Posts tagged Oklahoma
Assessing Positional Value for the Colts 2011 NFL Draft: Safety
Apr 20th
No comments
The Colts are in a state of transition at the safety position. 2007 Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders will not return to Indianapolis and has signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Chargers. While this arguably “weakens” the position, what offsets the blow is that Sanders has not been a meaningful part of the rotation for three years. Losing Sanders, in some regards, is like losing something that was not really there.
What the Colts can be sure of is that safety Antoine Bethea is with the team long-term and is playing at a very high level. He is one of the league’s top safeties and is also one of the most reliable.
The uncertainty surrounds what will happen with strong safety Melvin Bullitt when the collective bargaining agreement negotiations are ironed out in court. If the Colts are able to honor the offer they made to Bullitt prior to the lockout, the team has a starter who is durable enough and strong enough in the Colts system to be a part of a very strong secondary. If, on the other hand, Bullitt’s restricted status is nullified from the court’s ruling, Indianapolis will be faced with players who have either never started in the NFL, who have not spent meaningful time in the Colts system, or who are coming off of relatively major injuries. Assuming they do not work out a long-term weal with Bullitt. More >
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...
Flying Under the Radar: Brody Eldridge
Apr 12th
Brody Eldridge at Training Camp 2010 | Robert Scheer/The Star
Eldridge was the Colts 2010 fifth round draft pick. It is doubtful any offensive player taken in the fifth round by the Colts has ever carried the kind of expectations Eldridge absorbed, though. Not only was Eldridge the second-half of an extremely potent tight end combination in college, he also was a pure blocking tight end that had experience as an offensive lineman.
That alone was not what sparked expectations for him, though. It was the understanding that some of the most dominant offensive seasons during the Peyton Manning-era came out of a strong two tight end formation with competent blocking tight ends. While no one was going to usurp Dallas Clark, Eldridge took over the starting spot formerly held by the perennially “just good enough and healthy enough to stay on the roster” Gijon Robinson.
Needless to say, expectations for Eldridge were pretty high to start off the year. With the return of Anthony Gonzalez to the field, visions of an unstoppable offense able to react and adapt to any defensive scheme imaginable ran wild. While there isn’t a major cry that he was “bad” or a “bust,” there really isn’t any affirmation for him out there either, and that’s where I step in. More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...