rb's, 29 carries for 50 yards. Unbelievable. Well not really.

I'm willing to bet that by the end of the year our defense is better this year than last year. Not that that is a ringing endorsement, but I do feel things are moving in the right direction. Not concerned at all that we didn't spend big in free agency. We are not going to win it all this year, we are in a rebuild. Bringing in free agents will only stunt the young guys growth. I'm going to enjoy watching them develop (hopefully they will).

Well he’s currently playing with himself, so...

I can understand why they choose to "win the right way". It's hard as hell to win the Super Bowl, and 31 teams fail each year so you might as well stay out of the negative spotlight along the way. It also provides a built-in excuse for coming up short where the team can say "well, we could've pursued a few non-character guys that may have moved the needle in the short term, but we want to do this right". It's also the one way they can always compare favorably to the Patriots.

BUT THEY DON'T FIT THE SCHEME

Nevermind that they were the two most talented players we had in the line. Ballard keeps giving us reasons to wonder if he knows what he's doing.

Reminds me of when Grigson/Pagano ran off Hughes/Freeney because “they didn’t fit the scheme.”

That said, nobody is gonna confuse Hankins/Anderson for the two of them, but still, I would’ve hoped for a bit more innovation and scheme adjustment to fit around the existing talent on the team, as opposed to jettisoning what little talent we have when nothing is waiting in the wings.

Not as bad as the old regime but also reminiscent to something from the old regime that we’d been hoping to avoid.

And QBs pummeled. But hey, Colts drafted a mean offensive guard I guess.

Alright, rewatching the 3rd down sack on the first series, Howard blows chunks. He literally got turned around while allowing the sack.

Dude needs to be cut, ASAP.

While we’re not exactly swimming in depth at the position I do feel that he probably sucks badly enough that random RT guy that’ll be available during cuts will probably be better than him and if nothing else it’ll send a message and reinforce this regime’s emphasis on competition.

Cut his ass.

I don't know. Has Hankins signed with anyone? In Jets-land, it's rumored that Anderson will get cut.

Well, that's a by product of poor line play. Missing AC is a problem. It won't solve everything when he gets back, but it solves the left side.

Maybe the knee injuries have made him a JAG?

How many big plays did Hankins make last year? I understand, it's not a glamour position, but how did he prevent other teams from running up the A gap?

IF he was great, he would have a job. It's not about $$, the NFL front offices can find money for guys who make a difference.

John Simon injured his neck. I noticed he was in there well after the rest of the starters were out. He was also in on special teams late.

I wonder why?

My main takeaway: if Austin Howard is still taking practice snaps today, those are practice snaps better taken by literally anyone else.

Agreed. Hankins and Anderson were not difference makers. Hankins can't find a job and it is between Anderson and Xavier Cooper for who is the Jets 6th lineman.

How are you dummies letting your own memories fail you? Don't talk yourself in to believing nonsense. Hankins and Anderson played well when they were here, and we got rid of them with nothing in return.

Memory is fine. Hankins never impressed me. He was ok. Apparently 30 NFL team agree. He'll probably find a home but a defensive lineman even in the upper 50% of linemen would be in demand. I remember Anderson. I remember being excited about his play before his first injury. Thought he had potential. Wasn't impressed after he came back. Don't think that them not being here is why this defense is struggling and don't think either of them would be foundational building blocks. I understand and like the move by Ballard.

Wikipedia

Don't let facts get in the way of a good rant. :cool:

So if rookie LB Zaire Franklin does anything for the Colts in the next year or two......

I loved Anderson his rookie year before injury. However, where he is now shows that he is no longer the player that he was. Tragic.....

I liked Hankins last year but I understand that he did not look terribly great in the Jets 4-3. He is a 3-4 player and did a solid job for us last year. However, the fact that he is still sitting on the bench waiting to get offered a solid contract.....

I am having to downgrade my earlier prediction of regular season wins from the 9-11 range down to the 7-9 range based on our offense not looking nearly as strong as I had hoped for.

Our defense? About where I thought it was going to be or perhaps a bit ahead. Consider this:

Cornerback:

CB1s = Desir (5th year), Moore (2nd year)
CB2s = Wilson (2nd year)), Hairston (2nd year)
CB3s = Milton (3rd), Jackson (R)

Beyond Desir, none are off their "rookie" contract and the majority of our starters are 2nd year players.

Safeties:

SS/FS 1s: Geathers (4th year), Hooker (2nd year)
SS/FS 2s: Farley (3rd year), Green (3rd year)
SS/FS 3s: Martin (2nd year), Cooper (Rookie)

Even though Geathers is a "4th year" player, he is really a 3rd year player based on games played (29, less than 2 full seasons). Everyone else? Young as heck.

Linebackers:

WSLB/MLB/SSLB 1s: Leonard (Rookie), Walker (2nd year), Goode (7th year)
WSLB/MLB/SSLB 2s: Tyrell Adams (Rookie), Moore (Rookie), Matthew Adams (Rookie)
WSLB/MLB/SSLB 3s: George (4th year), Zaire Franklin (Rookie), NONE

So, for our entire defense backend (LB / S / CB), we have two players with more than 3 seasons played in the league:

CB Piere Desir, 5th year, 33 games played, 13 games started (2 years played, less than 1 year starter)
LB Najee Goode, 7th year, 64 games played, 4 games started (4 seasons played, few starts)

This is a YOUNG defense on the backend. There is a lot of room to make mistakes but there is also a lot of room for growth.

We will see. Leonard looks like a star in the making. Hooker is a play maker. Desir/Moore/Hairston/Wilson look solid to good. If Greathers can stay healthy, he can make an impact.

I am looking forward to see how it all gels. We may still be bottom of the league but I would not bet on it.

Walk Worthy,