Colts trade 26th overall pick to Redskins

Chris Ballard has already made a key strategic draft move for the future this weekend, as the Colts managed to secure a third 2nd round pick this year; as well as, a 2nd rounder in the 2020 draft. This was likely an easy decision for Ballard, since the Colts hold the second pick of the 2nd round (34th overall). With that selection, they should still be able to target a solid playmaker on their short list. With players like Greedy Williams (Cornerback LSU), Dre’Mont Jones (Defensive Tackle Ohio State), and D.K. Metcalf (Wide Receiver Ole Miss) still available, there wasn’t a pressing need to pull the trigger in the first round. It’s worth noting that the Redskins drafted Mississippi State defensive end, Montez Sweat with the 26th pick. As the Colts await 2nd round action, here are a few options that could happen tonight:

1) Don’t be surprised if the Colts trade back again:

If the move is good for the future of Colts football, Chris Ballard has shown he will at least give trade offers a passing glance. Ballard said last night, “That 34th pick is gonna be really attractive to people…so we’ll see” The 34th overall pick is almost as good as a first round pick, given the talent that is still available. What would a team give to trade up and grab say D.K. Metcalf or maybe an offensive tackle like Jawaan Taylor? Perhaps a team like the Denver Broncos would be interested in jumping ahead to get offensive tackle Cody Ford or maybe even Drew Lock as their quarterback of the future?

2) Expect the unexpected:

On the topic of trading, perhaps the 34th pick has more value than just draft picks. Are there any teams willing to give up a playmaker that Indianapolis needs? The Colts need impact players in the secondary, depth on the defensive line, and another wide receiver probably wouldn’t hurt. Keeping with the Broncos as potential trade partners, Chris Harris Jr. would be an excellent addition to the Colts secondary. Harris is entering the final year of his contract. If Harris were to join Indianapolis and play exceptionally well in a contract year, the Colts are a team that has the cap room to keep him for longer. The question for Indy is, is a 29 year old Chris Harris Jr. worth giving up that 34th pick?

3) Don’t be surprised if Indianapolis drafts a player/s ahead of their projection/s:

Just last year, Colts fans were questioning why Indianapolis took a second guard (Braden Smith) in 3 picks, and a few raised their eyebrows at the Darius Leonard pick, because South Carolina State doesn’t exactly scream football powerhouse. Reich and Ballard like drafting good character guys that love football. That’s the feeling you get when you watch the Colts’ social media clips on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. That’s the culture that they’re building in Indianapolis, so their draft picks have to be able to click with their system. I think a guy like Jaylon Ferguson from Louisiana Tech has the potential to be a great pick. The 6’5″, 270 lb DE/OLB is ranked as the number 63 overall player, and one that I think could creep into the early part of the second round. Perhaps Ferguson’s biggest claim to fame is that he holds the NCAA all-time record for most sacks. The edge rusher compiled an impressive 45 sacks in his 4 year college career. Ferguson is not without his skeletons though. The draft prospect was uninvited to the NFL combine last month, as a background check showed a conviction of simple battery his freshman year at Louisiana Tech, after a fight in a McDonald’s parking lot. That being said, this weekend Ferguson is helping his hometown community clean-up and recover from an EF3 tornado. I’d like to believe that he has matured since the incident his freshman year, and hope to see him go to a team that can utilize his pass rushing talents. The Colts held a private visit with Ferguson last month, as he was one of the more well traveled draft prospects this off-season.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Week 16 preview: Colts vs Giants

This week the New York Giants bring a 5-8 record to Indianapolis, and while they have been eliminated from the playoffs, they are still very capable of pulling off an upset. The Giants started off in a slump, beginning the season with a 1-7 record. Now, they have won four out of their last 6 games, and hope to finish on a strong note heading into the offseason. Two games this year by the Giants include going on the road to beat the current AFC South leading Houston Texans, and besting the NFC North champion Chicago Bears at home. It’s also worth noting that 6 of New York’s losses have been by 7 points or less.

As the season has gone on, quarterback Eli Manning and rookie running back Saquon Barkley have built solid chemistry, as Barkley has caught 82 passes from Manning, for 654 yards and 4 touchdowns. Barkley has also had a very successful rookie campaign running the ball, as he has tallied 1,155 yards (3rd in NFL) and 9 touchdowns (tied for 5th in NFL). Barkley will be the second top 5 running back the Colts will face in as many weeks.

There are a couple items of concern for the Giants. The first, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been out for last two weeks, is trending towards missing this week’s game as well. The second, the Giants missed OBJ last week, as the New York offense put up a goose egg against the Tennessee Titans, falling 17-0 and effectively knocking them out of playoff contention. Not having OBJ would be a huge loss for a Giants team that will have to face a top 10 Colts defense this Sunday. In fact, since week 7, the Colts are the number 1 defense in yards against, and only have one game all season in which they haven’t forced at least 1 turnover. Over the last three games, they’ve been even more impressive, as they’ve averaged just 9 points against. This week will feature a unique battle of rookie of the year candidates when Saquon Barkley faces off against Darius Leonard. Leonard is currently leading the NFL with 146 tackles to go along with his 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 6 pass deflections, and 1 interception.

On the offensive side, Indianapolis is operating like a well oiled machine. They currently rank 8th in points per game (26.6) and total yards per game (381.5), as well as 7th in passing yards per game. (273.6) Andrew Luck ranks second in the NFL in touchdown passes with 34, and the Colts’ offensive line is tied for first in the NFL with just 16 sacks given up on the year. Indianapolis also has 2 Pro Bowl selections. The first is veteran Eric Ebron, who is having not only a career year for himself, but has set Colts franchise records for receiving touchdowns and total touchdowns as a tight end (12 and 13 respectfully). The other Pro Bowler is rookie guard Quenton Nelson, who made headlines earlier this season as the NFL offensive rookie of the month in October. This was the first time the award had been given to a guard in NFL history, which certainly speaks volumes about his level of play and character on and off the field.

Overall, I believe Indianapolis is the more complete team in this matchup. Especially if Odell Beckham Jr. misses his third straight game to a quad injury, look for Indianapolis to pull ahead early and stay there. With the Tennessee Titans likely looking at a win against the banged up Washington Redskins this weekend, and the Baltimore Ravens facing a tough opponent in the Los Angeles Chargers, the Colts and Titans could be playing for a wildcard spot in week 17. This week, I’ve got Indianapolis winning this one 28-17.

Photo Credit: Michael Hickey-Getty Images

Colts get the win; rookie linebacker has stellar performance

The Colts did something on Sunday, that they had not done since week 15 of the 2016-17 season. They held an opponent under 10 points. In a game that featured tight end Eric Ebron and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton finding paydirt for the second straight week, the Colts defense was really the bigger headline. To open the game, Indianapolis drove 75 yards on 11 plays to go up 7-0. From that point, they would never trail, but weren’t without mistakes. The next two Colts drives would be a three and out, and a three play drive that ended in an interception (the first of two Andrew Luck interceptions). Following the pick, the Redskins drove 27 yards in 5 plays, settling for a 49 yard field goal. The Redskins momentum would be short lived though, as the Colts marched down the field on the next drive, capping it with an 8 yard Nyheim Hines touchdown. This put Indianapolis up 14-3, and they would take that lead into halftime.

To open the second half, the Redskins ran an 8 play 38 yard drive that fizzled out near midfield, as the Colts defense forced Washington to punt for a fifth time on the day. The next Indianapolis drive would be costly, as Andrew Luck threw a bad pass into double coverage. The pass found it’s way into D.J Swearinger’s hands for a second time. The interception would allow Washington to put three more points on the board, making the game 14-6. The Colts faced their 4th three and out of the game on the very next drive, which gave the Redskins a bit of momentum. Still, the momentum would only go so far, as the Washington offense was stopped in the red zone. They would settle for another Dustin Hopkins field goal, and inch closer to a score of 14-9. That’s as close as the Redskins would get on Sunday. Indianapolis answered right back with their only long drive of the second half. T.Y. Hilton would cap the 13 play drive with a touchdown, putting the Colts back up by 12 points. The next Redskins drive showed that the Colts may have found a second round gem in this year’s draft. Rookie linebacker Darius Leonard (18 tackles/1 sack/1 forced fumble) knocked the ball from of the hands of Washington tight end Jordan Reed, while cornerback Pierre Desir jumped on top for the recovery. The turnover, with five minutes left in the game, proved insurmountable for the Redskins. Washington would get one more chance to put points on the board, but the Colts defense once again stood their ground, forcing the Redskins into a turnover on downs. 21-9 is the final, and there are quite a few big takeaways from this game, as the Colts prepare for the Eagles next Sunday.

Takeaways

1) Jordan Wilkins was productive: The Colts rookie quietly rushed 10 times for 61 yards (6.1 avg). Indianapolis will need this type of ground production in order to keep the pressure off of Andrew Luck.

2) Darius Leonard was a beast: Rookies who act like veterans are my favorite kind of rookies. Leonard stepped up on Sunday with 18 tackles, a sack, and a key forced fumble in the fourth quarter. This could be the beginning of something special for this young Colts defense.

3) Colts can win, even when Andrew Luck isn’t playing his best ball: A fairly pedestrian day, Luck only threw for 179 yards, and also threw two interceptions. The turnovers could have been costly, but the defense stepped up, and held the Washington offense two field goals as opposed to touchdowns.

4) Indianapolis might have more defensive depth than we realize: Defensive tackle Jihad Ward, who had been taking up space on the Colts, had a great day. With a sack and 3 quarterback pressures (led team), we may see Ward on the field again next weekend.

5) The offensive line held up, even with missing pieces: Coming into the game, Washington’s defensive front looked worrisome. The Colts have lost three offensive linemen since the start of the preseason, and were thought to be a week unit. However, this line managed to show excellent resolve, keeping Luck upright (gave up only 1 sack for -2 yards) and paving the way for Colts running backs (running backs ran for 4.25 yards per carry)

Castonzo, Autry, and Mack get updates on status for Sunday @ Redskins

After starting the week with high hopes and a confident demeanor, Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo suffered an unfortunate setback late Wednesday. He was listed as a non participant on Thursday, and was downgraded to OUT on Friday afternoon. Dealing with a nagging hamstring injury for much of the preseason and week one, the Colts starter will miss his second game in a row, after starting every game over the past two seasons. Week one was the first time Andrew Luck had been without his star tackle in Luck’s 71 game career. This puts Indianapolis in a precarious spot at offensive line. Injuries to tackle/guard Denzelle Good (knee/wrist), J’Marcus Webb (hamstring), and now Castonzo (hamstring), have limited the offensive line depth rather significantly. Joe Haeg may get his second career start at left tackle against the Redskins, although 3rd year man Le’Raven Clark is listed on the depth chart directly behind Anthony Castonzo. Clark has started just 8 games out of a possible 24 in his career. He did not see the field in week one against the Cincinnati Bengals.

One of the Colts’ offseason acquisitions was injured Wednesday. Defensive tackle/end, Denico Autry aggravated his ankle during practice. Last Sunday, Autry played as a rotational defensive end, as he tallied one tackle and two quarterback hurries. His status has been downgraded to OUT for the week two matchup. With Autry not playing, look for Hassan Ridgeway and Grover Stewart to fill in during his absence.

Saving the good news for last, Colts running back Marlon Mack took part in his first full practice of the 2018 regular season on Friday. After working his way back from a hamstring injury suffered in the Colt’s first preseason game, he will likely see his first game action in week two. Even if Mack does see the field this weekend, he’ll likely be splitting playing time with Jordan Wilkins (14 carries/3 receptions week one), and rookie Nyheim Hines (5 carries/7 receptions week one). The running back by committee approach should help Mack ease back into a larger workload, which will be especially relevant, given the potential of rainy field conditions at FedEx Field on Sunday.

Week 2 preview: Colts @ Redskins

The Colts face their first road opponent this week, as they travel to FedEx Field to battle the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are boasting a new look offense this season, featuring quarterback Alex Smith (formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs) and late preseason addition, running back Adrian Peterson (2012 League MVP). The last time these two teams met was in 2014. That game went very well for the Colts, as they cruised to a 49-27 victory, thanks to 5 Andrew Luck touchdown passes. The two teams do not play each other very frequently, but the Colts historically own the matchups, going 20-12 in a series that dates back to 1950. Indianapolis has won 4 of the last 5 games in the series, not taking a loss since 2002.

Indianapolis should expect to hear added pressure around the NFL this week, as a loss to the Redskins would mark a fifth straight year of starting their season 0-2. Coming off of a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis looks to build on the positives, of which there are a few. The Colts defense is deceptively one of those positives. Even though they squandered a 13 point lead, the Colts defense actually found some success in containing Andy Dalton and big play receiver AJ Green. Indianapolis forced an early interception due to great pressure by the defensive line, and recovered an AJ Green fumble. Safety, Matthias Farley nearly recovered a second Green fumble, after knocking the ball loose in the 4th quarter.

Another bright spot in the Colts defense was rookie linebacker Darius Leonard. Leonard played the most snaps of any Colts defender (56), and would go on to have 9 total tackles and a fumble recovery. The second round draft pick out of South Carolina State, could end up being a building block for a young Colts defense that is looking to establish an identity.

Of course, we can’t forget about Andrew Luck’s passing performance! The veteran quarterback shook off the rust, and compiled an impressive statistical performance. Going 39-53 (73%) with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, Luck showed his shoulder is as healthy as ever. Hopefully, he won’t have to throw 53 times every week, but it is good to know that his arm can handle the workload.

Even with a healthy Andrew Luck, Indianapolis will have their work cut out for them this week. The Washington Redskins are coming off of a solid 24-6 road victory against last year’s #6 defense, the Arizona Cardinals. Led by Alex Smith, Washington had a huge 21 point second quarter and never looked back on a dominant day. Smith’s stat line for the day was 21-30/255 yards/2 touchdowns/0 interceptions. Arizona running back David Johnson would put a touchdown on the board with 5:47 left in the game, but it was too little too late for the Cardinals. The Redskins rushing attack was also at work, with their running backs totaling 168 yards on 34 carries. Most of the ground damage was dealt by Adrian Peterson, who carried the ball 26 times for 96 yards and a touchdown.

To me, the score of the Cincinnati Bengals game didn’t indicate how close the Colts were to actually winning. Perhaps if not for a late Jack Doyle fumble, the result may have been much different. That being said, I don’t think the week one result should all be put on Doyle. The Bengals closed the week one matchup with 24 unanswered points, as the Indianapolis offense struggled to put together scoring drives in the second half. Going into this weekend, you can expect the Colts coaching staff to preach playing a full four quarters of football. The return of left tackle Anthony Castonzo (and potentially running back Marlon Mack) will help the Colts, but I think the Redskins defense will still be a little too tough for this Indianapolis offense.

My week 2 prediction:

Colts 20 Redskins 24

Photo Credit (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Colts lineman returns

Indianapolis left tackle Anthony Castonzo cheered up a lot of fans and teammates yesterday afternoon. While talking to the media Wednesday, Castonzo was quoted saying there is, “no question” that he’ll be playing this weekend against the Washington Redskins. With the loss of right tackle J’Marcus Webb (hamstring) on Monday, and the early season absence of guard/tackle Denzelle Good (knee/wrist), the Colts were hurting for quality at the tackle position. Last week, right tackle Joe Haeg started in place of Castonzo, in what was his first career start at the left tackle position. However, Haeg did have experience at left tackle while in college at North Dakota State. He started 31 straight games, and protected the blindside of current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. Now that Anthony Castonzo has returned to the starting lineup, Haeg is expected to return to the right tackle position where he has started 29 games in his NFL career. Now healthy, the Colts offensive line will have to battle the likes of Pro Bowl defensive end/linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, second year defensive end Jonathan Allen, and rookie nose tackle Da’Ron Payne.

Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports