In the fifth round, the Colts select Brody Eldridge, TE out of Oklahoma.  He's 6'4" 260, but also played some guard and center.  He's a high character player.

He's also played some fullback.

That might actually be why the Colts wanted him.

Barring a trade, they have three 7th round picks almost at the very end of the draft.

UPDATE:  Polian has described him as an excellent blocker, good in short yardage.  He's clearly meant to be the big blocking TE/fullback.  No more Mike Hart as fullback.  That's a very good thing.

 

There's the first O lineman taken by the Colts, Jaques McClendon a guard from U. Tennessee.

He's 6'3", 324.  That's a big man.  Hope he makes the team.

Why did we think the Colts were changing the philosophy of their offensive line?

We know the line is an issue, especially in run blocking.  For months we've been operating under the assumption that the Colts were "trying to get bigger".  Some people took the relatively inconsequential signings of two potential backups (who might not even make the team) as evidence of that.

In the end, the only evidence we had that the Colts were doing anything different was the word of...

an agent...

for a player who had just been cut...

for failing a physical.

Whoops.  The parts seemed to add up, maybe.  Polian ripped the line.  Howard Mudd retired.  Moore stepped aside.  Maybe the Colts were going to go in a different direction.

Nope.  As it turns out, that talk was completely fabricated by the agent of Ryan Lilja.  The Colts have no intention of doing anything any differently than they ever have.  What's interesting is that Tony Ugoh and Mike Pollack, for all the justifiable abuse they've taken, are still on the team.  It's fascinating that both players' problems are said to be largely mental by scouts.  They have problems letting go of the bad plays and their mistakes. I don't want to be too Polyannish about things, but no one has claimed that they lack the physical skills to play at a high level.  Maybe they just need to grow up a little.

Can that happen?  Sure.  Most people change pretty radically from 22 to 26 years old.  It's the new American adolescence.  Suddenly, Polian's shot across the bow to the line can be seen not as a change of direction, but rather a wake up call to some young men who couldn't get themselves back on the field. The answer to the line problems may still be on the roster.

I expect the Colts to pick up some projects today.  I expect to see a kicker, another corner or linebacker and definitely a lineman or two.  The fifth round is an Indy favorite for a new guard.

That sounds like I'm unhappy, but honestly, I'm not, at least not about the draft.  First off sorry for the black out.  Demond went AWOL, and now I get home to two picks and have to figure out what to make of them.

Let's cover the easy part first:

Third round pick Kevin Thomas CB.

Anyone surprised by the Colts taking anything but a corner in the third round hasn't been paying attention.

2009: 3rd round CB

2007: 2nd round CB

2006: 2nd round CB

2005: 2nd round CB

2004: 4th round CB

2003: 3rd round CB

2002: 3rd round CB

2001: 3rd round CB

2000: 3rd round CB

1999: 4th round CB

Have we detected a pattern here yet?  Everyone should have had the Colts slotted to take a DB in the third round.  It's when they feel like there is value.  I'll be honest, I know NOTHING about Kevin Thomas.  The truth is, it doesn't matter.  Corners are totally interchangeable in the Colts system. They won 12 games with Ratliff and Jennings starting two years ago.  It's the third round?  Time to draft another warm body.  Whichever one Polian likes is fine by me.

Now, the more controversial pick was the second round pick, linebacker Pat Angerer from Iowa. This pick has irritated some fans. First off, no one has the right to call any Polian pick a bad pick.  That's the height of stupidity.

Flash back to what I said last night about the pick of Hughes:

6.  Everyone on the Colts defense is basically expendable to some degree or another except for the DEs and the MLB.  We need to find a new MLB soon, but DE should be covered for the time being.

It's like some people pay no attention to how the Colts work at all.

Now, I know that Angerer will likely be competition on the outside at first, but remember that the Colts are always looking two and three years down the road.  Gary Brackett is not going to last forever.  Also, remember that he was freaking undrafted free agent to begin with. Angerer has been playing middle linebacker for Iowa for three years now.  Frankly, I'd think Colts fans would do a freaking jig every time someone gets drafted from Iowa...it has a habit of working out.

He ran a crappy 40 at the combine or where ever.  So what?  He showed solid cover skills for three years.  What are you going to believe?  With the first two picks in the draft the Colts bought depth at the only two defensive positions that really matter.  That's brilliant.

Everyone is still whining about the Colts not upgrading the O line, but that's just not what they usually do in the early rounds.  That was never a credible or realistic vision for this team.  First off all, the 2008 Steelers and 2009 Colts both proved that offensive line has become a vastly overrated component of championship caliber teams.

Secondly, the Colts are a young team with an old core.  They don't need starters now.  They need depth.  The last three seasons ended in defeat because of injuries to Freeney and Brackett.

Finally, a first year back up is a fine result for a second round pick.  In fact, anyone expecting to get an instant starter from the second round again hasn't been paying attention.

YOU DON'T USUALLY GET FIRST YEAR STARTERS IN ROUND TWO!

In the Polian era, 5 of 10 2nd round picks have started most of the games in their rookie year.  The immortal names:

Idris Bashir, Larry Tripplett, Mike Doss, Charlie Johnson, Mike Pollack

Among the ones who didn't:  Marcus Washington, Bob Sanders, Kelvin Hayden.

Pundits whine about the Colts being hard to figure out.  They aren't.  They do the same things every year.  It's time to start paying attention.  I don't know anything about these players. What I study is the Indianapolis Colts and how they operate.  It's all about philosophy and fit.  The Colts made two picks today that are 100% in keeping with their style and philosophy of drafting. If you want to understand the Colts drafts, don't waste time on mocks and and player evaluations.  Just go to this page and stare at it until it makes sense.

History tells us that the Colts are likely to come up with four eventual starters from this draft.  One of them will probably make a Pro Bowl.  6 or so players from this draft will make the team.  One or two will start immediately.  The rest won't.

My grade?  A+.  Because of the players?  No.  I have no idea.

Because of history.

I'll be mostly out tonight (date night with my wife), but Demond will pick up for me as the Colts pick.  Yes, Demond still exists.  He's just been a cocoon of sorrow since the Super Bowl.  He's making his triumphant return to talk about the Colts' picks tonight.  Jerry Hughes brought him back from the dead.

• Saffold goes off the board quickly to the Rams.  So much for a (far fetched) trade up.
• Brian Price was another guy some thought the Colts might be interested in just went.
  
• Wow, the Browns passed on Clausen, amazing.
• The Pats and Denver are up soon.  No confirmation on if Josh McDaniels is going to draft the guy from Monster.com to help him find a new job.
• NE takes a tight end who hasn't played in a year.  Nice.

That's it for me.  Demond will be in to continue soon.

I've been unabashedly pushing for the Colts to take Jerry Hughes for weeks now, so obviously I'm thrilled with how the night turned out.  After I first got turned on to him via mock draft, I've grown increasingly enamored with him.  I've been calling Demond everyday, breathlessly saying, "Do you think we can really get Hughes?".  When the pick was announced, I danced around the room happily.  It made my night.

Here's why Hughes was the right pick for the Colts:

1.  Hughes is a difference maker.  Polian loves using first round picks on dynamic players.  I knew Hughes was exactly the kind of guy the Colts would love because of his freakish speed in rushing the quarterback.  He's Freeney/Mathis 2.0.  He even wore 98 in college.

2.  Freeney and Mathis had a hard time staying on the field last year.  We already lost the Super Bowl twice now thank to injuries to Freeney.  Mathis barely played for a long stretch in the second half of the season.  Does anyone remember the Houston game at Houston?  The first three quarters at Jacksonville?  Trust me, we needed another DE.

3.  As far as a lineman goes, 31 is too low for a certain sure fire franchise LT, too high for anything else.  We know the Colts O line is weak, but guess what?  Unless you are convinced that a franchise left tackle is available, you can't take an offensive lineman in the first round.  The Colts believe that guards and centers are basically fungible.  By taking Hughes they Colts got a guy that will alter games.  Most offensive linemen are essentially interchangeable.  They couldn't go for a LT unless they were 100% sure it was a franchise guy.

4. Freeney is due a HUGE pay jump after this season.  He is going to be 31 after next season.  I'm not saying, I'm just saying.  If you think you have the next Freeney, now is the time to take him.

5.  Hughes screams "COLTS PASS RUSHER!"  His size and height are dead on identical to Mathis Freeney.  He is exactly the kind of player other teams would have no clue what do with, but the Colts know just how to use him.  Talent wise, this was a top tier player who fell to 31 because of size.  In two years, he'll be one of the top 5-10 players to come out of this draft.

6.  Everyone on the Colts defense is basically expendable to some degree or another except for the DEs and the MLB.  We need to find a new MLB soon, but DE should be covered for the time being.

7.  Hughes was a big time producer in college.  Polian loves guys that actually put up numbers in the college game.  Hughes doesn't just have potential, but he has a track record of production.

This was an A+ absolutely perfect fit kind of pick.  From the moment I laid eyes on his profile, my eyes lit up.

2007

2009

RIP

We finally have depth at DE.

Bring on 2011.  Jerry Hughes is a Colt.

I can't wait.

 

 

Good evening, everyone.  I'll be checking in periodically with thoughts and musings.  I'll pick up in intensity around pick 20.  Until then, check back every few picks for my thoughts.  Just so the record is clear, my dream pick is Jerry Hughes, but I suspect he'll be long gone before Indy selects.

• No one is surprised that Sam Bradford is the first overall pick.  I'm betting against him.  Why?  I always bet against the first two QBs taken.  They usually go to clueless franchises.  I'd say Bradford is in that boat.
• Suh goes number two.  You can't beat getting the best player in the draft.  There is hope for the Lions yet.  I guess my mock draft is shot now.
• Through the pick Okung everything is basically chalk.  The Skins took Williams over Okung, and there haven't been any deals.  Pretty boring draft to this point.
• Well, we've got the Jags on the clock.  With rumors the Broncos are taking Tebow at 11, the pressure has to be on them.
• Gotta love the Sparkle Kitties.  They way over reach on their pick taking some clown with a lot of vowels.  Meanwhile, the Broncos manage to trade down, which means that the Tebow watch is on for them.  Josh McDaniels really wants to destroy that franchise in the most hilarious way possible.  The only question now is:  did this pick destroy the Jaguars as a viable NFL franchise?
• Of course not.  They never were a viable NFL franchise.
• Finally some trades.  The Chargers moving up worries me. 
  
• Now that I think about it some more, trading with Parcells to take a running back doesn't make much sense.  That seems like a bad way to go.
• The cursed Tim Dobbins was involved in that rather pricey deal.
• Denver is pulling the Belchick strategy.  At some point, they need actual players though.  McDaniels is ruining that team, and I love it.
• The Giants take Pierre-Paul.  FO hates him, but Mike Lombardi loves him.  We'll see...
• Mike Iupati is gone.  I think I saw him slated for the Colts at one point.
• Pouncey goes to the Steelers. I do a dance.  I never saw the point in drafting a center in the first round.
• Down to the final 11 picks before the Colts now.
• The Texans go with a corner back.  No huge shock at the position.  Keep trying to draft to stop Peyton, guys.  I'm thinking Manning goes after Jackson for three scores in week one.  Welcome to the NFL, rook.  Hope you are ready.
• Wow, so not only does McDaniels not take Tebow, but he takes another WR before Dez Bryant.  Wow.  I know he didn't want a prima donna, but what about talent?  The Pats meanwhile acquire another pick that I'm sure they'll deal for two more picks, never actually taking a player.
• The Packs another tackle. Bulaga is off the board.  If the Pats pass on Hughes, I'll be pumped.
• Typical pick for the Cowboys.  Bryant is a big time player.  I hope he turns out to be a turd, but honestly, I don't see it.  His character issues never seemed that bad for me.  What's wild is how the Pats again traded back again.  If they take Hughes, so help me...
• And there it is!  McDaniels takes Tebow and officially ruins the Broncos forever.  So hilarious.
• Guess where the Broncos open 2010?  Jacksonville.  Too special.
• The Cards take Dan Williams.  That was another player I saw slated by some to Indy.
• The Pats take McCourdy a DB.  Hughes has to survive two more 3-4 teams.  Clausen's fall might be gold for the Colts as teams might now want to trade up to take him.
• Odrick the DT from PSU goes to Miami.  Again, I love it.  Lots of good players there for Indy.
• The Jets take Wilson.  They are certainly deep at corner now.  Hope they figure out how to score though.  Hughes is Indy's if they want him.  I'm still betting on the trade down.
• Detroit trades up with the Vikings.  Frick.  I was hoping we'd get to be the trade down team.
• The Lions take Best the RB.  It's up to Indy now.  The only bad part about a trade down is that it means the whole night was a big boring bust.

HERE IT IS:

HGOOFOSDFJOSDJHOFDSOFSIOFOO)OO

JERRY HUGHES BABY!

JERRY FREAKING HUGHES!

Get on down to Victory Field tonight to watch the 100 MPH antics of Aroldis Champman and the Louisville Bats against the Indians.

Any time baseball of this quality is played in Naptown, it's worth heading out to the ball park to catch.  Go watch Chapman, and you'll still be home in plenty of time to watch Indy select at the end of the first round.

I don't like commenting on these kinds of stories, because any acknowledgement of them can serve to smear a person even as you try to defend them.

The Colts have come out and said the Eric Foster situation is a non-issue with them.  Many are crying, "Foul!" and screaming for suspensions ala Roethlisberger.

Let me begin by saying, as someone who has had to deal with "He said, she said" cases from the investigative side, my personal bent is to always favor the woman.  If I don't know and have to choose, I'm going to side with the woman every time.  There are a lot of aspects of this story that disturb me deeply.  I have no opinion at all about the original complaint against Foster, because I have none of the facts.  I find it disturbing.

Having said that, there are real differences between this incident and the Roethlisberger case:

1.  Roethlisberger already had a preexisting pending lawsuit similar to this.  Most of us looked at the facts of that case and dismissed it as gold digging.  I'm not implying that is what the young woman in the Foster case is doing.  I have no idea.  I do know that there was no rush to suspend or label Roethlisberger a rapist after one civil accusation.

2.  Roethlisberger engaged in a pattern of reckless behavior. His second accusation came after he was buying shots for an underaged girl in a college bar.  Foster's incident occurred in the team hotel.  Now, if true the Foster incident is worse in my estimation, however, there is no obvious thing we can point to on the surface to say that Foster was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing.  The commissioner can't say to Foster, "Why were you even AT that bar.  What were you thinking buying alcohol for women you don't know, let alone underaged ones?".  That's the kind of behavior, which by all accounts is a serial MO for Roethlisberger, that has made it all to easy to suspend him.  In Foster's case, we have none of that.

3.  The Roethlisberger case hinged in part on the victim being unwilling to testify.  That does not seem to be the case here.  The Foster incident got not traction with the cops because the DA declined to press charges, but the willingness of the victim to testify does not seem to be at issue.  That implies to me that the quality of the evidence is much weaker in the Foster case than in the Roethlisberger case.

I think I speak for all Colts fans when I say that if the allegations against Foster are true, I hope he gets cut and should be in prision.  I also know that his reputation is damaged irrevocably now whether they are true or not.

Like I said, my inclination in this and every case is to believe the woman.  However, because these are not analogous situations, it's easy to understand why the team has to take the position it has.  Legally, I'm not sure they even have a choice about it.

The 2010 Schedule comes out, and it's an attractive one for the Colts.

Week 1:  9/12 @ Houston  Loss

Every year I think Indy will lose at Houston.  Every year Houston comes out like they'll kill the Colts, but Indy invariably rallies to steal the game.  Once again, I'm taking the Colts to lose.  I think the Texans are a good team. I think the crowd will be insane.  I don't see Indy winning this game.

Week 2:  9/19 NYG  Win

No way Peyton loses to little brother in the home opener on national TV.

Week 3: @ Denver 9/26  Win

The Broncos will be AWFUL next year.  Imagine that game last season without Brandon Marshall.  Yeah.  Blowout.

Week 4: 10/3 @ Jacksonville Win

The Jags fans (both of them) are all excited to play the Colts in an afternoon game, I'm sure.  Unfortunately for them, the kickoff is at 4, and the game is in October.  The Jags are going to be worse next year than this year.  That is a franchise going in the wrong direction.

Week 5: 10/10  Kansas City Win

Moving right along...

Week 6: 10/17 @ Washington Win

The Colts open with four of six on the road.  Good thing several of the teams won't be any good.

Week 7: Bye  Indy goes in with a 5-1 record.  Hard to ask for more.

Week 8: 11/1 Houston Win

Are you ready for some Football? The Colts show up large on MNF and pay back Houston. I will never pick the Texans in Indy until they manage to win there at least once.

Week 9: 11/7 @Philadelphia  Win

I see the Eagles as a team in decline.  By rule I assume all young QBs suck until they prove they don't.  Kevin Kolb is in that category.  I hope Marv drops by the stadium.  Somehow, I doubt he will.

Week 10: 11/14 Cincinnati Win

Yeah, Indy goes to 8-1.  I just don't see how the Bengals are going to be good next year.  They were a mirage this season, and they'll be worse.

Week 11: 11/21 @ New England Win

The Pats are going backwards in a hurry.  I don't think they make the playoffs next year.  Seriously.

Week 12: 11/28 San Diego Win

A prime time game in Indy.  The Colts will need to win three of the four games with the Pats, Bolts, Cowboys, and Titans.  I'm taking them in the two biggest.

Week 13:  12/5 Dallas Cowboys Loss

They  have to lose sometime, and Dallas will have several extra days to prepare thanks to their Thanksgiving game.

Week 14: 12/9 @ Tennessee Win

Vince Young or Peyton Manning?  In prime time, at any time, it's #18.

Week 15:  12/19  Jacksonville Win

Indy clinches the South with a record of 12-2.

Week 16:  @Oakland Win

The Peyton/Painter combo mops up the Raiders to push Indy's record to 13-2.

Week 17:  Tennessee Loss

Nice call Goodell.  Have you watched any of the other Colts/Titans end of the season games?  Get real, chief.

***

So there you have it.  Indy goes 13-3 and wins the South, taking the #1 overall seed again.  The Colts have only three potential cold weather games: @ Philly November 7th (not too bad!), @New England (mercifully a day game) on November 21st, and at the Titans (I know I'm pushing the boundaries of 'cold weather') on December 9th.

The Colts get 5 night games, three at home and two on the road.  They finish with four of six at home.  Perhaps the only bad break is having to open at Houston.  All in all, it couldn't sort out much better.  I expect the NFC East to be seriously down next year.  I expect the AFC West to continue to suck as bad or worse than ever.  I think the Patriots and Bengals, though technically #1 teams in their divisions, are both the third best teams in the North and East.