PFF List of Top Available Free Agents
 

If you hate PFF, move along.

Personally, the more I dig into their grading numbers and match them against my stats system and eye test, the more I agree with their grading system.

Their Top 15 Free Agents (article here with write-ups and stats):

01 = QB Drew Brees, NO
02 = QB Jimmy Garoppolo, SF
03 = QB Kirk Cousins, WAS
04 = RB Le'veon Bell, PIT
05 = DE Demarcus Lawrence, DAL
06 = CB Malcolm Butler, NE
07 = OG Andrew Norwell, CAR
08 = WR Allen Robinson, JAX
09 = DT Sheldon Richardson, SEA
10 = WR Jarvis Landry, MIA
11 = DE Ezekiel Ansah, DET
12 = OG Justin Pugh, NYG
13 = OT Nate Solder, NE
14 = TE Jimmy Graham, SEA
15 = QB Sam Bradford, MIN

Due diligence and all that but if the Colts could exit the first phase of free agency having signed:

One of: Andrew Norwell, Justin Pugh or Nate Solder

-- AND --

One of: Demarcus Lawrence, Malcolm Butler or Ezekiel Ansah

I think that would set the tone of the off-season pretty darn well.

I don't expect Lawrence to hit free agency but Butler might (they signed a mega-CB contract last season) and Ansah probably will.

As for O-Linemen? Who knows; all 3 teams have enough cap space to re-sign their guys if they want to.

Walk Worthy,

I think Brees is exceptional, but to put him above two very young QBs is odd. You would think he would be just a two-year rental.

By the way, I don't see many on that list who will actually be on the market. Maybe Solder or Butler, as they will both be looking to get paid and NE just doesn't have much money left. However, the rest will get tagged or signed by their current team, most likely. What I would like to see is the list of second-tier players, like 20-30, to see who we would realistically be looking at.

Agree.....I did read somewhere that Miami has issues with cap space and will have trouble signing Landry but I imagine they will tag him.

I think that Norwell will be available, as apparently Carolina paid two of their OL pretty handsomely last year.

You are correct about Miami.

Teams with less than $30M in cap space from overthecap.com:

Broncos $29,168,245
Chargers $24,152,385
Giants $23,331,735
Packers $23,076,166
Panthers $22,501,216
Cowboys $18,470,415
Jaguars $17,441,446
Falcons $16,642,062
Patriots $16,454,238
Raiders $14,869,663
Seahawks $14,369,950
Ravens $10,995,225
Cardinals $10,847,439
Dolphins $8,742,046
Steelers $2,978,775
Eagles ($7,423,089)
Chiefs ($8,587,312)

depends how they look at it - long term vs short term.

If short term it makes sense, add brees to jax or min......

That would be a scary team!

I don't want Landry. He always seems to be bitching about something, and he's really nothing more than a possession receiver.

I want two of the OL. Lawrence or Ansah would be great adds for a 4-3 as well.

I am not.excited about paying a WR big money in FA, way too many other bigger holes.

Might not be realistic but I hope we can pull in two OL starters in FA. Norwell, Pugh, Solder, Ju'Wuan James, Cam Fleming, Matt Slauson. Pick 2.

I agree. I think we will add a WR in free agency but I'm thinking they will target an Amendola-like guy on a modest contract

This seems plausible.

Ballard on his approach to 2018 free agency...........

“I’ve said this all the time: we want to grow our own, and we want to build with homegrown Colts guys we draft. So we’ll be very selective,” Ballard told Andrew Walker of Colts.com. “You want to try to plug as many holes as you can going into the draft so you’re not driven for a need. But, saying that, we want to make sure we’re a good drafting team, and you’ve got to be very careful in free agency.”

https://coltswire.usatoday.com/2018/...chris-ballard/

So the pats could actually sign Jimmy Garoppolo? Give him a more cap friendly contract than just franchising him and actually getting a #2 draft choice in the offing.

In theory, yes, as Pasts fans are hoping. However, SF would have to NOT tag him for it to even be possible. They won't take that risk of losing him.

Garoppolo wants to play. If Brady is to be believed, he is playing until he is 100. Doubt Garoppolo wants to be a backup for another 5 years. 49ers are keeping him.

Pat fans are stupid. Jimmy G is not going back to being a backup again.

Pff sucks

Grab O-linemen in free agency, draft Chub and the Colts are in great shape. Overpay for premium guards in free agency, I don't give a shit, Colts and Luck need this O-line to be good for a change. I like Kelly and Castanzo, but the rest can be upgraded.

I agree, but it doesn't necessarily need to be guards. It could be guard and RT.
My problem is, that between Clark, Good and Haeg, I don't know what position any of them are best at.

Good is a rt. Can’t rely on him for 16


Haeg is a 6 man. I think he could be a quality lg

Clark is an unknown

I agree, but what free agent tackle would you attempt to sign?

Solder is 29 and has a recent history of injuries.
Ja’Wuan James appears to be pretty good.
Chris Hubbard is average.
Cameron Fleming is also average, but young so he might develop.

Although average may be better than what we already have. James may be the best of the bunch and he is only 25 years old.

The problem with PFF and any other measurement for football is that it rarely takes into account schemes or who the players on either side of the guy is. A guy playing in Baltimore's defense a few years ago will shine because of the overall talent and the scheme. Put that guy on the Browns and he will stink it up with the rest of them. That is why you can't really trust their numbers. Players have to pass the eye test, too.

correct

but there are many other reasons why you can't trust their numbers. anyone that thinks their rankings are legit are fools. complete idiots.

I like Good at RT better as well.

Clark got in Pagano's dog house in preseason, and rarely got on the field, so yeah who knows.

I would probably like to see an upgrade from Haeg. But on a quality OL, if he were the weakest link, I guess I could live w/that.

Anybody have any idea what type of blocking schemes McDaniel's prefers? His hire for an OL will be critical.

If I were to guess based on what the Pats have done, we will be looking at athletic linemen vs big fatties that can't move.

Could that be Moncrief? If he is expecting a huge payday he's making a mistake.

Clark got in his doghouse, apparently Morris did as well as Q. Wilson. One of the many reasons it is good to have Pagano gone. IIRC Clark was part of the o-line for the last 4 games of 2016, a unit that I think Colts fans thought was beginning to look like a keeper.

My knee jerk reaction is no.....I just don't like his attitude and for anyone to underperform in a contract year is hard to understand. That said, he clearly has some athletic ability and who knows, maybe McDaniels and his staff will help bring a new sense of discipline to the organization. Venturi has argued a few times for bringing Moncrief back. He thinks there will be no market for him externally based on what he's shown this year so we should be able to resign him cheap and he argues that based on Chud/Pagano's "coloring book" scheme we really don't have enough data to judge his true potential. Net, net.....I'm not going to be upset if they resign him on a modest contract. I also wont shed any tears if Ballard shows the same cold blooded approach as Belicheck.....you don't perform, you get cut.

I agree. I think he won't get any better offer than we would give him and maybe with real coaches he can be the stud we all thought he would become.

Not saying I want him or the Colts should pursue him, but just throwing out the rumors for a former top CB, Aqib, Talib, since its a position of need :

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...d-on-the-block

He is over 30 and it seems corners fall of about as quickly as RBs at that age, most of the time.

But he is a former Patriot as well, with McDaniels being hired.

He’s really still a top CB, his level of play hasn’t fallen off at all. He may very well fall flat on his face soon, but it’s yet to happen, so he’s not really a “former” top CB.

I’d definitely trade for him (this is more about my time watching him with the Broncos than the Patriots), though the rumor is most teams aren’t interested as they suspect he’ll be cut. We have tons of cap space, we could definitely use a bonafide CB1 and I’d trade a low level pick to ensure he ends up here.

I wouldn't trade for him. Talib is already 31. Yes, we have tons of cap space, use it on the oline and pass rushers, not on an old CB. Deion Sanders was 33 when he retired because his play was not up to his standards anymore according to him. Revis is 32 and a shell of his former self. Why bring in a 31 year old CB? This sounds like a Grigg's type move to me, no fucking thanks.

Give him a try as a FA, sure, but no trades for Talib.

http://i.imgur.com/hi11fAl.gif


Talib can go F himself.

Vet Min! /s