kmbryant09

No idea. Garcon as a speedster. Wayne as a possession/big play. Clark & Collie dominating the middle of the field. Reggie Bush matched up 1 v 1 with a LB or Safety. One of the G.O.A.T (also hands down the best at dissecting a defense pre-snap) calling the shots to take advantage of mismatches. CHAAMMPPIOONNSHIPPPP

Yes, I've been imagining what type of mis-matches Manning could create with a weapon like Bush out of the backfield. If he can be had for the same price as retaining Addai, I'd rather Bush - I think he's a great compliment to Delone Carter & Donald Brown, and much more explosive than Addai.

Understood, but they way it was phrased seemed a bit odd. Anyway, just generating some discussion! I originally wanted Smith to come to the Colts, but giving up a 2nd-4th round pick for a 32 year-old, somewhat injury-prone, WR who carries a large salary with him just doesn't seem like a smart football move. I'm guessing he goes to a team looking for weapons to surround a young QB on an average team (Cleveland, St. Louis, Cincy, etc).

Saw the article, and it was intriguing, but let's not get too carried away. He uses points per game as a measurement, which is fine, when everybody is healthy. But Gates missed 6 full games (and parts of others), and Vick missed 4 full games (and parts of others). Gates has been extremely durable over his career, but he is getting old (31 years old, 120 games played) and has battled foot injuries each of the past 2 seasons. I can't help but think that Michael Vick's reckless style (although effective), makes him MUCH more susceptible to injury than anyone else at his position. In fact, I'd be downright shocked if Vick plays 16 games this year. You can gamble on Vick in the 1st, and Gates in the 3rd or 4th. But just be prepared to play the RB carousel all year, and to have sub-par WR's...And most likely, you can only count on about 20-25 combined games from your 2 studs.

Are you kidding??? Why wouldn't you give up a future 1st rounder, a backup QB (to Tom Brady), and an injury prone WR prospect for arguably the most talented WR in the league - who is still only 27 years old! As a Colts fan, I'd probably cry if this trade ever came to fruition. Smith is 6 inches shorter, 5 years older, more injury prone than Fitzgerald is. I'm curious why you'd rather SS instead of Fitz?

4,700 yards and 33 TD's - in an "off year". Dallas Clark missed 10 games. Austin Collie missed 7 games. Anthony Gonzalez missed 15 games. Joseph Addai missed 8 games. Pierre Garcon missed 2 games. He had one of the worst OLine's in the league last year. Indy spend their first 2 picks on offensive lineman. If he's 100%, look out for a huge year.

Hmmmm...If the Cardinals really liked Ryan Mallet - they would've drafted him instead of letting him drop into the 3rd round to the Patriots. Also, why would you give up your franchise player for an unproven rookie with drug problems, when you could give up a decent CB + draft pick for at least a somewhat proven NFL QB?? Not calling the source a liar, but I'd be absolutely shocked if this was really offered.

And how many games has Big Ben & Tony Romo missed the past 2 seasons that left his owners scattering for a replacement? You just proved my point. Peyton Manning has been the ONE constant in fantasy football. Take your chances with somebody else. If you waited and drafted Tony Romo last year, expecting him to equal or surpass Manning's production - your QB position was most likely a piece of sh!t.

Like I said guys, to each his own...But those who believe you can replicate Manning's production in the 5th+ rounds are crazy. The QB position doesn't operate like the RB position in fantasy football. QB's, by and large, stay consistent from year to year, and any newcomers aren't guaranteed to come from those 'middle rounds'. You should be good enough to field yourself 2 or 3 starters in the first 4 or 5 rounds. In my case, it's a stud RB (say, Jamaal Charles) in the 1st, Peyton Manning in the 2nd, and a legitimate WR in the 3rd (say, Larry Fitzgerald). There's still plenty of time left to fill 3 more key positions (1 RB and 2 WR's). The drop-off among WR's production is very slim, so if I'm drafting my #2 WR and my #3 in the 5th and 7th rounds, and you're drafting them in the 4th and 6th rounds, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. But you may be losing sleep over your QB carousel; after waiting on a QB only to draft Big Ben & Matthew Stafford. I will never hurt my team by drafting Peyton Manning (or a sure-fire, elite QB) in the early rounds. But when you elect to ignore the QB's early, opting for a 50/50 shot on a RB (say, Shonn Greene), not only do you run the risk of drafting a bust, but you also run the risk of not drafting an elite QB.

Frank Gore will probably only play 10-12 games. Steven Jackson has as much wear & tear as any RB in the league. DeSean Jackson might only 60 passes a season. I KNOW (as much as you can know something in fantasy football) that I'm getting 4,000 yards and 30 TD's out of Peyton Manning, with potential for much more. Drafting RB's and WR's in the 2nd-4th round usually only produce a 50% success rate. Why not draft someone with a 99% success rate? To each his own. I just prefer to build my teams with a few sure-fire players in the early rounds, rather than the "boom or bust" type selections.

I doubt Ryan or Schaub are going 6-7 rounds later than Manning. I'm guessing Manning's draft position is early 3rd, and Schaub/Ryan are being drafted in the 5th/6th. I personally always grab a QB early. I play in a 2-QB league, so they tend to come off the board quickly, but don't underestimate the comfort of plugging a stud QB into your lineup every week instead of trying to play matchups. Think of it this way - why gamble on a 2nd Tier WR (DeSean Jackson, Greg Jennings, Vincent Jackson), or a RB with question marks (Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, Shonn Greene) when you can draft a sure-fire top5 QB?? Give me Manning any day of the week...

Well you, or another forum, copied it directly from ESPN Insider's, it was an article written by John Clayton on July 20th. I personally don't care where you got it from, but I think people would prefer you give credit to the people who actually wrote the article, instead of passing it off as your own work.

DearLez - Did you take that article directly from ESPN Insider's??

Taking a QB that early, let alone a 35-year-old recovering from neck surgery, is very risky. But Peyton Manning is as safe as it gets. He may not finish #1 overall, or even at his position, but you're guaranteed 4,000+ yards and 30+ TD's. Heck, as someone pointed out, he threw for 4,700 and 33 last season, and it was a "down year" for the Colts' offense. Last season, the Colts had no running game, no offensive line, and one of the worst runs of injuries I've ever witnessed. Wayne battled knee injuries. Garcon missed a month early on. Collie suffered 2 freak concussions. Clark only played in 6 games before undergoing season-ending wrist surgery. Anthony Gonzalez didn't even survive week 1. Joseph Addai (pass blocker and receiver) missed half the season. Heck, even Manning had injury problems. The Colts won't throw as much as they did last year...but when they do, expect it to be more effective. Their offensive line should be much-improved, which in turn will help out the run game, play action, and allow the WR's to run deeper routes (Manning only had 6.9 ypa, down a full yard from 2009). I'd expect a much more balanced attack, but it could be the best offense in the league. If I had to predict, I'd peg Manning for 4,200 yards and 34 TD's. If this O-Line/running game really is much improved, and his weapons stay healthy all season, we could see something similar to 2004.

A couple people have mentioned MJD, I gotta disagree. His production has tailed off the past few seasons, and he seemed to be fighting knee injuries most of last year. He's had a lot of wear & tear the past few years for a RB, and Rashad Jennings showed a lot of potential as his replacement. With the Garrard/Gabbert mix-up, I'm not sure JAX is going to win many games next year. I think we could see MJD fall into a 60/40 split on a team that can't afford to run the ball for 60 minutes a game.

Not too many, I've been fortunate to win most of my trades. Even as a 3-time reigning champ, I've made plenty of mistakes. Drafted/reached for Hakeem Nicks this season...then over-thought it and benched him week 1. Had the #1 WW priority when Peyton Hillis went off, looked at his schedule and passed

Depends on your depth. If you're struggling to fill your lineup (especially at WR), then yeah, you probably lost that deal. But it's hard to lose a deal that won you a championship. While Freeman should be good, I don't think he'll ever be more than just a serviceable starter, while A. Rodgers should be top3 for the next 7-10 years.

What surprised me most was John Elway's lack of TD rate. I know QB stats were harder to come by back then, and he was more than just a throwing QB, but only 300 TD's in 231 games??? That's what...22 TD's per season?

He was really going to be fighting Pierre Garcon for playing time, not Collie. In fact, Gonzo was pretty pissed off in training camp when he wasn't given a fair shot to win his spot back from Garcon, playing outside opposite of Wayne. All that being said, as a Colts fan, I don't know what to tell you. He's in a contract year, so this is his last shot to prove himself to the Colts (and every other team). He produced earlier in his career, given the circumstances. And he's got one of the GOAT QB's throwing him the ball. So of course there is potential. But he's also 4th on the WR depth chart, and really the 5th or 6th option in that offense. He's extremely fragile (although they've been 2 freak, non-contact injuries), so he may not even make it out of the post-season. If he's a FA, pick him up, stash him on your bench for a few weeks. He could be a mid-season surprise. But if you're looking to draft him in the middle rounds, or trade away a potential starter for him, think again.

Vick at 2.04 I agree Manning at the beginning of the 3rd may be a bit early, but I guarantee you that owner never regrets that choice. He'll be an elite QB for another 3-5 years, maybe another 2-3 serviceable years after that. For a sport/game that turns over half of it's top10 at nearly every position on a yearly basis, people really underestimate the luxury of having the most "sure-thing" at any position in Fantasy Football.

Wayne doesn't have 4 years left, not at an elite level at least. 2011 is the last year of Wayne's contract, and I doubt the Colts re-sign him long term. They may franchise-tag him, but he won't be finishing his career in Indy, that's my guess. I've watched every snap of the Colts over the past 3 seasons, and Wayne is starting to decline. He doesn't get NEARLY the amount of separation he used to. And he's lost 1/2 a step. He's crafty, runs great routes, and has reliable hands (although a few timely drops in 2010), so he'll continue to be effective. But he will not remain elite for long. He's been battling knee injuries for the past 2 seasons, and Indy saw first-hand what happens to elite WR's in their mid-30's trying to battle knee injuries (Marvin Harrison). I don't know if Garcon will be the replacement #1 in Indy. He's shown flashes of brilliance, and has played extremely well in big games. He has elite speed, is very physical, and is improving as a route runner. I definitely wouldn't give up on him - not for the price mentioned. As it is, he's been a serviceable #3 starter the past year or two. He has potential to become a top10 WR (if he becomes Manning's #1). Don't really see a reason to trade him unless you get blown away by an offer.

It sounds like he'll be signing at least a 4 or 5 year deal, possibly 6 years. Yes, he's 35 - but the guy takes less hits than any other football player EVER. He's played through injuries, and has never missed a start in his professional career. He will be playing, and playing at a high level, until he's 40. The Colts' improved line is both a good & bad thing. It will afford him more time, will improve the offense, and will help keep him upright. But the Colts are also going to try and follow what the Broncos did with John Elway late in his career - bring in a run game. Manning set an NFL record for attempts & completions last season (I believe), mostly due to injuries, a terrible run game, and a bad defense forced them to play from behind. I don't expect Manning to continue to throw 40 passes a week. His yardage numbers will inevitably slip over the next few seasons, but he should still be a lock for 28+ TD's for as long as he's taking snaps under center. I wouldn't trade him for a tier 2 QB + draft picks. I would only trade him straight up for Rodgers, Brees, & Rivers.

Yeah, honestly. Do they get great value in return for these picks more often than not? Yes - but they continually fail to capitalize on them. Off the top of my head, they've missed out on talents like Clay Matthews and Dez Bryant the past few years - 2 serious areas of need. And their draft this year? Terrible. 2 RB's (not a dire need), a backup QB, an injury-prone CB (who I do like), and an OT (who I do like, but may not even play).

Not worried about Manning's contract situation one bit. Can you imagine if he was taking the NFL Owners to court, right after he signed the largest contract in history? Judge Nelson actually specifically mentioned Manning's INABILITY to explore an open market because of the owner's lockout - Manning knows/knew what he was doing by not signing. When the lockout is lifted, he will sign. We just went from an embarrassing OLine to a strong OLine. We've significantly upgraded our LT, RT, & OG positions. I don't know if Ijalana or Charlie Johnson (assuming he's signed) will play RT, but they should cover the RT and LG spots. Should improve our run, should bring back the stretch play, will help PlayAction, will help give Manning more time, will help give our WR's more time to get downfield. I wasn't crazy about Drake Nevis, but I can't find a single bad thing about him. He has the quickest 1st step of any DT in the draft, and has the talent of a 1st rounder. He's a bit undersized (so he's a perfect Colt), but he's put on 18 pounds since his combine weight. Only problem is, I'm not sure if he's a 3-tech or a 1-tech. We have a ton of 3-techs (Moala, Johnson) but we have a need for a gap-stopping 1-tech. Hopefully Moala & Nevis can play together. There's also been rumors that the Colts will sign Tommie Harris when the lockout is lifted. He's another talented, versatile DT, but also more of a 3-tech. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these guys are pushed outside to DE from time to time on running downs, accomplishing 2 things - Giving Freeney/Mathis a breather to keep em fresh, and to get better run support from the outside. Overall though, I LOVE this draft! We've finally addressed the trenches that we've ignored for far too long. We could still use a Safety, LB (would love Matthews), & WR, but we've drafted 3 studs to help improve our lines.

Wow - Colts making a statement. They intend to run the ball, and protect their franchise for the next 5 years. They've gone from having an inexcusably-terrible OLine (average LT, no guards, terrible RT) - to an above average OLine (2 solid Tackles, above average guard). While they could've addressed other needs (DT, Safety, WR) - I absolutely love these 2 picks. I really believe the OLine has a trickle-down affect on the rest of the offense. Peyton gets more time, WR's can get downfield more often, defenses must respect the PlayAction, maybe we see the return of the stretch play (a play that Polian has stated Donald Brown runs well), etc. etc. So while they've only addressed one position so far in this draft, I believe their entire offense just went from great, to possibly unstoppable.