DE/RLB Everson Griffen- USC UP

Griffen put on about 10 pounds this season bulking up to 273 and there were some concerns about how he would carry the weight. After he ran a 4.64 40 today, those concerns should be gone. He also put up 32 reps of 225 pounds.

DE/RLB Brandon Graham– Michigan UP

Graham wasn’t expected to run well but a 4.69 40 at 6-1 268 showing some surprisingly athleticism. He also put up 31 reps of 225 pounds.

DE Greg Hardy– Mississippi DOWN

First Hardy came to the combine at about 20 pounds heavier than expected and he did not carry that weight well running a 4.87 40. He also put up 21 reps of 225 pounds. He already has the injury prone label and if enough teams give him the lazy label, he won’t go before the 3^rd round.

DE Jammie Kirlew- Indiana DOWN

Was he on his tippie toes when he was measured at Indiana? Instead of measuring in at 6-3, he measured in at 6-1. Than he ran a 4.94 40 at 260 pounds which is very disappointing.

DE Brandon Lang- Troy DOWN

He can’t be happy about that 4.96 40 at 260 pounds. As a guy who was viewed as a 4^th round caliber pass rusher, that doesn’t help.

RLB George Selvie– South Florida DOWN 

I didn’t think his stock could drop anymore. After an amazing 14.5 sacks in 2007 as a sophomore, he has had only 9 in the two years past.  He looked awful all year and in the Senior Bowl, not giving any effort, and sucking against the run. Now, he has run an awful 40 time with a 4.89. He sucks against the run, doesn’t give any effort on the field, hasn’t had a good year in a long time, and now his future as a pass rush specialist looks in doubt after an awful 40 time. 

RLB/DE Cameron Sheffield- Troy DOWN

Luckily for Lang, he wasn’t the only slow Troy pass rusher. At 257 pounds, Sheffield ran a 4.90. Not good for someone hoping to get drafted in the mid rounds as a rush linebacker. He doesn’t have Lang’s size and track record or success so this hurts him a lot more than it does Lang.

DE CJ Wilson- East Carolina UP

A very underrated left end prospect, but a 4.75 40 at 290 will get him noticed, as will 32 reps on the bench press. He could be looking at the 4^th round after some slow defensive end times today.

DT Geno Atkins- Georgia UP

On a day of surprisingly fast 40 times for defensive tackles, it would take a lot to get noticed. A 4.75 at 293 pounds with 34 reps on the bench press will do that.

3-4 DE/DT LaMarr Houston- Texas UP

There were questions about his height and because of that, his ability to play 3-4 end, but measuring in at 6-3 instead of 6-1 or 6-2 will help. So will a 4.85 40 at 305 pounds and 30 reps on the bench press.

NT Linval Joseph- East Carolina UP

40s don’t mean a ton to nose tackles, but a 5.09 at 328 with 39 reps on the bench will get you noticed as a very strong athlete.

DT/3-4 DE Vince Oghobaase– Duke DOWN

On a day of fast 40 times for defensive tackles, that 5.43 40 is going to stand out in a bad way. Especially since he only put up 27 reps on the bench at 303 pounds. I have a feeling his knee might not be 100% which is bad for his stock.

OLB Rennie Curran– Georgia DOWN

OLB Navarro Bowman- Penn State DOWN

Both put on some weight which led me to move them up my chart. However, neither carried the weight well. Both ran a 4.72 so I’m moving them back down.

OLB Dekoda Watson- Florida State UP

Another guy with impressive measurables. He’s seen as a bit of a small linebacker out of Florida State, which doesn’t hurt considering Ernie Sims and Derrick Brooks were as well. He appears to have bulked up going up to 240 pounds, but carried the weight well with a 4.53 40, 24 reps of 225 pounds, and a very impressive 40 inch vertical. He’s a linebacker with good field range and the athleticism of a running back. He should be a solid 3^rd rounder.

OLB/MLB Sean Weatherspoon– Missouri UP

A very good day for him, shaving about .1 second off of his projected 40 time with a 4.57, and also recording a 40 inch vertical leap and 34 reps on the bench press.

MLB/OLB Jamar Chaney- Mississippi State UP

He’s got 3-4 middle linebacker size at 242 pounds, but after running a 4.51, he’s also got 4-3 outside linebacker speed. He can really play anywhere as a linebacker in either scheme, 3-4 middle, 4-3 middle, and 4-3 outside. He also had a 39 inch vertical and a 26 reps on the bench, putting together one of the most impressive athletic displays of the day.

MLB Micah Johnson– Kentucky DOWN

He hurt his knee late last season, but chose to run the 40, which appears to be a mistake after he ran a 4.99. He can make that up with his Pro Day, but questions about the health of that knee are going to be there, which hurts him a lot because he’s a mid round prospect and, as a mid round prospect, you’re one flaw away from going in the 6^th or 7^th or even undrafted. For what it’s worth, 31 reps on the bench press showed his strength and what kind of player he can be when healthy.

 

 

 

WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas- DOWN

He’s a talented physical receiver, but receivers who run 4.61 40s normally have a lot of trouble gaining separation in the NFL. I was afraid his time would be bad, but I didn’t expect this bad.

RB/WR Antonio Brown- Central Michigan DOWN

When you’re trying to pass yourself off as the next great speed guy, that running back/wide receiver who can be an explosive playmaker on special teams as well, the type of guy who can score whenever the ball is in his hands, it’s best not to run a 4.50.

WR Marcus Easley- Connecticut UP

An amazing story that doesn’t get told, Easley is a former walk on turned star receiver. He had 48 catches for 893 yards and 8 scores this year and now he is showing some very impressive athleticism at the combine by running a 4.46 at 6-3 210. He’s a tremendous athlete with a great work ethic and you can do a lot worse than that in the late rounds.

WR Jacoby Ford- Clemson UP

Ford currently holds the record for fastest 40 time at the 2010 combine by running a blazing 4.28. He didn’t produce much on the field last year, but speed thrills. He should be a solid slot receiver, who can help on special teams, at the next level.

WR Marshawn Gilyard– Cincinnati DOWN

I have a feeling Gilyard was just having a bad day, he looked WAY faster this season than the 4.56 he ran today. However, I’m moving him down my board a little until he runs a faster time at his Pro Day.

WR Brandon LaFell– LSU DOWN

He wasn’t supposed to be a speed demon, but a 4.59 hurts a lot. He’s not going to get a lot of separation at the next level. He also measured in at 6-2 this week instead of 6-4 so his stock could be taking a drop this week.

WR Jordan Shipley– Texas DOWN

Again, maybe another guy who has having a bad day, but a 4.57 hurts his stock until he proves himself to be faster than that at his pro day. This is a guy who needs to be fast at the next level to succeed.

WR Golden Tate– Notre Dame UP

He’s got more speed than I thought. I was expecting 4.4-4.45 and he ran 4.36 on a day where some receivers have been running slower than expected. I still have concerns about his ability to be a #1 option at 5-10, but this kind of speed helps.

WR Stephen Williams- Toledo UP

A bit of an unknown to most this week, but a 4.48 40 at 6-4 210 will get you noticed, as will his 10-5 broad jump. 

RB Jahvid Best – California UP

Jahvid Best just ran faster than CJ Spiller (4.35 compared to 4.37). Now what is Spiller better at? Best is the more complete back of the two, the only thing that Spiller could really say was that his speed was on another level. Now that doesn’t appear to be the case. Best is a better between the tackles runner, he’s more explosive. The only real thing Spiller does better is catch passes. I have compared Spiller to a gimmick weapon type guy like Reggie Bush all along and Best to a speed feature back like Jamaal Charles. In a few years, when Best is the better runner, you heard it here. Yet despite all this, Spiller is getting more hype because of his “unofficial” 4.27. It’s unofficial for a reason.

RB Andre Dixon- Connecticut DOWN

A 4.64 at 6-1 205 doesn’t help his stock. Dixon was never a dominant performer on the field and he does have a history of character issues and legal problems. He’ll find it hard to get drafted.

RB Jonathan Dwyer– Georgia Tech DOWN

Dwyer’s workout today proved what his weigh in showed and what people all around the NFL have been saying all week. He’s out of shape. At 5-11 229, Dwyer ran a 4.59, which isn’t awful, but when you consider his second time was 4.69, it looks a lot worse. He also only benched 15 reps, 3^rd fewest of all RBs.

RB/FB Toby Gerhart– Stanford UP

Gerhart proved that just because he’s white, doesn’t mean he’s not athletic. Gerhart ran a very impressive 4.53 at 6-0 231 and also had a 38 inch vertical and 22 reps of 225 pounds. He likely shot himself ahead of a plummeting Jonathan Dwyer.

RB Montario Hardesty- Tennessee UP

Hardesty is a favorite sleeper of mine. He could be that mid round running back who takes over a starting job in the NFL. He has good hands as a pass catcher and as a pass blocker and a good combination of size and speed. He has all the things you look for in a feature back. He just needs to put them together. On a day of slow 40s, a 4.49 at 6-0 225 is great. He also led all running backs in broad jump, 10 feet 4 inches, and vertical leap, 41 inches and had 21 reps of 225 pounds.

RB Ryan Matthews– Fresno State UP

Matthews would have moved up anyway given Jonathan Dwyer’s stink bomb because the two are compared often because both are considered future feature backs. However, that’s not the only reason he’s moving up. A 4.41 40 at 6-0 218 turned a lot of heads. He’s a good pass catcher and a great pass blocker for his age and he also runs extremely well. He could go 28^th to San Diego because he has everything they look for in a back.

RB/WR Dexter McCluster– Mississippi DOWN

Surprisingly, his 4.55 40 at 5-9 173 doesn’t hurt him that much in my book, but it has to hurt him some considering we were expecting a high 4.3, maybe low 4.4 at worse. However, this is one of those guys who is faster in pads than he is timed and stronger than his size. He should still catch on somewhere in the NFL as that Percy Harvin type player.

RB James Starks– Buffalo UP

He lost his 2009 season due to a shoulder injury, but before that he had two straight season of 1000 yards, 3000 career yards, and 53 catches in 2008. He looked very healthy today running a very impressive 4.48 at 6-2 218. He’s a big back that runs well and can catch passes and reminds me a lot of a Tim Hightower type guy.

RB Ben Tate- Auburn UP

Quietly had a very impressive day with a 4.45 40 at 5-11 220, along with a 40.5 inch vertical, a 10 foot 4 inch broad jump and a position leading 26 reps of 225 pounds. He’s always had the athleticism, but he’s been plagued by inconsistencies in the past so it’ll be interesting to see if he puts it together at the next level because if he does, he’s going to be a good player.

RB Keith Totson- Oklahoma State DOWN

When he woke up this morning, running a 4.70 at 6-0 213 was probably not on his to do list. That’s pretty ugly.

WR Chris Long- Louisville UP

Certainly filled up his measurables chart in a big way with a 4.46 40 at 6-2 216, along with a 41.5 inch vertical and a 10 foot 3 inch broad jump. I still have questions about what kind of football player he is, but the athleticism is there.

WR Emmanuel Sanders- SMU UP

He ran a very impressive 4.41 at 5-11 186 to go with a 39.5 inch vertical and a 10 foot 6 inch broad jump, highest of any prospect all day. He’s a solid kick returner who can help in the receiving game as well and you can do a lot worse than that in the 6^th round range.

QB/RB Jarrett Brown– West Virginia UP

40 times don’t matter a ton to quarterbacks, but a 4.54 will get you noticed, especially when you’re someone who may have to play another position at the NFL level. He’s a project, but he has upside at multiple positions including quarterback and running back. 

 

OT Bruce Campbell UP

The 6-6 314 pound left tackle just ran a 4.78. In all honesty, this barely moves him up in my book, but after running a 4.78, measuring in with 36 inch arms, jumping 38 inches, and benching 225 pounds 34 times, Campbell has been the star of the combine. He should buy his house in Oakland now because I know somewhere Al Davis just shit his diaper.

OT Trent Williams UP

Again, speed doesn’t mean much for offensive tackles, but his 4.82 40 at 6-5 315 shows his athleticism. I think he could still drop because of lack of a true position, but the athleticism and upside is there for him to be a left tackle in this league. 

NT Terrence Cody UP

Cody weighed in at 370 at his Senior Bowl weigh in after promising he’d be at 355 and his stock lowered. Cody weighed in at 354 today at the combine. He still needs to lose some weight, but I think I can move him back up a little after dropping him following the Senior Bowl. If you’ve ever seen this guy play, he might be the most agile 354 pound man you’ve ever seen. 

TE Nate Byham DOWN

Yesterday, Byham impressed by weighing it at 268 pounds and making him the best run blocking tight end in my eyes, but today he ran like an offensive lineman with a 40 time of 4.97. That’s not good.

WR Dorin Dickerson UP

The biggest question Dickerson has to answer is what is his position. He can produce on the field, but he’s played everything from fullback to linebacker to tight end (where he was an All-American) to wide receiver. After measuring in at 226 pounds he proved too small for the first 3 positions, but after running a 4.40 40 with 34 inch arms and benching 225 pounds 24 times, I think he could be a fairly decent wide receiver in the NFL. A 4.40 40 at 6-1 226 with that kind of strength makes him a very interesting wide receiver option for teams in the mid to late rounds.

TE Jermaine Gresham DOWN

After his 4.76 40, questions about the health of his knee have resurfaced. That’s the last thing Gresham wants to happen at this point. 4.76 isn’t awful, but he was expected to run at least .1 to .15 seconds faster so this is a bit concerning.

DE/RLB Jermaine Cunningham UP

As if he wasn’t already my favorite mid round sleeper, Cunningham measured in at 266 pounds today showing that he has the ability to play in the trenches in any 4-3 scheme. This defensive end class gets thin in the mid rounds so Cunningham could be looking at early 3^rd late 2^nd now.

DE Greg Hardy DOWN

He looked out of shape weighing in at 281 pounds, 20 more than expected. The injuries issues were already there in large part. The last thing he needed was concerns about his work ethic and character.

DE/RLB Jason Pierre Paul UP

Weighing in at 6-5 270, JPP looked like an absolute physical freak. I can’t wait until his 40 yard dash. He hasn’t performed on a high level yet, but the upside is certainly there.

RLB/DE Lindsey Witten DOWN

After weighing in at 250, he may just be a nickel rusher in the NFL. I was expecting 260-265 so this is disappointing.

RLB/OLB O’Brien Schofield DOWN

Completely out of game shape after tearing his ACL. He weighed in at 221 pounds. He’ll find it hard to be drafted, though I do have some hope for him to catch on in the NFL somewhere as a rush linebacker or outside linebacker once he’s 100%.

OT Jared Veldheer- Hillsdale UP

Did not disappoint athletically running a 5.09 40, for what it matters since he’s an offensive tackle. He is one of the more intriguing small school kids and has really shown his athleticism and skills in workouts and drills this week.

WR Mike Williams– Syracuse DOWN

Quit on the Syracuse football team in November and, as if that weren’t bad enough, he came to the combine really out of shape, putting on about 15 pounds of fat from the end of last season and only benching 225 pounds 8 times.

TE Jimmy Graham- Miami UP

He’s only played football for one year, but Graham is the real deal athletically and showed that with a 4.56 40 at 6-6 260 and a 38 inch vertical.

TE Clay Harbor- Missouri State UP

A small school kid who I had never heard of before this week, but he was very productive last year against small school competition and has quietly had an amazing workout with a 4.69 40 at 6-3 252, 30 reps of 225 pounds, and a 40 inch vertical. The only bad thing was short arms, 32 5/8, but he could be an interesting option in the 5^th round range.

G Marshall Newhouse- TCU UP

After the Raiders take Bruce Campbell in the first, they could look at Newhouse in a later round. Newhouse just ran a 5.00 at 6-4 319.

OLB Navarro Bowman- Penn State UP

Expected to weigh in at 228 pounds, Bowman weighed 242 and appears to have bulked up in a good way since the end of last season. If this doesn’t effect his 40 time, this will help him because it increases his scheme versatility.

OLB Rennie Curran– Georgia UP

Expected to weigh in at 225 pounds, Curran weighed 235 and appears to have bulked up in a good way since the end of last season. If this doesn’t effect his 40 time, this will help him because it increases his scheme versatility. Hey wait, didn’t I just say something just like that.

TE Dennis Pitta– BYU UP

Not necessarily known as an elite as rather a guy with good hands, Pitta benched 225 pounds 27 times, 2nd most among tight ends, and ran a 4.63 40. 

RB/WR Dexter McCluster– Mississippi UP

How do you bench 20 reps of 225 pounds when you are a mere 173 pounds? That is crazy! This little guy may be small, but he is tough, he is strong, he is committed, and he is damn fast as well. 

 

QB Sam Bradford UP

It is reported that Bradford’s shoulder examination went excellent. I am also hearing that a dozen or possibly more NFL GMs were asked about Clausen and Bradford and all of them liked Bradford more. I still like Clausen more, but that won’t matter, if the Rams like him more. I haven’t made this decision final, but I think I could have Bradford atop my mock next week. He also bulked up from 218 to 236, a very impressive feat and necessary for someone whose arm strength was a question mark.

QB Colt McCoy– DOWN

McCoy measured in at 6-1 at his weigh in. Might as well add that to the list of reasons why he won’t work out in the NFL, no experience in a pro style offense, a weak arm, and now a small frame.

RB Jonathan Dwyer– DOWN

He just looked like a fat guy at his weigh in. He was 5-11 229 which sounds good, but he did not look in shape at all.  

RB/WR Brandon Banks Down

Banks is deadly fast and even swifter, but the Kansas State all purpose guy, who has in the past drawn comparisons to Darren Sproles, weighed in at 149 pounds at the combine. That’s like the size of a skinny high school freshman. He don’t care how fast or swift he is or how well he did as a kick returner last year, I can’t see him in the NFL, even as a kick returner. He’s just too small.

WR Golden Tate Down

We knew Tate was on the short side, but he barely measured at 5-10 at his weigh in. There aren’t a lot of #1 options that are that short. He’ll still be a good player and he’s the second most NFL ready player in this draft class after Damian Williams, but he has future #2 written all over him and not future #1.

 

 

TE Nate Byham Up

If Byham was going to get drafted, it would be as a blocker. Measuring in at 268 certainly helps his cause to be viewed as one of the best run blocking tight ends in this draft class

TE Garrett Graham Up

He’s still on the small side but weighing in at 243 is a lot better than the 234 he weighed in at the combine.

TE Aaron Hernandez Down

There aren’t a ton of tight ends under 6-3. There are some, Dustin Keller at 6-2, but after Hernandez measured in at 6-2 with short 32 ¼ inch arms, his value becomes more limited. He’s a great athlete and can run and catch well, but he can’t do much else. He’s not much of a blocker and he hasn’t run a lot of pro style routes.

OT Bruce Campbell Up

After measuring in at 6-6 314 with 36 ¼ inch arms and benching 225 pounds 34 times, Campbell is making his case as the most athletic NFL draft prospect. If he runs a sub 5 at the combine, Al Davis could pull the trigger on him at 8. He still has questions about inconsistency and injuries in his past, but I think he’s shedding the label of “soft.”

OT Charles Brown Up

He needed to measure in at over 300 to get drafted in the first round and after measuring in at 303, the former blocking tight end looks like a future franchise left tackle. The Seahawks may consider him at 14. He also had 35 ¼ inch arms which is good and I think, in terms of pure footwork, he’s the best left tackle in the draft class.

OT Selvish Capers Down

He did a good job putting on more bulk, going from 294 at the end of the season to 303 at his Senior Bowl to 308 now, but after benching 225 pounds a mere 19 times, questions about his ability to be a dominant physical tackle in the draft are still there. He also looked bad in the Senior Bowl game so his stock appears to be dropping pretty fast right now.

OT Anthony Davis Down

How does a 323 pound tackle bench 225 pounds a mere 21 times. There were already questions about his work ethic coming into this week and now the Andre Smith comparisons seem to be becoming more and more accurate. The upside is there, but is anything else?

G Mitch Petrus Up

He benched 225 pounds 45 times. That doesn’t equate to football success necessarily, but it certainly helps. 

 

 

 

9/8/11: Manning expected to be done for the season. 

9/6/11: Uh oh. Manning looks set to miss 4 games. Those 4 games, Houston, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, all losable games. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them start 0-4. They’re going to have a tough time making the playoffs.  

9/3/11: Peyton Manning could easily miss a game or two or three and even when he comes back, he won’t be the same for a bit. He threw 10 touchdowns to 9 picks in his first 7 games in 2008 after injury and the Colts started 3-4. The early season schedule for the Colts is not so friendly, @ Houston, vs. Cleveland, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Tampa Bay, vs. Kansas City, @ Cincinnati, @ New Orleans, @ Tennessee. They could easily go 4-4 in those first 8 and have to play catch up again in the 2nd half.  

Peyton Manning had a down season by his standards. He posted his lowest quarterback rating since 2002 (91.9), had his lowest YPA since his rookie season and threw more picks than any season since 2002. However, that doesn’t mean that at age 35, Peyton Manning is a declining player. A lot of his “struggles” can be blamed on his supporting cast.

Austin Collie and Dallas Clark missed serious time with injury and replacements Blair White and Jacob Tamme weren’t nearly as good. Reggie Wayne started to show some of his age at 32. Pierre Garcon led the league in drops. Joseph Addai missed serious time and no one else could run the ball. On top of that, the offensive line struggled to block. He didn’t get sacked a lot, but that’s because he always is able to release the ball right before the pressure comes. Anyone who watched their games last year would know that Manning didn’t have a lot of time in the pocket.

So basically, Manning had to throw almost every play (679 pass attempts, a new career high by 88 attempts) with no running game, which allowed defenses to focus more on pass rushing than run stopping, and he had a poor line to block for him, and downfield, his receivers were either declining players (Wayne), drop prone (Garcon) or inexperienced (Tamme, White). Given that, a 91.9 passer rating is really, really good.

The good news for Peyton Manning is that his supporting cast should be better this year. Collie and Clark are both back, as is Joseph Addai, though he has a dubious injury history. They brought in Delone Carter through the draft so the running game wouldn’t fall onto the shoulders of Donald Brown should anything happen to Addai. They added offensive lineman in the first 2 rounds of the draft, Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana, who will start at left tackle and left guard respectively. Both will be upgrades in pass protection and as run blockers, which will help their running game.

The bad news for Peyton Manning is that he’s hurt. He won’t miss any games because he’s Peyton Manning and he doesn’t miss games, but he’ll miss most of, if not all of the preseason recovering from neck surgery. This was already a lockout shortened offseason and the last time Manning missed training camp and the preseason, he started out sluggish and the Colts started 3-4. He eventually rebounded, but Houston is a legitimate division contender this year so if they lose to Houston week 1, they might not get the division back.

 

The Colts’ defensive strategy has always been speed over size, pass coverage over run stuffing. It’s worked pretty well for them, but they are frequently really bad against the run. Last year was no different. They added Drake Nevis in the 3^rd round of the draft. He’ll start at defensive tackle for them next to Tommie Harris, an offseason acquisition from Chicago.

Harris is not the player he used to be and he’s dealt with injuries, but if he’s healthy, he could be intriguing for them. He’s still relatively young and not that far removed from being a dominant defensive lineman in a scheme in Chicago very similar to the one the Colts run. Fili Moala, their only semi-okay defensive tackle in 2010, will provide depth.

At end, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis won’t help out much as run stuffers, but that doesn’t really matter because they might be the best 4-3 pass rushing tandem in the league. They combined for 21 sacks last year and that’s pretty much a yearly thing for them. They also have Jerry Hughes in the mix at defensive end. Hughes, the 31^st overall pick in 2010, had a very disappointing rookie year and team president Bill Polian even went as far as to say publicly that he should have drafted Rodger Saffold instead. Not exactly the most confidence inspiring thing. However, anything he can give them is extra as they already have two great pass rushers.

At linebacker, Gary Brackett is the man in the middle. He’s a perfect fit for this scheme and a great defensive leader. However, he’s missed 10 games in the last 3 years and he’s 31. If he gets hurt, strong side linebacker Pat Angerer, a 2^nd round pick in 2010, would move inside and Phillip Wheeler would play the strong side with Ernie Sims on the weak side.

Angerer is a promising young player while Wheeler and Sims will fight it out to be the starter on the weak side. I give the edge to Sims. He’s such a natural fit for this scheme, unlike in Philadelphia where he had a down year last year. Remember, this was once one of the best young linebackers in the game in Detroit a few years back.

Longtime Colt Kelvin Hayden is in Chicago now, but I don’t know how much the Colts will miss him. He’s missed 18 games in the last 3 years so they might not even notice he’s gone. With him gone, two players that have gotten a lot of action with Hayden hurt, Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey, will start at cornerback full time. Powers was a 3^rd rounder in 2009, while Lacey went undrafted that same year, so both are kind of diamonds in the rough discovered thanks to Hayden’s injuries. Neither of them are great, but they’re both solid and they’re both young so there’s definitely upside there. 

They also have plenty of depth at cornerback. 2010 3^rd round pick Kevin Thomas, who missed all of last year with an injury, will battle with another diamond in the rough, Justin Tyron, a 2008 4^th round pick who came out of nowhere to be a solid contributor last year, for the starting nickel back job. They also have 6^th round pick Chris Rucker in the mix.

At safety, another injury prone player, Bob Sanders, is gone. Melvin Bullitt stepped up big time in Sanders’ absence over the years and now he gets a chance to be the full time starter. Bullitt is an above average safety, but he too missed 12 games last year. However, he’s never had a history of injuries so this was probably an isolated, freak injury. He’s healthy now and he’s still only 26, plus the Colts just gave him a long term deal, a sign that they believe in his health. Opposite Bullitt is Antoine Bethea, another above average safety.

The Colts aren’t going to be bad or anything. However, the last time Peyton Manning missed preseason time, the Colts struggled out of the gate. With games in Houston, vs. Cleveland (the favorite to become this year’s version of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), vs. Pittsburgh, and at Tampa Bay (Monday Night game against a feisty young team at home) to start their season, it’s possible they could start 2-2 or even 1-3. If they do that, Houston is good enough to win this division. Houston is a legitimate contender this year. The Colts are still a very good team and will be in the playoffs and contending for another Super Bowl, but I think they lose the division this year by a small margin.

Quarterback: C-

Running backs: D

Receiving corps: A-

Offensive line: C+

Run defense: C

Pass rush: A

Pass coverage: B-

Coaching: B

Projection: 6-10 3rd in AFC South

 

 

 

Quarterback

Drew Stanton is currently the #1 quarterback on their depth chart. Hmm…I wonder who they’ll draft #1 overall.

Tight End

Dallas Clark and Jacob Tamme are gone. The top tight end on their roster is Brody Eldridge. Eldridge has 14 career catches. In 4 years at Oklahoma, he caught 12 passes. He’s a big blocker, but nothing more. Andrew Luck’s former favorite weapon at Stanford, Coby Fleener probably won’t get past them at 34 in the 2^nd round.

Nose Tackle

The Colts are switching to a 3-4 defense, but they don’t have any defensive players who weigh more than 310 pounds. They need one of those big, 2 down, true run stuffing nose tackles for their new defense.

Cornerback

The Colts ranked 26^th in YPA allowed last season. It’s hard to believe that they have 3 needs bigger than this, but they do. Jerraud Powers and Kevin Thomas are penciled in as the starters for next season.

Wide Receiver

They resigned Reggie Wayne in a surprise move, but he’s their only proven wide receiver and he’s 34 in November. Austin Collie has never done anything without Peyton Manning and he has a checkered injury past. Blair White was just cut.

 

Offensive Tackle

Anthony Castonzo had a solid rookie year and is moving to left tackle full time. At right tackle, they brought in Winston Justice to compete with Jeff Linkenbach, who allowed 9 sacks and 35 pressures, while committing 4 penalties at left and right tackle last season. Justice was awful in 2010 with the Eagles, the last time he was a starter. I hope they don’t think the position is fixed.

Guard

Mike Pollak and Ryan Diem are gone. Ben Ijalana will be moving to guard after the 2011 2^nd round pick missed most of last season with injury. Opposite him, Joe Reitz will be given his first chance to be a full time starter. They may want some competition for him.

Middle Linebacker

Gary Brackett was part of their veteran purge. He was expected to start inside next to Pat Angerer, but now Kavell Connor is penciled in as the starter. Connor really struggled last season on the outside, so they’ll want some competition.

Running Back

Joseph Addai is a free agent who probably won’t return. They won’t miss him, but it’s not like Delone Carter and Donald Brown are much better. However, with so many other needs, they probably won’t be able to address this one. 

Rush Linebacker

Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are both over 30. Freeney is also a free agent after next season. They’ve shopped him around this offseason, but it appears they’ll hang on to him. He might not be back next season. Meanwhile, 2010 1st round pick Jerry Hughes has yet to do anything yet. 

 

() FA Rank

QB Peyton Manning (#1)- franchised

Peyton Manning is an elite franchise quarterback. The Colts will pay him as much money as it takes him to stay in town.

RB Joseph Addai

RB Mike Hart

OT Charlie Johnson

G Kyle DeVan (exclusive rights)

G Mike Pollak 

DT Antonio Johnson

DT Daniel Muir

DT Eric Foster

DE Keyunta Dawson

OLB Clint Session

OLB Tyjuan Hagler

S Bob Sanders- signed with Chargers 1 year

S Melvin Bullitt

S Aaron Francisco

S Jamie Silva

S Al Afalava (exclusive rights)

K Adam Vinateri 

Offseason moves:

Signed DeMario Pressley

Cut Bob Sanders

Franchised Peyton Manning

Draft 

 

 

CB Dwight Bentley (LA-Lafayette)

3-4 DE Michael Brockers (LSU)

G Brandon Brooks (Miami-OH)

3-4 DE Matt Conrath (Virginia)

3-4 DE Tyrone Crawford (Boise State)

RLB Tim Fugger (Vanderbilt)

G Gino Gradkowski (Delaware)

RB Cyrus Gray (Texas A&M)

CB Chris Greenwood (Albion)

WR TY Hilton (Florida International)

CB Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama)

S Trumaine Johnson (Montana)

OT Brian Kelly (Purdue)

QB Andrew Luck (Stanford)

TE Adrien Robinson (Cincinnati)

P Brian Stahovich (San Diego State)

CB Keith Tandy (West Virginia)

S Tavon Wilson (Illinois)

 

 

22. OT Anthony Castonzo A

Protecting Peyton Manning’s blindside is clearly their biggest need. Manning had way too little time in the pocket last year. This, along with hits to his arm, led to an abnormal amount of picks for Manning. With a better line, he could easily regain his pre-2010 form. Castonzo is a very good value at this point.

49. OT Benjamin Ijalana A

Adding another offensive lineman was necessary. Ijalana can fill a need at guard or as a bookend tackle across from Castonzo. The Colts’ offensive line was one of their worst in the Peyton Manning era last year. If Castonzo and Ijalana, who I graded as a late first rounder, can play like I think they can, this could be one of the best lines in the Peyton Manning era. That’s scary.

87. DT Drake Nevis A

Defensive tackle has been a need forever and Nevis, a borderline first rounder in my book, fits the scheme like a glove here. They couldn’t have done anything too much better with their first 3 picks.

119. RB Delone Carter A-

Carter is a minor reach at this point in my book, but they couldn’t do anything on the ground when Joseph Addai was hurt last year and they can’t count on him in the future given his past injury history.

188. S Chris Rucker C+

Safety was a need, but I’m not even sure Rucker is a safety. I think he’s a tweener that won’t be able to do much other than special teams. There were better available safeties.

Overall:

I said it before and I’ll say it again. I don’t think their first 3 picks could have been drafted much better. Nevis helps their run defense a lot and Castonzo and Ijalana can help turn this offensive line around in a hurry, which will help Peyton Manning bounce back from one of his worst seasons in his career. That will go a long way towards this team regaining its elite status and contending for a Super Bowl once more. Delone Carter will also have a role on this team. I didn’t like the Chris Rucker pick, but that’s not enough for me to take away their A. I think this might have been my favorite single draft.

Grade: A