By now, Indy Football Report readers know I don’t mind borrowing — read: stealing — a good idea on the Indianapolis Colts when I see one.
Therefore, this morning’s post topic . . .
Admittedly, it’s a little late — read: more than a week — but a July 4 blog post from MVN.com/Football Outsiders created a bit of buzz on the blogospohere because it ranked the Top 10 Most Valuable Indianapolis Colts.
I sort of agree with the folks at 18to88.com that I thought the MVN.com list missed in a few areas, but I credit them with a good idea and good effort:
Here’s the Football Outsiders list and I’ll follow it with my own:
10. DE Robert Mathis
9. LB Gary Brackett
8. RB Joseph Addai
7. WR Anthony Gonzalez
6. TE Dallas Clark
5. DE Dwight Freeney
4. WR Reggie Wayne
3. C Jeff Saturday
2. S Bob Sanders
1. QB Peyton Manning
Here’s the Indy Football Report version with a quick comment:
10. DT Ed Johnson. I’m going out on a limb here, because Johnson played just one game before being suspended, but the Colts were very good defensively in 2007 with him and average last season without him. He may not be in the Top 10 yet, but midseason he very well may be.
9. Gonzalez. This is a similar reach to Johnson, because based on last year’s performance, he wouldn’t quite be in the Top 10. This season, he almost certainly will be.
8. CB Kelvin Hayden. Few who don’t follow the team closely realize his value.
7. Mathis. He’s more than a complement to Freeney. He has led the Colts in sacks four consecutive seasons and makes the key play at the key time.
6. Sanders. Injury history or not, playmakers like him are rare and the Colts are better when he’s in the lineup for extended periods.
5. Saturday. The Colts always knew his value. Their struggles without him last season brought the message home.
4. Clark. He can play tight end and split out wide. That versatility makes him key.
3. Wayne. Colts fans don’t want to imagine a season without him.
2. Freeney. This is where I thought the MVN list missed the most. The Colts’ defense was dominant in ‘07 with him in the lineup and just OK without him.
1. Manning. No comment needed.
I think I would move Mathis up ahead of Clark. It’s obviously splitting hairs, but how many HUGE plays did he make last year…the Houston fumble late. The Rivers fumble. The Scoop N Score. Clark is amazing, but that’s three game altering plays just off the top of my head for Mathis. Hard to leave him out of the top five based on how he played last year.
I agree with Mr. Zombie, and the only other change I would make is at #10. I think the position is correct, but that last sentence could apply to four or five different names.
[...] lists the top ten most valuable players on the Colts. John’s list is far more accurate than MVN’s list, in this blogger’s [...]
[...] lists the top ten most valuable players on the Colts. John’s list is far more accurate than MVN’s list, in this blogger’s [...]