon State)     I know this seems almost like Deja Vu, replacing Bob Sanders with a player from the same school with similar measurables, but the more I dug into it, the more it made sense.  Polian likes his Big Ten conference players, it's a position of absolute need (with or without Melvin Bullitt), and Sash can help in the box.  At 6ft 1in, 210 pounds with a 4.6 40, he has a good speed/size combination to play Safety in our zone coverage scheme.  Finally, and I haven't a clue if this a rumor or not, but his full name is Tyler "Motherf*ckin'" Sash.

Round 3 Pick 87 - Sione Fua (DT, Stanford) (previously Austin Pettis WR, Boise State)     I think Fua would be an ideal compliment to Antonio Johnson at the 1-tech spot.  We all saw what happened in the playoff loss to the Jets.  Without another true 1-tech on our roster, we had an out of position Daniel Muir/Fili Moala or an over matched Ricardo Matthews fill in, with terrible results.  At 6ft 2in, 310 pounds, and playing on an underrated Standford defense, Fua has the ability to come in from day one as a rotational run stuffer.  Plus if this happens, we will have to come up with some type of Samoan flavored nickname for Moala and Fua ala "The Williams Wall" in Minnesota.

Round 4 Pick 118 Joseph Barksdale (RT, LSU) (same)     At 6ft 5in and 325 pounds, he hits hard!  Watching him violently attack other linemen holding blocking pads made me smile.  I still think Barksdale could be there at this pick.  In a perfect world, Barksdale would come in and immediately displace Ryan Diem (cut) while simultaneously, Sherrod could push Charlie Johnson to guard or into more of a rotational role.  This would make our starting lineup look like Sherrod/McClendon(or Johnson)/Saturday/Devan/Barksdale.  A more likely scenario would put either Sherrod or Johnson at Right Tackle while Barksdale works his way in.  Either way, our new line would be much improved.

Round 5 Pick 149 Roy Helu (RB, Nebraska) (previously Shiloh Keo SS, Idaho)     Roy Helu, hopefully, offers a characteristic lacking in our current stable of running backs, durability.  As a HUGE University of Michigan fan, I was excited when the Colts selected Mike Hart.  Unfortunately, I see no way Mike Hart makes the roster again and, while a fan favorite, Dominic Rhodes really doesn't offer enough at this point in his career.  Helu had back to back 1,000yd seasons for the Cornhuskers, but lacks the top-end speed and make you miss agility that separates runners at the next level.

Round 6 Pick 183 Tejay Johnson (FS, TCU) (previously not picked, thought to be traded to the Redskins for Justin Tryon ie I'm an idiot) Scouts view him as a great leader with good coverage skills with adequate speed.  Ideal for a special teams spot as well as a developmental player.

Round 7 Pick 202 Justin Tryon Trade

Thoughts?  

***This was a Previous Post on Mocking The Draft.  It has been edited by Suggestion***

My mock draft for the 2011 Colts assumes a couple of moves are made in free agency along with a cut or two of our own.  The master plan is revealed...  

First off, this draft is based on the premise that Bob Sanders (SS) will not be rejoining us.  Honestly, I think he owes the organization a couple of years at vet minimum (9 games in 3 seasons), but what do I know.  (Update, he is now a Charger)  Secondly,Ryan Diem has outlived his usefulness and his contract is far too much for a player of his caliber.  Since Diem and Sanders are gone in the scenario, I will throw in one free agent acquisition as well as five players I view as keys to resign (other than #18).

Resigned players are: Melvin Bullitt (SS), Antonio Johnson (1-tech DT), Charlie Johnson (LT/LG), Joseph Addai (RB), and Adam Vinatieri.

Free Agent Losses are: Clint Sessions (OLB), Keyunta Dawson (DE), Daniel Muir (DT),Gijon Robinson (TE), Curtis Painter (QB I guess)*

*Painter is not a Free Agent but Damn well should be!

Key Acquisition: Damien Woody (RT) formerly of the Jets for two reasons.  One is he's better/cheaper than Diem.  Two is, while no spring chicken, I believe he has a couple of good years left which will help with the right tackle transition.  I know the Colts aren't big with free agency but I view Woody as an excellent compliment to our new line and will come at a reasonable cost.

ON TO THE DRAFT...

Round 1 Pick 22 - Nate Solder (LT, Colorado) Based on what I've read and watched, I think he would be ideal.  The biggest knock I've read is his weakness with bull rush type pass rushers.  D-ends with great speed get into his massive frame quicker than they should, thereby propelling him backwards.  Seeing him at the combine, I saw two things that made me want him.  First, he's got a lot of room for muscle growth, specifically in his upper body.  With NFL type condition coaches he can easily gain 15-20 pounds of muscle (putting him at 330-335).  For a man that tall, he is very agile, something I don't think can be taught.  For the Coup de Grace, we have two of the best Defensive Ends to constantly punish his mistakes.  By working against Freeney and Mathis, he'll be prepared for anything the NFL has to throw at him.  Ideally, we'd like someone more pro ready like Costanzo, but I don't see him available at 22.

Round 2 Pick 53 - Stephen Paea (DT, Oregon State)     We all know by now that this dude is strong (49 reps of 225lbs), but because of his knee injury he could fall to us.  He has a non-stop motor and is big enough to draw double teams.  While not the greatest pass rusher (we got some of them), he would be perfect to rotate with Antonio Johnson to keep each other fresh or in case of an injury. (see Playoffs 2010)  It has been suggested he may not be available at this pick.  I think its very possible considering how strong the D-line class is.  More specifically, from a scheme fit standpoint, he seems too short for 3-4 teams who draft linemen taller so they can see where the ball is going immediately.  I think Paea is only 6ft 2in.

Round 3 Pick 87 - Austin Pettis (WR, Boise State)     The ideal Colts receiver.  Not a burner (4.6 40yd), Not a giant (6ft 2.5in, 210), but he catches EVERYTHING.  A perfect compliment to our roster as both Collie (concussions) and Gonzalez (knee, ankle, etc.) have really become question marks.  And while I root for them both, I think at least one will not make it back after this coming season.  A reach?  Not at all...  I see us replacing Reggie with a first round pick next year.  It would be easier on Peyton to not have to break in two rookies should Gonzalez and/or Collie not come back.

Round 4 Pick 118 Joseph Barksdale (RT, LSU)     At 6ft 5in and 325 pounds, he hits hard!  Watching him violently attack other linemen holding blocking pads made me smile.  He has a decent amount of lateral quickness and can come in after our two year rental of Damien Woody runs out.  He's projected as 3rd/4th round pick, so it is very possible he is available at or around this pick.

Round 5 Pick 149 Shiloh Keo (SS, Idaho)     A "Polian Special", this guy was nothing short of Charlie Hustle at the combine.  When given the opportunity to show the league that he wants it, Keo was all over the place and even dove into the turf trying to retrieve poorly thrown "turn and look" interception ball during drills.  A man with reckless disregard for his body and a background as a returner, he will be a great addition as a back up safety/special teams ace while possibly working his way into our 3 safety sets with Antoine Bethea and Melvin Bullitt.

Round 6 - The word around town is this was traded to the Redskins for Justin Tryon.  A great pick up for us, really saved our ass last year.  Thanks Shanny!!!

Round 7 Pick 202 Scott Tolzien (QB, Wisconsin)     Doesn't have ideal size for the position 6ft 2in, 215 pounds, but is efficient (65%+ pass completion) and throws down field (11.7yd per throw average).  Please god, let us have someone who does not scare me so much as Curtis Painter without a clip board in his hand!  I'd like to see us take the Green Bay Packer way and develop a quarterback for future trade bait ala Matt Hasselbeck or Matt Flynn.  I imagine a quarterback working under Peyton for a few years should be viewed as a positive in the NFL community.  I am also not opposed to selecting someone with a better physical skill set but is perhaps, more raw than Tolzien.

Thoughts?  

My mock draft for the 2011 Colts assumes a couple of moves are made in free agency along with a cut or two of our own.  The master plan is revealed...

First off, this draft is based on the premise that Bob Sanders (SS) will not be rejoining us.  Honestly, I think he owes the organization a couple of years at vet minimum (9 games in 3 seasons), but what do I know.  Secondly, Ryan Diem has outlived his usefulness and his contract is far too much for a player of his caliber.  Since Diem and Sanders are gone in the scenario, I will throw in one free agent acquisition as well as five players I view as keys to resign (other than #18).

Continue reading this post »

1.  Peyton Manning

2.  Peyton Manning

3.  Dallas Clark coming back next year

4.  Austin Collie coming back next year

5. Jerraud Powers coming back next year

6. Melvin Bullitt coming back next year

7. Anthony Gonzalez coming back next year

8. Kelvin Hayden coming back next year (lost for the playoff)

9. Anthony Johnson coming back next year (lost for the playoff)

10. Aaron Fransico NOT coming back next year

  My point, fellow Colts fans, is that despite a one and done to Fatty McButterpants and Dirty Sanchez, we should have never been here in the first place.  Noone, except the colts, could do what we did with the spare parts we had.  I took this as hard as any die hard fan, but let's look at it realistically.  As an example, we were down to our 5th strong safety by the end of it...that's right 5th.  While I'm not proud of the game we played last night, I'm damn proud of our team overall and other organizations would sell their souls to have the season we had under the circumstances.  

So to the following people:  Fatty McButterpants (Ryan), Justin Bieber in 10 years (Brady), Bert from Sesame Street (Flacco), and all the rest....You Are On Notice For Next Season!!!

Can anyone recommend a good site for buying Colts gear?  There are so many options and I am looking for good prices without ending up with cheap knockoff crap.  Thanks!  

And of course this fanpost has to be at least 75 words long...75 words long?  yep 75 words long.  Hey, did you guys hear?  Touchdown Jesus hurt his ribs...Impossible!  He is the chosen one!  I think what would really draw a crowd is if he started to grow a beard and long hair so he could look like the Messiah too.

I've got a novel idea that can keep the starters fresh, work on play in the clutch, get to 16-0, and keep momentum.  Instead of playing the starters in the first half, play them in the second half.  Here's why...

1)  As we've seen this year, moreso than any other, we play REALLY REALLY well from behind.

2) Since we will most likely be behind in the second half, our backs will be against the wall from the first real snap.

3) We run ONLY the 2 minute offense...all the time....hello clutch

4) The other team will be tired, at least to a certain extent.  Since our 2nd string is probably better than them anyways (just sayin...)

5) Use it as additional audition time for new players from week to week.  Also, they will most likely be playing against first stringers instead of what happens in preseason, where noone learns anything about anyone.  And finally, how many undrafted players to do we have on the team as it is, right.  This could be a gold mine for next year!

6) Complete and utter demoralization of the remaining schedule..."hey we were up by 21pts at the half, what happened??"

Thoughts?