MAKE ROOM JOSH DOWNS IS IN TOWN

In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts had several gaps to fill in their roster. The team’s primary need was at quarterback, which they addressed by selecting Florida’s Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the first round. Next, the Colts turned their attention to finding offensive weapons to support Richardson. While the team boasts a strong supporting cast, including running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce, they were lacking a slot receiver after Parris Campbell’s departure to the New York Giants in free agency.

On the second day of the draft, the Colts filled this void by selecting North Carolina wide receiver Josh Downs with the No. 79 overall pick. Despite some concerns about his size, as he stands at 5’8″ and weighs 171 pounds, Downs is considered a talented player who could make a significant impact at the next level.

– FlirtCobain

According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, the Indianapolis Colts have Kentucky quarterback Will Levis ranked above Anthony Richardson on their draft board if both players are available.

Levis has been a challenging prospect for analysts to evaluate due to his limited college experience. He had an impressive 2021 season, throwing for 2,826 yards with 24 touchdowns and a 66.0 completion percentage. However, injuries impacted his performance in 2022, where he recorded 2,406 passing yards and 19 touchdowns in 11 games.

Despite mixed reviews, B/R’s NFL Scouting Department has ranked Levis as the fourth-best quarterback and the 21st overall prospect in this year’s draft. He has been compared to Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

With the No. 4 overall pick, the Colts are expected to select a quarterback to serve as their starter in the 2023 season. Levis could be a good fit for the Colts, who have a new head coach in Shane Steichen, previously the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Indianapolis Colts Prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft: What Should GM Chris Ballard Do?

Owner Jim Irsay, general manager Chris Ballard & The Indianapolis Colts are gearing up for the 2023 NFL Draft, and General Manager Chris Ballard(who’s in his 7th year as GM) has some very important decisions to make(Ones that if he fails could land him in the unemployment line) After a terrible season(and that’s me being nice) in 2022, the Indianapolis Colts are looking to rebuild and improve the roster for the upcoming season.

One of the biggest decisions that Ballard will need to make is who will be the future QB and Matt Ryan’s successor. The Colts have several areas of need, with the QB1 position obviously being the most important, which includes offensive line, wide receiver, defensive back & edge rusher, it is vital that Chris Ballard and his team of area scouts carefully evaluate the available talent in the 2023 NFL Draft and determine which players will best fit the team’s needs & show the most upside for success at the next level.

Another key consideration for Ballard will be how to best utilize the team’s draft picks. The Indianapolis Colts currently have the 4th overall pick in the 1st round of the 2023 NFL Draft as well as several other picks (9 total) in later rounds. Ballard will need to decide whether to use these picks to target specific players or to trade them for additional picks(if your a Colts fan you should know by now Ballard loves his picks) in future drafts.

One strategy that Ballard could consider is trading back(Why he would do this I don’t know, I’m just a fan with a certain perspective and a opinion) in the draft to acquire additional picks. This would allow the team to address multiple areas of need and build depth on the roster. However, it would also mean that Ballard could possibly miss out on drafting his guy with that 4th overall pick.

Ultimately, Ballard’s goal should be to have the best draft possible (yes even better than his stellar 2018 draft which featured the likes of all pro players like OG Quentin Nelson, LB SHAQ Leonard & OT Braden Smith) and set the Colts up for success for this upcoming season and many more seasons to come. He will need to balance the team’s immediate needs and align them with the teams long-term goals, and make strategic decisions that will help the team compete in a now competitive AFC South.

As the draft approaches, Colts fans will be eagerly watching to see which players Ballard will select and how he builds the team for the future.

#ForTheShoe

-FlirtCobain

This past week was insane to say the least. The players we lost were Michael Pierce, Chris Wormley, Hayden Hurst, Seth Roberts, James Hurst, and Brandon Carr. While the team gained Calais Campbell and Michael Brockers to stack the defensive line up with interior pass rush while making other moves to save cap space to potentially make another move. I will go through every move and point out if the loss hurts the team; and talk about if the gained players outweigh the players the team lost.

Losing Michael Pierce to the Vikings for a 3 year deal worth 27 million dollars. A good chunk of change right there if you ask me. The big Defensive tackle from Samford was in Baltimore undrafted and played beyond all expectations. Pierce although a really good player doesn’t hurt the team by him walking in free agency. The big reason why is the signing of Michael Brockers and the trade for Calais Campbell. Brockers is one of the most underrated run stuffers in the league, as well as a better pass rusher then Pierce. Brockers can apply interior pass rush, while being able to stuff the run so signing Brockers was an upgrade to replace Pierce. Now Brandon Williams can go back to nose tackle and get Campbell and Brockers time to apply interior pass rush.

Chris Wormley was a solid starter for the Ravens. Was he elite? No, but he did his job but we all have those bad memories of Derrick Henry absolutely ending our season all by himself. Do I think if the team had Campbell and Brockers on the line would that have happened? No way in hell. Plus Wormley had 1 year left on his rookie deal, so the team had to replace him soon anyway. Getting a 2021 5th round pick for a player the team would have let walk in free agency anyway is an absolute steal.

Hayden Hurst was the one player where I was hurt by him getting traded because of how dynamic “Garnet Thor” is with how dominant the tight end trio was last season. But putting emotions aside Mark Andrews is the number 1 at the position and Nick Boyle makes this offense run with his blocking ability. Boyle does everything and that doesn’t get put on the stat sheet. Trading Hayden who is the 3rd tightend at the time for a 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick is astounding value. The Texans got a 2nd round pick for DeAndre Hopkins the best wide reciever in the league. Hayden is good and has a high ceiling but is he Hopkins? No, the value is insane. Eric DeCosta making genius moves once again.

Seth Roberts dropped a few passes in the playoff loss but he was solid when called upon. I don’t think this is a huge loss because he wasn’t the big part of the offense, but more of a complimentary piece.

James Hurst being cut hurt more so because of Marshal Yanda’s retirement and the offensive line losing depth, but I believe the line will be fine. The Ravens always draft offensive linemen in the later rounds and turn them into solid players. Hurst was undrafted and he was a starter at different positions in his tenure.

Cutting Brandon Carr hurt the depth at the cornerback position but he is getting older, and the team is stacked at the position. Marlon Humphrey who is a shutdown corner, Marcus Peters is an interception waiting to happen, and the best slot corner in the league in Tavon Young. They also have Anthony Averrett and Iman Marshall in the waiting. In the perfect world I would bring Carr back on a cheaper deal similar to the deal given to Lardarius Webb a few years back, but most likely the team will try to bring Jimmy Smith back and his market is drying up so he could come back possibly. I expect the team to bring one of Carr or Jimmy Smith back but drafting a cornerback is a must.

The big question is did the Superbowl Contending Baltimore Ravens get better in free agency? The short answer is absolutely. Franchise tagging Matt Judon while collecting assets for players is amazing. Signing Campbell and Brockers opens up the pass rush department. The pass rush got better by default. The run defense got way better with the two studs signed going with the best run stuffer in the league. Losing Hayden Hurst hurt but again he was third on the depth chart, expect another tightend to get drafted. The offensive line got weaker with the release of James Hurst and Yanda’s retirement but remember lasd year when everybody was freaking out about Skura and Bozeman starting? Yeah, and look what happened during the season. The team is great at developing offensive linemen, we will be alright. The extensions given out to players like Chuck Clark, Marcus Peters, Sam Koch, Justin Tucker, etc are genius moves because if the team waited to sign them there market value will go up.

Eric DeCosta is an evil genius. There will be more moves coming for sure especially with a month before the draft but RavensFlock let the apprentice do his job. He got this. I believe the team will shore up the few holes on the team, and we will make another run at it next season!

– James Sheppard

The Baltimore Ravens were really if we are being (REAL WITH OURSELVES) was the first real team that the Patriots’ defense had to play their whole season — and the Ravens definitely showed up and showed out. Yes there are teams running option football, but the Ravens utilize this style of play for their offense like no other team the league has seen and of course it helps to have a 22 year old 6’2 212lb quarterback from the University of Louisville in which by the looks of it probably has a 40 time of 4.30 flat, Opposing teams who have played the Ravens have said it is almost an impossible task to try and prepare for that offense in just one week, Jackson, being the most dangerous running threat as a quarterback that the league has seen since Michael Vick in his hay day playing for the Atlanta Falcons. In the Ravens’ 37-20 win over the Patriots on Sunday night, LJ not only beat the Patriots physically being with his legs and his arm, he beat them with his mind. The Patriots just about did every thing they could to try and stop that explosive offense but failed almost at every attempt. After the game, starting quarterback Lamar Jackson said
“They went ‘Cover Two.’ They went ‘Cover Zero.’ They went Quarters. They went ‘Cover Six,” “They were doing it all.” So “Who is Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf?
…Definitely not Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

– Mike Nickelz

MINOR SETBACK

Indianapolis – Colts (5-3) fell short to the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4) after Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinateri missed a go ahead 43-yard field goal attempt with 1:14 left on the clock. Vinateri mistake drops the Colts to second place in the AFC South. They now trail Houston by a half-game. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett left the game in the second quarter with a left knee injury and did not return. Veteran backup QB Brian Hoyer entered the game and threw 17-of-26 for 168 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Steelers win keeps them alive in the AFC, after winning 3 straight games. New acquired safety Minkah Fitzpatrick’s 96-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter really helped the Steelers after slow start. Pittsburgh also blocked an extra point attempt by K Adam Vinateri. Adam Vinateri has really struggled with field goals and PAT attempts this season. Hopefully things get better as the season goes along. The Colts streak of holding rushers under 100 yards is now 26 consecutive games. Next up, the Colts will welcome the Miami Dolphins (1-7) to Lucas Oil stadium Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 3:05 pm. Let’s Go Get That W Colts!!

Horseshoe Mob,
Senior

Indianapolis – The Colts (5-2) wins a thriller against the Denver Broncos (2-6) after the NFL’s career scoring leader Adam Vinateri made a 51-yard field goal with 22 seconds left to give Indy a 15-13 comeback victory. It wasn’t easy for Vinateri, who played in his 200th game as a Colt. Vinatieri opened the game missing a 45-yard field goal wide right and missed a game-tying extra point. Still Head Coach Frank Reich had faith in the 23 year veteran to put the game on his right foot. The game winning kick gave Indy three straight wins and kept them on top of the AFC South. For Denver, another tough loss. The team played conservative in the second half, which gave Colts more opportunities to take the lead and win the game. Joe Flacco, who was 20-of-32 with 174 yards and no touchdowns, did what he could, but Denver kicked two first half field goals, one capping a 17-play drive that consumed 8 minutes of clock. Denver opened up the second half with a 4-yard TD by RB Royce Freeman. Colts rushing defense came up big against star RB Phillip Lindsay, who had 14 carries, 59 rushing yards. The Colts defense has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 25 straight games. Good win Colts, next up Pittsburgh Steelers.

Horseshoe Mob,
Josh Senior

Mitchell Trubisky the 6’2 215lbs quarterback from The university of North Carolina that the Chicago Bears drafted in the 1st round of the 2017 NFL draft as their number two pick…HE WAS ABSOLUTELY AWFUL, HORRENDOUS, HORRIFIC, HORRIBLE (by now I’m sure you get the picture) for the entire afternoon outside of two garbage drives late in the fourth quarter. He was consistent in missing open receivers on what it seemed as every route, On one route Mitch threw a pass downfield to Allen Robinson in double coverage that just looked like pure desperation.(😂😂)
and this was before the QB injured his left shoulder. That run game (17 yards on seven carries) didn’t help them either, far too many missed opportunities with the passing game..For all of the fans that drafted Mitch in their fantasy league the ounce of optimism around Trubisky you may get is just to drop him..at this point I would have far more faith in The Jacksonville Jaguars starting rookie QB Garner Minshew. Dear Bears fan my heart bleeds for you all, Shout Out Red-O lol.

– Mike Nickelz

What if your teams franchise QB just suddenly retired two weeks before your season was to start? Bummer right?

Not quite though…The best front office in football was able to (by some unforeseen force in the universe) right the ship, and now with a 4-2 record and division leaders of the AFC South it seems as if the Indianapolis Colts never missed a beat, check it
out…

General Manager Chris Ballard & Head Coach Frank Reich seem to be in the Football Gods grace….At the moment as a Colts fan it seemed all was truly lost for the Colts – With the organization on the come up. 29-year old (at the time of his retirement speech) Andrew Luck Now 30 had carried the Indianapolis Colts for 6 seasons…But Fast forward two months and the boys are 4-2 and one of the hottest team not just in their division (The AFC South) not in the AFC conference but in the league period. It’s a helluva turnaround although not as miraculous as their 2018 season where they started 1-5 and finished the season with a 10-6 record and 2nd in their division only to the Houston Texans…But even with no luck some how they still are legit contenders for not only to win the conference but some analysts are calling them superbowl contenders…This just goes to show what a great front office and coaching staff can do for a franchise in just a few short years, BIG middle finger to those who doubted us.

– Mike Nickelz

Justin Houston [Defensive End] played just three games against the Denver Broncos [As a Chief] since the 2016 season his stats totaled up in those 3 games are.. 18 Tackles 7 Tackles for a loss..7 QB Hits 6 Sacks 1 Forced Fumble

Safe to say he’s had his way with Bronco QB’s!!!…and former Baltimore Ravens and 2013 superbowl champion MVP..Joe Flacco the starting quarterback for the Ravens defeated the 49ers by the score of 34-31, handing the 49ers their first Super Bowl loss in franchise history. Is no diffrent… The Broncos offensive line unit allowed a struggling Kansas City Chiefs defense to apply pressure and be in the Broncos’ backfield all night long in a week 7 in a blowout lost to the Kansas City Chiefs ending in a score of 30-6… Joe Flacco completed 21-of-34 passes for 213 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions not bad for the former raven I guess…But (according to scout.com the Kansas City Chiefs are projected to have and will be the 21st ranked defense for the remainder of the season..

In other words..Let’s Eat!!!

– Mike Nickelz