Anthony Payne
I try to think of things in an eclectic way and try to build my opinion on matters in that fashion. Always open to the opinions of others, so please feel free to let me know if you think I’m wrong, and why. If you have any questions also feel free to email me.
Posts by Anthony Payne
Colts Off-Season: A Time for Change and Hope
Feb 9th
Will the Colts make a move for free agent running back DeAngelo Williams? (Chris Keane | Reuters)
The Indianapolis Colts are known for their ability to put together teams that are young and competitive on the field with a chance to win the Super Bowl every year. The team has accomplished this by finding jewels in the draft that other teams simply overlook. As a Colts fan I have nothing but respect and admiration for the front office of the Colts and thank them for the product they consistently put on the field for Colts fans to cheer. It’s time for the next step, and at this point in Peyton Manning’s career it’s now or never for the Indy. Unlike many of the experts out there, I do not believe that Peyton is anywhere close to the end of his career. I do believe that he is at the point where the team can’t just wait for young talent to develop around him.
Starting with the offensive line, Ryan Diem has been rode hard this year for the false starts and his mental mistakes, but I’m one who believes that a lot of his issues were because of having to play through injuries all year long with a lack of depth behind him. The same could be said for left tackle Charlie Johnson. The hope in the franchise should be that Ryan Diem will work with the front office on restructuring his $5.4 million deal that would allow the team to pay him on incentives as opposed to cutting him as cap casualty.
Regardless what happens with Diem, the best answer for the Colts is to not miss out on a chance to get an anchor left tackle early in the draft such as Anthony Castonzo, Boston College, Nate Solder, Colorado, Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin, or Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State. There is also the option of landing a couple solid free agents with both Tyson Clabo of Atlanta and Matt Light being available, Clabo being ideal because of his youth. At guard the best answer without question is to find a way to sign Logan Mankins out of New England. Adding an all pro will allow you to let Jamey Richard and Mike Pollak fight for the starting spot next to Mankins with the loser backing up both the center and guard spots.
Ideal line: LT-Tyson Clabo, LG- Logan Mankins, C- Jeff Saturday, RG- Mike Pollak, and RT- Gabe Carimi. More >
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
Colts Offensive Line: Changing of the Guard?
Jan 29th
Logan Mankins, Pro Bowl guard with the New England Patriots, unlikely to remain a Patriot. (Matt Sullivan | Getty Images)
As the draft approaches and sports fanatics search the internet for the next best mock draft, there is little question Colts fans will read about how terrible the offensive line is, and the work that must be done in the off-season to correct the problem. In the words of my favorite underachieving Indiana football coach, “Not so fast my friend!”
When asked who has the top ranked offensive line in football many would not hesitate to guess Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Philly, or maybe even Oakland, all who rushed for more yards than the Colts. Few would guess the Indianapolis Colts would be in Ludacris’ #1 spot according to the NFL rankings system.
Indianapolis racked up 13 rushing touchdowns — ranking them 12th in the league. The 1,483 rushing yards ranks 29th in the league, but that is also on only 393 attempts which would be the 4th fewest attempts by any team in the league. It must also be noted that the Colts handed the ball to Donald Brown, Javarris James, and Mike Hart — whom have proven absolutely nothing in the NFL — for 210 of those carries, and 37 more of those went to Dominic Rhodes who is on the wrong side of 30. (Colts Nation still loves you though Dominic!) More >
(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...