Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - COACH CAROUSEL: Colts' Alex Tanney and Jim Bob Cooter Set to Interview with New York Giants

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Philadelphia Eagles have filled their offense a coordinator job, but the Colts could still be in jeopardy of losing one or two of their assistance on staff. Let's get to it. You are Locked on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to Locked on Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Now the number one sports podcast network around. Today's episode is brought to you by fandom. It's the last call for football and fan duel.

Starting point is 00:00:38 If you're a new customer, bet just $5 and get $200 in bonus bets if you win. Hello, everyone. My name is Zach Hicksh, your resident Philnerd of Hustewhuddle.com and your favorite co-hosts here at the Lockdown Colts podcast. Today we're going to be diving into the Colts assistant rumors and discussions out there. I realize that Jake and I haven't really gone too much detail into Jim Bob Cooter's interviews that he's had this offseason, Alex Tanny, getting an interview request and also looking at some potential defensive line coaches with kind of the market established out there. So we're going to look at just kind of this coaching carousel for the Colts this offseason.

Starting point is 00:01:17 Then I'm going to dive into Alec Pierce and how I missed the Colts squad show the other night when they really talked about wide receiver and Alec Pierce. So I want to give my two cents on the Colts young wide receiver that's set to hit free agency. Pro Football Focus also released a new projection for his contract on the open market. So I'm going to dive into that a little bit. And then our prospect of the day, you know, Jake has been talking all about these prospects all week. And I really want to dip my toes into talking about a prospect.

Starting point is 00:01:45 So we're going to talk about our 2026 draft prospect of the day as well. But first, let's talk about these Colts assistants. So the Philadelphia Eagles filled their vacant offensive coordinator job with Sean Mannion from the Green Bay Packers. So that means Jim Bob Cooter, who was a finalist for that job, is out of the running. But as soon as that was announced, it was announced that Jim Bob Cooter has an interview scheduled with the New York Giants for their vacant offensive coordinator job. And at the same time, Alex Taney, the Colts passing game coordinator, will also be interviewing with the Giants this week. So it seems like those two candidates are firmly in the running for that vacancy there. And the Colts would, you know, potentially lose one of those guys, could maybe lose two of them.

Starting point is 00:02:27 Because aside from the Giants, there are other offensive coordinator openings around the league. and there's still two more head coach openings that need to be filled with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals. So say if the Cardinals go with a defensive head coach, that is another vacancy that would need to be filled at offensive coordinator. That could be a play-calling position for someone like Tanny or Bob Cooter to fill in. So the Coltrane are not out of the woods yet when it comes to losing one of their top offensive minds. But it looks like Tanny and Jim Bob Cudor are both going to be in play at least for the New York Giants. So if Jim Bob does leave this offseason, who would be the next offensive coordinator in-house for the Colts? Well, obviously, Alex Taney has that relationship with Shane Stuyken that dates back well over 10 years.

Starting point is 00:03:13 He worked on those Philadelphia teams with Stuyken as well. And then also he's the passing game coordinator was brought over here specifically for that. He would seem to be the next guy up internally for offensive coordinator if Jim Bob Cooter were to leave. Personally, though, I would prefer to promote Tom Manning. Tom Manning is a guy who is the tight end coach currently for the Colts. He worked under Frank Wright a couple years ago, has play calling experience back at Iowa State at the college level under Matt Campbell. And then came back to the NFL and he's been a big part of how the Colts run a lot of things internally from their short yardage playbook to their pre-snap motion. Tom Manning has been instrumental in those areas.

Starting point is 00:03:53 And I think with the type of offense, the Colts want to play and with Manning's background, I prefer Tom Manning. elevated to that role. But either way, like if it's Alex Taney, if it's Tom Manning, either one I think would be perfectly fine in that role for the Colts. Now, if Alex Taney were to get the New York Giants job, then it kind of gets interesting with the passing game coordinator position because that's not a position that the Colts have always had on the roster or on the coaching staff. So this could be a spot where the Colts just don't have a replacement in house or a replacement even outside because it's not a position that's like desperately needed. But I could see someone like Kevin Petulow who was the Eagles offense coordinator this last year.

Starting point is 00:04:35 I know people hate his name right now. But as a passing game coordinator, he could be fine in that role. He served in that role earlier in his career with the Colts. And he's worked with Shane Steichen in the past as well. So I could see Kevin Petulow in that role. This could probably be a role for Philip Rivers. If Rivers wanted to coach in the NFL this year, I'm still not fully convinced that he would be open to coaching the NFL

Starting point is 00:04:57 because it is his son's final year in high school. He's been coaching that high school team. I still think he's going to give it one more full season at that high school level before coming up to the NFL next year as a coach. But this is where I prefer him more as a passing game coordinator rather than an offensive coordinator right out the gate. So if Philip Rivers were willing and the Colts lost Alex Taney, I'd be more than welcome to bring him on as the passing game coordinator for this next season.

Starting point is 00:05:24 But then again, like no replacement does probably make the most sense when it comes to Tandy's position just because it is a position that the Colts have traditionally not had on the roster outside of, again, I think Frank Reich said Kevin Buslo was the passing game coordinator with the Colts, but besides that, like, they really haven't had that role on the offensive staff. So we'll see at the end of losing Tanny to New York, like if they do actually fill that position either internally or externally. In terms of other assistants on the Colts roster or the coach staff that could potentially be poached for other jobs around the league, We have to keep in mind that a lot of these Ravens coaches are getting hired around the league from Minter to Harball, obviously, with the New York Giants. Like a lot of these Ravens coaches with just Ravens ties are kind of seeping out across the entire league. So when you're looking at like Chris Hewitt, for instance, the Colts passing game coordinator and secondary coach, he's someone who I think can make sense reuniting with either one of those guys in one of their locations or elsewhere around. the league. So Chris Hewitt's a name that I would certainly watch, but when it comes to defensive staff, I don't think we're going to see much there. Tom Manning, I think, could draw offensive coordinator buzz from the college level, but the college level, I think, has mostly decided a lot

Starting point is 00:06:40 of their stuff, so I don't think the Colts are going to lose him there. And then when it comes to, like, minor coaches on the roster, there's always that, that threat of, you know, as some of these staffs get filled out, somebody gets a minor promotion elsewhere, so the Colts could lose, like, an assistant linebacker coach like Cato June or something like that to another location. But overall, I think the Colts are not going to see much turnover on their coaching staff. Again, Alex Taney and Jim Bob Cooter certainly up in the air with what they're interviewing for. But as of right now, those appear to be the only two threats with the Colts losing one of their current coaches. But the Colts do have one coaching vacancy as of right now, one major coaching

Starting point is 00:07:18 vacancy that is, and that is the defensive line coach. Charlie Partridge, who served in that role the last couple of seasons, is going to be the D-Line coach for the Notre Dame fighting Irish this next season. So the Colts have a vacancy there. And I think this is kind of like the perfect time to have a D-line coach vacancy because we saw a lot of these legacy staffs around the league fire their head coaches from Buffalo to Pittsburgh to Baltimore and a lot of really good, well-tenured defensive line coaches became available.

Starting point is 00:07:47 So when I'm looking at a couple of these names, like Carl Dunbar in Pittsburgh is going to have his pick of any team around the league because he is well-respected, has worked with guys like Cam Hayward, Nate Herbig, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith. He's been working with those guys for most of their career. Very well respected, very good D-line coach. And I think Indy would love to have him here. Jacques Cesari, I think is how you say his name from the Cleveland Browns would be another guy that I think could make a lot of sense for the Colts, work with Miles Garrett, worked with Alex Wright, and a lot of really good players there. Tracy Rocker from the Tennessee Titans has a connection with Shane Stuyken and Eric Washington.

Starting point is 00:08:26 from the New York Jets has a connection with Chris Ballard. So those are some high-level names that are on the market for D-Line coach that could make some sense for a team like the Colts just to get a more experienced veteran name that has served in that role around the league. You know, Jake and I have talked about this in the past on the show where under Chris Ballard, the Colts have gone to the college level a lot for their D-Line coach, like outside of Nate OLLI, I think all their D-Line coaches have been from the college level.

Starting point is 00:08:52 And they've mostly kind of flamed out and not really worked and haven't really developed the talent or, you know, it's two sides to everything here. But they haven't really developed any of these young players, the Colts have given them. So maybe going with a more experienced, longer tenure, like pure NFL guy, could be the next route for the Colts. So guys like, again, like Dunbar, Washington Rocker, I think it's Cesari. It's how you say his name from the Browns. I think either any of those guys would make a lot of sense for the Colts and would be home run hires for what they're looking for. But that is the coaching carousel as right now for the Colts.

Starting point is 00:09:22 We'll keep you updated here with Lockdown Now. and in quick videos as things get announced. But I think it appears like Alex Tandy's interview with the Giants is going to be either today or tomorrow. And I think Jim Bob Couters is on Sunday. And we'll probably hear something early next week if one of those guys got that job. So we'll keep you updated here on lockdown Colts. But coming up, I'm going to talk about it some Alec Pierce, because Alec Pierce has been one of my favorite players in the Colts for the duration of his rookie contract.

Starting point is 00:09:47 He's gotten better and better each and every season. And now with him set to make $20 to $25 million per year on the open market, should the Colts invest heavily in a player who hasn't been the number one wide receiver throughout this whole contract? We're going to talk about that here in just a second. But first, tax season doesn't have to take over your life. This year, TurboTax is making it easier than ever to just hand things off and move on with your day. With TurboTax full service, you can have your taxes done for you by a trusted local expert,

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Starting point is 00:12:25 Discord server, which includes a group chat just for listeners of our shows, go to LockdownColts. com to join or even gift a subscription to that special someone. You know, Valentine's Day is coming up, and I think that's a special gift right there. It's that Lockdowns Every Day or Club joining a Discord server with me and Jake. We're diving into some Alec Pierce talk now. And if you guys follow me in my other channel, I did a, not like a long video, but I did a short video on Alec Pierce and just my thoughts on him. And I'm going to reiterate some of my ideas and just,

Starting point is 00:12:54 overall thoughts on Alec Pierce here for this segment. He has gotten so much better over the duration of his rookie contract from a player who in his first two seasons we could see the potential, we could see the flash, we could see what he could become in the NFL, but the production wasn't really there. Just a little over 1,000 yards in his first two seasons in the NFL, kind of hampered by some noodle arm quarterbacks for sure and Gardner, Minchu and Matt Ryan at that stage of his career.

Starting point is 00:13:22 but for him to turn that flash into the production that we've seen the last two seasons to go from the first two years again a little over a thousand total yards to nearly 1900 yards receiving over the final two years and honestly if you put his his pass interference is drawn in there as well over 300 yards drawn from pass interference penalties he's contributed well over 2,000 yards of total offense to the Colts since 2024 and that is with the carousel at quarterback that's with him missing three games due to injury and that half game due to a weird ejection as well. So he's missed some time and things haven't been perfect at the quarterback position, but he's still been very productive.

Starting point is 00:14:02 And that's with limited targets and limited shots down the field as well. Only 47 receptions for over 1,000 yards this year joins Deshaun Jackson as the only player like this century to do that. He's just been an all-around player that's just gotten better and better every single year. Obviously, he has his calling card. his calling card is being the best deep threat in football. I think that that's, you know, maybe there's one or two guys you could debate with up there, but he's easily up there among the best deep threats in football.

Starting point is 00:14:30 Great at getting off press at the line. He's gotten better as a route runner over the duration of his career. And he just comes up big and big moments for the Colts from his rookie season with walkoff touchdowns and big time catches to 2024 with the, what, the game winning catch against the New England the Patriots, what he did against the Jets late in that game, beating Soss Gardner down the right sideline on a quick snap, to what he did this year, like going against like Seattle, having that back shoulder catch down the sideline or that mesh catch against the Denver

Starting point is 00:15:01 Broncos to get them the win in that game. He has been just a vital piece of this offense and he's who the Colts want to go to in the clutch when it matters the most. So as of right now, pro football focus had a new projection for Alec Pierce. They projected him to make four years, $96 million with $4,000. $45 million guaranteed. So essentially with the $45 million guaranteed, that'd be like a two-year $45 million contract for Alec Pierce.

Starting point is 00:15:26 That is so doable for the Colts. You know, I mean, I know the 4 by 96 sounds very daunting and very scary for Colts fans. But with how NFL contracts work, if it's a 4 for 96 with 45 guaranteed, it's essentially a 2 for 45 for the Colts. And that is so easy to do, very doable for them. They would have to free up some money. and we've talked about this like ad nauseum here on this podcast all offseason about how they need to move on from the Michael Pittman Jr. contract.

Starting point is 00:15:54 But for me, when you compare the two receivers, Pittman has been on this downward progression the last couple seasons. Like it really since 2021, it has kind of been downhill for Pittman where we haven't seen the deep ball ability. And part of that's because Alec Pierce came in here, but we haven't seen the all around game from Michael Pittman Jr. He's been very good at the in-breaking routes and just being a tough receiver. but with Pierce, we've seen him go from being this deep ball only guy to being a guy who can win on crossers, you can win on in-breaking stuff, who can win really anything underneath as well.

Starting point is 00:16:26 And the way I really break it down with these two receivers is can Michael Pittman Jr. do what Alec Pierce does? Probably not, especially at this stage of his career with the back injury the last couple years. Like, I don't think he can do what Alec Pierce can do. Can Alec Pierce do what Michael Pittman Jr. can do? Probably. at least a good bit of it.

Starting point is 00:16:45 I mean, what Pittman does is win over the middle of the field and wins with his catch radius. I think Alec Pierce is certainly capable of doing that. So for me, when it comes to which receiver you're going to allocate well over $20 million per year to on the open market, I think it's going to be Alec Pierce for me with the Colts. And I think the Colts would be wise to invest in the 25-year-old player that's got better every year rather than bringing back the near 30-year-old player

Starting point is 00:17:12 that has regressed the last couple years. So, yeah, Alec Pierce, to me, has true number one wide receiver potential. I think he's closer to a D.K. Metcalf and a T. Higgins than he is to the the Marquez Valdez scantlings and the Diami Brown type players in the NFL. And if I'm the Colts, I'm opening up the checkbook easily for that projection that pro football focus has met. I know there's been some rumors lately.

Starting point is 00:17:35 I think Tony Pauline was the one who said the other day that Pierce is expected to test free agency. But if I'm the Colt, if it came down, down to that, I'd probably just tag him before letting him get to the open market. Now, the tag would be one year, $28.2 million, which would be quite a bit there. But you can use that to build a long-term deal off of it and maybe give him like a three or four or five-year deal, whatever it's going to be to make sure that he doesn't, he's not playing at that $28 million cap hit. You can just kind of build the market from there.

Starting point is 00:18:06 So if I'm the Colts, I don't let him touch the open market because it only gets crazier from there. use your ability with the franchise tag at the worst case scenario, but try to come to an agreement before free agency hits. I think Pierce is just too valuable to this team. And once they re-signed Daniel Jones and they want to get back to playing their brand of football next year, this whole thing doesn't work without Alec Pierce. So if they were to lose Alec Pierce this off season, you know, expecting Daniel Jones to repeat his performance this year is already one thing.

Starting point is 00:18:37 But doing it without Alec Pierce would be a whole. another thing entirely. So this offense this past season ran through Tyler Warren, Jonathan Taylor, and Alec Pierce. Those are your three core elements of your offense. Losing one of those three core elements and hoping for pitmen or downs to fully replace it, I just don't think is wise business strategy from the Colts. So if I'm the Colts, after getting Daniel Jones under contract, I think Alec Pierce is the most important aspect of this offseason. And unlike, you know, when they let like Will Fries walk last season. They had Matt Consolves waiting in the wings. They don't have a replacement for Pierce waiting

Starting point is 00:19:15 anywhere on this roster. It's not like you have a top 100 pick guy coming in here. And even if you do, like you spend one in the draft, expecting a rookie to replace 47 catches for a thousand yards is just bad business. So I think for the Colts, they need to get this done. This needs to be priority number two behind Daniel Jones. You can even argue priority number one because Jones feels like a lock at this point. But getting Pierce back is going to be one of the most vital parts of the offseason for the Colts and making sure that he's signed up before he hits free agency. But coming up, guys, we have Prospect of the Day. I've been jealous of Jake all week talking about these Senior Bowl players.

Starting point is 00:19:51 And while I'm not talking about a big need for the Colts, this is a player when watching Senior Bowl film has really blown me away. And I was already a big fan of him going into the week. And that is Sam Hecht, Kansas State Interior Offensive Lineman. But first, if you've ever hired someone who looked good on paper but wasn't the right fit. You know how important that is. You know how important it is to get that right. So when you want candidates who truly match what you're looking for, trust Indeed sponsored jobs. Hiring, Indeed, is all you need. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other sites. Indeed, sponsored jobs

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Starting point is 00:21:12 Just go to Indeed.com slash locked on NFL right now and support the show by saying you heard it. You heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply hiring. Do it the right way with Indeed. All righty. Locked on Colts Everettaires. We are back with our prospect of the day, 26 draft prospect of the day. Jake and I have already done a couple of these as well as Jake doing all of his senior bowl coverage this past week.

Starting point is 00:21:39 Big shout out to the work that Jake did, especially with all snow around the country. Getting down there is an impressive feat, I think, for him. and nothing that, you know, we expect that from our boots on the ground here at the podcast. But there was a senior bowl player that stood out to me on film going into the week. And then as I'm watching the practice film, he just kept looking better and better. And I know he's an offensive lineman. The Colts don't really need an offensive lineman. But it never hurts to keep investing in the trenches.

Starting point is 00:22:05 And this is interior offensive lineman Sam Heck from Kansas State. Started at Center the last two years for them was a player where the coaches of the Big 12 absolutely loved him. He was a first team all big 12 this past season by coaching. He was second team in 2024. 25 career starts at the college level. And when you look at his game on film, he is tiny. Like he is legitimately tiny. You know, and the Colts have a center like that, right?

Starting point is 00:22:33 Like Tanner Bordellini, who is like listed at like 300 or so pounds, but might be a little under 300 pounds. That's what I see when I see Sam Heck. Like I don't know if he's actually 300 pounds. but for what he lacks in true size and power, he makes up for it in just the way that he plays, man. He plays with such this savviness and control that I feel like I'm watching an NFL center when I'm watching these games,

Starting point is 00:22:59 and especially when I was watching his performance at the Senior Bowl. Like, he is just always in the right position, hands are where they need to be, just in full control on his feet, great balance. Looks like a person out there wrestling. If you've ever seen like a pro wrestler, or like someone who's like, you know, all district wrestling in high school or something, the way that they just keep their balance and keep their feet at all times and just how they

Starting point is 00:23:21 always look in control of what they're doing. That's what I really see out of this center prospect. And it's one thing that really stood out to me on film. And then when you see the one-on-ones at the senior pool, when you see the team sessions and how he's locking up these future top 100 picked or these future guys who are going to be playing on Sunday, I'm like, look, I can overlook the 290-something pounds because he just makes it work. I really, really love the wrestling style in this game. I just love his technique and his ability to win as a pass blocker.

Starting point is 00:23:50 And then in the run game, too, he's got great zone tracks and gets to where he needs to be. He's not this overwhelmingly great athlete, but I think at center, it's not as important to be a superstar athlete. Like, obviously it helps when we look at Tanner Bordellini, but it's more about the steps you take. It's more about your mind. It's more about your positioning. And I think with a player like, heck, he's just got long-term,

Starting point is 00:24:12 viable NFL player in his DNA. You could see it on this college film. You can see it at the Senior Bowl. And I think you're going to see that on Sundays as well. He's a guy who I think is going to make his name for himself come draft time. And I'm hoping, you know, for the Colts, obviously, I want him to be there in like round four or five. And you can have your long term like Danny Pinter type replacement behind Tanner Bordellini. But he probably goes top 100 with how well he's performed this offseason.

Starting point is 00:24:39 But we'll see. We'll see. Obviously, there's still always things in play for him. potentially being a cult if he's there on day three. But overall, I think he could fit in at center. I think he could play a little bit of guard and a pinch if he need to. He reminds me a lot of Tyler Biatish, Biodash, Biedash, Tyler Biedash for the Washington commanders who played for the Dallas Cowboys before.

Starting point is 00:25:03 And obviously was at Wisconsin as a center a couple years back. Tyler Biedash, I don't even know what I'm saying his name right. But that's who he reminds me of, a guy who, again, he's not going to overwhelm you with speed or power or size, but just gets the job done. That's what you need to see out of a center prospect. I think when you're watching film, and everything is just so good about his film, the balance,

Starting point is 00:25:24 the control, the positioning, the footwork. This is an NFL center all day, every day. And Sam Hect is one of my favorite players in this draft. So I'm going to be a bunch higher on him, I think,

Starting point is 00:25:36 than maybe some in the NFL are, but I don't know. I just think of this guy's just got Sunday football written in his DNA, and I think he's going to be a very good player. Only 25 career starts at the college level out of 42 games has experience on special teams. And for the Colts, I think he'd be a great fit in what they do. I think he'd be a perfect utility offensive lineman behind Bordellini and the guards.

Starting point is 00:25:57 And if he's there in round four, I'm all for pulling the trigger on him and just solidifying that interior depth. So we'll see come draft day if he's actually available for the Colts that late in the draft. Again, I think he could go in the top 100 with how he's performed this, season, but we shall see. But thanks again, guys, for tuning in today to Locked on Colts. We'll back again next week. So make sure you subscribe and follow Locked on Colts to get all the latest episodes.

Starting point is 00:26:22 And if you don't already, make sure you're following at Locked on Colts at Jake Arthur and Othel and at Zach Hicks to all on social media. And if you never miss an episode, the Everydayer Club is built for you. Get Locked on Colts ad free plus members only Discord server access and more. Head to Lockdowncolts.com to join the club. Thank you all for checking in today and we'll catch you guys back here again next week.

Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - COACH CAROUSEL: Colts' Alex Tanney and Jim Bob Cooter Set to Interview with New York Giants

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