Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - LOCKED ON COLTS -4/18- Listener Mailbag - Draft Guide Giveaway Winners Announced

Episode Date: April 18, 2017

Matt takes the final three listener call ins for this mailbag show, with a common theme of the show being what will happen in the #Colts backfield in the upcoming season. Also the Inside the Pylon and NDT Scouting Draft Guide winners are announced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

That's for my crazy day. My packed commute. All those unread emails in my inbox. But I'm getting stronger, faster, and pushing myself further every day. I don't care if I'm not like everyone else. This punching bag is the best way to end my day. Fearless is knowing yoga isn't your style. That's the power of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program.

Learn more about our healthy benefits at fepblue.org slash getmore. No, I'm not for sale. You are lockeded On Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome back to Locked On Colts, ladies and gentlemen. I'm your host, Matt Dainley. And tonight, we're going to kind of just dig into this mailbag here and finish up our last few call-ins from the fans and from the listeners. So we're going to sit back, kick back, enjoy what we're thinking about with Hankins and the new setup. Some of the Colts players finally got interviewed today. Our friend George Bremer on

the show has gotten some great quotes and some great thoughts on Twitter with some of these guys talking about Darius Butler and his role as far as a leadership role and how that'll be at safety and stuff like that. Stuff we've talked about on the show, really good stuff from George especially, but from all those guys down there. So tonight we're just going to knock out these last few listener call-ins. And then we're going to announce the winners to the Inside the Pylon and NDT Scouting draft guides. And then we're going to call it a show. And we've got some exciting shows coming up for you in the very near future.

As I told you guys last night with George, we've got a mock draft going on right now with 30 other individuals because two teams don't have first-round picks. So we've got 30 individuals going through their picks, taking real quick, short explanations and stuff like that. And let me tell you, we're almost halfway through it. And let me tell you, some of these picks are just wild. It's really crazy how a lot of thought processes go through, but I like the thought process, but I'll tell you what, you guys are going to be surprised in the top 10 with a couple of these, so it's exciting. So let's go ahead and

start, and let's get into our mailbag show right here, and we'll start with our first caller, Joe. Hi, my name is Joe, and I'm from New York. I've been a Colt fan for quite a while. I'm an old-timer. I've been a Colt fan since 1958. So I followed them through a lot of years in Baltimore and then when they moved to Indianapolis. My question is this.

Since they got Jonathan Hankins from the Giants, I think their first pick, my opinion, right now is a running back to protect Andrew Luck. I think if a running back is available and he's a good one in the first round, I say go after him because I think they're going to go real quick in this draft.

I mean, the good ones, there are a bunch out there, but I'm talking about someone with their proven experience and I think that would be my choice. Thank you very much for taking my question. I appreciate it. Thank you very much. You know, that's a great point. I mean, we talk about this and have talked about this quite a bit on the show as far as what our thought process is behind drafting a running back in the first round.

I mean, look, Peyton had edge. Andrew hasn't really had anybody like that. I mean, he does have Frank Gore, but that's not the same. I mean, it's just not the same. So when we look at the possibility of a first-round running back, what do we think? I mean, are we thinking that for net McCaffrey, uh, maybe even Dalvin cook still, people are still high on him. We talk in Joe mix. And I mean, what are we talking about here? You know, it's when I think about it, I'm not ready for a first round running back.

And if this was any other class, honestly, if this class only had six top end guys or five, four, four or five top end guys in this draft, I'd be all about getting a running back out of this draft because it's that close to being a real need because next year could be Frank Gore's last season in Indianapolis. It could be really struggles after that. I mean, look, Robert Turbin's not going to tear it up by any means. He's a good role player and he does well in his role, but he's not going to be the running back of the future. And the Colts do need a running back of the future. So I guess in that sense, it makes me feel like, look, if they do it, I'm not going to be upset about it. There's a couple of them, O-line and running back are kind of in that same tier there.

But if it was any other draft class, I'd be like, yeah, by all means, take a running back or kind of in that same tier there. But if it was any other draft class, I'd be like, yeah, by all means, take a running back in the first round because we're going to need one soon. This specific draft, I don't think that because there are so many running backs in this draft, third, fourth round guys. I mean, I'd say especially second and third round guys who I really truly think could be the next starting running back for the Colts. And there's a couple of them I think that could be special. So, I mean, you know, do we, do we rely on that or are we just kind of, you know, saying, well, just because we know we're going to need a running back, you should get one in the first round. I don't know

about that. I don't, I'm not, I just can't necessarily, if I'm picking for the Colts, I'm not taking a running back in the first round. There's just too many that you can get in second, third and fourth rounds that I think have the opportunity to be special. I'm just not going to do it, you know, but thank you, Joe, for your call. Really appreciate it. I actually got a chance to talk to Joe on the phone not too long ago. And big old time Colts fan, just like he said, from Baltimore all the way to Indianapolis. So it was really kind of interesting talking to him. Thank you for the call. Let's move on to our next one. Hey, this is Kenan from California. My question is, obviously, Gethers is going to be starting

at safety. But the other safety, I think it could be T.J. Green or Darius Butler. If you had to pick which one you think would be starting week one, which one you have to pick right now, which one would you go with? Obviously, you've voiced concerns about Butler with injuries and being undersized moving to safety. But T.J. Green really didn't play that well last year, and he could have a big jump this year. Who knows?

I just wanted to know who you think would be starting if week one game was on Sunday. Thanks. That's another great question. And to be quite honest with you, it's kind of the same thought process as we've kind of touched on throughout the season so far, or the offseason. I do have concerns with Butler in his weight, in his durability, and stuff like that. And we had talked about it on another show previously to where if his weight came up,

how much would that affect adversely? How much adversely would that affect his coverage ability? Well, today, like I said, the Colts were talking for the first time this season. And Butler said he's trying to get his weight up to be able to handle that physicality in the secondary. And to be quite honest with you, he is a very natural safety. Butler is. I mean, he has very good coverage skills. He has read and react. He's been in the league a long time. He understands a lot of the process. He's super familiar with the Colts scheme and what they want to do with it. He can play that single high ball, hawk and roll, and that's really a fantastic,

perfect spot for him. It's all about durability with him. There is no question whatsoever, unless TJ Green was to make a phenomenal impact, a huge 100, 360 degree turnaround from last year. I don't want him starting at all. Butler, he's going to have to start. And if he gets hurt, so be it. And then they'll do with what they have after that. But Butler is hands down my starter at safety opposite Clayton Gethers, especially when it's just between those two. So thank you for your call, man. It was a great call, great question. There's just no way that I'm going to give TJ Green the starting role next year. Like I said, he's going to have to show so much between now and then

to even be thought of as a starting caliber safety, not just for the Indianapolis Colts, but just in general, just in NFL starting safety. He just doesn't have it, I don't think. So let's go on to our next call. Hey, my name is Brian. I'm calling from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Love the podcast. My question is, if the Colts draft a running back in the first round, which some mocks have them doing. What then do you do with Frank Gore? Such a classy individual, a high-character guy. Do you relegate him to a number two running back?

Do you find a role for him? Do you cut him? Do you trade him? It just seems like an underhand thing to do for a guy of his character. So I'd love to get your thoughts on that. Love the podcast. Keep doing what you're doing. Thank you, Brian, for the call. That's a really good question too. I, you know, when we look at this, I don't think that, I don't think you trade Gore. I don't think that, you know, you cut him by any means. And if we were to get that running back and he was to be a super play, let's say, I mean, and let's kind of go by, uh, what guy we're talking about. So let's say

Leonard Fournette, uh, similar, you know, big physical guy. No, you're not going to cut him, but you're going to get a similar style runner to Frank Gore. Frank's very good at getting low, getting skinny in the line and stuff like that. Fournette's more of a power back though, but as far as running style outside of how they use their power and how they use their assets, they're pretty similar. But when you go in the direction of a Dalvin Cook, who's a speedback, or McCaffrey, who's a guy who's a multi-purpose back, you're not going to have a guy that you get what you get from Frank Gore. You're not going to find that in this draft.

So what you are finding is you're finding a guy that brings different skill sets to that backfield. Like I said, whether it's Dalvin Cook, Fournette, McCaffrey, and even further down in the draft, Marlon Mack, or my guy Jamal Williams. It just really, they're all different tastes for what this backfield offers. There's some other backs in this class that are similar to Gore, but you really are just going to keep him on and allow him to make his own decision next year, basically. They're going to say, hey, we're not going to bring you back. Go kick it in free agency and find yourself whatever team you want to play with

and try to win a championship. But there's a real good possibility, folks, that Frank Gore retires next year after next year anyway. So I do understand what you mean. A veteran guy like that who's been in the league for so long and has been so good and is such a respectful dude and is such a leader for these other running backs on the roster. Of course, you treat him with the utmost respect. The Colts did that with Peyton Manning. I mean, look, you can't even get the Cowboys to do that with Tony Romo until he says that he's going to go work for CBS. I mean, there just aren't teams or places that do that anymore,

and the Colts are a team that will do that. I would expect absolutely the Colts to be 100% up and up with him and tell him just in general, look, you know, we love you. You've been excellent for this franchise. Sorry, we couldn't bring you a championship. But, you know, here's your opportunity to do whatever you want to do. If you want to stay, you know, we'll have you in a reserve role. If you want to go and try to find yourself a championship, that too. I mean, I don't think that anybody thinks the Colts are winning a championship in 2017. So that's kind of how my point and speaking the way that I am. But yeah, you're right. I mean, it's a delicate situation, but I don't see that it'll present any issues at all. Whatever the Colts do at running back, they're looking to build for the future, and Frank knows that.

I mean, he's not a stupid guy, obviously. He knows how old he is. He knows that he isn't the kind of back that the Colts need. He's not creating yards after contact quite as much as he should, as much as some of these younger guys do, and that's ultimately what the Colts need. So thank you guys all for those calls. They were all fantastic calls.

And I'll tell you what, I just want to tell everybody that thank you guys all for the calls. They've been fantastic. We've had some really great questions. We've had a lot of fun doing this. This line will be open always for you guys to call in and leave me voicemails. I'll continue to put your stuff on the show every time I get a message or a call in. If I start getting three or four at a time, I may do them all in one show and not very next show or something like that. But just so you guys know, I'm going to keep this

open the whole time. But for the giveaway of the Inside the Pylon and the NDT Scouting draft guides, let's rustle up these papers here and figure out who we got for winners. The very first winner, which is an Inside the Pylon draft guide, is Colin Lance. Colin, fantastic. Very lucky for you. You guys are getting some fantastic stuff here. These guys are super thorough at Inside the Pylon. Great friends of mine, great people, really intelligent guys with some great stuff for you. So Colin, I will be sending your email to

them and they will be getting a hold of you, sending you your draft guide to you. Congratulations, Colin. Now let's move on let's go to the ndt scouting one number one this is joe joe wow one and two joe congratulations uh you have won the ndt scouting portfolio you'll get both kyle crabs and joe marino's scouting guides this is a fantastic value it's a full year premium and Joe Marino's scouting guides. This is a fantastic value. It's a full year premium membership to NDT Scouting. Congratulations, Joe. We got you.

Let's move on to the third one. Keenan, you have won the other NDT Scouting membership for a year. As I said, you'll get Joe Marino and Kyle Krabs, both individual reports. They gave out, I think, 300 of those players. That's fantastic. Congratulations to you, Keenan. Keenan and Joe have won the NDT Scouting so far, and Colin has won the Inside the Pylon.

So let's get this other Inside the Pylon one out of the way here. Griffin. Griffin has won the Inside the Pylon draft guide as well. So we've gotten two Inside the Pylon draft guides gone. Congratulations, man. Thank you guys for calling in. This has been fantastic. Griffin and Colin taking home inside the pylon draft guides. And Joe and Kenan taking home NDT scouting for a year, $20 subscription. So thank you guys for calling in. Appreciate it.

I'll make sure to get you guys' emails from you and get those forwarded on to the guys at both those respective platforms and they'll have you all set up in no time so thank you guys for calling in uh and that's kind of our show tonight just the mailbag show and announcing the winners so i appreciate you guys all for listening thank you for uh stopping by each and every day you guys have been fantastic i mean your your feedback on this show continues to just blow my mind, and I can't thank you guys enough. Make sure that you guys are going to iTunes if you can. Give me a rating and review on those.

Those help the show immensely. I mean, our show is legit growing like crazy. So keep going and doing that. That helps grow even that much more. And we'll have another show for you guys tomorrow. We're going to do five this week. So I'll have another show for you guys tomorrow, and we can all stop by again, and we can have another show for you guys tomorrow. We're going to do five this week. So I'll have another show for you guys tomorrow and we can all stop by again and we can have something to talk about.

So thank you guys all for coming and I'll talk to you tomorrow right here on Locked on Colts. You are Locked on Colts, your daily podcast on the Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day.