Hey, Oehser: Talking Indianapolis Colts, 2009 NFL Draft and right offensive tackle

On April 7, 2009, In General, By John Oehser

Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser answers the questions of Indianapolis Colts fans (and anyone else who happens to be reading .  . .)

 

The first question today is in response to a request last week to IFR readers to provide their Top Three first-round scenarios for the Colts in the 2009 NFL Draft.

 

Hey, Oehser . . .

Here are my draft scenarios:

1. Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina wide receiver. (Colts President Bill) Polian likes to take WRs early. Nicks fits well and should be around.

2. Brian Robiskie WR, Ohio State. If Nicks is off the board, I think they pass on (Rutgers wide receiver Kenny) Britt due to character concerns (no prima donnas on the colts) andmaybe come up witha draft day surprise as they go with Robiskie. Polian has shown he likes Ohio State players (wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez, defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock, wide receiver Roy Hall) and Robiskieis a very high character guy with a high IQ, and good work ethic, which sounds very Colt-like and very much like Gonzalez.

3. Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest. If they’regoing to get a CB, it’s probably going to be Smith, (D.J.) Moore or (Darius) Butler, but Moore might be able to be grabbed in the 2nd so is probably too much of a reach in the 1st. Andof the other two, Smith sounds most like a colts corner (they seem to worry about height less than other factors), so he’s my darkhorse if Polian decides to get a backup for (cornerback Marlin) Jackson (as he did with Jackson for Nick Harper).

I left out the DTs because 1) I figure everyone is already talking about (Peria) Jerry and  really does seem to skip on DTs early in the draft. Besides, I REALLY like Mitch King at DT for the Colts in the 3rd round or so . . .

I looked at tackles cuz I really think they might be looking at at RT type, but I can’t find one that seemed to fit and was simultaneously worth a first-rounder…

Also, I would bank on this draft netting in Rounds 3-7: at least 1 LB, DT, OT/OG and 1 RB.

And just to throw it in, some players that I like that I think the Colts should look at in later rounds:

* Mitch King DT, Iowa. Small and fast for a DT, hard worker, high effort and intensity player who is tagged as an overachiever but has good character and instincts. Sounds a lot like (Quinn) Pitcock, who did play well before he flaked out on the Colts. . . Definitely think he’s possible in the 3rd or 4th area.

* Victor Harris, CB, Virginia Tech. Very versatile and GREAT fit for a zone. The Colts often seem to scoop up CBs who are very productive in college but thought to be a little slow for the NFL.

* Kraig Urbik, G, Wisconsin: He’s listed as a guard, but he sounds perfect for a RT to me. He’s a great zone blocking guard with some nice toughness and the same mean streak that Richardson was described to have. Plus, he’s a Big 10 player, which the Colts seem to take at a high rate. 

RPCMD.

RPCMD,

A lot of good points. As I’ve said before, few outside the organization knows what Bill Polian’s thinking before the draft, but he mentioned around the NFL Scouting Combine in February that even before the release of wide receiver Marvin Harrison, the spot was a draft need. Now, there’s nothing to prevent that from being a smokescreen — and the same could be true of his recent comments about not liking to take defensive tackles at the end of the first round. But history has shown him that you can get a quality receiver late in the first round and quality tackles there are tougher to find. I also like the Robiskie and Smith selections. As far taking a linebacker and defensive tackle at some point in the draft, I’d be shocked if that doesn’t happen. I wouldn’t as surprised if they skipped on guard, but they almost have to get a running back unless they re-sign backup Dominic Rhodes.

 

Hey, Oehser . . .

It seems to me that the Colts probably won’t be looking for a left tackle in the draft (unless they’ve given up on Tony Ugoh, which seems unlikely at this point). However, with Diem’s injuries and increasing age, it seems possible that a right tackle is a possibility. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts or opinions on this, as well as a more in-depth analysis as to who would fit (I read your OT article for Colts Examiner and have read elsewhere, but it seems like everything focuses on guys as LT and not on RT.)

RPCMD.

RPCMD,

Good to hear from you again. I agree that it’s too quick for the Colts to have given up on Ugoh, although if they take a left tackle, that’s how many people will interpret it. I’ve said this before, but while Ugoh spent a few games as a reserve early in the season, I also heard he got through that period and played better late in the season. Let’s talk about Diem: I wrote a few weeks ago on Examiner that Diem may have had his best season and some people sort of laughed at that. I heard that from more than a few people whose opinions matter far more than mine, and something else about Diem is he was the only Colts offensive lineman to start every game at one position last year. Still, he’s entering his ninth season and drafting a down-the-road replacement isn’t out of the question. You hear Andre Smith of Alabama will play right tackle in the NFL, but I can’t see him slipping to the Colts at No. 27. Eben Brittonof Arizona also played right tackle his first two years of college. I don’t see the Colts going right tackle in the first round. That’s usually a draft-and-develop position, and at the Colts, every position on the O-line is draft and develop except left tackle. It’s tough to provide much in-depth analysis much further down in the draft, because once you get past the first round, if the Colts are looking at right tackles you just don’t know where they might be looking.

Have a question for IFR Editor John Oehser? He welcomes your questions and can be reached at IFROehser@aol.com.

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Waking up: IFR Mock Draft v 2.0 posted

On April 7, 2009, In General, By John Oehser

Good morning . . .

A thank you to to the reader who caught the error in IFR Mock Draft 2.0 Monday. Neglected to account for the Denver-Chicago trade in the first one. Made the change and the corrected version can be found here. Sorry about the error, and the readers may have noticed a few errors in recent weeks. Flying without a net on the editor front. My apologies and I’ll try to be more diligent. Also wanted to thank everyone for visiting my Examiner page. The traffic has been pretty consistent there and I doubt it would be without my IFR readers.

Incidentally, I posted a piece on Examiner on the CIB issue. Just basically said the Colts are getting too much blame for the CIB thing, but it’s there if anyone wants to check it out.

I’ll check in with “Hey, Oehser,” soon.

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2009 Indianapolis Colts NFL Draft: The Top 25 picks of the Polian Era, No. 20

On April 6, 2009, In General, By John Oehser

The draft series covering the Indianapolis Colts’  Top 25 selections of the Bill Polian era continues today with the No. 20 selection . . .

No. 20 . . .

Steve McKinney, G, Texas A&M / Fourth Round, 1998 / No. 93 overall

Nearly eleven years have passed since he was drafted, and seven have passed since he left the Colts. 

It’s easy to forget the quality of the Steve McKinney selection.

McKinney, an interior lineman from Texas A&M, was the first of what would become a difficult, necessary trend for Colts President Bill Polian, but one that was necessary to the long-term stability of the franchise and management of the salary cap.

Defensively, the Colts have adopted a draft-develop-and-allow-to-depart approach to the linebacker position. That’s the position they have chosen to not spend big money on, and generally, they have done the same thing offensively at the guard position.

One of the first examples of this was McKinney, who developed quickly into a solid starter and a key member of the Colts’ line on the first really good Colts teams of the Polian era. He started 60 games in four seasons, but when he became a free agent in 2002, the Colts allowed him to sign with the Houston Texans. He started four seasons with Houston and has spent time with Miami and Seattle the past two seasons.

In subsequent years, the Colts have allowed guards such as Rick DeMulling and Jake Scott to leave as free agents after several solid seasons with the Colts. It’s a trend that started with McKinney, and even though it has been more than a decade, that doesn’t diminish one of Polian’s better selections in his early years in Indianapolis.

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CIB: Kravitz provides voice of reason on Indianapolis Colts stance

On April 6, 2009, In General, By John Oehser

Something I never got to do much working for the Indianapolis Colts was praise Bob Kravitz.

It’s something I’ll get to do today. Need to do, actually.

Kravitz, the sports columnist for the Indianapolis Star, is often criticized by fans for being critical of the Colts, and he is hardly the most beloved person within the walls of the organization. Bob won’t be surprised to read this. He well knows that’s part of his gig, but while I have disagreed with Bob over the years, I never once thought he had a vendetta against the Colts. I’ve written enough columns in my day to know his job is far more difficult than readers or team officials realize, and I thought there were a lot of times he was pretty balanced and reasonable.

Sunday morning was one of those times.

Because on Sunday, Bob weighed in on the CIB shortfall issue with an insight and voice that reminded me of why a quality, reasoned voice at a major daily newspaper is so important. It’s something we’re in danger of losing with the newspaper industry in what seems an irreversable downward spiral, but that’s a story for another day.

Here’s what Bob wrote:

While the focus should be on the CIB, a lot of folks are looking at the Colts and Pacers and saying, “Let the millionaires pay their own way.”

That’s a knee-jerk reaction that largely misses the point.

First, the Colts. I don’t buy the creative accounting that provided team president Bill Polian with the statement that the Colts poured $100 million into the construction of Lucas Oil Stadium, but the Colts did make a contribution. And while they got a sweetheart deal at the new place, the truth is, they could have stayed at the RCA Dome and continued to receive an even sweeter deal.

Would it be nice if the Colts tossed $5 million into the pot? Absolutely.

Is it their obligation? Not at all. They made a deal with the city. End of story.

Here’s why I appreciated Bob’s column. Not because he spoke in favor of the Colts’ position, and not because he spoke against it. Because, really, he did neither.

What he did was provide perspective that may not be particularly popular right now:

That this really isn’t a Colts issue either way.

Don’t think that’s a big deal? In the grand scheme of things it may not be, but within the context of this ongoing story, it’s significant, because the easy column and easy opinion to have right now is the Colts are the evil, wealthy bad guys over on West 56th selfishly and arrogantly refusing to “pony up” $5 million to help the CIB out of a jam. Professional sports is always the easy target in a story like this, one reason being it’s never politically incorrect to call a professional sports team greedy and another being is it’s easier to target a professional sports team with names/personalities than the largely nameless suits at the CIB.

Bob didn’t fall into that, and he easily could have. He could have easily criticized Polian as others did over the weekend, but didn’t.

So next time people say Kravitz “always” rips the Colts, remember this one.

Besides, I’m sure he’ll be back to ripping soon enough.

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Hey, Oehser: 2009 NFL schedule, Indianapolis Colts 2009 draft and a response from Prisco

On April 6, 2009, In General, By John Oehser

Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser answers the questions of Indianapolis Colts fans (and anyone else who happens to be reading .  . .)

The first question today is in response to a request last week to IFR readers to provide their Top Three first-round scenarios for the Colts in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Hey, Oehser . . .

Here are my Top 3 draft-day scenarios . . .

Scenario No. 1:  Evander Hood, DT, Missouri.  It should come as no surprise as Hood’s ability to immediately contribute as a 3-technique tackle will entice Polian to pass on a receiver.  Hood may be the second best tackle on the board, but many folks still have him ranked behind Raji and Jerry.

Scenario No. 2:  Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State.  Hood may not last to No. 27, so Robiskie makes a nice consolation prize.  Don’t be fooled by Hakeem Nicks, Percy Harvin or even Kenny Britt, this Buckeye can contribute immediately because he can run routes, catch the ball and understands the pro set.  They’ll call it a stretch on draft day and a stroke of genius in three years.

Scenario No. 3:  Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State.  Surprised?  Only drafting another center would surprise me more, as Polian takes the best player left.  Pettigrew’s pick cements the plan to move Gonzo outside and treat Clark as the slot receiver full-time.  It’s another weapon for Manning and would improve the receiver situation immediately.

Todd Smith

Todd,

I like your thinking. And although I can’t see No. 3 happening, this is the kind of response that makes the pre-draft weeks interesting. Hood would certainly be a popular selection among Colts fans, although I’ve been saying for so long that a defensive tackle would be a surprising selection I’m sticking to it. Robiskie’s another selection that’s getting a lot of buzz and he’s sort of a pre-draft double winner: he not only fits with what the public is seeing as a need, he fits what Colts President Bill Polian historically likes — a productive player from a solid college program. Your selection of Pettigrew is intriguing and shows some thought. I see what your saying about moving Dallas permanently outside, and he can obviously fill that role if needed, but I think the Colts like what he gives them when he can line up all over the field too much to move him permanently outside. Good scenarios, though. Appreciate it.

 

The second question isn’t really a question. It’s a response to an analysis I provided last week to a predraft Colts analysis by CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco. In my analysis, I questioned Pete’s analysis that linebacker is a huge need for the Colts . . .

Hey, Oehser . . .

Geez, Oehser. You killed me. Just kidding. . . .

They do need linebackers — even if they don’t put a premium on them. Receiver is a need for a third. Corner is a need with Jackson coming off surgery.

Pete Prisco

Pete,

Still think they have bigger needs, especially considering their history of drafting and developing players such as Cato June, David Thornton, Freddy Keiaho, etc. Think they’ll go linebacker at least once, but not early on the first day.

Say hello to Garrard for me.

 

Hey, Oehser . . .

Any ideas when the 2009 NF L schedule will be announced?

John

John,

I have heard the schedule will be released next week, which is around the time it is usually announced. It was announced on April 15 last year.

Have a question for IFR Editor John Oehser? He welcomes your questions and can be reached at IFROehser@aol.com.

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My Five: On the Indianapolis Colts, the CIB and Cato June

On April 5, 2009, In General, By John Oehser

Who’s in your five?

This Sunday, here’s who’s in mine — or, at least, here are my views on five Colts topics from the past week. . . .

 

1) The CIB issue . . .

This is clearly one that’s not going away, and at least some popular opinion is very much against the Colts. But to me, a line in a story IndyChannel.com Friday evening/Saturday morning seems to sum up what has caused this whole issue. The bill also assumes $5 million a year each in contributions from the Colts and Indiana Pacers. That has been what has fascinated me about this story from the beginning: how those from the Statehouse assumed that the Colts would happily cede $5 million a year in this ecomomic time or any other.

 

2) The CIB Issue, II . . .

Now, forgive me if this just seems plain silly. Lucas Oil Stadium is going to close if there’s not a deal worked out? Whether this was a silly statement to begin with, or the media running with and blowing up a story into more than it should be, the idea that LOS will close . . .

Well, come on now.

 

3) Hakeem Nicks . . .

The Colts reportedly worked the North Carolina wide receiver out recently. His “stock” has been rising and falling with weight gain and loss following an injury at the combine. I can’t get past the idea that he’s being picked apart by draftniks and otherwise unemployed website guys (sound familiar?) who may or may not be privy to the facts. A month and a half ago he was a draft darling and now scouts are supposedly questioning his desire.

Honestly? I don’t know if Nicks will be a bigtime receiver or not. I just know that he produced in the ACC and seemed to run fast at the combine. If he could play then, how can he not play now?

 

4) Cato June/Buster Davis . . .

The Houston Texans signed the pair this week, Davis having played with the Colts this past season and June having played with the Colts from 2003-2006. Some fans saw this as a sign that the Texans were trying to do what the Tennessee Titans have done in recent years, signing a multitude of Colts players.

What it actually is is the Texans dabbling in second-tier free agency. Davis was a backup for the Colts last season the team opted against re-signing, and June was released by the Buccaneers recently. They’re solid players, but it’s hard to see these signings tipping the AFC South balance of power.

 

5) 30 for 30 . . .

 

The seemed to get lost somewhere during the week, but Barry Levinson – the writer/director of Diner – has been chosen by ESPN Films to direct a documentary for its “30 for 30″ project, a series of 30 hour-long sports documentaries tied to the sports monster’s — er, station’s — 30th anniversay. Anyone who has seen Diner’s classic Colts-oriented scenes can probably guess the gist of the title: “And the Band Marched On: The Colts Sneak Out of Baltimore.”

 

Pretty clear that this probably won’t reflect well on Indianapolis, and a week after I heard about this I still can’t get past the idea that we all know what the documentary will entail. I also can’t shake the idea that although it almost certainly will be well-done, the concept just seems tired.

 
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2009 Indianapolis Colts NFL Draft: The Top 25 picks of the Polian Era, No. 21

On April 5, 2009, In General, By John Oehser

The draft series covering the Indianapolis Colts’  Top 25 selections of the Bill Polian era continues today with the No. 21 selection . . .

No. 21 . . .

Hunter Smith, P, Notre Dame / Seventh Round, 1999 / No. 210 overall

The Colts didn’t re-sign Smith this offseason, so there’s a chance his Colts career could be over, but that doesn’t diminish what he did for 10 seasons.

Smith not only was one of the best punters in the NFL when it came to pinning opponents inside the 20, he was one of the team’s best athletes. He also was one of the league’s best holders.

I found it ironic and unfortunate that in the awful, rainy conditions in Miami Gardens in Super Bowl XLI, that snap slipped through Smith’s hands, leading to a failed extra point attempt. On the league’s biggest stage, circumstances led to an error, but through the rest of his career he was almost flawless. How many times did Smith save extra points and field goals by scooping errant snaps? There’s no official stat, but it was more than once.

Mike Vanderjagt and Adam Vinatieri never worried about the snap. With Smith holding, they knew it would be there. They trusted it.

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Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning’s underrated moment, No. 4

On April 5, 2009, In General, By John Oehser

Here’s a link to the latest entry Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser’s series on Examiner counting down Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning’s Top 10 most underrated moments.

No. 10 was a 23-20 victory over Denver in 2002.

No. 9 was a 45-31 victory over Green Bay in 2004.

No. 8 was an 18-15 victory over Minnesota in 2008.

No. 7 was a 27-24 loss to Miami in 2001.

No. 6 was a 26-18 victory over Jacksonville in 2005.

No. 5 was a 31-28 victory over Minnesota in 2004.

No. 4 is  . . ?

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Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning’s underrated moment No. 5

On April 5, 2009, In General, By John Oehser

Here’s a link to the latest entry Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser’s series on Examiner counting down Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning’s Top 10 most underrated moments.

No. 10 was a 23-20 victory over Denver in 2002.

No. 9 was a 45-31 victory over Green Bay in 2004.

No. 8 was an 18-15 victory over Minnesota in 2008.

No. 7 was a 27-24 loss to Miami in 2001.

No. 6 was a 26-18 victory over Jacksonville in 2005.

No. 5 is . . .?

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A look at the Indianapolis Colts linebacker position

On April 4, 2009, In General, By John Oehser

Looking at the Indianapolis Colts linebacker position, it struck me as a bit ironic –or perhaps just timely — that this post would happen to fall at this time.

Just last night, former Colts linebacker Buster Davis signed with the Houston Texans, according to ESPN.com.

Ex-Colts linebacker Cato June visited the Texans the same week.

And linebacker Tyjuan Hagler visited them, too.

When news of the Texans’ interest in Davis circulated around the time of the news of the same team’s interest in June and Hagler, a fan commented below the story that they were tired of seeing the Colts train and develop linebackers for the rest of the league. I got his point, but he may have been missing the bigger picture.

Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell covered the bigger picture in this recent story on Colts.com on the team’s linebacker position, and that’s this:

Developing and training linebackers for the rest of the league? That’s just what the Colts do. Always has been since Tony Dungy arrived as the team’s head coach in 2002, and remains that way under Caldwell, who took over as head coach this past January. When free agency began shortly thereafter, the Colts opted to not re-sign Hagler or Freddy Keiaho, who started the past two seasons. Then, after signing Adam Seward from Carolina to back up Brackett, they released Davis.

The decision to allow Keiaho – and even Hagler – to leave was similar to past decisions to let linebackers such as Mike Peterson, Marcus Washington, June and David Thornton leave as free agents. As Caldwell said:

It’s kind of how it happens. We lost David Thornton (to the Tennessee Titans in the 2006 offseason) and everyone was kind of wondering who was going to take his place. We have a young guy who stepped up and it goes right down the line, year in and year out. Right down the line.

This year, the Colts have second-year veteran Philip Wheeler to step in at strong side linebacker, and while he is unproven, so were June, Thornton, and Keiaho when they moved into the starting lineup. For that reason, there’s little reason to think the Colts’ linebacker situation is in any particular trouble entering next season.

Gary Brackett. Clint Session. Wheeler. Seward.

They’re not huge NFL names, and they’re not necessarily Pro Bowl guys, but they’re solid players and the Colts’ linebackers have been playing solid for nearly a decade. The guess here is they’ll address the position in the draft, then develop that player into a guy who can be solid again in a year or two. That’s just what the Colts do.

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