I dunno if it's a reach, if the RT is a top level player at the position. I am and will remained convinced till the day I die that Colombo and to a lesser degree, Carey, cost us 2-3 games in 2011, all by themselves. If we'd had Riley Reiff at RT on last year's team, and if we'd signed Brian Waters to play guard instead of Frankenstein Colombo to play RT, we'd have won 3 more games, at least, with no other changes at all.
The one place he is less than 100% now is arm strength. To think Manning at 80% of his former arm strength is elite, is not fully thinking out the situation. It's like a pitcher in baseball. If his f@stball was 95 mph, and then after surgery came back with a f@stball that was 80% of 95 mph, or about 76 mph, he'd be good for one thing, being a batting practice pitcher.
The only way I see any team signing Manning before the draft is if he signs for B/U money. Of the 5 or 6 teams that should be aggressivily searching for a starting QB I can not see any of them beig interested in signing him to a deal that pays him starter money before knowing if he will be able to take the field this year. This idea that even if Manning gets 80% of his strength back its good enough is not true at all. In terms of the physical ability these guys are seperated by a lot less then 20% more like 1% or 2%. A ball coming in a fraction of a second slower can make all the difference between a TD or an INT. I'm not saying Manning can not rehab himself to a respectable enough level to compete but he isn't even going to redy to be evaluated on that level until after TC has begun. The team that takes a risk on him will be the team who did not get somebody they are comfortable with in either FA or the draft. All things considered, what I think Miami should be doing is showing strong interest in all the FA prospects out there and drive the asking price up so that if any of the 5 or 6 teams looking for a QB is forced to commit to starter money to sign that guy and essntially taking themslves out of the daft pool for a QB. My thinking is if we are looking to draft somebody then of the teams looking we are 3 back in QBs unless a team like Washington decides to trade up to get in front of us or the Browns. If a team like Washington signs Flynn that takes that threat off the table and if the browns sign Flynn it moves us up in the line of teams looking for a QB. IMO these are the things Ireland should be thinking about. The problem is nobody really knows what a team is willing to sacrafice in the draft to get whoever they have targeted and who their target is. IMO this draft will be a good test to see how good of a poker player Ireland is if we are looking to draft a QB. Now if our target is Flynn IMO it should be a fairly easy signing. Make him a fair offer to come here and the deal should be a no brainer for him considering he would be walking ito a situtation where he knows the coach and is at least familiar with the plays that he wil be learning in Miami. Miami has a solid foundation and really gives him an enviroment for him to have sucess in if he is as good as some think. I know all us fans are anxious to have this settled bt this is not a time for the team to have a rigid postion on what direction they are going. They need to stay flud and flexiable on how they are going to react to all the things that are oing to unfold in the next few months. We may not like Flynn and if we do like someone in the draft he may get snatched up before we get a shot at taking him. Thats reality. Manning may wind up here but I think he should a later choice for us and not a primary target. He may have another MVP year in him but its too soon to sign him in March.We may strike out on all conts and be looking at going into camp with a competetion between Moore and Orton. The only way I would consider signing Manning in March is if he signed for something ridlicliously low like the Veteran minium. That would be worth the risk even if you wound up paying him just to rehab himself this entire year. I don't know how bad the personal feelings are between him and Irsay but his best move is probably to just accept that Andrew Luck is who they are moving forward with and resign with them in a B/U capacity, continue his rehab and look to make a trade next year if he still has any gas left in his tank. IMO that would sit well the fans in Indy and protect him from tarnishing his legacy. I'ld rater seem him remembered more like Marino then Favre.
Peyton Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game and surely a first ballot Hall of Fame selection. However, like great quarterbacks before him there is a time to hang up your cleats. Most have failed to acknowledge to themselves that their career is over and try to hang on to the dream. Truth is we really don't know if he will recover to 60%, 70%, 80% or maybe even 100% or maybe not at all. Recently I read an article that says that Manning will have to have a 5th procedure done on his neck due to bone spurs near the fused area in the near future. I agree that if there is a chance he is worth taking it, but only in an incentive laden and conditional contract. If we count on him being the Franchise Quarterback and we don't take other appropriate measures to address the quarterback position we are leaving ourselves open to more disappointment in the future. If the idea is to take a later round project quarterback as insurance in the event of Manning not being able to play and Moore getting injured leaves us in a very tenuous position. We have had a lot of disappointment in the past from trying to develop other teams backups into our starting quarterback, or picking up other teams starters to become our starter with hopes of it being our solution but it just hasn't worked. Pennington gave us one good year and a developmental quarterback was forced into service, before then it was Trent Green and Daunte Cullpepper and we all know the frustration and aggravation we experienced there. Things didn't work out the way we had hoped for in this draft, with Barkley returning to college and so many other teams in real need of a quarterback with only two real candidates as possible "Franchise" quarterbacks. There is very little chance we could come up with enough to move up and take either of those two quarterbacks with other quarterback needy teams having much more to offer. We had better not decide to get a developmental quarterback in later rounds until we have hedged all of our bets in our quarterback situation. Taking things for granted has caused us a lot of pain in the past I just hope, "Not This Time".
I think we could " get by " with Moore if nothing transpires in FA but is he the answer ? Probably not. Carey, I think IF they come to some sort of vet minimum agreement they will see what he has in training camp, if he works out, he stays, if not, will not make the roster for game 1. Then again, Carey may still be expecting to sign another mega contract of which, he will not, anywhere. Solai, would like to keep and do not know much about 3-4 4-3 or if or where he would fit in but if he fit in anywhere, the please try to keep him but not for silly stupid funny money. IMO, whoever pays that is making a mistake. We need a better TE Would love to see a Brandon Loyd type or something close to him here. Feel it would make Moore or any QB much better. We need a hard hitting shove it down their throat RB. Not sure if we have one. I am OK with Center, LG and LT. Most definately need someone at the RG and RT spot that loves to play the game of football and can actually play it at a high level.
I like Riley Reiff, but I also like the overall group of RTs and Gs in this draft. I really think we could get a good pair in the 2nd-4th round range. Kevin Zeitler has the look of a solid starting guard. He's ours in the 2nd for sure and maybe the 3rd. Lucas Nix is another interesting guard who we could get in the 4th. High effort player with a bit of nasty in him. The OT I like best in about the 3rd is Matt McCants. He has good feet, which you can't teach, and he is durable. My alternate choice for a RT around the 3rd would be Mitchell Schwartz. Also a durable experienced starter with a solid base.
2) re-sign: Paul Soliai, & Vernon Carey No way i think Carey is a joke and so is Tannyill but the other ideas are fine by me.
I don't know much about Silatolu. If we draft a 2nd or 3rd round guard, I'd prefer Zeitler. Another guy I have liked for a while, and now I'm gratified to see Mayock talking him up, is Philip Blake. I'd be fine with taking him and moving Pouncey to guard. One thing I liked about Blake, first and foremost, is his shotgun snaps are always accurate and good velocity from what I saw anyway. He is a good blocker too for that matter. With Pouncey, I saw too much of Moore having to reach outside the framework of his body to field shotgun snaps for my liking. We have enough holes to focus on without looking to replace Incognito too. I'm not sure what you had happening with him in that scenario.
Still wouldn't take an Iowa RT at the eight spot. If Upshaw is there and we don't go D I might be pissed.
Agree with this. I also have no problem drafting a RT in the top 10. I just don't see Reif as being that good.
At the combine, Kalil is showing to be far superior to any other OT in the drills, lifting, foot speed, etc. That said, from what I've read, there are scouts who actually like Jonathan Martin the best among the OTs and some who like Reiff the best. I don't know what they see to reach that opinion, but just looking at Kalil myself in a pass happy offense like USC runs, I don't see how a LT could do much better. If Kalil and Jake Long were in the same draft, I'm not so sure at all that Jake goes 1st, and I love Big Jake. I guess all I'm saying is if there are scouts seeing Martin or Reiff as superior from watching tape, that we shouldn't worry too much if that is the route we take in the 1st round.
Wondering what your thoughts on drafting DeCasatro instead of a tackle at 8? Also your thoughts on Saulsberry for center or guard?
I'd personally love DeCastro at 8. He is a top 5 pick from a talent standpoint and other than Luck and Kalil, as sure a bet as there is in this draft. We got the chance to get the next Mike Munchak or Bruce Matthews with this guy. I kind of like Jerry better at tackle anyway, and with DeCastro on the team, that would be where Jerry has the chance to start. Saulsberry is the sleeper of this interior group. His skill set would fit well in the kind of OL that I'm presuming Philbin will want to to put together. He moves well and has quick feet. Very good puller and trapper. If we didn't take DeCastro, then Saulsberry would be a fine consolation prize in the 2nd or 3rd. Plug him in at LG and move Richie over to RG. I think he'll make whatever team drafts him because even if he doesn't start he is very versatile, having started multiple games at every line position except left tackle.
Could have both if they draft a center like Blake and move Pouncey to guard. LT-Long LG-Pouncey C-Blake RG-DeCastro RT-Garner/Jerry/Murtha
