Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts Free Agency + NFL Draft Big Board

Episode Date: March 5, 2021

On today's episode, the Locked On Colts big board is unveiled for 2021 free agency and NFL Draft. Who makes the most sense for the Indianapolis Colts? Evan and Stampede Blue's Stephen Reed take a deep dive into the board with their analysis on each section. In total, around 50 names are put under the microscope from a Colts perspective.More likely than not, some names on this list will end up as future Colts via free agency and the draft. Also, stay tuned as Evan revealed which prospects fit the "Blue Star" criteria.Colts fans, this is a must-listen as the offseason moves are right around the corner for Indy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello everybody, welcome back into another episode of Locked On Colts, part of the Locked On, the Colts Party Locked On Podcast Network. Today's audio is Evan Sattery, joined by Steven Reed of Stampede Blue. We are back here on a Thursday night talking through really intriguing scenarios for this Colts team.

I went through and made about a 40 plus person list here. It was extensive work I did earlier today, just going through some guys that make sense whether we get the Colts in free agency and the draft. So this is kind of like a locked on Colts, so to say, big board to watch out for. Key positions in the draft and in free agency to watch out. I feel like a lot of these guys on the list here are going to draw just from the Colts, whether it be in the free agency or the draft, or maybe a lot of these guys on the list end up in Indy by the time you reach April or May. But Steven, really appreciate you coming on tonight, man. Thanks, Evan. Yeah, no worries at all. And let's dive in.

We have a list here of cornerbacks, edge, wide receiver, tight end, and sort of like a Denigo Autry type. I just put like hybrid, DT, DN. And for this list here, let's start with cornerback because this is for free agency starting off the show and the second half of the show will be about the draft. But for cornerback, Stephen, a very intriguing market here. Xavier Rhodes obviously tops the list here.

But I came up with this list in mind thinking, like, the Colts are probably going to break the bank for a lot of guys on this list. So I kind of went as realistic as I could with the list here. But for cornerback, obviously I think resigning Xavier Rhodes, if possible, is the top option for the Colts. But after him, Shaquille Griffin of Seattle, probably a maker on the same, if not more money than Xavier Rhodes., Shaquille Griffin of Seattle, probably a maker on the same, if not more money than Xavier Rhodes.

Maybe he makes it out of Seattle, but I doubt it. Akilah Weatherspoon of the 49ers has had a really up and down career so far in Sanford, and I imagine that he's going to test the market for the 49ers and could be a cheaper option compared to Xavier Rhodes. He really fits a lot of what the Colts look for as far as length, athleticism goes. I think he's like a 99th percentile athlete at 6 foot three so he fits a lot of the wingspan there but it'd be very questionable making the number one corner from day one with how improving he's been throughout his career and in chidobe

awoozie of dallas a little smaller but he has the ibra fluce connection he was there uh ibra fluce was there when they doubt they when they drafted awoozie and he left the next year at cornerback so something to keep in mind there with the connection with iberclues but these four guys in the list started off for me steven but i feel like starting off with cornerback here before we dive into the names you have to imagine the colts and xavier rhodes and his agent are probably talking right now to work out a deal and hopefully make them return ended yeah i think they are and part of the reason is you hear a lot of people talk about Gannon and how he went to Philadelphia and followed Nick Sirianni over there. The trouble with Philadelphia is they

have no cap space. So Xavier Rhodes is going to look for someplace, maybe again, a one, maybe two year deal where he can excel. So he can potentially cash back in again when the cap grows. Because right now, all these free agents are going to be in a tough situation because of where teams are at in the cap. And just it's the NFL landscape right now with the cap being set at like $180, $185 million, much lower than what we've expected. I think the most likely scenario for the Colts is probably re-signing Xavier Rhodes. But the other guys that you mentioned, Shaquille Griffin and Akella Witherspoon, are two guys that I think from the undrafted agent market is something that Chris Ballard would absolutely look at.

Akella Witherspoon especially, like you mentioned, he meets all those markers, those benchmarks that Chris Ballard sets for the cornerback position and really anybody in the defense that he likes to look at. So I think that's probably where they're at. I think my priority one would – if there's an option between these four guys, your priority one is signing Xavier Rhodes. And then I think if you can't re-sign him and you want to go this route with the undrafted

or the unrestricted free agency, then Akella Witherspoon is probably my two. And then I would say Shaquille Griffin is my three. And then Awuzie is my four on this list. Just because this is something that Jim Aiello of IndyStar wrote an article and it's something that you and I have talked about pretty consistently, almost every time I've been on about Chris Ballard and compensatory picks. And in signing a, I'll get this off the bat to start the show. When Chris Ballard signs

an unrestricted free agent that has finished his contract with another team, and then he signs with the Colts, the Colts then would lose the equivalent of a free agent that one of their own free agents that signs with another team. So for example, if the Colts sign Akella Witherspoon from San Francisco and then Xavier Rhodes signs elsewhere, if Xavier Rhodes signs a big contract, the Colts would have been slotted to get a third or a fourth round compensatory pick in the 2022 NFL draft. However, once they signed a Keller Witherspoon, that means that pick got negated and went away completely. So that's the balance that Chris Ballard, I think, is going to play with something that the Baltimore Ravens did fantastically, something the New England

Patriots do fantastically to get those mid-round picks. So that's something that before we even get really deep in the details of this conversation, that's something I want to make sure that everybody understands. So when I say he doesn't want to give up a conflict for it, that would be the reason why now this next position group, I think that Chris Valerie more than happy giving up conflict for it. Yeah. There's something to watch out for there.

I mean, with Xavier Rhodes, he's probably gonna be making around eight, eight and a half million dollars per year. I mean, with Xavier Rhodes, he's probably going to be making around $8.5 million per year, I imagine. If it gets any more than that, I imagine he'll be walking somewhere else in free. Maybe a Killa Witherspoon at $5 to $6 million per year can make a lot more sense for the Colts, save a couple million dollars on the margins there. But I have to agree with you. Xavier Rhodes is probably the most realistic option as far as resigning goes.

If that doesn't happen, a Killa Witherspoon of San Francisco fits all the markers for the Colts. A little bit of a gamble, of course, Xavier Rhodes of San Francisco fits all the markers for the Colts. A little bit of a gamble, of course, if David Rhodes did a gamble as well last year for the Colts, but I played Minnesota the last couple years and he turned it around. I have to wonder if they could think they could do the same with a killer Witherspoon and save some money while letting Rhodes walk in free agency. But that's why I believe, honestly, that the draft with cornerback, it might surprise people.

But let's say they let Rhodes walk and other guys like Witherspoon, Griffin, Awuzie all go somewhere else. It would not shock me at all if the Colts draft to the corner in the first, second round because that doesn't go against the conflict formula. If they get a J.C. Horn or if they go get an Ifeado Melifonwu who really is a blue star prospect to me as far as a team captain,

senior bowl, does everything. He can be a guy that makes a lot of sense for the Colts in the second round. We'll help the draft guys in the second part of the show today but i would not be shocked they went cornerback here if a guy like xavier rhodes walks in for eights and get like a third or fourth round conflict in next year's draft but let's say on the edge rushers now steven i have another list here of four guys and it's kind of a a different tier so to say i had bug dupree on this list from the steelers but that's only because he tore his ac last year. So maybe he signs a one-year deal, like a big one-year prove-it deal, and he can reenter the market again next year.

Outside of that, I think he makes too much money for the Colts to really be interested in Bud Dupree. But he checks the athletic measurables. He was a freak athlete, like a 95th percentile edge rusher on all the athletic traits. So he definitely fits a crisp out of mold there. Then Carl Lawson is right below him. Cincinnati, I put a video out on him yesterday.

Just the way he rushes reminds me a lot of Justin Houston. I think he offers a lot of what Houston could just at a younger age and more explosive. So Lawson makes a lot of sense. And then Romy Arcoir is a guy we talk about a lot on the show. Probably around $10 million per year to pay for Arcoir, maybe even a little less than that due to the COVID-19 salary cap deflation. But the last name on the list here is a guy I threw in just because I think he's a cheaper option.

He fits the athletic mold. I believe the Colts were interested in this guy in 2017 in the draft process. Tyus Bowser, the Ravens' edge rusher, he's really a power guy that can do a lot for them. So I think Tyus Bowser is the last one on this list. But really four different guys on the list for you, Stephen, that really could catch the Col side for A&C, because I imagine at this point, I think we all agree

that Justin Houston's probably moving on. Yeah, I think Houston's probably on his way out. The only way I can see Houston resigning is if they're looking for somebody that is like a veteran leader in the locker room, but now that they've got DeForest Buckner and Darius Leonard is really coming into his own, I don't see them really re-signing Justin Houston at this point. One thing I wanted to clear up real quick, when talking about the compensatory pick formula, if a player is cut by

another team, that doesn't count against you. So at both the cornerback position and in this position as well, actually all the positions, look for Chris Ballard to sign guys that are likely cut. Now, looking at what you've got here, Carl Lawson and Romeo Arpar have been – you and I have talked about this several times again. I feel like I bring this up, but those are my two guys that if Chris Ballard was going to spend in free agency, it would be one or both of those guys.

And that he would just go and attack that because both of them aren't going to get huge contracts this year. Both of them are ascending talents. Carl Lawson, I want to say he had like under seven sacks last year, like five and a half, something like that. Romeo Cuarra had significantly more than I think it was close to 10 right around there. But those guys are two guys that I think make a lot of sense for the Colts. I really liked that you added Bud Dupree on this list. And Tyus Bowser, because Tyus Bowser, I think he was out of Houston in the draft. And I do believe the Colts were interested in him based on his athletic profile and what he can do. And he's really come on as of late for Baltimore.

And the Ravens, as a general matter, tend to let guys walk. So he might become available. I really like Bud Dupree. Again, this comes at a salary cap situation. Pittsburgh, they just had to restructure Ben Roethlisberger's contract, and they're trying like Hades to get under the salary cap. I just don't see them in a position where they can really tag Bud Dupree and really keep him going um i think that's right with pittsburgh um in terms of a side cap i don't have it all right in front of me but yeah they're very they're they're very tightly constrained even with the ben rossberger restructure i think they're still

like 15 20 million over right now okay i thought they were but and with the restructure i wasn't sure how much they were able to cut off um that. So these guys make a lot of sense. And this is the one position, like I mentioned in the cornerback position overview, this is the one position I see Chris Ballard really diving into just because it takes the addressers a little bit longer to develop. Bud Dupree is a freak athlete with healthy. And these guys these edge rushers have to understand once again if this is a covid covid shrunken cap you're going to be signing one year prove it deals where else do you want to be then on the fast turf of indianapolis with a defense two defensive tackles that are basically all ones and all pro first and all pro and one of them's that kind of caliber at the nose tackle position or that zero technique position.

He is, any edge rusher that comes to Indianapolis is going to be able to have one-on-one matchups. And that's what you dream of as an edge rusher, is just going mono-y mono and seeing if you can beat the guy. And nine times out of ten, you're going to be put in a better situation here in Indianapolis than any other franchise outside of maybe the Rams. Because you obviously have to pay attention to Aaron Donald. DeForest Buckner gets that same attention here in Indianapolis. You play indoors, so you're not going to be playing on slippery turf or slippery grass fields. You're going to be playing Houston, Tennessee, Jacksonville. You're looking at 11 of your 16 games that are going to be in good to moderately good weather.

Nine of them are guaranteed to be in a dome. So if're an edge rusher you want to play for this defense it's fast you get after the cornerback you can boost your stats and these guys that you have that you've listed bud dupree and bud dupree tyus bowser are and romeo car really the speed guys like you said um carl lawson is is more like justin hou Justin Houston where his moves are varied, but he's not a pure speed guy anymore. So, yeah, this is the one position, again, I can see Chris Ballard really diving into and opening up the pocketbook a little bit more here. Yeah, I was looking at this list as far as guys that get franchise tagged.

Bud Dupree, like I have to imagine, probably won't get that. Maybe Pittsburgh just goes all in again for one more year with Big Ben and his franchise tag, Dupree. Salary cap beat down at that point. Just go for it one more year at Ben Rossberger, who I imagine, I think we all agree, it's probably his last year playing in the NFL in 2021 with the way he restructured his contract. But maybe Dupree's franchise tag.

I read – there sounds like a lot of smoke coming out of Cincinnati right now, Steven, about Carl Lawson possibly being franchise tagged. So it sounds like there's a good chance Carl Lawson will be franchise tagged, according to James Rapine over at Locked on Bengals and SI. He's been reporting over there for the last couple days. He's heard a lot internally that they're going to probably franchise tag Carl Lawson, which would take him off the market. So I think Romeo Acquara makes the most sense off this list.

I mean, they're probably going to franchise tag Kenny Galladay. It's not that they're going to do that at this point, according to Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell. So that leaves Acquara as the odd man out there, so to say. And you can pay Acquara around like $30 million to $32 million over a three-year contract, around $10 million per year. I think that just makes a lot of sense. And per PF, I think he was one of the highest-graded guys

as far as pressures go, and as well as on the left side, where just Houston probably ran from. He was a number three overall edge rusher last year. So put him next to DeForest Buckner. I think he could be a really, really high upside guy in this system. I think Akbar on like a $3 or $30 million deal, $10 million per year, could make a lot of sense for this team. But let's dive into the next portion of this list here.

Very intriguing list, in my opinion, at wide receiver. Of course, they have T.Y. Hilton on the board here as a re-signed candidate. But outside of that, Nelson Aguilar, Marvin Jones, Corey Davis. And I threw in Demarcus Robinson here as well because I feel like even if you re-sign T.Y. Hilton, Demarcus Robinson makes a lot of sense as just a vertical guy. He really never played a big role in Kansas City. He was always their fourth wide receiver. He'd be the same thing here in Indy, but provides a vertical threat for them on a chief contract.

Like I mentioned, if you re-sign T.Y., if you don't re-sign T.Y., I think Robinson makes a lot of sense. He was actually drafted by Chris Bauer in Kansas City, so there's that connection with the Chiefs and Robinson. So something to keep an eye on is Demarcus Robinson being a legit chief free agency option for the Colton free agency. But T.Y. Hilton, Aguilar, Marvin Jones, Corey Davis, and Demarcus Robinson, what do you think about those five names?

I think you're looking at – I like them. I think you're probably looking at T.Y. Hilton as, depending on the money, I think T.Y. would be their number one option to come back. Then I think Nelson Aguilar makes a ton of sense to me just because of the connection with Frank Reich, the connection he's had with Carson Wentz and that chemistry that is already built in, in the years that they played together in Philadelphia. Marvin Jones is an intriguing guy because he's a little bit older,

but he can still get down the field and he still beats guys and he goes up and he he's tough. He like, he makes those tough catches um Corey Davis is a guy that that we've talked about uh he's a sleeper candidate to me for the Colts to to go out and sign in free agency um because he was kind of oddly utilized in Tennessee um One of the big things that he was used on was for play action. And the reason why I think that he could be somebody that – one of the reasons that I think he could be somebody that Chris Ballard really looks at is because I believe that the Colts are going to go heavy play action this year with Carson Wentz

because you've got, obviously, Jonathan Taylor, the offensive line. You have to respect that. And then you've got Carson Wentz who is've got obviously Jonathan Taylor the offensive line you have to respect that and then you've got Carson Wentz who can who is proficient with play action and can get out of the pocket and so he's a little bit more mobile you can get him outside on play action open it up and just let let somebody like Corey Davis Nelson Aguilar go ahead and fly DeMarcus Robinson is really interesting I've never I've never really considered him before, but he makes some really good points. He is, he's such a good athlete. And once they started like stacking receivers on receivers, I mean, you had Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Nicole Hardman, and then Demarcus Robinson. You're right. And then, I mean, don't forget Travis Kelsey in there

because he was basically wide receiver as it were. So he was really like the fifth or sixth option there in Kansas City. So it would be interesting to see what he could do if given a more prominent role. I don't think that they would sign him as the number one, but he would be a pretty solid option to go into that number three position and kind of battle it out with Zach Paschal in that situation. I think Zach Paschal's got his own little niche on this team,

so I don't think it's something where he would necessarily lose snaps, but he might lose targets in that situation so i i think that's a pretty good list um i don't know if i could come up with any better obviously alan robinson is is the prize of free agents but i honestly i'm not sure i see chris ballard spending a ton just because he has it in the past and when he does it's usually for addressers i mean justin houston was maybe the biggest contract he's given out to a free agent other than like philip rivers um and so i just don't see him spending a ton because of the way he's built his roster thus far and the upcoming contracts that he's got you know for

Darius Leonard for Braden Smith for Quentin Nelson he's got a lot of stuff there so I think you're right to to kind of leave uh Allen Robinson off his list right now um the same thing with Juju Smith-Schuster I'm not even sure where he would fit in because he's going to want wide receiver one money, but he's not played like a wide receiver one in the past couple of years since being the guy in Pittsburgh. So I think this is probably a really solid list given what the Colts needs and the offense. Colts fans, rockauto.com is the place to go if you want to save money on your next car purchase.

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Everything on rockauto.com is so efficient, and you're able to really do a lot over at rockauto.com. Go over to rockauto.com right now and see what parts of your car or truck. Write Locked On in the How-To-Revise box. Send a lock to Colt to send you over there. Again, write Locked On, L-O-C-K-A-D-O-N, in the How-To-Revise box, send a lock to Colts, send you over there. Again, write LockedOn, L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N in the How-To-Revise box, send that LockedOn Colts, send you over there. Black History Month was last month, and we had a great series on Black History Month on the LockedOn podcast. And I recall LockedOn presents more in the game with Candace Cooper and Ross Jackson. Some great stuff there.

Go tune in and listen if you're not already. It's some really, really great work over there. Go to the Radio.com feed app or wherever you get your podcasts and listen to Locked On Presents more than the game. If you had to pick one guy off that list, Stephen, including T.Y., between Hilton, Aguilar, Jones, Davis, and Robinson, I know there's a sentiment with T.Y. Hilton there, but I think, honestly, if he gets about $8 million to $9 million per year,

I don't even know if the Colts would be comfortable going to $10 million per year for T.Y. Hilton on even a two-year deal. I think that T.Y. might get that money elsewhere on a contending team. But I would probably say, at this point, the most realistic option probably is Nelson Aguilar to replace T.Y. if that were to happen, just because, like you mentioned, the connection in Philadelphia with Reich and Wentz. And I think Corey Davis is going to get paid more than $10 million per year by someone out there.

I think he's just too intriguing of a guy for a top-five pick. Marvin Jones, I think he'll go to a contender like the Rams at L.A. I've heard a lot of smoke around. Maybe Marvin Jones will want to go to L.A. and reunite with Matthew Stafford there to play alongside Robert Woods and Cooper Cupp. So that could make a lot of sense for them as well. Maybe Demarcus Robinson either way.

If you re-sign T.Y. or if you bring on Aguilar to replace him, I feel like he makes sense either way. But where would you lean? If you want to spend like $8 million to $10 million per year, are you going T.Y., Aguilar, Jones, Davis, or Robinson? I'm probably going Aguilar. My order is probably Aguilar Davis. Um, then probably TY and then Jones and then Robinson, one sneaky guy to, cause we've talked a lot about them wanting a vertical guy,

um, that can really stretch the field. One sneaky guy that might be like a low call, like super cheap signing is John Ross out of Cincinnati. I know he's had a bunch of issues, but the guy can fly. And, you know, who knows? Like Cincinnati has been a mess for so long, and there was some dissension there in Cincinnati about him wanting out. But I just thought of that name. I was like, you know what, think what thinking of vertical guys they can just go and catch catch a go route and get behind the defense john ross makes a lot of sense um

for somebody super cheap just a flyer just to see it see if you can get something out of a former top 10 pick um was a pretty good player. Thought he was drafted way too high, but still. But anyway, out of this list, I'd probably go Aguilar just because of the connection with Wentz and Reich and that familiarity. And then I'd probably lean Corey Davis next if I could get him in that range and then T.Y. Something to watch out for, of course, is his wire-seer position, how the Colts are going to go about it, and then T.Y. Something to watch out for, of course, is his wide receiver position,

how the Colts are going to go about it, especially with T.Y. Hilton. If you guys want to listen to Stephen and I really waxing poke on T.Y. Hilton earlier this week on Monday, go check out that episode. We spent the first 20, 25 minutes of it talking about T.Y. and what could happen there. So go check out Monday's episode if you're not already with Stephen and I talking about T.Y. Hilton and what could happen here in a couple weeks for him. But the next position here on the list for us is at tight end.

And the more I thought about those two and the more I think, you know what, if the Colts bring back T.Y. or if they go cheap wire receiver, I think they could splurge a tight end. Like they want to get a weapon on board here. A guy like Johnny Smith from Tennessee I think makes a lot of sense to me. He's so athletic. Wasn't used correctly in Tennessee. You have A.J. Brown.

You have Corey Davis on board there. I think him and the Eric Ebron 2018 role really intrigues me. Pay him $8 million per year to come here on a four-year, $32 million deal. He's only 25 years old. If you want to go cheaper than that, a lot cheaper, you can get Gerald Everett on board from the Rams. He's going to be walking in free agency from LA with all the money they have tied up. And then another name on the list here is Dan Arnold of the Arizona Cardinals. And maybe a lot of people don't know is Dan Arnold of the Arizona Cardinals and maybe a lot of people don't know about Dan Arnold but he was like the vertical threat in the Cardinals

offense this past year he's six foot seven super fast guy looked at his athletic profile he's like 90th percentile in almost everything for tight ends as far as mock draftable and player profile dot com goes so as far as a super cheap option Dan Arnold makes a lot of sense in the Cardinals Gerald Everett's probably the second in the mid-tier option, probably around like $4 million to $5 million per year. And if you want to break the bank for a guy like $8 million to $9 million per year, I think Johnnie Smith makes a lot of sense here. I feel like the closer we get to the free agents,

the more I feel like they might go, will there be either one of these pricing options? They're probably going to sign a tight end in my opinion. Yeah, I think they've got to do something at tight end. And whether it's signing this free agent or through the draft um i really like johnny smith uh i he's gonna be my my top tight end target for you know bang for your buck because i still don't think chris bow is going to get into the bidding war for hunter henry there, because he's going to get that Austin Hooper,

like big contract kind of money. Please, everybody, Kyle Rudolph is not a good option for us. I love Notre Dame. I'm a Notre Dame fan. But Kyle Rudolph is just, it would be a really, really large reclamation project there. I'm interested by the Gerald Everett because he was definitely not used very well in the Rams system. And he is more of an athletic tight end.

And we talked about – Chris Ballard talked about this in his press conference, trying to get that more athletic, stretch the field tight end, kind of what they had with Eric Hebron, but hopefully one that can actually catch the ball. That's a big thing. And so, yeah. And then Dan Arnold, that's an interesting, that's a sneaky signing. Because he does, he can catch passes.

And they definitely kind of shied away from the tight ends in the Arizona offense, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me given Kyler Murray is a shorter quarterback. Normally in that situation you want to get the ball out quick. You want to get the ball to tight ends and crossers, tight ends on out routes stuff like that um and so it's one of those things where that's a that's a sneaky sneaky signing i like it yeah it's gonna be so intriguing to watch tight end here because i feel like whether it be early on in the draft or in free and so i think they're gonna sign someone and just real quick for those out there wondering like why do you want to go out and get a tight end whether you want

to spend money or maybe draft a guy early in the on day two and in my opinion I just think it's because Molly Cox I feel like is more Jack Doyle than he has like an air keeper on I feel like a lot of Colts fans might be misconstrued about Molly Cox as far as an athlete goes he's definitely a physical throughout there he's like six foot six 250 60 pounds but he's like a physical throughout there. He's like 6'6", 250, 60 pounds. But he's like a 4'6", high 4'6", 40 with the way he runs. Like he's not like a burner out there. And the Colts definitely need a burner. And I think maybe after this year they cut Jack Doyle. I don't think that's going to happen in 2021, but maybe 2022

in the final year of his contract where there's like absolutely no dead money on it. I could see if Malik Cox does well this year in more of a Jack Doyle type role. They could cut Doyle. And then maybe if they bring on like a, a early draft pick or sign, like a Johnnie Smith, a Gerald Everett, you could phase Jack Doyle out and he could be cut after next season. But I think Molly Cox, Steven is more so like a Jack Doyle than he is like an Eric Ebron. Do you agree with that? Yeah. Yeah. And they used him as, as such. I mean, they used him more as a blocking tight end than they did as a receiving. I think he's a more athletic version of Jack Doyle

that is more explosive in the passing game, but not much more. You know, Malachi Cox is such a tenacious blocker. Like, that's why they had him in there. That's why they brought in Trey Burton, is because they didn't have that athletic tight end and they knew it. So I, I think that, I think you're right. I've said this before. I don't know if I've said it on the podcast,

but I've definitely said it privately that I think Jack Doyle might be a cut candidate because he might be the worst contract that Chris Ballard has on this roster, which is saying something because it's a really still a good contract. So yeah, I think that's probably a solid bet to say that Mo'Ali Cox is the kind of more like Jack Doyle than he is like an Eric Ebron. Last point here on the free agency list before we dive quickly over to the draft and the list I made of some guys, but the closer we get the free agency as well, the closer I feel like maybe the Colts, you know,

the Danico Autry walk in 2021 free agency, because I feel like he's going to get paid by someone, whether it be, I don't think it's gonna be an indie for more than like $5 million per year. I know they paid him like $6 million annually a couple years ago, but at this point he's older. He's produced, though. He's put up some great sack numbers this past year,

seven and a half sacks alongside DeForest Buckner in 2020. But I feel like a team out there is going to overpay for like $6, $7, $8 million a year for Danico Autry. Probably one of the better three-tag hybrid guys in the market, in my opinion. What do you feel like Danico Autry's future is in Indy? The more I looked at it as far as the cash space goes to if they re-sign T-Ware out of YRC for eight to ten million dollars per year if you splurge on an edge rusher if you re-sign Xavier Rhodes any re-sign guys like your restricted free agents or some cheap guys like Al-Qadi Muhammad

the money gets super tight super fast for the Colts I feel like Danico Autry might be a guy in my opinion I could probably more so walk in free agents and then re-sign that's different than what I thought about a month or so ago but the closer you look at the capts. I feel like Danico Autry might be a guy, in my opinion, that could probably more so walk in for eights and then resign. That's different than what I thought about a month or so ago, but the closer you look at the cap, the more I feel like Danico Autry is probably outside looking in as far as turning to the Colts in 2021. What do you think about that? Yeah, that's a great way to look at it, because, yeah, the Colts right now have $43 million in cap space once the Carson Wentz trade is completed and all that guaranteed money gets applied. But that's going to go quick. That $43 million, you've still got to re-sign your own

guys. If you're looking at a free agent or two, you can only sign like one or two big name guys and then that cap's gone. And so as a team and chris ballard knows this when you're building a team you can't just look at the the one year and you can't just be like all right i'm just you know philadelphia eagles you know dallas cowboys just throwing money washington reds here washington football team just throwing money at guys. So I think the more likely scenario is that the Colts re-sign Al-Qaida Muhammad and let Tanika Autry walk. You know, Tanika Autry is what, like 31 years old, something like that. So he's on the other side of 30.

Al-Qaida Muhammad, who played just as well as Tanika Autry, maybe even more consistent because Tanika Autry would, like, show up and have, like, three sacks in a game and then be gone for, like, four games. And you'd be like, well, did he get injured? Is he not there? Is that what's going on? No, they just – maybe they swapped their protection schemes to cover Autry for a couple games.

But I feel like Al-Qadi Mohammed is a little bit more consistent than Daniqua Autry last year, just as a whole. So I think the Colts would be more likely to focus on AQM to get him back for cheaper than what somebody else is going to pay Daniqua Autry, because I think you're right. I think Daniqua Autry is going to get himself between $6, $7, $8 million from some team out there that needs a defensive tackle, a defensive end hybrid. And so I feel like Chris Valley is going to let him walk so he can recoup again, try to recoup some compensatory picks. A name here on the list, I only have one name down,

is Danico Autry replacement. I view AQM more so as a guy just solely on the edge as far as being like your new Jabal Sheard and a cheaper guy like that. But a guy who really is intriguing to me for like $4 to $5 million per year next year. Coming off a torn ACL, he played the Forest Buckner in San Francisco today, former top five pick. Solomon Thomas, what do you feel like about him as a kind of a sneaky younger version of D'Nico Autry? I really like Solomon Thomas coming out of the draft out of Stanford. He was such a good player, and then he just kind of got pushed out in San Francisco and then obviously got injured this year.

I think he would be a great signing, low-risk, high-reward signing for the Colts because I'm not sure what his contract demands would be in in this situation given he's coming off such a pretty major injury but he would be a sneaky good signing he would be a very Chris Ballard signing he's like 25 26 years old coming off his first contract coming off an injury likely an ascending contract gets to or ascending talent like gets to go ahead and play next to DeForest Buckner again so there's that chemistry as well I think that'd be a sneaky good signing there again for Chris Ballard there's a lot you've made some great points Evan in the guys you've brought up in free agency.

Guys that are maybe not as well-known names but really make a lot of sense given their talents and their prospects and how they fit in this Colts team. This kind of ties into our draft point. Now we're transitioning over to the draft. The last point on my list here is no guys in this part because I feel like the more I've thought about it and you just see the market out there for the offensive tackles I think especially with Quentin Nelson's contract kind of Braden Smith's going to be extended this off so it'll be shocking if he's not Ryan Kelly's the highest paid center in the NFL Mark Lewinsky I think might earn another contract extension in another year or two with the way he played last

year I think there's a hundred percent chance at this point that's it that's a lock I know it's a hundred percent lock on my part, but I really believe that the Colts are going to go draft, whether it be 21-54 and get into the left tackle of the future, just salary cap-wise. I just think it makes no sense to go out and get even a stopgap veteran for a year or two. Yeah, I'm with you.

At first I was saying, okay, let's try to put our money in for Trent Williams back in the late December, early January. And then same thing. As I looked at the cap, I just go, okay, let's try to put our money in for Trent Williams back in the late December, early January. And then same thing. As I looked at the cap, I just go, there's no way. You can't spend that much salary at the offensive line position by signing a big-name offensive tackle. Going through the draft is the only one that really makes sense to me,

and that's where I feel pretty well if I placed a bet on that, that the Colts would go offensive tackle in their draft rather than sending somebody in free agency. We'll get the left tackle list here just really quickly. We've talked about a lot of these guys already, so we can make this quick. But Darisal thinks the best case scenario, Christian Darisal at Virginia Tech. But then from there, like late first, early second, you have Dylan Radunes out of North Dakota State,

Liam Eichenberg out of Notre Dame, Tevin Jenkins out of Oklahoma State, Sam Cosme of Texas, Alex Leatherwood of Alabama, even guys like Deontay Smith of East Carolina, and James Hudson of Cincinnati. That's a very deep class where you get a lot of guys either at 21, 54, even if you trade back from 21 or 54 into the early mid-third round. This is the year, I think, Steve and I, we just laid it out there for free agency

where I think, whether it be day one or day two, the Colts are 100% taking a left tackle. Yeah, I think that's really where it's going. The guy that I've mentioned before, Walker Little from Stanford, is a guy that might be a late-round guy. If the Colts – or maybe an early-day three guy, or if the Colts trade back from 21, pick up that third-round pick, then that might be a spot there where they look to fill it.

But, yeah, again, Christian Derusaw is the guy that I think makes the most sense for the Colts if he's available and somehow falls. Rashawn Slater, I'd love for him as well, but I just don't see him falling that far. Outside of that, I honestly see the Colts trading back from 21 and grabbing offensive tackle, corner, edge rusher, wide receiver, something like that there with their first pick. I think offensive line and offensive tackle specifically make the most sense with Liam Eikenberg, Dylan Radunes, those guys.

Deontay Smith is a good name to mention. It's a guy that I think Zach Hicks talked to. Zach Hicks from Stampede Blue and Cover One talked to the other day. And he'd be a good one right there if the Colts were able to get him and let him develop. Bet online is the fastest and easiest way to bet on all your sports action. Football might be over, but NBA, college, basketball, and NHL are in full swing.

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Thursdays on LockedOnNFL are a must-listen as Ryan Tracy and Jake Lisco break down teams across the NFL from an analytics and team-building perspective. Get the expert analysis on your favorite teams from Ryan and Jake every Thursday. Subscribe to LockedOnNFL wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah, and just real quick, I'm going to go through this list of guys for each position. I put a star next to their name because they fit the blue star mold that I came up with a couple years ago, just as far as a team captain or they played in the senior bowl or they're very athletic. And if you're a blue star, you fit every single one of those traits.

And Dylan Radun's a North Dakota State that's that. Liam Eichenberg originally was a senior bowl invite. He declined that, so I put him on the list here. So he was technically a senior bowl invite. Sam Cosme was a captain. He declined a Senior Bowl invite as well. But then Alex Leatherwood and Deontay Smith. So we have five guys here that fit as Blue Star prospects with Radun's,

Ike, and Bert Cosme, Leatherwood, and Smith. But let's move on here to cornerbacks, Steve. We talked about it at the beginning of the show. But intriguing list of guys here as far as their day one, day two, or even early day three goes. J.C. Horn out of South Carolina at 21. I have my doubts they'd even take Horn at 21, even though he fits every single athletic goal for the Colts.

Because I don't think the position is as valued for them as it would be for other teams with how much zone they play. Greg Newsome of Northwestern is another name gaining a lot of buzz around the Colts community. I saw Daniel Jeremiah mocked him at 21 out of Northwestern is another name gaining a lot of buzz around the Colts community. I saw Daniel Jeremiah mocked him at 21 out of Northwestern. The blue star prospect here on this list that really fits the bill for them at 54, if he's still there, if they want to go corner this early, is Ifeatu Melifan, who out of Syracuse was a team captain there.

Senior bowl, very athletic. I think he fits the mold for the Colts. They want to draft one early on. So Melifan is kind of the blue star guy on this list. But then day three guys, Paulson Adebo, Eric Stokes out of Georgia, Demodore Leenwar out of Oregon, and Keith Taylor out of Washington. An intriguing list really day one through three that the Colts want to take a stab on a guy.

They could maybe hit some upside. Yeah, I think that they're going to definitely take a guy on day two somewhere. Again, I think they're going to definitely take a guy on day two um somewhere with again i think they're going to trade back and pick up an extra pick um they're greg newsom and melifan make the most sense for me um i want to say um one of the guys over at i forget who it was um but they they put me on to melifan and so you watch some of his tape and at, I forget who it was, but they put me on to Malafonu. And so you watch some of his tape, and he's a guy who's aggressive. He's got those athletic traits.

He's senior captain. He's what Chris Ballard really kind of looks for. So I wouldn't be surprised to see him be the pick there in round two. Paul Sanedibo is a guy that he's out of Stanford and he's got all the, he's got all the mental side of it that you would, that you'd want him to do. He's got a lot of the traits that Chris Ballard likes, but he has struggled at times.

So that's why you see him. If you play these mock draft simulator games, you see them fall down a lot. I'm not sure that he's as low on those as what he is in the NFL community. I feel like he's going to go a little bit higher than people think. And then Key Taylor is a guy that I really like as an early day three prospect for the Colts out of Washington. He makes a lot of sense.

Going to the edge rushers now, Stephen, and a couple of guys here are blue star prospects. The number one guy on the list here, if he's there at 21, I would be very surprised if the Colts passed up on him just because of the traits and the leadership aspect. He was a team captain. He wasn't in the senior bowl as Patrick was a junior, but Quiddie Paye was a captain for Michigan this past year. Very athletic. He's going to break the

three-cone record reportedly as pro day. So very bendy, very athletic. He definitely from day one would be the Colts edge rusher replacing Justin Houston. So Quiddie Paye tops the list here. Jalen Phillips out of Miami. Aziz Ojulari is also a blue star prospect, two-time captain at Georgia as a retro freshman and sophomore. He has very rare leadership qualities there. And Dane Brugler, the athletic, has Ojulari as his number one edge rusher on the board. So I trust Dane when he talks about there.

And when I go back and watch Ojulari, I know he doesn't have, like, the length and the stuff that maybe the Colts look for athletically. He's very athletic. I want to put that in there. But just as far as length goes and arm length and stuff like that, Ojulari doesn't check the box, so to say. But, man, he reminds me a lot. I know this is very high praise, but he's like Robert Mathis-esque to me.

Like the way he can strip the ball. He really looked a lot like Robert Mathis in that game against the Cincinnati Bearcats in their bowl game, if you want to go back and watch it. Like he just took over that game in the second half. Looked like Mathis off the edge there with his hand usage. He really is one of my favorite guys there. So watch out for Aziz Ojulari at 21 for the Colts, in my opinion. I think it checks a lot of the boxes. Jason Alway

out of Penn State as well. Jordan Smith out of UAB. Shaka Toney is also a Blue Star prospect. He'll be like a late two, early day three guy for Penn State. Very bendy team captain this past year for Penn State. Outweigh as well was with Penn State, but Tony was the leader in that room, the captain. And then Peyton Turner, the more I watch him from Houston, Stephen, I feel like the Colston signing guy like Solomon Thomas or Friancy, I feel like it's almost a lock that Peyton Turner's probably the guy they'd look at to replace Danico Autry because he's like a more athletic version of Danico Autry he can play inside he can play outside very good against

the run a very sneaky good pass rusher as well so Peyton Turner is a blue star prospect as well senior bowl team captain this past year so a couple guys in the list are blue star prospects but I think one of these guys by the end of the draft is going to be a cold, in my opinion. I agree. I'd add Ellerson Smith on that list as a sleeper guy there in day three, late day three opportunity out of Northern Iowa.

So, these guys, Quidipe is I think he might, we talked about this, about Jalen Phillips and Quidipe. Jalen Phillips, pure talent-wise, might be the best defensive end, but best film is probably Quidipe. Just, you know, the way that he can play, and he's going to test well.

He checks off all the boxes. Aziz Ojalary is interesting because, like you mentioned, he doesn't check all the boxes. Aziz Ajolari is interesting because like you mentioned, he doesn't check all the boxes. But Chris Ballard has had a knack for going outside the box for guys to do one thing really well. You look at Kenny Moore, for example. Kenny Moore doesn't check basically any of the boxes that Chris Ballard has in terms of length or height and all that. But he does, he plays that slot corner position better than anybody else in the NFL. I feel very confident saying that he's the best slot corner in the NFL. And he can go up against anybody. He has some just elite immeasurables in there is maybe the best way to put it. And Aziz Ojalary is another guy that, like you said,

he's got one or two moves that you just can't stop. And if he can get those off on you, you're done. And so he's got athleticism. Yeah, he doesn't have the length, but he still would be a really good prospect in this defense. I really like Peyton Turner. I think he's going to creep up boards. i think he's probably going to end up being a late round two pick maybe early round three pick um so i wouldn't be surprised to see the colts go there um in those those those selections just because he like you said he's like a lesser

version of i i think he's – I don't know if you see his more athletic version of Solomon Thomas. Solomon Thomas, again, was like a top five, top seven pick. So it's hard to match that. But Peyton Turner could be just as good if you give him an opportunity, especially playing in that defensive line with that rotation, to really let him grow rather than force him into the mix right away. So I really like the end group.

The Colts are really lucky this year based on the depth at the positions that they need line up with the depth of the draft. And this is like the third or fourth year in a row where this has happened, where the Colts have needed a specific type of player, and it happens to be one of the deepest positions in the draft. So again, I think you're going to see the Colts end up with an offensive tackle early. They're going to end up with an edge rusher and or a cornerback early. And I think that's just kind of what's going to happen, I feel like, based on what they've done in the past.

Yeah, very intriguing list there for edge rushers. And I can guarantee you at this point, I think one of them is going to be an Indy by the time you reach the end of the 2021 NFL Draft. But let's move on to the wide receivers here, Stephen. And another list here featuring just only two blue star guys as far as captain and senior bowl go. But Rashad Bateman, I doubt at this point he's going to be there at 21. But if he is, I'm very intrigued by that possibility.

Even with Michael Pittman Jr. and Paris Campbell on board, I think Bateman could be a legitimate one wide receiver in the NFL. Terrace Marshall out of LSU. Rondale Moore out of Purdue. Diami Brown out of North Carolina. Tylan Wallace is a blue star prospect on the list out of Oklahoma State. Will there be in round three of the Colts trade back or early day three?

I think he makes an awful lot of sense there. Two-time captain of Oklahoma State. Senior bowl did very well down there. Name the watch there, Tylan Wallace. Josh Amir Beebe out of Illinois. And this is going to get more into mid-late day three guys. Amir Smith-Marset out of Iowa. And then Mark Platt-Stevenson is the last guy

on the list. He's a Blue Star prospect as well out of Houston. Very, very speedy guy. I think like a 4'3", 40. Takes the top off of the defense. He's very small. But he'd be a really big vertical threat in this scheme. And could be like a fifth, sixth round steal for the Colts if they were to go Stevenson here. Team captain for Houston. Did very well at the Senior Bowl as well. So this is the

list of wide receivers, a couple blue stars on the list there, and a lot of high-end guys as well. Yeah, I really like Terrace Marshall. I think that this is now the second year in a row that I've kind of liked the other guy at LSU. I was a big fan of Justin Jefferson last year, going into the draft, feeling like he got overlooked because of Jamar Chase. I feel like that's happening again with Terrace Marshall Jr. He's getting overlooked because of Jamar Chase. He's such a good player.

I would love it if the Colts were able to snag him. It would be stealing him at 54 if they were able to get it. I don't think he makes it that far. But I also don't think the Colts take a wide receiver at 21 even if Bateman's there I just don't I don't feel like that's where their their focus will be we did our our mock draft or live mock draft last week or earlier this week and we went with Rondale Moore in the second round and I felt really confident about that even though he is shorter he is one of the things is Chris Ballard only once has drafted a receiver under six foot two he's drafted five five wide receivers total four of which were six foot two and over two

of which were over six four and then Paris Campbell was six foot. So that's my one concern with Rondell Moore. And the same thing with Marquise Stevenson is the height that Chris Ballard just doesn't typically draft short receivers. I really like Amir Dabibi. We've talked about this. Amir Smith-Marset is a guy that is interesting because when he played, he was the guy and they went to,

they fed him over at Iowa and they, they fed him constantly. And he has some maturity issues. It seemed like, so that would be my, my one major concern with him because he got, I think he got injured during a celebration that ended up ending his season last year. So that's a bit of a concern, but he could be an interesting late

round steal kind of guy. So out of that group, I think Terrace Marshall is kind of the guy that I would focus on, at least in round two. If you're looking at guys on day three, Amit or B.B. makes a ton of sense. Telling Wallace, I haven't really gotten into, so I don't want to say too much about it. But saying that he's a blue chip guy, you've been really accurate with those, Evan, in the past about nailing off the guys that check certain boxes. And Chris Ballard's really kind of gone off, you know, you really hit that. So, mention that he's a blue chip guy is something that makes me want to go and dig a little bit deeper into his tape and kind of get a better feel for him as a prospect.

Last position group here, a very short list because I really didn't feel like diving much into day three guys for tight end just because i feel like this is a very weak class but this is a guy here i'm gonna start off he's actually a blue star prospect brevin jordan out of miami i love this guy i think he's one of my guys in this class just the way he can fly around the field he was used very much like a travis kelsey at miami he could also be like a john smith to like freakish athletes like a 90 Kelsey at Miami. He could also be like a Johnnie Smith, too, like freakish athlete. He's like a 90 percentile athlete for tight end position.

He's going to run fast. He's going to jump well. He's a mismatched nightmare. He's great with his hands, too, really dropped the ball as well at Miami. A willing blocker, too. To have all that stuff mixed into one guy is so intriguing to me. I feel like Frank Rugg could be pounding the tail for Brevin Jordan. I feel like in my drafts moving forward here, I've been the last day or two,

I've been putting Brevin Jordan as my guy at 54 if he's there, because I just feel like you can get Brevin Jordan on a four-year rookie deal compared to spending on Johnny Smith or Gerald Everett or Dan Arnold. I feel like that makes a lot of sense to me. Brevin Jordan, the team captain of Miami, he wasn't in the senior bowl this year, but captain, athletic, really drops the ball, a willing blocker. I feel like in Frank Reich's

offense like Brevin Jordan could be a star tight end in this league and he's my guy here that really makes a lot of sense to me and day two for the Colts and I like I said earlier in the show like don't be shocked the Colts value tight end early on this draft and Brevin Jordan really checks every single box that Chris Bauer wants out of the tight end position. And the Jim Mercer comment that he made about wanting 10 and 87 as far as referencing Travis Kelsey and Tyreek Hill, I think Brevin Jordan really fits the mold of that kind of guy. And don't be shocked if he's the pick for the Colts on day two at 54, even if they move back and still got him in the early second round.

Like with the way the tight ends are this year, Kyle Pitts is going to be a top six, top seven pick, but Pat Fryer moves ahead of Brevin Jordan to out Penn State. Might be a late first, early mid-second round pick, and teams don't really draft tight ends early that much anymore. I don't know why, but Brevin Jordan, I think, could be a steal this draft, and I think he fits so well in this cold scheme. And then Tommy Tremble out of Notre Dame, Stephen. He is a very willing blocker, very athletic, and he could be like a really move tight end, a a hype like a hybrid like hyperized version of a trey burton where he's a very very very good blocker but he's also super

athletic yeah brevin jordan is is like one of my guys too like i i keep drafting him and any any mock draft i do especially if i trade back from 21 and pick up another late second or early third round pick, I always end up taking Brevin Jordan because he just makes too much sense in this offense. And he's really raw too as a blocker and as a prospect. But he's got some great qualities to him so him in this offense really I feel really confident about the Colts if they were able to get him um you mentioned uh Tommy Trimble he's a he's a guy on Notre Dame that I think people talk about how much he blocks and that he wasn't sent out to run routes as often um and so I feel like that's an underrated part of his game. I feel like he'll be able to really show that in the NFL.

Another guy I like as a late-day three pick is Nick Eubanks out of Michigan. He's a guy that I think could be, again, the guys I'm focusing on right now are what they call F tight ends. So guys that – your Y tight end is a guy that's usually in line, and your F tight end is the one that's moved out in the slot. So more or less the guy that's running around. That's what Eric Ebron was, what Trey Burton mainly was. So listeners can understand the difference between the two.

These guys that I'm talking about, Brevin Jordan is mainly an F tight end. New Q Banks mainly an F tight end. Tommy Trimble really can be both. And so I really feel confident about Brevin Jordan, though. Like, if the Colts can come away with him, I'd be really excited. Steven, this is a lot of fun, man. And we went deep again on this with a free 18 of the draft, but we go in depth on these episodes and it's so fun just cause we can

really get into the nitty gritty of this. And I think we covered every single box here as far as free NC options and the draft options go for the Colts. You go ahead and follow Steven on Twitter. If you're not already Colts, man, they must follow over at nice read Steve and go read and listen to his work as always over on stampede blue.

Really appreciate the time again today, man. All right. Thanks Evan. Have a great one.