SB Nation User Blog: farris6659

Flags in the NFL

farris6659 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:16:03 -0000

Is anyone else sick of how many flags are being thrown in the NFL this season? I understand that some need to be, but the sheer amount I see is staggering. Not that I love Florio, but he has a story about it right here.

It's not even the amount that upsets me, it's when they pick them up and say there wasn't a penaltly. In my opinion, when a ref throws a flag, he better call a damn penalty on something. During the 49'ers Cards game Kurt Warner was flagged for intentional grounding, but the ref decided to pick it up. He literally said that he "conferred with #14 and he said he was throwing it to #34 so there was no penalty on the play." That is absolute bullshit, since when can a player affect a flag like that. Later on in that same game, Singletary threw a challenge flag that the ref let him pick up. Yet again, if you throw a challenge flag, you better challenge something that happened on the damn field.

These flags are slowing down the game and only leading to the ease of throwing more. If you throw a flag, call something god damnit.

Thoughts About WR's

farris6659 — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:16:21 -0000

Reggie Wayne- It is obvious to me that the Colts put Reggie through some tipped ball drills this past week because he just knew where they were. After the first half of the season where tipped balls would lead to Peyton picks, they're starting to lead to touchdowns.

Marvin Harrison- Is anyone else pissed off about how hard everyone in the media is on him? It's true that he's been dropping passes, but that doesn't mean he's not the player he used to be. I still believe that the timing between Peyton and him is off. He burned everyone on those 2 drops Sunday. You can teach hands, not speed. Also, I bet come playoff time Marvin's timing is back. Look for him to absolutely erupt.

Anthony Gonzalez- If I remember right, he had a first down grab yesterday. He also had a drop in which he was going to get completely smashed. I think we're going to see more of him going forward.

Pierre Garcon- The one catch he had yesterday showed why we haven't seen him earlier.

Roy Hall- Where is he? I'm just waiting for him to explode on the scene. I think he has the ability to be a Brandon Marshall-esque receiver without the tears.

Madden 09

farris6659 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:01:04 -0000

I went to pick up my Madden 09 at midnight at the GameStop in the Tippecanoe Mall and I've been playing it off and on. Overall all I'd say it's a pretty big improvement over last year's, but there are still some of the same flaws.

As far as the Colts go, I'm pretty happy with a lot of the rankings.

Anthony Gonzalez is an 80, which is sort of low, but I'm sure he'll move up with some roster updates after he proves himself even more this season.
Tony Ugoh is an 88 and at only 24 years old is one of the best tackles in the game to trade for in franchise.
MIke Pollak is our starting right guard over Charlie Johson (Thank God). He's a 78. That's not bad for a 2nd round pick.
Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are almost identical. They're both 95's. Freeney is older and stronger, but Mathis is more agile, aware, and a better tackler. I'm not sure if I agree with the awareness.
Marcus Howard is a 74 with 87 speed.
Ed Johnson is an 86, I would have put him around an 88, but it's fair enough.
Hagler is a generous 81, while Clint Session is only a 75. Obviously the EA guys didn't see the Colts-Chargers regular season game last year.
Phillip Wheeler is a 74.
Both Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden are 87's. They should easily be approaching 90 if not higher. If Dre Bly and Champ Bailey are 89 and 97 respectively, than our cornerbacks should at least be 92's.
Antoine Bethea is a 93 and the reigning Defensive MVP is a 99.
And if you couldn't have guessed, Peyton is a 99, Reggie is a 97, Marvin is a 96, and Addai is a 91.

Just for Humor,

Calvin Johnson is a 91. Can you say overrated?
Jason David is a 73, in my opinion that's the most accurate ranking in the entire game.
Brett Favre retires after one year with the Jets in franchise mode.
Tom Brady's arrogance rating is a 100.

Gray Area?

farris6659 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:38:33 -0000

According to Profootballtalk.com (the most slanted butching of journalism on the web), the Colts signed quarterback Quinn Gray.

Florio states that this move "could be interpreted as a sign that franchise quarterback Peyton Manning might not be recovered from knee surgery in time for the start of the regular season."

Uhhh.....so since we signed a quarterback that can not even manage a game with other free agents out there like Daunte Culpepper, Aaron Brooks, and Byron Leftwich, we don't have faith in Peyton's recovery? More like he's just another camp body. If Florio thinks that we actually brought in Gray, who was cut earlier this season by the Texans for not catching on fast enough, to learn our playbook before preseason or even start a game of regular season, he's smoking something. I'd choose Sorgi.

Among other things, we're also supposed to have interest in Jared Lorenzen a.k.a. The Hefty Lefty. Who knows, maybe he could rotate into the offensive line?

Marvin

farris6659 — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:47:27 -0000

I was just watching the free NFL films recap of the Colts 2004 season, and I couldn't help but break a huge smile across my face when it shows Reggie Wayne running in for a touchdown versus the Broncos in the playoffs. While it was awesome to see Reggie scoring, I wasn't smiling because of him, I was smiling because of the block that Marvin put on Champ Bailey. If anyone has Comcast and gets the free channel I highly suggest watching it. It's always fun to see the Colts dominate people bigger than them.

Indy, we have a problem

farris6659 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:27:02 -0000

According to Profootballtalk.com, Indy is 9 million dollars over the cap limit for the 2008 season. Right now the cap limit is expected to be around 116 million, but the Colts are at 125 million. We're the most over the expected cap in the league, with the Redskins in second at 123 millions, and the Panthers at 120 million.

Who are we cutting, or whose contract is going to get mixed up to put us under?

http://beta.profootballtalk.com/2008/02/19/panthers-colts-skins-needs-to-trim-cap-space/

Free Agents That Would Help, Defense

farris6659 — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 04:05:44 -0000

Linebacker:

Demorrio Williams: After a good sophomore year with 128 tackles, his production has faded, but his potential is still there.

Boss Bailey: He's just another average linebacker, but he would help with depth. If it helps, his brother is Champ Bailey. Do you think their parents thought highly of their kids enough to name them Champ and Boss?

Secondary:

Domenique Foxworth: Young cornerback with decent coverage skill, but that's not what makes him appealing. Foxworth can also double as a safety.

Mike Doss: Our old friend. I remember making fun of him during last year's rally at the dome because he was running around like he helped. If it weren't for his ACL tear, Bethea wouldn't have gotten where he is today, but Doss would still make an above average back-up. He only had 6 tackles this season, so a trip back home for at least a season might not be out of line.

Defensive Linemen:

Corey Williams: If or more like when Haynesworth gets franchise tagged, Williams might be the best defensive tackle on the market. He was worked in rotation with Green Bay this season, and had two games with two sacks in them.

Jovan Haye: He's young and quick. He's from Tampa Bay, so like Booger, we know that he fits in the Tampa 2. This past season he had six sacks.

Bobby McCray: While his stats are eye popping, he seems to have a real knack for forcing fumbles. He can play both left and right defensive end.

Travis LaBoy: He's not very durable, but he can come in to help Freeney or Mathis rest on obvious passing downs.

Okay I'm done, so comment on all three articles as much as you would like.

Free Agents That Would Help, Offense

farris6659 — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:50:28 -0000

I know, Polian and Dungy don't go into free agency, but this year I think it might be different in order to gain more depth. Even with that belief I'm not saying that we will sign a single one of these players, but these are ones fit roles we need.

Wide Receivers:

Bryant Johnson: He's been told he's not going to get re-signed because of the cap problem in Arizona. He's 6'3 and he's young. He's got okay return skills because of his speed. He would make a great fit into our offense.

Andre' Davis: Amazing returner who revitalized his career this year by stepping up when required because of injuries. The Texans are trying to keep him, but it's not a guarantee.

Jerome Mathis: Another player from the Texans, he's shown poor receiving skills, but returning is his specialty. He might have problems with injuries.

Devery Henderson: I cannot tell you how much I was amazed by him two years ago, but this season, he seemed to have lost his connection with his hand eye coordination. He's fast and young, like many receivers, and will come cheap because of this season's hand problems. I think the Colts could straighten him out, and make him one of the deepest threats in the league.

Jabar Gaffney: The only Patriot wide receiver around this year that witnessed the meltdown the Patriots had in the dome, he was always peaking in games at the right time. His touchdown catch in the Ravens game and another touchdown catch from the play dubbed the flea flicker fumble were two of the most exciting plays I saw all season.

D.J. Hackett: He had great back to back games in weeks 10 and 11 when he got significant playing time due to Deion Branch's injury, though he developed some injuries of his own.

Nate Washington: He's a fast, good returner, and he's consistent at being an average receiver. Not much more to say.

Justin Gage: He huge! He really reminds me of Brandon Marshall's playing style and had a great season for being on the Titan's offense this season. He has tons of unused potential that the Colts could definetly harness this coming season.

Running Backs:

Tatum Bell: He's quick and would make a great 2nd stringer. He rushed for over a 1,000 yards with Denver, but then again who doesn't as long as you don't sit out with knee and marijuana issues?

Aaron Stecker: He's old, but he runs physically. Pretty much a Kenton Keith, but with better hands.

Chris Brown: He can run it. He was a great backup for Lendale White, but he got injured last season. Despite all this he averaged a healthy 4.6 YPC.

Mewelde Moore: Triple threat. Good runner, good receiver, and good returner. He would have a roster spot guaranteed with Minnesota, but (if it's possible) they have way too much depth at this position. He's averaged 5.8, 4.3, 5.5, and 5.7 YPC in the four seasons that he's played.

Quarterback:

Charlie Frye: I honestly almost didn't want to put him on here, but it makes sense. Sorgi just ain't going to cut it. Frye shows poor decision making at times, and he was just traded to the Seahawks where he picked up a West Coast offense. He would be good as a backup, and according to Holmgreen, he picks up on new offenses fast.

Okay, well I'm going to put the defensive players I have listed on another diary to chop them up into manageable pieces.

P.S. I purposely didn't include offensive linemen because I don't think there has been an instance in which recently we haven't drafted them, and we can usually fit any linemen into our system.

Free Agents We Won't Sign, But Would Be Cool

farris6659 — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:16:24 -0000

I put almost 2 hours into this thing and it didn't quite come out how I wanted to. If you notice any errors (which probably are present) make sure to correct me as is Stampede Blue tradition.

Free Agents that if signed, would make a splash:

Julius Jones, RB: After averaging only 3.5 yards a carry sharing time with Marion Barber, he's looking to get out as fast as he can. A Notre Dame graduate, he's fast but not very agile or strong. With our line though, or even a pass into the backfield from Peyton, the endzone is never too far away.

Derrick Ward, RB: Strong and big runner, he averaged 4.8 yards a carry as a backup but is not necessarily needed in New York after his injury and Ahmad Bradshaw's talent being seen.

Justin Fargas, RB: Great runner but at 28, just now came of age. He's a tough runner which led to his most recent injury, but with his head first style of running and Addai's bunny hopping that has been occuring lately, the two could form a good tandem.

Bernard Berrian, WR: The fastest player on the Bears besides Hester, he's been amazing considering the quarterback play that has been going on in Chicago. At 6'1 he could be a great slot receiver and a mixture between Wayne and Harrison.

Randy Moss, WR: Does he want cash or a ring? He most likely won't be able to achieve both. He's almost certainly going to be Franchise Tagged, but how great would it be if Peyton broke the TD record with Moss, Marvin, and Wayne this coming season? We would have to do some major cap room adjustments to sign him, but one can imagine the capability of the Colts offense with him. We would be playing consensual horseplay with all defenses in the league.

Derek Anderson, QB: Flashed in some games, looked pitiful in others. He's looking for a huge contract that he won't get. After a 3,787 yard and 29-19 TD to INT ration season, it would be nice to develop him to someday take over the Colts offense. He's a little too old for that, but it would be interesting. He also has some speed on him that helps when the pocket breaks down.

Albert Haynesworth, DT: He is going to be franchise tagged, he's in his prime, and I would buy his jersey right away if we signed him. Yeah he has character issues, but with Freeney, Mathis, and him, our defensive line could reach that of legendary status.

Jared Allen, DE: He's huge, fast, and strong, and knows how to operate in a 4-3 as a disciple of Herm Edwards. Another francise tag nominee, he led the league in sacks with 15.5 without another real dominant player on the Chief's defense.

Terrel Suggs, DE: Franchise Tag is going to come soon from the Ravens front office, but he has shown how valuable he is. This year his production dropped off with only 5 sacks, but last year he got the quarterback 10 times.

Lance Briggs, LB: Another 4-3 player, he's due for a big contract. Almost guaranteed to leave a month ago, with Urlacher's surgery, he might stay with the Bears. Our linebacking corps would get a major upgrade with him there. He does have some character questions after his Lambo incident and he pulled himself out of the Pro Bowl due to a mystery injury.

Asante Samuel, CB: I hate to say it, but I actually like this Patriot a lot. He's always aware of what's going on. With both Moss and Samuel up for contracts, I find it highly unlikely that both are back. He can't be franchise tagged and he's looking for a big contract so he will be the most likely to leave, although the game winning interception he dropped in the Super Bowl might have cost him a couple cool million.

Marcus Trufant, CB: He had a good year this year and he's looking to cash in, supposedly for more than what Nate Clement's received. He had 7 interceptions this season with 150 yards off of those and one touchdown. With 15 pass deflections, it's no doubt he's a great player.

So those are the ones that if we sign will be all over ESPN for a week, until Tom Brady fathers another child. I'm going to post a 2nd diary for those free agents that I could see the Colts having interest in.

The Best

farris6659 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:03:49 -0000

I couldn't find a better way to say it.

All season, the talk around the NFL was about whether the Patriots were the greatest team of all time. Turns out they weren't even the best team Sunday.

That comes from ESPN.com....looks like they finally bit down while sucking the Pats off all season.