Where do Indy's players come from?

by shake n bake on Apr 7, 2009 9:51 PM EDT in NFL Draft

A great fanpost over on PatsPulpit got me wondering about what method most of Indy's players arrived by. The easy, common sense answer is the draft. How correct is the common knowledge?

I'll use the same method categories the PP fanposter did, because they were good ones.

Drafted Players (Draft): Self explanatory.

Rookies Free agents (RkFA): Includes undrafted rookie signings and drafted players who were cut, but who never played a game for another team.

Free agents (FA): Players to have played for another team, signed from free agency.

Trades (Trade): Self-explanatory

Waivers (Wav): Players claimed off waivers.

From the current Colts.com roster

Pos	Draft	RkFA	FA	Trade	Wav
"Skill"	11	5	1
O-Line	6	4			1
D-Line	4	4			1
LB	2	2	3
DB	8	6	1
Specialist		2	1
Total	31	23	6	0	2

54 players currently on Indy's roster have never played a single snap for another franchise.

Off topic slightly it shows Indy likes it's skill postion players drafted, it's LBs cheap off the open market and carries a massive number of DBs on the offseason roster.

Here it is for the starters*

Pos	Draft	RkFA	FA	Trade	Wav
"Skill"	5	1
O-Line	3	1			1
D-Line	2	2
LB	2	1
DB	4
Specialist		1	1
Total	16	6	1	0	1

*=Starter by my judgment/projection. Gijon got the TE2 starting spot, Lilja and Pollak/CJ (both drafted so doesn't matter which) at guard, Freeney-Brock-Foster-Mathis/Dawson (both drafted so doesn't matter which) on the DL and Wheeler getting the starting spot over Seward at OLB.

Indy likes it's players fresh. Adam Vinitieri is the only "starter" to have played a single game for another franchise. Brock, Lilja, and Drago were drafted by other teams but never played for them. Gijon, Saturday, Foster and Brackett were signed as undrafted free agents. 23 starters never to play for another team, 20 who have never been under contract with another team.

So remember, while the Colts make free agency boring, it's because they save all their excitement for the incoming rookies.

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True...

So I’m waiting for an exciting DT and an exciting WR, and an exciting LB.

David Burton to the COLTS!

by fpacheco on Apr 7, 2009 10:49 PM EDT reply actions

Wasn't Gilbert Gardiner exciting?

I know I invented a lot of new uncouth words watching him, so that must have been exciting like getting into a bar-brawl. He always made my adrenaline pump.

And I came to this piece expecting a pie chart with Big-10, SEC, ACC, Pac-10, Big-12 breakdowns. This was nice, too, though….

I hate Joe Namath. That's how long I've been a Colts fan.

by Bobman on Apr 7, 2009 11:58 PM EDT reply actions

good idea

maybe this weekend after I’m through the set of midterms I have this week (or maybe earlier as a break from studying).

I got Summer hatin' on me cuz I'm hotter than the sun. Spring hatin' on me cuz I ain't never sprung
Winter hatin' on me cuz I'm colder than Y'all. And I will never, I will never, I will never Fall.
-Lil Wayne, Mr. Carter

by shake n bake on Apr 8, 2009 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions

this was a good idea

and it makes me proud for some reason that we get all our guys in the draft. pretty remarkable actually.

"If you don't [draft me], I promise you I'll come back and kick your ass for the next 15 years."

by psvirsky on Apr 8, 2009 6:58 AM EDT reply actions

I like the success they’ve had with the draft, but I think they could utilize free agency (in terms of veterans) a bit more sometimes.

This line will remain in my signature until the Colts draft Rashad Jennings in 2009.
Oh and I write words and stuff for Stampede Blue.

by KingRichard on Apr 8, 2009 7:16 AM EDT reply actions

Brock

What do you count Brock as? He was drafted by the Eagles, but they couldn’t sign him because of a calculating error with their rookie cap.

Buy my books/read my blog (coltplay.blogspot.com)

by jerrynyc on Apr 8, 2009 7:57 AM EDT reply actions

He would have to be considering a RkFA.

This line will remain in my signature until the Colts draft Rashad Jennings in 2009.
Oh and I write words and stuff for Stampede Blue.

by KingRichard on Apr 8, 2009 8:09 AM EDT up reply actions

considered

This line will remain in my signature until the Colts draft Rashad Jennings in 2009.
Oh and I write words and stuff for Stampede Blue.

by KingRichard on Apr 8, 2009 8:09 AM EDT up reply actions

KR is right

RkFA. I just counted him like they cut him.

by shake n bake on Apr 8, 2009 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions

I've always liked...

That the Colts draft and develop the majority of their talent. That’s hard to do, lots of teams don’t have the skill or the patience to evaluate draft talent like that. They go after the “flash” players or guys that “experts” say will be great. Often it doesn’t pan out. That’s another thing the Colts are very good at, finding guys who are overlooked but end up being a valuable asset. They go after players who “fit” with the team, not the “best” athlete available. Not many teams do that, and it bites them in the end.

by racer39girl on Apr 8, 2009 12:33 PM EDT reply actions

Has alot to do

With new coaches in and trying to win right away. If you don’t make the playoffs, most fans consider it a failure and that puts pressure on owners to get rid of coaches. Then an endless cycle begins. Especially since none of the players on the team are who the new coach would’ve drafted. So to get better quick, they give up on the players they have nothing invested in and can blame the previous coach, and try to shoot to the top right away. And sometimes you see coaches ruin good teams doing that. i.e. Denver this year and Del Rio’s doing a pretty good job in Jacksonville. I guess they go into this interviews and tell the owners “I’ve got this GREAT idea and it’ll totally fix your team and we’ll win the SB this year!” Then they spin it so it sounds good, they just keep telling the owner “Trust me, I’ve got this.” and after 2 or 3 years the owner catches on that it was a terrible idea and fires the coach. And who knows, maybe it was a good idea and they were headed in the right direction, but they don’t care. Then the next dude comes in and goes “I’ve got this GREAT idea but I have to get rid of all these players that don’t fit the scheme.”

Jim Sorgi runs a 4.6 40. That's all I've got to say about that.

by monstersbox on Apr 8, 2009 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Good point...

It’s a product of pressure. From fans, from media, because attendance or merchandise sales are slipping. There is so much pressure for coaches and high profile players to succeed immediately, it’s sick. I know I’d crack, certainly. How many teams out there truly give new coaches or players time to develop? Not many. Patience, it seems, is not a virtue in the NFL. (just ask Al Davis) For every sucess, there are 3 times as many failures.

I will disagree with you on the new coach in Denver ruining the team. I think it’s much, much too early to make that judgement.

by racer39girl on Apr 9, 2009 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions