Wow, people truly are trying to make a case that the Skins aren't in a lot better shape than the Colts?
is this due to Skin hate, Colt love, or just blindness?
we're talking about a 5-11 team last year with NO QB, in the toughest division in football, who made some pretty decent acquisitions this offseason.
You really hurt any claim you have of being objective by claiming the NFC East was the best division in football this past season. It wasn't even close.I am a Colts fan and I am admittedly biased. The Colts were riddled with injuries this year - not just Manning. The Colts probably have one of the weakest rosters in the league but I don't see us being worse then we were a year ago
Who we lost
TE Dallas Clark - I believe he was leading the league in drops for at least part of the season. Dallas hasn't been the same since he suffered a serious injury a couple of seasons ago. I think he might be washed up. The fact that no one is jumping at the opportunity to sign him suggests his better days are behind him. Dallas wasn't productive last year so we're not losing anything by cutting him.
S Melvin Bullit - Solid safety but hasn't been healthy for a couple of years now. Like Bullit, he didn't help us last year.
RB Joseph Addai - Another guy who hasn't been able to stay healthy for a couple of seasons. Like Clark and Bullit, he didn't help us last year.
WR Pierre Garcon - A solid WR2 in the NFL and probably in the WR30 to WR40 range as far as real life NFL receivers go. He's a good stretch the field guy.
C Jeff Saturday - Still solid but he's old.
RT Ryan Diem - I'm not sure he was very good last year. He retired this offseason.
MLB Gary Brackett - Missed the entire season due to injury.
TE Jacob Tamme - Solid backup or emergency starter. He's nothing special.
Basically, aside from Garcon and Saturday, everyone we lost either was hurt last year or is a mediorce and easily replaceable player. We really didn't lose much talent that actually made a positive contribution to the team last year.
Colts who are talented and young
LT Anthony Castonzo - He was hurt for part of the season but was impressive when he was healthy.
CB Jarraud Powers - He was very impressive as a rookie but struggled with injuries in his sophomore season.
ILB Pat Angerer - Led the Colts in tackles last season and was overall quite impressive. He's a keeper for sure.
WR Austin Collie - Very good slot WR if he can stay healthy
Other young Colts who could become or are role players
RT/G Ben Ijalana - Another guy who was hurt last year but the Colts like him last year. He was our 2nd round pick in 2011
OLB (now ILB?) Kavell Conner - He played decently for the Colts last year. He's probably a lower end starter in this league but he is young so he could end up being more then that.
DT/3-4 DE Fili Moala - Another low end starter. He's not bad and not great.
DT/3-4 DE Drake Nevis - The Colts like him last year but he was hurt for most of the season. I'm not sure how the new regime feels about him.
RB Donald Brown - Decent RB though probably not the long term answer at RB for the Colts.
OLB/DE Jerry Hughes - He's probably a bust but he wouldn't be the first player ever that looked like a bust and then played much better in a different defensive scheme.
Returning Grizzled Veterans
WR Reggie Wayne, DE/OLB Robert Mathis, and DE/OLB Dwight Freeney
Free Agent Signings
3-4 DE Cory Redding and C Samson Satele
We're replacing Dan Orlovsky/Kerry Collins/Curtis Painter with Andrew Luck at QB. I don't see how this team doesn't win two to four games more next season. I see this team going 4-12 to 6-10 next year. That's bad but it's not as bad as people are suggesting we'll be in this thread. Andrew Luck is to good of a QB for this team to go 1-15 or 0-16.