Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - LOCKED ON COLTS -6/20- Colts Post OTA's/Mini-Camp Depth Chart

Episode Date: June 20, 2017

While OTA's and Mini-Camp don't typically yield a ton of info on what to expect from each team's upcoming season, the #Colts have so many new faces that it was necessary to look at an updated depth chart after the offseason program has wrapped up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Welcome back to Locked On Colts, ladies and gentlemen. I'm your host, Matt Dainley. Thank you guys for joining me back here on a Tuesday. Starting a day late this week, but I wanted to take an extra day off for Father's Day. I hope that you guys all enjoyed your Father's Day and spent time with your fathers or your kids or whatever. I know I needed that day. It was nice for me to be able to have, you know, some quality time with my kids and my father as well. So I hope that you guys were all able to be able to do that. But thank you for joining me and I hope I didn't keep you guys waiting for too long. But today we're going to go through kind of an updated depth chart here for the Colts. I've had

some people request, you know, that I go back through it and I thought it would be better to break it down kind of just from what we've talked about. We've been talking about for weeks upon weeks here. Then we've gone through OTAs and we've gone through minicamp and stuff. So from what kind of we've learned from everything that we've seen and heard, let's go back through that. Of course, you know, the quarterback position is not going to change much, but I'm going to give you guys overall through all these. These are my depth charts. This is who I think it is from what I've learned, from what I think, and just everything all inclusive here. So start at quarterback. It's going to be luck, obviously. We'll go to number two. I've got Stephen Morris there. I don't know that through anything that I've seen or heard from

OTAs or minicamp. But last year, I thought Stephen Morris was a better QB. I still think Stephen Morris is a better quarterback. I think he offers more to the offense. Scott Tolzien and he are going to be battling out. Now, when we look through this battle between these two guys, is it a battle? Yes. I think everything's a competition battle, and that's the best thing about what Ballard's done. You know, when he first came in, he basically said, look, everything's going to be a competition. The guys in the locker room are watching me. And to this point, it really feels like everything's a competition from certain people we've heard starting above others and in many camp and OTAs, you know, that a lot of that's just to see rotations and stuff. But at the same time, they're sending messages just the same.

So when it comes to even the quarterback competition at number two and three, I believe that's a real competition. I believe Stephen Morris is the better quarterback overall. He can get out of the pocket. I think he's more accurate. He's got a better arm. He doesn't have quite the experience. But at this point in time, if you need your backup quarterback to help luck out significantly with just about anything then you know obviously they must not

think he's the quarterback that we all think he is I do and I don't think that Stephen Morris or anybody else's experience right now is going to help luck in the future I think that he if anything Stephen Morris is more of an athletic comparison to luck, and that would give him, you know, a little bit more of a heads up on what he thinks he could do in or out of the pocket and stuff like that if they get into conversations on the sideline. So obviously, Phillip Walker, he's going to come in fourth here, and I don't expect him to make the roster, but at the same time, the Colts really like him apparently, but I don't know what that necessarily means for him. That just means they like him.

You know, there's always a fourth guy in camp, but that doesn't necessarily mean that anything's going to happen with him. So let's go to running back. Obviously, Gore's going to be number one until somebody proves that he's not. Either Gore or another running back just comes in and just blows everybody's doors off to take Gore's number one, or he starts losing another step and just can't do it. So Gore's number one. Right now I've got Turbin number two, Marlon Mack number three, and I've got Troy Maine Pope at four, Ferguson five, Dalton Crosson six.

I think those two are interchangeable. I don't think Ferguson makes the roster in any way, shape, or form, to be quite honest with you. And if Dalton Crossan offers what Ferguson does and is able to run between the tackles, which I've heard that that's kind of the sense they're getting, then he's got a better chance to make the roster. But either way, if Pope doesn't work out, then I think that that Dalton Crossan has a legit chance to make the roster there. So this is kind of a running back core that's in flux right now, you know, bringing guys in, having to get rid of them, bringing other guys in. So this is,

you know, I think that Gore, Turbin, and Mack are the first three. I think it's going to be a legit competition in camp. We'll see. I think that Dalton Crossan has been getting enough pub right now to where there's something there. And we've all seen what Ferguson offers. It ain't much. Not a lot of us know much about Pope, but we'll have to see. Go to wide receiver, obviously Hilton Moncrief. And at number three, I've got Aiken. And I think that that's pretty realistic at this point.

And I'm going to have Rodgers at fourth. You know, Dorsett didn't practice much or anything through OTAs or minicamp or anything like that. I'm not, I can't even remember what his injury is, but it doesn't, I mean, I don't think it's a serious one. And for him to be on the outside looking in, for him to be in a season that's so pivotal to his future, I don't understand how Dorsett cannot be practicing. I know that the sentiment is felt like that by others as well.

And I definitely agree with them. Rodgers is playing crazy football right now. cannot be practicing. I know that the sentiment is felt like that by others as well, and I definitely agree with them. Rodgers is playing crazy football right now. He's getting noticed again for a second year in a row, and for a second year in a row, Dorsett is not getting noticed. We'll put that, and if he is, he's getting noticed for the wrong reasons. Last year, it was some play. This year, it's for sitting out when he needs to be a guy that's in there and doing more. So, and then you've got guys like Bug Howard, Tavon Smith, Jojo Natson, who George has long since said that he thinks he's got some return capabilities. Al Damian Riles, Chris Briggs, Fred Brown, and Harvey Binford. I don't know anything about any of them. Not going to pretend to, but those guys are all, you know, I mean, what are they going to keep? Five, six guys, you know, for the wide receiver core, six guys,

most of the time, kind of like the cornerback position. So, I mean, you look at those and after you get past Bray, you know, maybe not even Bray after Dorsett, if you get Bray in a legit return competition, you're going to have him with JoJo Natson. If that helps Natson get the roster spot over Bray, you know, Bray is a good receiver. I think he's a nice long guy, but that could bump bug Howard up. You know, it could, it could bump another guy up, but you know, we just don't know, but you get through those first five guys. And I think that's the group for sure. Unless Dorsett continues to disappoint. And if he does, he'll be gone. I mean, look, I've been saying for a while now,

I think that maybe not this year, but next year he'd be gone. Next year he wouldn't be back if he didn't impress this year. But if he continues to play this game to where he doesn't do anything in OTAs, minicamp, none of it, then there's other guys there that are more than capable. And not only that, but he's allowing, or his sitting out is allowing other guys to get noticed. So if that's the case, if that's what is happening, they're going to get noticed. Dorsett's going to be on the outside looking in, and he's going to have to really work his tail off in order to get himself back into the good graces of the coaching staff as far as I'm concerned.

Looking at tight end, Doyle, the obvious number one in my opinion. Now, when we get to two and three, there's been some talk. George and I have talked about it. We've looked through some of the stuff that they've talked about in camp, about Swoop or Williams or any of these guys. Now, you're not hearing a lot about the other tight ends. You're hearing a lot about Swoop, and you're hearing a lot about the other tight ends. You're hearing a lot about Swope and you're hearing a lot about Doyle. The rest of these guys, Williams has only caught less than 10 passes, I think, in his entire career. But for the time being, it sounds like they are wanting more

from Swope and I don't know that they're necessarily getting it. I'm not saying that they're saying that he's not producing in camp and OTAs, but it sounds like they're missing something from him. So right now I've got Swope at number three, Williams at number two. For the time being, we'll put Daryl Daniels, Colin Jeter, and Moe Alley-Cox in that order. I would assume Moe Alley-Cox, if he is any kind of an athlete, has any kind of a football knowledge whatsoever, he could scoot up there a little bit.

But Colin Jeter's no chump. Daryl Daniels is a very interesting prospect. So that's where I've got that for right now. Go to the left tackle, Anthony Costanzo. I'll just go across the board here. Costanzo at left tackle, Muhort left guard, center Ryan Kelly, right guard Joe Haig, right tackle the Raven Clark. Now we get to the death positions. We've got a couple guys playing multiple positions. We've

heard from George and from other people that Vunovic is a guy who they've been moving in there at left guard, but those have been primarily when Schwenke hasn't been at practice or hasn't been practicing. And then vice versa, Schwenke's been in there when Muhor't been practicing, you know, and then vice versa. Schwenke's been in there when Muhor's been gone, when Schwenke has been practicing. So right now I've got Vujinovic at the left tackle, number two, and Fawn Cooper under him, Jerry Ugokwe under him. I think Ugokwe's probably legitimately above Fawn Cooper, but I keep hearing a little more about Cooper than I do Ugokwe. Not that

that necessarily means anything. That just is where I perceive it at this point. And we go to left guard now. I think Schwenke's got that number two. I think Vunovic has been filling in, but he's the number three right now because Schwenke, when he's there, has been filling in for Muhor. And then you got Deshaun Bond after that. So Muhor, Schwenke, Vunovic, and Deshaun Bond at left guard. Center, I think it's just two guys, Ryan Kelly and Brian Schwenke. If that changes, then so be it. But they got rid of Blythe. That pretty much limits what they've got at the center position right now. I think there's a couple guards that can play center outside of Schwenke and Kelly, but we don't know that to be true for right now. So for the time being, it's just those two until we see something else in camp, somebody rotating in there with a possible third group. So then we go to

right guard. Haig's obviously starting there. Good, I have him backing up Haig. I think Good could definitely move in between right tackle and right guard. Good may be even a candidate for a third center. I don't know. But right now under Good, I've got Schwenke backing him up there. I think Schwenke's going to be a backup at all three of those interior positions. Adam Redman and Deshaun Bond there as well. I think Redman would legitimately be above Schwenke at either the right guard or the left guard. I don't have Redman on the left guard because he's only worked at right guard since I've seen. So if that's the case, then those guys are somewhat interchangeable right now. But that's the

way I've got the right guard setting up. Joe Haig's going to back up right tackle as far as I'm concerned. Zach Banner will probably be third. And then I got Ugokwe at four there and Andrew Wiley bringing up the rear end of the right tackle spot. So that's the offense as we know it right now, or at least as I perceive it. So let's not read too much into that because there's a lot of extra guys on the roster. There's a lot of guys that are going to be moving in and out. Denzel Good, you know, they're going to try him at right tackle too. I don't think that he's going to be better than Clark. Clark looked really good at the end of the year. They are very high on Clark and I think they're very high on him for a reason. So that's a good thing. So now let's go to the defense. Now we're going to break these down

into the defensive line. We're going to break these down into techniques. And at the zero tech, even though they haven't been playing him there very much through off season, I still have Jonathan Hankins as the number one zero tech or nose guard, however you want to nose tackle, whatever you want to call it. He is the best zero tech the Colts have as far as I'm concerned. Al Woods has been starting there from what I see and hear, and he's going to be the number two there. But that could change depending on how much our defensive line really fluctuates as far as where they bring guys in and out. We just don't know right now.

But Al Woods at number two there. T.Y. McGill is going to be three because he was the number two last year. Grover Stewart at four, and I got David Perry bringing up the rear because I just don't feel like David Perry has a shot on this team anymore. I think there's too many guys that are interchangeable. I think there's too many guys ahead of him that are better than him, more than likely. I've talked about Perry and his insane amount of tackles last year on here, and it is really deceiving because you just didn't see, I mean, your mind and your eyes just didn't see it on game day that he was, you know, racking up that many tackles. He did. You know, it all depends on how Grover Stewart develops. It all depends on what they see T.Y. McGill as,

and Al Woods obviously is a guy that they like there. They wouldn't be starting him there throughout camp. And then when you get to the three tech, you know, McGill I've got as the number one right now, but that is only because I've got Hankins at the number one zero tech. So those two positions are interchangeable for me. McGill is the number two if Hankins is the starting three tech, obviously. So after that, even though he's hurt right now, Hassan Ridgway is number three. Josh Boyd is the fourth guy there at the three tech. Moving out to the five tech, Henry Anderson, Kendall Lankford, Margus Hunt, Jostin Thomas. This is a very interesting defensive line. As you've heard us talk about it in the past on the show,

it kind of shows you that this group, somebody is going to get cut. Somebody that we don't want to get cut is probably going to get cut. Maybe it's David Perry. That would probably not hurt a whole lot of people's feelings. But then again, they're seeing something in him because of his production, where that actually leads them to cut him, keep him seeing something in him because of his production. Where that actually leads them to cut him, keep him, and look somewhere else for a cut, I don't know. Maybe T.Y. McGill gets cut. I hope not because that dude is ready to break out as far as I'm concerned. He's a guy who forces pressure, doesn't show up a lot on the stat sheet, doesn't get a lot of tackles or sacks, but he's definitely a guy who makes an impression. And I've liked McGill for way too long to see him get cut, but we just don't know. Maybe it'll be Langford there. And maybe that, you know, depending on who they like, where,

you know, along with these three groups, we just don't know yet. I mean, it's one of the most interesting defensive line groups that we've seen in a long time. It almost makes you feel like they're going to pull more four-man fronts out of this. And, you know, we've got a lot to be determined. But that's where I've got those three spots as of now. At the inside linebacker group, I got Sean Spence and John Bostick at number one and two at the moment. I think that's completely off of experience, knowledge, the ability to hit and cover for both of those guys. I think that those two come in and they are, at the moment, the two starters. Maybe that's not exactly the way it should be, but that's the way I see it right

now. Then you've got Antonio Morrison. Then you've got Edwin Jackson, Anthony Walker, Luke Rhodes, and Jeremiah George. Luke Rhodes was getting a lot of pub there early. These guys could be, I mean, you take any of these guys and you can interchange them after, you know, after really any of them from the top to the bottom. Antonio Morrison could be number one when it comes down to camp. Edwin Jackson could be. Walker could even be. I mean, I don't see that, but he could be. Luke Rhodes could find himself in the 3-4 area discussion right there. I mean, there's a lot of movement that could happen with this inside linebacker core, but as of right now, I think Sean Spence is the unquestioned number one. If that's not the case, somebody let me know why it's not. But John Bostic, from everything that I've heard,

he seems like a guy who is really on fire and is doing better in coverage. He's a hitter. So these two top guys right here, if they can stay healthy, they're a heck of an inside linebacker group. Antonio Morrison, Jackson, Walker, Rhodes, George, take your pick on these guys. If Morrison gets his head right, he's a heck of a ball player. Edwin Jackson just needs to put it all together, and he has just limitations.

That's just all there is to it with him. That doesn't mean he's not good. Doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be on the team. Just that he may not be a starter just with pure talent. So that's the way I've got the inside linebacker group looking. Now we're going to rush linebacker. I think we've got Jabal Sheard, Terrell Basham, Barquevious Mingo in that order. And then you look at the other side of that, John Simon, Akeem Ayers, LeVar Edwards, Dontrez Mount, Garrett Sickles. Depending on where these guys are,

I mean, they've still actually got Terrell Basham listed as a defensive end. If they want to put him at five tech, I mean, I don't, I mean, maybe in certain situations in sub packages or something like that, put him down on all fours. But I really think that kind of a situation really screams Jabal Sheard, you know, for that matter, if they're going to do that. And then if you think that Basham can cover, then you leave him standing up on the edge. It's really going to be interesting to see this group as well.

I think that Akeem Ayers was one of the guys who was playing the best last year. He's been injured. He could be a guy who gets cut. He doesn't get healthy. He could be gone. Right now I've got him at the number two of the strong side linebackers. So we don't really know what's going to go on with this. The linebacking core, the outside linebacking group is still kind of iffy.

I mean, Terrell Basham could be the rush linebacker. They may want to use Jabal Sheard as a defensive end. They may want to use Terrell Basham as a defensive end. I just don't know. But it would be really helpful if we can see Barkevious Mingo really make some strides this year. The dude was a top 10 pick, I think a number six overall when he was drafted. Man, it would be so cool to see this guy just kind of break out and really show out. I mean, right now, as it stands, he's kind of a special teams guy, right? So, I mean, when you look at LeVar Edwards, he's nothing special. Mount's nothing great. Garrett Sickles, we don't know anything about him. So this inside or this outside linebacking core is really skeptic. I mean, really suspect at this point, we're really waiting to see somebody step forward in this group. I

think that this is an area, this is a situation and a position where once it comes down to the cuts at the end of preseason, we're going to see some changes in this group. I think that's, that's for sure. Especially a couple guys that would qualify for a number two or number three role in either one of those. Let's go to the cornerbacks. Vontae is going to be at right corner. Rashawn Melvin will back him up, and then Dante Blackman will back up Melvin as well.

But then when you look at the left corner, I think right now, I think you've got Rashawn Melvin as the number one corner at the left side. Quincy Wilson, number two. Then it's kind of a what's going to happen there with these guys. Chris Milton, Darryl Morris, Tevin Mitchell. I think Mitchell probably would be the number three there. Chris Milton would be the number four. Darryl Morris would be five, only because I think they're going to use Morris more as the nickel.

And I think as of now, I think that's where Morris is starting. I think Morris is your starting nickel right now as it looks. Whether the Colts decide to use Darius Butler in that role at all, to me, depends on if he's on the death chart at the nickel position at all, obviously. I think that he's in there with Nate Harrison for a number two or three right now I've got Butler at the number two at the nickel Harrison number three and Tevin Mitchell at four that can all change I don't know what they expect out of Harrison a lot of what we've heard you know from guests on this show is that Harrison is expected to be more of a special teams guy in his rookie year but that can all change you know from preseason uh, you know, all that stuff that can change throughout

the course of the season. But right now, I don't think that they're expecting him to have a major impact, obviously. But Tevin Mitchell's a guy who could be a surprise to some as well. When we get to the safeties, go to the free side of it. I think you got Malik Hooker, Darius Butler, Tyson Graham Jr. and Lee Hightower. And then strong safeties, Clayton Gethers, if he's healthy. Matthias Farley, right now, he's above T.J. Green. Then T.J. Green, Tyvus Powell. Tyvus Powell could go to the number three in the free safety, too. I think he's got a little bit of diversity with that.

And then Andrew Williamson. When it comes down to this, Matthias Farley could be the starting strong safety guys. We're going to have to understand that. And it's not because he's more talented or more athletic than TJ Green. It's because the guy knows what he's doing. He understands the game. He knows where everybody's supposed to be. He's ultimately another inside linebacker at the safety group. And that's one of the things that it's been spoken about in camp that he was the guy who was lining up everybody in camp when he was in. When he was in there across from Darius Butler, who was playing the free, Darius would take over the group, you know, but then when you put in TJ Green there at

the strong and Matthias would go to the free, then it would be Matthias running the show. So this is kind of interesting to see this. I think a lot of that, you know, we've talked about messages being sent and we, you know, we've talked about it on the show. Would this, um, a message being sent to TJ green? Look, you don't have it upstairs yet. You know, you, he, he does have all the talent in the world. The guy's fast. He's long. He, man, doesn't have ball skills yet. He should, but he doesn't. And when you get to this point in your career, it's really make or break. I mean, he's in his second year. They say in the first three, you need to show something or you're

going to be gone. And I think that, you know, I think two years is going to be about it for Chris Ballard with tj green if he doesn't show up this year this is one this is one of pagano's guys look i'm not here to place the blame on pagano or grixen or anything like that but the bottom line is is that a lot for being a secondary guy his drafting has been awful at that position they haven't had a drafted corner stick around, I think, since what, 2006 or something like that, that's been around and made any sort of impact whatsoever. A lot of them, most of them, don't even make the team, don't stick around. A lot of the guys that came in in free agency were awful. Patrick Robinson, I mean, just, and it goes back further

than that even, you know. So it's just, it's a really sticky situation when you look at secondary. And T.J. Green's obviously a safety, not a corner. But now they've got other guys back there that can do it. Darius Butler will do it. I guarantee you that. Darius Butler, Tyson Graham, from what I understand, was showing some great things down in minicamp. Matthias Farley as well.

Tyvus Powell's an interesting guy that can go back and forth. So there's a lot of stuff going on with these depth charts, both offensively and defensively. So be interested, stay interested. We've got a lot of time to go through this. I'd be happy to answer any questions you guys have on the show. So use that call-in line. If you disagree with one of the spots on my roster or my depth chart, call in, leave a message, and I'll answer your question or respond to your statement on the show. Call in at 574-516-2881.

Thank you guys for leaving all the, know those apple podcasts ratings and reviews have been phenomenal thank you guys for that i really do appreciate that continue to do that that does nothing but drive the the ability for our show to be seen through the roof so thank you guys for everything you've done thank you guys for listening to me every day we've got a couple months we got to push through and then the stuff gets back to being interesting, back to football season, back to what we love, watching Colts football. And hopefully between now and then,

we'll find out that our quarterback is healthy. There's no reason to really go crazy about that. We'll hopefully have some interesting news about Malik Hooker working out, doing something on his own somewhere. Some of these other guys that have been injured, working out, doing something. That's something that we need to hear. So thank you guys.

I'll have some of the call-ins that you guys have left over the past couple days. I'll do those on the next show. Could be tomorrow, might be Thursday, but we're going to have at least two more shows this week for sure. So thank you guys for listening. I'll talk to you guys all very soon soon 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.