What team may surprise and draft a RB in the 1st/2nd (1 Viewer)

[brock]

how was LJ to KC a surprise? holmes was getting old and started having some injury concerns. same for sjax and faulk. a healthy mcgahee would have also been a top 5 pick so i can't fault the bills for making the value pick.

Surprise is a relative term. What you said about Holmes applies to LT, yet I think there are plenty of people who would be surprised if the Chargers drafted Jonathan Stewart or Chris Johnson. In hindsight we'd be able to justify the pick by saying LT is getting old and they need insurance, but I don't think I've seen a single mock that has the Chargers drafting a RB in the first. I'm pretty sure there weren't a lot of people who thought the Chiefs were going to take Larry Johnson. Now that he's become a success and Holmes is out of the league, it seems like an obvious choice, but it was hardly expected at the time. Ditto Jackson to STL. I don't think I saw a single mock that had that pick. A lot of people thought he'd go to Detroit, Tampa Bay, or Philadelphia earlier in the draft. Most mocks have the RBs going to NYJ, OAK, CAR, CHI, DEN, DET, HOU, TB, SEA, or DAL. That's where people expect the first round RBs to go this year. If a team like PIT or SD or STL takes a RB then we might be able to justify it in hindsight, but it will still qualify as a surprise since no mocks have those teams taking a RB in the first.

i agree with what you are saying, but that has more to do with draft fans putting too much faith in mocks. the more faith people put in mocks, the more they will be surprised.

 

[Buckna]

how was LJ to KC a surprise? holmes was getting old and started having some injury concerns. same for sjax and faulk. a healthy mcgahee would have also been a top 5 pick so i can't fault the bills for making the value pick.

Surprise is a relative term. What you said about Holmes applies to LT, yet I think there are plenty of people who would be surprised if the Chargers drafted Jonathan Stewart or Chris Johnson. In hindsight we'd be able to justify the pick by saying LT is getting old and they need insurance, but I don't think I've seen a single mock that has the Chargers drafting a RB in the first. I'm pretty sure there weren't a lot of people who thought the Chiefs were going to take Larry Johnson. Now that he's become a success and Holmes is out of the league, it seems like an obvious choice, but it was hardly expected at the time. Ditto Jackson to STL. I don't think I saw a single mock that had that pick. A lot of people thought he'd go to Detroit, Tampa Bay, or Philadelphia earlier in the draft. Most mocks have the RBs going to NYJ, OAK, CAR, CHI, DEN, DET, HOU, TB, SEA, or DAL. That's where people expect the first round RBs to go this year. If a team like PIT or SD or STL takes a RB then we might be able to justify it in hindsight, but it will still qualify as a surprise since no mocks have those teams taking a RB in the first.

As you said, surprise is a relative term. There's so much difference of opinion out there on what teams need, what teams like, what order of magnitude of the needs are, and truly no one really knows except what the insiders at that team really thinks of its players.

 

[EBF]

Funny, after reading through this thread I just checked out scout.com's new mock draft. Where do they have Jonathan Stewart? #27 to San Diego.

Stewart is the big wild card in this draft. He could go almost anywhere between 1.09-1.30. Some teams will have him as the top back on their board, but the toe injury is an issue that has the potential to send him on a mini free fall.

 

[brock]

I think hindsight has clouded your memory. I don't think anyone expected Cincy to take a RB in the first and they certainly didn't expect them to pick Perry. LJ to KC and Jackson to STL were surprises on the level of Stewart to SD.

I concede the fadings of memory on LJ and SJax, but I disagree on Cinci. It was wildly thought they would take a Corner in the first until trading down with Denver and acquiring Deltha O'Neal a couple of weeks before the draft.The big surprise was the name they took, not the position. They had a chance at SJax and traded down again and took Perry. I remember reading that they had Perry ranked as their #1 RB and was the guy they were targeting all along. Boy has that turned out to be a blunder.

look at how many years it took them to finally get the right qb. even then there was controversy since kitna was coming off a pretty productive season. one of these years the right rb will fall in their lap like palmer did.

 

[Buckna]

Funny, after reading through this thread I just checked out scout.com's new mock draft. Where do they have Jonathan Stewart? #27 to San Diego. Stewart is the big wild card in this draft. He could go almost anywhere between 1.09-1.30. Some teams will have him as the top back on their board, but the toe injury is an issue that has the potential to send him on a mini free fall.

They're stealing your ideas!!!! SD taking Stewart would cause heads to roll in fantasy, some major questions would come up around what kind of insider info SD might have on LT's health.But I agree on Stewart, he's all over the map and I think is the most likely to get taken by a team most aren't "projecting." He's a legit 1st round talent that some of the better teams picking late might get a good deal on and salivate at the prospect of him falling to them. Those better teams can afford to sit on him until they need him.

 

[djcolts]

IND picks 59 then 93

Knowing their tendencies, they probably won't use a top 100 pick on a RB. There are some questions about their RB situation, but they can definitely survive with that they have right now. So I think they'll only take a RB early if they see a tremendous value there. Otherwise I think they'll probably look for a cheap guy to come in and compete with Keith for the backup spot.

I recently read quotes from Polian in a Colts blog called Stamped Blue. He is definitely looking at the RBs we see as 2nd and 3rd round values. Chris Johnson and Matt Forte, two of my favorites, appear to be favored there (at the blog). Polian's most direct comments simply said they needed to get someone who could compliment Addai, he agrees this is a very good class of RBs, and RB was one of a few draft priorities. Fwiw, I am more intrigued by this situation that almost any other.

I didn't see this post when I replied earlier.

 

[zadok]

We need to remember how short the lifespan of a RB is. They need to be replinished constantly.

 

[Chaos Commish]

IND picks 59 then 93

Knowing their tendencies, they probably won't use a top 100 pick on a RB. There are some questions about their RB situation, but they can definitely survive with that they have right now. So I think they'll only take a RB early if they see a tremendous value there. Otherwise I think they'll probably look for a cheap guy to come in and compete with Keith for the backup spot.

I recently read quotes from Polian in a Colts blog called Stampede Blue. He is definitely looking at the RBs we see as 2nd and 3rd round values. Chris Johnson and Matt Forte, two of my favorites, appear to be favored there (at the blog). Polian's most direct comments simply said they needed to get someone who could compliment Addai, he agrees this is a very good class of RBs, and RB was one of a few draft priorities. Fwiw, I am more intrigued by this situation that almost any other.

I didn't see this post when I replied earlier.

Yeah even though switz thinks we have no clue what we're talking about, the fact they have brought in backs who look like 1st day picks with their limted number of allowed visits suggests we actually have a good clue. (switz, you should try not to be insulting)There's no certainty with any situation in this thread. It is an interesting discussion. I think the Colts situation is as serious as the one in Dallas. They both have RBs they love. They both are comfortable having another back play a significant supporting role. They both have needs elsewhere too.

 

[brock]

We need to remember how short the lifespan of a RB is. They need to be replinished constantly.

the next few drafts might not be so deep either. grab one now or chance being SOL.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Great stuff, but I do want to add on the hindsight re: Henry/McGahee that now we know that Buffalo had some serious concerns about Henry's extracurricular activities - so it's not as surprising. That being said, Im not sure which current starting RB fits that mold...

 

[Buckna]

Great stuff, but I do want to add on the hindsight re: Henry/McGahee that now we know that Buffalo had some serious concerns about Henry's extracurricular activities - so it's not as surprising. That being said, Im not sure which current starting RB fits that mold...

True enough, we have no way of knowing when Henry failed his 1st drug test but it was during some point in his tenure at Buffalo. He had been with the team 2 years before they drafted McGahee, however, his 2nd failure and the 4 game suspension was sometime shortly after being traded to Tennesee which was 2 years after McGahee was drafted.Only the Buffalo brass know if his extra-curricular activites had anything to do with McGahee being drafted. It certainly was't mentioned in the media at the time.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Great stuff, but I do want to add on the hindsight re: Henry/McGahee that now we know that Buffalo had some serious concerns about Henry's extracurricular activities - so it's not as surprising. That being said, Im not sure which current starting RB fits that mold...

True enough, we have no way of knowing when Henry failed his 1st drug test but it was during some point in his tenure at Buffalo. He had been with the team 2 years before they drafted McGahee, however, his 2nd failure and the 4 game suspension was sometime shortly after being traded to Tennesee which was 2 years after McGahee was drafted.Only the Buffalo brass know if his extra-curricular activites had anything to do with McGahee being drafted. It certainly was't mentioned in the media at the time.

It wasn't in the media at the time, but we've heard from a very good source that it played into the decision.

 

[David Yudkin]

To this I would counter:2007 1.07 Adrian Peterson (Chester Taylor)2006 1.02 Reggie Bush (Deuce McAllister)2006 1.27 DeAngelo Williams (Deshaun Foster)2004 1.24 Steven Jackson (Marshall Faulk)2004 1.26 Chris Perry (Rudi Johnson) 2003 1.23 Willis McGahee (Travis Henry) 2003 1.27 Larry Johnson (Priest Holmes)

While I don't totally disagree, there were some things that made each of these instances somewhat explainable.2007: MIN felt that ADP was a once in a generation type back and opted to take him. Many people already felt Taylor was a slightly above average back and certainly not special or explosive. I doubt MIN would have taken any other RB on Day 1 of the draft if not for ADP.2006: NO felt Bush was their once in a generation RB and Bush had graded out with exemplary marks. Deuce already had had a serious of injuries, so taking Bush actually made some sense.2006: DeShaun Foster's limited production has been well documented on these boards and I don't think many would say he was ever a top talent or highly productive RB.2004: Faulk already had a lot of mileage and had started to wear down with injuries. He was already 31 at the time the Rams drafted S-Jax. I don't remember at the time being surprised at all at their pick.2004: Rudi Johnson hadn't even played a full season as a starter. Dillon had imploded the season before and Rudi started a few games (5 games) in his absence. In hindsight this looks like Johnson was an entrenched starter, but prior to the trade with NE, some people were thinking Dillon was going to return as the Bengals starter.2003: IIRC, Henry never got a lot of love in BUF, had squawked about his contract, and had some injury questions. McGahee cuoldn't even play the year he was drafted and was more of a pick for the future than an immediate impact guy. It was certainly anything but a vote of confidence in Henry, but maybe BUF knew he was not an angel off the field by then.2003: Priest Holmes ended the season with a serious injury (and had his fair share of injuries prior to that as well). KC found out when Priest went down that their RB depth was suspect (Cloud, Blaylock, and Richardson did very little with Priest out). Holmes was also hitting the magic 30 mark. There were reasons KC needed a RB . . . but IMO most felt they needed a defensive player more than a RB in training (or in diapers).In pretty much all these cases there were legit reasons why the teams took a RB.

 

[EBF]

There's a big difference between explainable and expected.

I can explain why the Rams chose Darren McFadden. That doesn't mean I expected it to happen.

Most mocks have the big three backs landing in obvious starting spots like Oakland, Chicago, and Houston. All I'm saying is that it rarely works out so cleanly.

 

[gianmarco]

To this I would counter:2007 1.07 Adrian Peterson (Chester Taylor)2006 1.02 Reggie Bush (Deuce McAllister)2006 1.27 DeAngelo Williams (Deshaun Foster)2004 1.24 Steven Jackson (Marshall Faulk)2004 1.26 Chris Perry (Rudi Johnson) 2003 1.23 Willis McGahee (Travis Henry) 2003 1.27 Larry Johnson (Priest Holmes)

While I don't totally disagree, there were some things that made each of these instances somewhat explainable.2007: MIN felt that ADP was a once in a generation type back and opted to take him. Many people already felt Taylor was a slightly above average back and certainly not special or explosive. I doubt MIN would have taken any other RB on Day 1 of the draft if not for ADP.2006: NO felt Bush was their once in a generation RB and Bush had graded out with exemplary marks. Deuce already had had a serious of injuries, so taking Bush actually made some sense.2006: DeShaun Foster's limited production has been well documented on these boards and I don't think many would say he was ever a top talent or highly productive RB.2004: Faulk already had a lot of mileage and had started to wear down with injuries. He was already 31 at the time the Rams drafted S-Jax. I don't remember at the time being surprised at all at their pick.2004: Rudi Johnson hadn't even played a full season as a starter. Dillon had imploded the season before and Rudi started a few games (5 games) in his absence. In hindsight this looks like Johnson was an entrenched starter, but prior to the trade with NE, some people were thinking Dillon was going to return as the Bengals starter.2003: IIRC, Henry never got a lot of love in BUF, had squawked about his contract, and had some injury questions. McGahee cuoldn't even play the year he was drafted and was more of a pick for the future than an immediate impact guy. It was certainly anything but a vote of confidence in Henry, but maybe BUF knew he was not an angel off the field by then.2003: Priest Holmes ended the season with a serious injury (and had his fair share of injuries prior to that as well). KC found out when Priest went down that their RB depth was suspect (Cloud, Blaylock, and Richardson did very little with Priest out). Holmes was also hitting the magic 30 mark. There were reasons KC needed a RB . . . but IMO most felt they needed a defensive player more than a RB in training (or in diapers).In pretty much all these cases there were legit reasons why the teams took a RB.

I don't think the point he was making was that there weren't reasons to take them. His point was that many mocks didn't have those teams taking RB's because it SEEMED they had entrenched starters, so they came as a "surprise". Looking back, they all make sense. Very similarly, no one is predicting teams like KC or SD or even Philly to take a RB (or at least very few are), but if they do, we can probably look back in a couple years and see why they did as well.

 

[ratbast]

From a previous thread:

________

Tier 5 (no opps year 1, not much possibility to start year 2)

Atl

Buf

NYG

Jax

Ind

Min

KC

St L

GB*

Was*

_________

These teams would truly surprise me if they went RB in first 2 rounds.

 

[EBF]

I don't think the point he was making was that there weren't reasons to take them. His point was that many mocks didn't have those teams taking RB's because it SEEMED they had entrenched starters, so they came as a "surprise". Looking back, they all make sense. Very similarly, no one is predicting teams like KC or SD or even Philly to take a RB (or at least very few are), but if they do, we can probably look back in a couple years and see why they did as well.

Think about some of the teams out there this year:New York Giants - They have some decent players at RB, but there's no obvious bell cow RB here. Cleveland - Jamal Lewis is ancient and there's nothing of note behind him. Pittsburgh - There have been some hints of dissatisfaction with their RB situation in the past and I don't think the addition of Mewelde Moore necessarily eases their desire to upgrade. New Orleans - Deuce is ancient and injured. Reggie disappointed last season and seems more like a RBBC type. They have much bigger needs, but you never know...Jacksonville - Taylor is ancient. It remains to be seen whether or not they want to expand MJD's role when Taylor breaks down or whether they'd rather bring in a bigger back to handle some of the load. You can think of reasons why almost any team in the league would take a RB in the first.

 

[David Yudkin]

I don't think the point he was making was that there weren't reasons to take them. His point was that many mocks didn't have those teams taking RB's because it SEEMED they had entrenched starters, so they came as a "surprise". Looking back, they all make sense. Very similarly, no one is predicting teams like KC or SD or even Philly to take a RB (or at least very few are), but if they do, we can probably look back in a couple years and see why they did as well.

There are probably only 6 or 8 teams that I would say would really surprise me if they took a first day RB. If teams adhere to the BPA avilable philosophy (and are not looking to plug holes in other areas), I could see a lot of teams that could make a case for needing another RB.I guess we all may differ on what "surprise" means. For example, I would be surprised to see CLE draft a QB in the first round. But if D-Mac fell to the Patriots, I would not be totally shocked if they drafted him.

 

[gianmarco]

From a previous thread:________Tier 5 (no opps year 1, not much possibility to start year 2)AtlBufNYGJaxIndMinKCSt LGB*Was*_________These teams would truly surprise me if they went RB in first 2 rounds.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Indy, NYG, Jax, or KC took a RB in the 1st 2 rounds at all. In fact, I can see DMac going to KC at the #5 spot easily.I would wonder why, but wouldn't be completely shocked if Buff, Wash, or GB took a RB.The ones I would be shocked at are: Atl, Minn, StLPretty much every other team not listed above with the exception of SF and Miami, I could EASILY see them taking a RB if one of these guys fall to them and they have them rated high enough.

 

[switz]

IND picks 59 then 93

Knowing their tendencies, they probably won't use a top 100 pick on a RB. There are some questions about their RB situation, but they can definitely survive with that they have right now. So I think they'll only take a RB early if they see a tremendous value there. Otherwise I think they'll probably look for a cheap guy to come in and compete with Keith for the backup spot.

I recently read quotes from Polian in a Colts blog called Stampede Blue. He is definitely looking at the RBs we see as 2nd and 3rd round values. Chris Johnson and Matt Forte, two of my favorites, appear to be favored there (at the blog). Polian's most direct comments simply said they needed to get someone who could compliment Addai, he agrees this is a very good class of RBs, and RB was one of a few draft priorities. Fwiw, I am more intrigued by this situation that almost any other.

I didn't see this post when I replied earlier.

Yeah even though switz thinks we have no clue what we're talking about, the fact they have brought in backs who look like 1st day picks with their limted number of allowed visits suggests we actually have a good clue. (switz, you should try not to be insulting)

I'm wondering if Chaos Commis can post a link to where Polian said that (I'll help). I can't find anything link that on Stampede Blue. The article I read in a different paper was not about a complement to Addai but about a backup.And as for RBs they've had visit:

Jalen Parmele; Toledo

Alley Broussard; Missouri Southern/LSU (RB/FB)

Kareem Huggins; Hofstra

Justin Beaver; Wisconsin-Whitewater

Adrian Smith; Bethel College

There's no certainty with any situation in this thread. It is an interesting discussion. I think the Colts situation is as serious as the one in Dallas. They both have RBs they love. They both are comfortable having another back play a significant supporting role. They both have needs elsewhere too.

I have to disagree with that as well. DAL has been RBBC for three years now.IND has never been an RBBC team. Addai stole carries from Rhodes as he was learning the offense, but it was not so they could have an RBBC it was to get Addai into the offense so he could learn all the nuances. Last season, there really was no RBBC. Keith played one game where Addai was out, and came in twice to clean up in blowouts. Outside of those three games, he was barely used.

Completely different situations between the two.

 

[brock]

To this I would counter:2007 1.07 Adrian Peterson (Chester Taylor)2006 1.02 Reggie Bush (Deuce McAllister)2006 1.27 DeAngelo Williams (Deshaun Foster)2004 1.24 Steven Jackson (Marshall Faulk)2004 1.26 Chris Perry (Rudi Johnson) 2003 1.23 Willis McGahee (Travis Henry) 2003 1.27 Larry Johnson (Priest Holmes)

While I don't totally disagree, there were some things that made each of these instances somewhat explainable.2007: MIN felt that ADP was a once in a generation type back and opted to take him. Many people already felt Taylor was a slightly above average back and certainly not special or explosive. I doubt MIN would have taken any other RB on Day 1 of the draft if not for ADP.2006: NO felt Bush was their once in a generation RB and Bush had graded out with exemplary marks. Deuce already had had a serious of injuries, so taking Bush actually made some sense.2006: DeShaun Foster's limited production has been well documented on these boards and I don't think many would say he was ever a top talent or highly productive RB.2004: Faulk already had a lot of mileage and had started to wear down with injuries. He was already 31 at the time the Rams drafted S-Jax. I don't remember at the time being surprised at all at their pick.2004: Rudi Johnson hadn't even played a full season as a starter. Dillon had imploded the season before and Rudi started a few games (5 games) in his absence. In hindsight this looks like Johnson was an entrenched starter, but prior to the trade with NE, some people were thinking Dillon was going to return as the Bengals starter.2003: IIRC, Henry never got a lot of love in BUF, had squawked about his contract, and had some injury questions. McGahee cuoldn't even play the year he was drafted and was more of a pick for the future than an immediate impact guy. It was certainly anything but a vote of confidence in Henry, but maybe BUF knew he was not an angel off the field by then.2003: Priest Holmes ended the season with a serious injury (and had his fair share of injuries prior to that as well). KC found out when Priest went down that their RB depth was suspect (Cloud, Blaylock, and Richardson did very little with Priest out). Holmes was also hitting the magic 30 mark. There were reasons KC needed a RB . . . but IMO most felt they needed a defensive player more than a RB in training (or in diapers).In pretty much all these cases there were legit reasons why the teams took a RB.

 

[switz]

Knowing their tendencies, they probably won't use a top 100 pick on a RB. There are some questions about their RB situation, but they can definitely survive with that they have right now. So I think they'll only take a RB early if they see a tremendous value there. Otherwise I think they'll probably look for a cheap guy to come in and compete with Keith for the backup spot.

The people who think IND is going to use an early pick on an RB have no clue what they are talking about. And any RB that does come in (likely a 4th or 5th rounder), really has little to zero shot of seeing much playing time.

I disagree. Stampedeblue.com - a very highly regarded Colts blog - is saying that if the right guy is there in round 2 that they should take that RB (they are talking about the ECU's Johnson and Tulane's Forte).

There's a huge difference between a guy on a blog saying a team should do something, versus a team will do something. The two most overrated positions the colts are talked about drafting are RB and PR/KR. Check out the Colts forum on the draft, it has much better info than stampedeblue does.

 

[zadok]

FWIW, it may surprise some, but I wouldn't be shocked to see the Eagles take Chris Johnson in the 2nd.

 

[ravnzfan]

From a previous thread:________Tier 5 (no opps year 1, not much possibility to start year 2)AtlBufNYGJaxIndMinKCSt LGB*Was*_________These teams would truly surprise me if they went RB in first 2 rounds.

I would add the Ravens to the mix--they are very happy w/McGahee and he w/themoutside JLewis pick, the team has never taken a RB high---CTaylor was a 6, MSmith a 3 rated 18 overall on that yrs board---yet, they almost always draft a RB as they understand the shelf life is 1/2 most other offensive impact players...they're w/o 2 original picks in this draft (3rd for McGahee, 5th for OT Gaither taken in supplemental draft last yr), but pick up 4 compensatory picks, netting 9 selectionsI haven't heard a word about this, but don't be shocked to see Keon Lattimore-RB, Maryland land in Baltimore w/a late pick/UFA signing....they have a history of giving family a shot (had JO's little brother on practice squad a yr or 2), so "Lattimore to Baltimore" wouldn't suprise me in the least

 

[bigreese82]

Would you guys be surprised if Tennessee took a RB in the 2nd round? They have said they need playmakers and Lendale is a 2 down back. I'm a homer and I feel since the suspension of Chris Henry that he is a bust. He has speed...no wiggle...no hands...no instinct

They need a change of pace guy and a 3rd down back

 

[Buckna]

Would you guys be surprised if Tennessee took a RB in the 2nd round? They have said they need playmakers and Lendale is a 2 down back. I'm a homer and I feel since the suspension of Chris Henry that he is a bust. He has speed...no wiggle...no hands...no instinctThey need a change of pace guy and a 3rd down back

Considering they never should have wasted a pick on Henry in the 1st place, yeah, I could see Tennessee drafting another RB early. While Chris Brown wasn't stellar he was at least depth for them and now he's gone too.

 

[Chaos Commish]

Knowing their tendencies, they probably won't use a top 100 pick on a RB. There are some questions about their RB situation, but they can definitely survive with that they have right now. So I think they'll only take a RB early if they see a tremendous value there. Otherwise I think they'll probably look for a cheap guy to come in and compete with Keith for the backup spot.

The people who think IND is going to use an early pick on an RB have no clue what they are talking about. And any RB that does come in (likely a 4th or 5th rounder), really has little to zero shot of seeing much playing time.

I disagree. Stampedeblue.com - a very highly regarded Colts blog - is saying that if the right guy is there in round 2 that they should take that RB (they are talking about the ECU's Johnson and Tulane's Forte).

There's a huge difference between a guy on a blog saying a team should do something, versus a team will do something. The two most overrated positions the colts are talked about drafting are RB and PR/KR. Check out the Colts forum on the draft, it has much better info than stampedeblue does.

That's a much more civil approach than saying people don't have a clue what they're talking about. Your list of official visits is not complete and it is, according to the OP in that forum, a list of players that have visited or have had interest from the team. Forte told scout.com the Colts had expressed interest in him. I would expect a visit before the draft.

Tulane's Matt Forte has been one of the hottest risers in the leadup to this year's NFL draft. Forte has attracted interest from the Colts...

Maybe they don't need him to visit. There are similar comments out there regarding Chris Johnson. I paraphrased the Polian comments as accurately as I could. If I come across the exact quotes again, I'll be sure to post them for you, but it isn't worth chasing them down. I know what I read. I know I accurately relayed the comments here. I know the Colts have been reported with interest in a couple highly regarded round 2-3 backs whether the guy in that forum missed them or not. Will they take one? Odds are probably against that prediction for each team in this thread. It is a thread about surprise picks, and the Colts seem a little more focused on LBs and lineman.

But being called clueless makes me hope they take one of these backs. And if I was a fan of the team, I would want them to anyway. Like Dallas they are too close to another title to need Addai or Barber to do all the work with inadequate backups.

 

[gianmarco]

Knowing their tendencies, they probably won't use a top 100 pick on a RB. There are some questions about their RB situation, but they can definitely survive with that they have right now. So I think they'll only take a RB early if they see a tremendous value there. Otherwise I think they'll probably look for a cheap guy to come in and compete with Keith for the backup spot.

The people who think IND is going to use an early pick on an RB have no clue what they are talking about. And any RB that does come in (likely a 4th or 5th rounder), really has little to zero shot of seeing much playing time.

I disagree. Stampedeblue.com - a very highly regarded Colts blog - is saying that if the right guy is there in round 2 that they should take that RB (they are talking about the ECU's Johnson and Tulane's Forte).

There's a huge difference between a guy on a blog saying a team should do something, versus a team will do something. The two most overrated positions the colts are talked about drafting are RB and PR/KR. Check out the Colts forum on the draft, it has much better info than stampedeblue does.

That's a much more civil approach than saying people don't have a clue what they're talking about. Your list of official visits is not complete and it is, according to the OP in that forum, a list of players that have visited or have had interest from the team. Forte told scout.com the Colts had expressed interest in him. I would expect a visit before the draft.

Tulane's Matt Forte has been one of the hottest risers in the leadup to this year's NFL draft. Forte has attracted interest from the Colts...

Maybe they don't need him to visit. There are similar comments out there regarding Chris Johnson. I paraphrased the Polian comments as accurately as I could. If I come across the exact quotes again, I'll be sure to post them for you, but it isn't worth chasing them down. I know what I read. I know I accurately relayed the comments here. I know the Colts have been reported with interest in a couple highly regarded round 2-3 backs whether the guy in that forum missed them or not. Will they take one? Odds are probably against that prediction for each team in this thread. It is a thread about surprise picks, and the Colts seem a little more focused on LBs and lineman.

But being called clueless makes me hope they take one of these backs. And if I was a fan of the team, I would want them to anyway. Like Dallas they are too close to another title to need Addai or Barber to do all the work with inadequate backups.

 

[switz]

But being called clueless makes me hope they take one of these backs. And if I was a fan of the team, I would want them to anyway. Like Dallas they are too close to another title to need Addai or Barber to do all the work with inadequate backups.

Sorry to offend. It's just that prognosticating that the Colts take an RB seems too ignore their far more pressing needs, and seems more driven by a dislike for Addai than anything else.They don't have a first round pick, and their #1 priority is definitely not running back, so it just doesn't make sense for them to spend one of their top 2 picks on that position.

The other position being bandied around is KR - and that too does not seem to be as big a Colts need as other positions.

And while most teams do not necessarily follow need, the Colts historically have with their early picks.

Here is another site with players listed that teams have expressed an interest in. Posted today

Here's a good thread for people who think the Colts will draft an RB.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Not to hijack, but if SD doesn't pick a RB early are they the perfect landing spot for Kevin Jones?

I read a rumor that the Chargers would be interested in Lamont Jordan if he's cut.RB is one of the positions that I think the Chargers would consider in the first round (if they hold onto that pick), but I don't think it's their top priority. If Stewart is there, maybe . . .The local SD beat writer, Kevin Acee, has mentioned a number of times that AJ Smith wants to pick up another first day pick, either by trading down, or possibly by trading Eric Parker (though they'd have to throw in more to get a first day pick) or another player. (I've seen Matt Wilhelm and Charlie Whitehurst mentioned, but I'd be very surprised if either of them are traded.) So they could end up drafting an RB in the second or third round.

 

[Kleck]

Would you guys be surprised if Tennessee took a RB in the 2nd round? They have said they need playmakers and Lendale is a 2 down back. I'm a homer and I feel since the suspension of Chris Henry that he is a bust. He has speed...no wiggle...no hands...no instinctThey need a change of pace guy and a 3rd down back

No, I wouldn't be, and the same for Green Bay who also took a 2nd round RB last year. I also think both those teams would be a good fit for a guy like Slaton, who they may be able to wait another round or two on.

 

[comfortably numb]

Nice to reread this thread

 

[switz]

Nice to reread this thread