Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - LOCKED ON COLTS 4/4/19: What prospects PFF loves + Why is T.Y. Hilton so underrated with Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus

Episode Date: April 4, 2019

On today's episode of Locked On Colts, Pro Football Focus' Austin Gayle joins to discuss plenty revolving around the Indianapolis Colts.- Why did PFF have the Colts selecting JJ Arcega-Whiteside at 26 in their latest mock draft, plus assessments on him- Gayle loves the Colts' signing of Devin Funchess and believes an accurate quarterback like Andrew Luck, who is now entering his prime years, will maximize his talents- Justin Houston was a great signing as well, per Gayle, and believes other teams pursuing a championship run (Patriots, Rams) should've been interested- Why is T.Y. Hilton so underrated in national circles? Gayle believes he's a bonafide No. 1 receiver- Early thoughts on Frank Reich in Year 1- Is Gayle a fan of the model GM Chris Ballard is using in Indianapolis?- Who are some prospects he likes more than others, plus ones who should be in play for the Colts in the 26-34 range- Gayle believes the Colts are in prime position to trade up in this year's draft for an elite pass rusher from the outside or inside. Prospects like Ed Oliver and Brian Burns check many of those Ballard boxes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Locked On Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Today's eyes are open to Evan Senniger, my very special guest today, Austin Gale over at Pro Football Focus. Austin, how are you doing today? Doing great, man. Thanks for having me on. Yeah, no problem at all. I'm excited to talk to you. I know we actually had Mike Renner on a couple weeks ago at PFF, so excited to have another PFF member on here.

Let me first ask you about the mock draft. I know this wasn't your own mock draft, but Mike Renner and Steve Palazzo did their own mock draft. They had J.J. Arcega-Whiteside going number 26 overall. I was kind of surprised at some Colts fans. Is PFF rate higher on Arcega-Whiteside? I know there's some variance on him as far as what his range is in the draft, but how does PFF like Arcega-Whiteside? We like him a lot. We consider him the back end of the first round pick. We really like his box out ability in the red zone. Obviously, that stands out on his tape. He's a great contested catch receiver. He has some of the best hands in the draft. Mike and I call him some of the best hands in the draft. He attacks the ball

when it's thrown to him, both in contested situations and out of contested situations. And I think he's going to surprise people with his athleticism and his speed when he runs at his pro day, which I think is tomorrow. We're really banking on him testing well. We think he's going to test well. His tape looks like he's going to test well. He can separate. He can eat up cushion. He's a very talented wide out that we really think people are sleeping on

in this class. Yeah, it sure seems like it because I was pretty surprised to see him at 26, but it definitely could be in play there at 26 for 34. It kind of fits with the culture looking're looking for there with a big body, with Devin Funches on a one-year deal. Also have Deion Cannon there. As far as just general PFF, Austin, how do you feel maybe PFF rates some prospects compared to other places?

Because I know Arcega-White is just one example there, but what are maybe our few prospects that PFF likes more than others? Yeah, that's a great question. I mean, Tyler Murray is starting to be that quarterback one around everyone, but we have him as our number one player on our board right now. Other guys that we like a lot are David Long, the cornerback out of Michigan. He's graded out really, really well this past year. He's great down the field, very physical corner that can win down the field. We like him a ton. And Andy Isabella, another wide receiver that is getting rumors of day three pick because of his size and

playing at UMass. You don't get a lot of love there, but we love his speed. We love him as a downfield threat. We don't see him as just a slot guy, a replaceable slot guy. We see this guy as an outside receiver that can win. We really like Andy Isabella. Other guys, I think we really like Brian Burns. There's guys that we really like that are higher on our boards than others. In terms of guys that we're lower on compared to other people, we don't love Rashawn Gary as much as other people. He's not a top 10 pick for us. He's not a first round pick for us right now. He's in the second round in terms of what we see in him. We're lower a little bit on Montez Sweat, lower on Nikhil Harry, but that's where the draft board

sits right now. That's interesting because I know actually I'm right there with you guys and Rashawn Gary and shout out to you guys for helping me get on the Rashawn Gary kind of train with that. Cause I know a lot who are top 10, but the more I watch him, the more I listen to you guys about him. He's more maybe like a back end of the first round, maybe second round type of guy for me, but maybe switching over here a little bit to your own personal favorites, Austin,

who are some prospects maybe on your own personal board that maybe would check some boxes for you if you were running your own personal favorites, Austin, who are some prospects maybe on your own personal board that maybe would check some boxes for you if you were running your own team? I love Alexander Madison out of Boise State. He's a running back, great size, great athleticism, has one of the fastest 10-yard splits since 2003, very athletic, very big, and very smart. He went to a bilingual school knows Spanish and English. He's very book smart and football smart. I think he comes across as a guy that can learn a new system very quickly, can play a lot of different roles, be involved in a lot of different schemes because he's able to learn so quickly.

I like the mental side of his game. In addition to his ability to force his tackles in different ways, he's a big, bruising running back. If you just look at him at face value. But he also has some nuance to his game. He can make jump cuts. He's a big, bruising running back, which you just look at him at face value, but he also has some nuance to his game. He can make jump cuts. He can hurdle people. You've watched the Wyoming game. He likes to break out the hurdle. I think there's a lot to like about him. He reminds me of a better J.H.I.E. Obviously, that Boise State comp comes easy when you're looking at

Alexander Madison, but I think he has a little bit more quicks. I think he's bigger. I think he's faster. I think he's a very talented running back coming out of Boise State. I know running back value isn't as big as it used to be, but I think he's a guy that I like more than others. Yeah, that's a really good one because I know the Colts actually connect to the JGI. There's maybe a cheaper option would be going with Alexander instead of a JGI for maybe a couple million dollars less there in the draft,

which would make a lot of sense in my opinion. But let's go over to the Colts here, Austin. I know Chris Bauer, he's doing a really good job, I think, this first two years on the job. About to enter year three here. Just signed Justin Houston and Devin Funchess. What were your thoughts on those two signs from afar? I think, you know, with Devin Funchess,

bringing him in on that one-year deal makes sense for me. I like that because he's a guy that can offer value. And on a one-year deal, you're not committing to him long-term. I think you bring him in with a great quarterback, Andrew Luck, when he stays healthy, you can get the best out of Devin Funchess with a great quarterback, an accurate quarterback that knows how to throw him open and make plays with Funchess. I think the Funchess signing is a great one,

especially considering where the Colts are. They need contributors on short-term contracts to try and push with Andrew Luck at the helm. I think there are guys that can make a contract like they did for Pontus. And as far as Justin Houston goes, what do you like about that one? Two years, $24 million. It's front-loaded. I believe only $4.5 million is guaranteed for 2020.

Justin Houston is a guy that I'm not sure why more people didn't jump out after. I think to a contender, he makes a ton of sense. He can still win as a pass rusher despite his age. And when you add him to a team that's going to be in playoff contention, if not deeper, he makes too much sense. We were seeing the pass maybe as an option. We saw Rams even. Just add Justin Houston, a pass rusher on a short-term deal,

that can still win to help a contender get better. And I think that is exactly what happened with the Colts. We see the Colts as a contender in the AFC next year. So bringing in a guy like Funchess and Justin Houston where you're not committing long-term money to them, but they still can help your team now when your team is indeed in win-now mode. Yeah, I totally am right there with you as far as those two signings. I love them the more I think about them. But as far as Chris Bauer himself, Austin, what's your thoughts on him?

I know Ryan Grixen and him are really complete opposites from how they build their teams out. I know Grixen really spent a lot of money in free agency. Bauer is building his own team through the draft and re-signing all of his own guys at this point. What do you think about what Bauer has done so far and what's ahead? I think he's done a fantastic job. You look at what they did in free agency last year, next to nothing, you'd say. I mean, they signed Danico Autry, which I think was a quality signing, and he contributed very well this past year, but they didn't spend a lot.

They had money to spend last year, but they didn't spend a ton. They didn't blow around a lot of free agents because they knew they were still building. They needed to see what they had in Andrew Luck before they could start to commit money to this team and understand where this team is. If Andrew Luck came in, didn't rebound from the injury, you start to look at rebuild mode. He came back, looked fantastic, was the PFF comeback player of the year. Instantly, Ballard switched to we're in win-now mode.

Let's sign some short-term deals. Let's add some talent to this roster. Obviously, he continued to build through the draft, but now that switch to win-now mode looks great on Ballard. He had a ton of money this offseason didn't need to spend it can still build through the draft I think I love the moves what they're doing and if you look at what they've done and the structure of that roster it's been fantastic I think they're doing a really really good job of putting together a competent roster without

committing too much money long term to options that will maybe. Yeah, and also just on the Colts real quick, I'm looking at some PFF numbers here on the site, and what's really standing out to me, the more I look at is every player on the Colts starting offense is coming back from 2019, including Devin Funches, were graded above average or better at their position. And for example, Andrew Luck was number three quarterback, T.Y. Hilton number nine, Anthony Costanza number 14, and Quentin Nelson number three offensive guard. That's an elite offense, it seems like. It might be one of the tops in the NFL if they're all grading out like that.

Absolutely. And when you have a quarterback like Andrew Luck, it makes everyone better. It makes the offensive line better with his release. It makes receivers better that maybe don't get open or are getting thrown open and thrown into better situations with Andrew Luck. It makes the rushing offense better. You can put any running back back there and run play action with them and run them and throw them the football when Andrew Luck is playing

as well as he is. Every team goes as their quarterback goes, and when you have such a year that Andrew Luck had, especially coming after an injury, you're going to see the players around him play better. The defense played better with Andrew Luck performing well. I think it's exciting to see what the Colts are doing. They're putting the pieces in place, but most importantly, Andrew Luck Luck performing well. I think it's exciting to see what the Colts are doing. They're putting the pieces in place, but it's most importantly, Andrew Luck is playing well. That's why, you know, that's why a lot of this is working and why the ball is rolling in the

right direction. Let me ask you, just going back, retracing our steps here to the 2018 draft, and they brought in Quentin Nelson, Darius Leonard, Braden Smith, just name a few of those guys. A historic draft class, held the first combo with Quinn nelson darius leonard to be all pros and skill stairs and and dick buckus with the chicago bears about 60 years ago what's your thoughts just from a pff standpoint with how those guys grew out this year because i can't imagine how high those grades were for all those picks were quinn nelson and darius leonard are fantastic they played very well last year earned high grades darius leonard the linebacker is a little bit of a replaceable position on the defensive end because of the impact you can't have at that position. He exceeded expectations. He played well in coverage, was a great tackler, didn't miss a ton of tackles, and

was a playmaker. When you're forcing fumbles like he is, you add value to that defense. And then you look at Braden Smith. Talk about a diamond in the rough. The guy played guard at Auburn, very talented guy, had positional versatility, but you could not expect the year that he had at right tackle. It was fantastic. He looked good against J.J. Watt. He played very well against talented edge defenders. And I think to find a guy like that who can play right tackle, play guard if you need it, and start and play like he did,

is really great to see. I think the Colts really lucked out with that. Obviously, he did a great job with the scouting department. I think Braden Smith, Clayton Nelson helping that offensive line and then also adding a playmaker like Darius Leonard on the defensive side, it is fantastic to see. Bouncing back here to Andrew Luck for a second, Austin, because like you said, comeback clear here for PFF, also in the NFL as well. What were your expectations going into the season for him? Because I think the first four weeks, I mean, I think they were obviously structuring

to a point where easing him into the offense. He barely threw think the first four weeks, I mean, I think they were obviously structuring it to a point where we're easing him into the offense. He barely threw deep down the field, but as the season expanded on, you could tell he was fully healthy. He was throwing 50-yard bombs, T.Y. Hill, and a lot. What's your thoughts on how they used Andrew Luck and also with how Chris Ballard's built around Andrew Luck because he obviously got Quentin Nelson, Braden Smith,

and beforehand with Ryan Griggs, and it was running for his life almost every play. I think the expectations for Andrew Luck Dillian this season is, can he still extend the ball downfield? Can he push the ball downfield with that arm? And early in the season, you saw his average depth of target drop significantly. You thought maybe they don't want him to throw deep. It started to have reason for concern, but as the season progressed

and he got better, got more loose, and he's pushing the ball downfield and really established that connection with T.Y. Hilton, you really saw what he could do, and he's back fully healthy, ready to be the star of Indianapolis. I think it was exciting to see him progress and get better. Expectations weren't great, but he proved PFF wrong in a sense because of how well he did down the stretch and got better. As far as with Luck, how is he graded?

I know he was ranked third in PFF, but what do you think for this year now? You add in Devin Funch, so I imagine they're going to add in another weapon this year. Do you think the sky's the limit now for Andrew Luck and maybe what might be his prime year starting right now? Oh, absolutely. I think sky's the limit when you add another weapon to see why he'll get better, make that offense better. Second year with an improved offensive line, Andrew Luck continues to get healthier, continues to rebound from that injury. You have to expect great things from Andrew Luck this year if he can stay healthy,

and I think all signs point to that. Yeah, I'm totally there with you, especially the offensive line being so improved now. But let's flip over to Frank Wright because I haven't really talked about Frank Wright much on this podcast yet, but what's your assessment of him? I know he was first-year head coach, and he brought really an elaborate offensive board. First time Indianapolis had really much of a creative offense since Peyton Manning. What do you think the job Frank Wright did?

I know he was a finalist for the coach of the year, but really helped change and really ride that ship once they went 1-5. I think you have to love that he brought a creative offense to Indianapolis and used the quarterback well, used the players he had well. That's first and foremost. The best coaches in the NFL today are running creative offenses and bringing life to offenses with creative play structure, play design, and uses of strength,

and avoiding weaknesses along the roster. Two, I think he brought a great culture. The culture of that team changed. The winning culture was brought back. I think an underdog culture somewhat early in the season, but then it turned into we're good and we're going to be good for a while. I think Frank Reich is a perfect face in Indianapolis, and he's done a good job with using what he had

and then taking advantage of a great Andrew Luck play down the stretch. Now, I've asked this question a few times to a few guests before, but I wanted to get your thoughts on this, Austin. Between Andrew Luck, Frank Reich, and Chris Bauer, is there a better Tromber as far as starting quarterback, executive, GM, and also head coach in the NFL right now? I mean, you have to look at Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and what's going on over there.

They've established something that has been very successful for a very long time. They are the cream of the crop in the NFL. But, you know, looking at number two, it's hard to go in a different direction right now. I think the Colts, if they can win in the postseason and maybe bring something, bring a little bit more success there, that's when it starts to really push them in that direction. It's hard to say right now, obviously, with the draft being still two and a half, three weeks away. But where would you place the Colts right now? Just off free NC alone, adding in Justin

Houston, Devin Funches, didn't lose any of their guys, really. What's your expectation? I know you mentioned the top of the show, you're going to be near the top of the AFC, but where would you peg them right now? I think just looking obviously with draft and still filling out the roster, it's hard to say, but top three team in the AFC, they could go deep in the playoffs if Andrew Lux stays healthy.

That's really the sky's the limit. They're a team that if they do get in the AFC championship, they can beat anyone when Andrew Lux playing well. You put them in that dome and they're hapless, then good things are going to happen. I think if they can secure home field advantage in the playoffs, they can go as deep as any team in the AFC. Yeah, I'm right.

I'm totally there with you. It's going to be exciting to see what happens with the Colts this year and also the rivalries that could be happening throughout the 2020s here at the Chiefs and Browns. It's going to be really fun atop the AFC for the next couple of years. But one more player I wanted to know with you before we go into maybe some final draft questions as well is just T.Y. Hilton. I feel like he's very underrated as far as NFL circles go. I know we always talk about Julio Jones, Odell Beckham. I know T.Y. is exactly not on that level, but what's your assessment of T.Y. Hilton just over his career?

He's been a steady hand. Obviously, he missed Andrew Luck when he was out for that full year, but when they're together, they're pretty dynamic. Underrated is a great example. I also think health is a big thing for him. When he's healthy, he's one of the best receivers in the NFL. You look from Week 9 to Week 17, he was one of the highest-graded players, regardless of position, I think a top-two highest-graded offensive player down that stretch because he was healthy. When he returned from injury, he was really fantastic, and I think that's what T.Y.

Hilton brings to this Colts team. He and Andrew Luck are quite the duo when he's healthy. I think that's the biggest question for him. I love T.Y. Hilton. I think he's the number one wide out. He can stretch the field deep. He runs great routes. It's just the health that's been a concern for him that's really brought him back

and kept him from the Julio Jones, Devontae Adams conversation. I know there's been people that really – there's an assessment of a number one wide out as far as beating press, beating man, beating zone, beating doubles. Do you feel T.Y. is on that level as far as being a legit number one NFL receiver? Because I know some have their qualms about, but I'm not there. No, absolutely. I think he is right in there. He can beat any coverage.

He can beat one-on-one. Obviously, top corners in the NFL are going to give anybody problems, but he can win game in and game out regardless of competition, regardless of the defensive scheme when he's actually able to suit up. Now, Austin, we'll finish off with a couple of questions here. Appreciate the time as always. Let me ask you this. You're at the GM's hat on here.

You're Chris Ballard. Who are some prospects you're targeting specifically? Let's take J.J. Orsega-Whites out for just a moment, see who's in the mock draft I mentioned, but maybe some other prospects in that 26 to 34 range you really like. Yeah, I think corner is a lot of value there. I think you look at Byron Murphy, DeAndre Baker, if they start to slip into that range, I would definitely pull the trigger. I don't know if they last that long, but you can't have enough

good corners in this past at the NFL. I love Byron Murphy. He's very physical despite being undersized. Great speed, great closing speed, great burst. I think Byron Murphy's our number one corner right now. And DeAndre Baker, he's in that conversation of the top three with Greedy Williams. He's a little bit more physical, a little bit bigger. You kind of hate where he tested. You wish he tested better, but I think he's still a very physical corner that's well worthy of the first round conversation, especially in that back end. Getting corner value at the back end of the first round feels right

for any team drafting after 20. I want to ask you this one more final question here, because I know there's been some debate in Colts Twitter and Colts circles about what the Colts are going to do as far as 26 and 34. That's a lot of ammunition, especially with the add-in 59-89 and two more picks in the fourth round. With so much young talent already on this team,

just depending on the process, maybe like an Ed Oliver or a Brian Burns, one of those guys at pass rusher or an elite interior defense lineman, would you consider moving up in the draft with a young team that's ascending like this one if you're Chris Fowler? Moving up is always a risk, and I think it's a risk you only take when your team is ready to win now at a playmaker, at a difference maker, so you can make that final push for a Super Bowl ring.

And I honestly would say the Colts are in that position. The Colts are one of the few teams that can make a trade up in the draft, lose some draft capital to get a star player. And I think the Colts would be smart to do that for a Brian Burns, Ed Oliver, one of those top pass rushers up high that are going to be probably drafted in the top 10, top 15. Go get a guy like that because this team is close. With Andrew Luck healthy, T.Y. Hilton humming, defense getting better,

offensive line getting better, they are close. To take them to the next level, maybe one or two more difference makers, and if you have to trade up to get it, get it. I'm right there with you. I think an Ed Oliver would be so exciting in this defense, and that would be really the final piece to the defense overall when you add in Darius Leonard, Malik Hooker, Pierre Desir. All those guys added in.

It's going to be super exciting if they pull that off. But, Austin, before I let you go here, if people aren't familiar with football focus and what it's all about, I just want to plug that really quick. And also your personal Twitter account if people want to follow along with you. Absolutely. Go to profootballfocus.com. Read all the content that we're pushing. We also do a lot of push, a lot of good content on our YouTube channel. Google YouTube Pro Football Focus. Check that out. And if you want to check me out on twitter it's pff underscore austin gale all righty guys that'll be it i appreciate you coming on often and we'll talk to you guys tomorrow on our next episode sounds great thank you