Sounds like Colts won't draft Offensive Line...

[sfgiants5518]

INDIANAPOLIS -- It’ll be tempting for all of us to read too much into this, but Ryan Grigson did offer more than I expected on the subject.

And since the combine is largely about gather nuggets we think can help us predict what will unfold in the draft …

I asked Grigson: Without knowing the guy, if you were forced to choose to play a first-year offensive lineman or a first-year defensive back, which would you rather put on the field?

Said Grigson:

“I would have to say a DB. Because a first-year offensive lineman, there are a lot more bullets flying in that vicinity he’s working in that involves thinking, that involved experience. That’s why for rookie tackles, they call it a baptism by fire. You don’t say that because it’s an easy process. A lot of times that ends up working in their favor, that they were thrown out there like that.

"But a lot of times depending on the scheme you play, corners that play on an island they are relying on technique and pure athletic ability and God-given ability. A lot of times on the offensive line, their first year they are going to see exotic blitzes that they’ve never even dreamed of. They are going to see pass-rushers and body types that they never knew existed. I would say definitely corner.”

The offensive line and cornerback clearly rate as two of the biggest needs for Grigson and the Colts. And he’s got more than $40 million in salary cap space to fiddle with in free agency.

That response might not translate to a free agent lineman and a drafted cornerback, but it certainly seems like if Grigson could have things unfold the way he’d like, it would fall that way.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth/pos...-to-rookie-ols

[jacquewho?]

Grigson knows this best, having played the position so I'll trust his word.

[sfgiants5518]

Grigson knows this best, having played the position so I'll trust his word.

I prefer if we signed Oline instead of drafting. They're obviously less prone to make mistakes and we haven't exactly had a good time drafting Oline in recent memory.

[OldStyleCubbies]

I prefer if we signed Oline instead of drafting. They're obviously less prone to make mistakes and we haven't exactly had a good time drafting Oline in recent memory.

Tony Ugoh...

[sfgiants5518]

Tony Ugoh...

Ijalana, Pollack..

[ponderingpluto]

This is great to hear from Grigs! Hopefully we go after Levitre and Vollmer!

[Theriot2]

Would love to draft a DB in the first. NT, WR, and DB are all acceptable to me.

[TheVicster]

This is exactly my point every time someone here talks about drafting an OL in the first round.

shouldn't happen, and ain't gonna happen most likely given Grigsons comments.

[matthollabak]

I remember when Donnie Walsh said he was going to pick a big man and then drafted Chuck Person...maybe it is just being a Pacer fan for so long then the iron curtain that Polian ran, but I just don't trust anything GMs say pre draft.

All this tells me (if he is really telling his tendencies) is that he would prefer a to draft a top flight DB who is extremely athletic (wouldn't every GM), and hopes to not start a Rookie Tackle (just like every other GM). This makes me think that we will probably go with a FA RT or LT, but I think we all assumed that anyway, but I wouldn't be surprised if we drafted a future T to start at guard day one.

[hoosiercubsfan]

Would love to draft a DB in the first. NT, WR, and DB are all acceptable to me.

Why would they need to draft a NT in the first? They have Josh Chapman who will be back healthy at the start of camp. Also have Brandon McKinney as depth for the position also coming back sometime in the season from his ACL tear. With those two I would be slightly upset if they took another NT with that first round pick unless someone absolutely falls in their lap. Though its all to be determined until we see what is done in FA.

[Wyld1]

I posted in the off season thread about a radio interview that Grigson had with Mike Chappell and he stated that he was looking for a Tackle and Guard in Free Agency. He also felt Satele(sp?) was the man at Center and his play last year was due to being injured all year. Then the other Guard spot would come down to Ilijana, McGlynn, Reitz and Link. So this article just supports it more...and I agree that getting young up and coming OLineman in Free Agency is the better move. Btw, has anyone else heard if Pep plans to continue running his WCO with a man blocking scheme instead of a zone? If so, then you can probably count Levitre out as he excels in the zone scheme and is light for a man scheme.

[hoosiercubsfan]

I remember when Donnie Walsh said he was going to pick a big man and then drafted Chuck Person...maybe it is just being a Pacer fan for so long then the iron curtain that Polian ran, but I just don't trust anything GMs say pre draft.

All this tells me (if he is really telling his tendencies) is that he would prefer a to draft a top flight DB who is extremely athletic (wouldn't every GM), and hopes to not start a Rookie Tackle (just like every other GM). This makes me think that we will probably go with a FA RT or LT, but I think we all assumed that anyway, but I wouldn't be surprised if we drafted a future T to start at guard day one.

Thing is you could almost guarantee that the Polian regime was never going to be active in FA. With the amount of cap space the Colts have now they have no choice but to be active just to reach the salary cap floor set by the new CBA. Not to mention thus far I have been impressed with how Grigson has done scraping the bottom of the barrel for players. Now I am actually excited to see what he can do with some actual money to spend. Not to mention what he said was hardly ground breaking being its pretty well known that rookie O-Lineman have it rough the first season or two. And you can't compare the Colts to every other team being they have 40 something million of cap space to fill in the holes on the O-line. If they don't want to start a rookie on the O-line they have the means to address it.

[midnightrider28]

There is so many OL in FA this year so the need to draft one is low. I do not think we even need to draft a corner because of certain names in FA. NT and help on the D line and OLB should be the focus of the draft.

[Colts2180]

Mark my words. With Freeney leaving I can almost guarantee we will draft a OLB or even a ILB to help with our tackling problems. Only way I see us taking a ILB though is if Tao fell. My guess is a OLB/DE combo guy to take Freeneys spot and im pretty confident on this.

[matthollabak]

Mark my words. With Freeney leaving I can almost guarantee we will draft a OLB or even a ILB to help with our tackling problems. Only way I see us taking a ILB though is if Tao fell. My guess is a OLB/DE combo guy to take Freeneys spot and im pretty confident on this.

That also depends on if we grab someone like Kreuger or Spencer in FA...I think it is a strong chance if we don't go after an OLB in FA though.