Tom Brandstater Cut From Colts Practice Squad
by Brad Wells on Sep 29, 2010 10:18 AM EDT
in 2010 Colts News
Email
PrintThe guy who out-performed current Colts back-up quarterback Curtis Painter in pre-season is out of work. Second year quarterback Tom Brandstater was cut from the practice squad yesterday (tip to reddogfred). While it's certainly possible Brandstater could return to the Colts either on the PS or the active roster, it's a little distressing that the only person at the Colts facilities to play quarterback besides Peyton Manning is (gulp!) Curtis Painter.
During pre-season, Brandstater clearly outplayed and out-performed Painter by throwing for 212 yards, 4 TDs, and 1 INT. Yet, despite displaying better overall ability and judgment to play the quarterback position, Brandstater was cut and signed to the practice squad in early September while Painter retained his job Peyton Manning's clipboard holder and personal Gatorade boy.
The Colts gave no reason for the odd move, other than to say that they 'never felt bad' about Curtis Painter as the back-up. Just oozes of confidence in the guy, doesn't it?
I guess when you factor in that Peyton Manning has never missed a start in his thirteen year career, the need for a strong back-up quarterback on this roster is not great. However, one of the things the Colts like to sell to players and fans is this notion that, if you play and practice well, you will have an opportunity to win a roster spot. When you take one look at the Brandstater v. Painter 'competition' this past pre-season, what the Colts are selling is, quite simply, not true. Maybe it was at one point, but not under Jim Caldwell's regime.
Anthony Gonzalez has a story or two on this bogus 'competition' sentiment as well.
Brandstater is a good kid and shows some ability to play in this league. While known scrubs like Trent Edwards are able to find homes on NFL rosters, one would have to assume a solid prospect like Brandstater could land somewhere.
One thing I do know is that when the Colts complain that they cannot find a quality back-up QB because 'no one wants to play behind Peyton,' please note that such excuses are a load of bull. Tom Brandstater was a quality back-up for this team; or, at the very least, of higher quality than Curtis Painter.
73 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
What worries me
is that the Colts constantly say “next man up.” If the unthinkable happens, wouldn’t they want more options, rather than fewer, of wo could run that offense? I know it’s not complex, but it seems to rely heavily on smarts and good reads. More puzzling is that I think the Colts now have 2 spots on the PS… they didn’t add anyone after bringing up White.
How can you not love a team that does this?
by LovinBlue on Sep 29, 2010 10:26 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Why does the Gonzo story have to be brought back in this story?
Gonzo has yet to prove why he should be starting for the Colts.
He complained about a lack of opportunity. When opportunity struck in week 1 all he did was make a catch and then return to the sideline with an injury. That does not bode well for arguement that he should start.
6-2, 185
Gonzo bashing is gay...
So is Sanders bashing….
Can’t wait for both of em to get healthy and help lead us to a Superbowl so we can all shut the fuck up about their injuries already…
If the dead horse had a doppleganger, it would be hanging on to it’s life by a thread right now…
"I’m very fast. I’m like Forest Gump except... I am not an idiot." - Michael Scott
Didn't almost every QB always perform better than Sorgi in preseason games too?
We all complained about Sorgi when he was here, yet people love to hate Painter even more and forget to mention how terrible Sorgi looked when he was our primary backup. Good luck to Brandstater, but let us remember the Colts were the only team to put in a waiver claim for him when he was released by Denver in the offseason and that’s when clubs have 80 roster spots, not 61 (active and PS).
I would buy that we just want 2 more LBs ready to go and we could see him return. Let’s wait and see before we get our panties in a bunch.
Go Painter! Go Horse!
Hugely disagree
Painter looks bad regardless of who’s in the game….. Sorgi looked bad often because he had the 2nd/3rd string WR’s and what have you…
by DevilsReject on Sep 29, 2010 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
WHAT?
That doesn’t even make sense. When Painters in the game, who has he played with? Let see…
2nd/3rd string WR’s and what have you
by GoHorse88 on Sep 29, 2010 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Really?
Because I’ve seen Painter play with better talent on the field than Brandstater and he stuck up the joint….. even last year in the Jets game, we could have punted on first down and gained more yards than he did….
And while I am by no means a talent evaluator, I did spend over 5 years playing football, almost all of it on the defensive side of the ball. Painter looks like a 3rd string bench warmer…..
by DevilsReject on Sep 29, 2010 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions
This must make you an NFL GM.....
or at least a top rate NFL Scout or some sort.
5 years of playing a sport is always grounds for top rate professional talent evaluation.
6-2, 185
Considering
That some of these guys have never played a snap of football, yeah I’d be as good as some of these guys…
All I’m saying is that I’ve got enough experience seeing offensive players to say that I think he looks like crap. He wasn’t highly touted in college, and definitely wasn’t in the pros….
by DevilsReject on Sep 29, 2010 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Tom Brady
As much as I hate Tom Brady he wasn’t highly touted in college, but he turned out pretty good for his franchise.
6-2, 185
Nope...
He battled Drew Henson to become the starter to replace Brian Griese as a QB…..and his teams only went like 20-5 as a starter…
The point is that Brady was viewed favorably…..and he played in the Big Ten which got him some exposure…
As for Painter, the guy was benched his senior year because he sucked that badly..
by DevilsReject on Sep 30, 2010 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions
By the way...
Hate to be a jerk, but let us remember Polian is a better talent evaluator than anyone on this blog…even the head writer.
by GoHorse88 on Sep 29, 2010 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
No one needs
some big shot gm/president telling them who is a better qb. It was clear in pre-season who the better qb was and obviously these Purdue homers can’t see that. It’s ok though cause if Peyton gets hurt Painter will go in and prove to all you idiots that he is not a capable qb. I guess that is what it is going to take for every one to understand that. We have the worst backup in the NFL. Period
am afraid this will be correct....
If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!
by Manning4ever on Sep 29, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Brandstater wouoldn't be capable either.
And is Bill Polian a Purdue homer? Oh right, I forgot, he has his “pride” and “ego” on the line with a 6th round pick getting cut.
53% of statistics are made up on the spot.
And by the way....
I hardly agree with your statement of Polian being a better talent evaluator. Do you know me? Do you know Devils Reject? Do you know BigBlueShoe? Do you know any of the people that comment on the blog? Just because Polian has the job does not mean that he is better at it.
Polian has a team of personnel to do this exact task
I’m guessing you, on the other hand, do not. He has an entire workforce of men paid to evaluate football talent for their full-time jobs; you, on the other hand, watch them on TV and provide your opinions to a sports blog.
I’ll go with the red-headed guy in the suit, thank you.
you said it yourself
He has an entire workforce of men paid to evaluate football talent for their full-time jobs.
But yet everyone gives him all the credit. Strange world it is where 1 person can sit there and have everyone work for him but he gets the credit for finding talent.
Dude, that's how it works
People didn’t give Bill Clinton’s economic advisers credit for improving the economy; they gave it to Slick Willie. Hell, many people credit Chuck Noll for being such a great coach and winning all of those Super Bowls, but it was his coaching staff who did most of the work — he was just the guy in charge who arranged his team to be able to do it.
BP assembled the people capable of doing the work, and then he gets the credit for it. He & his team > you at evaluating talent. He gets credit for putting that together.
Ok, with that said, I’m done feeding the trolls.
Great argument
And you can’t say Reggie Wayne is a better receiver than me because you don’t know me. I run great routes, by the way. Just because Reggie has the job does not mean he is better at it than I am. Sorry, but talent usually rises to the top and Polian is regarded as one of the best talent evaluators in the game. I think I’d rather rely on him than you and BBS.
by CDECK on Sep 29, 2010 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
You may be a better WR than Reggie, but
you don’t know me.
CDECK may be better than Reggie, but Im better at WR than both of you. Since you don’t know me, none of you can prove me wrong.
6-2, 185
you
could be Andre Johnson trying to be heard on the Colts site. In that case you would be better than Reggie.
I could be Andre Johnson,
or I could be better than Andre Johnson.
You don’t know who I am, but I will let you know this, I am better WR than Reggie Wayne.
6-2, 185
ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS???
Just because Polian has the job does not mean that he is better at it.
Yeah I might be better at writing Harry Potter books than J.K. Rowling, but too bad she has the job.
Take off your armchair G.M. hat and get a clue. You’re living in a fantasy world my friend.
P.S. I apologize in advance for my language but I felt the need to capture my exact thoughts after reading a post that was so asinine.
by TrustInPolian on Sep 29, 2010 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Why would you say that?
True, he’s made some good acquisitions, but the lack of a quality back-up QB in Indy, year after year, creates a good argument that maybe he isn’t a better talent evaluator. He was just lucky enough to get the job with the Colts and he was lucky enough to have first choice in the draft to get Manning.
agreed.... and Polian is human...he makes mistakes ALL the time... just that we dont know
no matter where Brandy goes, what he needs is just a chance to really play… if he has the chance like some scumbags in the NFL has, he will shine!! I guarantee you that… much like his whole college high school careers – he just needs a chance! Maybe he will catch onto something better now. Who knows?? But saying Polian does not make mistakes is plainly wrong. oh, he just back tracked on something he said?? right? and, he “loves” kyle Orton….Source (colts.com interview before the Broncos game) hmm…..
From what little I saw Brandy on film in games, he was the game holding the clipboard analyzing the plays, not Painter. He tried to listened in as many plays as possible and wouldn’t impede anybody (one shot he was backpaddling when Clyde our OC walked backwards away from the crowd.)
I hope he will be back after these roster moves. I also hope he can be activated for the last game or so….. he has great potential…. just need a team to take a chance on him.
If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!
by Manning4ever on Sep 29, 2010 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
I hope so too
Brandy looked amazing in what limited scope he had in the offensive scheme…..
And let’s not forget….. Steve Young, Kyle Orton, Tom Brady, and even Romo were all backups who could not supplant starters at one point in their careers. Everything I’ve seen on film on Brandy screams quality QB……
I watched Painter look like a lost child at Purdue, how would he get any better in the pros?
by DevilsReject on Sep 29, 2010 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Why is everyone refering to Brandister like he is the next coming of Dan Marino?
The man was a quality QB in a quality non-BCS program in college.
He was a late round draft choice that was deemed expendable after 1 year by the team that drafted him. I know that McDaniels seems in over his in the personel portion of his job, but this should still mean something.
On his second team in the NFL Brandister was deemed expendable enough by a successful franchise and GM to allowed to be cut and passed through waivers to the practice squad and then eventually released.
I havent heard nor followed whether or not anyone has claimed him on waivers after the Colts released him, but I didn’t hear a mad scrambled of people trying to pick him up either.
I agree that Brandister seems to have some potiental, but he has never blown me away on the field.
So if now 2 organizations have decided to release him maybe there is a valid reason to do so. Maybe is a locker room cancer? Maybe he has a bad attitude? Maybe he doesn’t want to put the time in on the film study portion of the job? Maybe he is constantly late to team meetings or practice?
I doubt all or any of the ideas would apply to Brandister. Im just saying alot people talk like this is all in a vacuum of what is purely taking place on the field. There is alot of behind the scenes work going on that we know nothing about, yet everyone wants to be a player expert.
6-2, 185
by brown11b on Sep 29, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Your post explains it all....
1.) He played in a NON BCS school so instantly he must be a second tier QB (the way it seems to go ala Pierre Garcon).
2.) He went to a team that trades away Jay Cutler, gets Kyle Orton, trades for Brady Quinn, and drafts Tim Tebow…..enough said…
3.) He was picked up by a team with one of the two best QB’s in all of football
4.) He went to a team who is currently missing a few players due to injuries and needed to free up a spot to fill those slots.
Ultimately, it’s a case of numbers against Brandy…..and I personally still think that Painter should be the one to go…..
by DevilsReject on Sep 29, 2010 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I never said he was a second tier QB
I was just stating a fact.
I even said he was a quality QB on a quality team.
I’m not sure how the flow chart works to get from A to B when saying someone is a quality member of a quality team means they are a second tier QB.
I think the problem with this whole question is that people are now emotionally invested in the Painter vs. Brandstater arguement.
The comment has been made throughout this forum that what we continue to argue about is which backup QB the Colts should keep is a good problem to have. Around half of the NFL teams’ fans argue about who the starting QB should be.
6-2, 185
I was
agreeing with you. You illustrated very good points, but I qualified them. He was let go for reasons that had nothing to do with his playing ability…
by DevilsReject on Sep 29, 2010 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Let's not forget
that picking Manning was not a no-brainer in the minds of many “experts.” Some GM’s had Leaf at the top of their board. Then he picked James or Ricky Williams the following year, which shocked everyone. He then picked Freeney 11th overall in 2002, which everyone thought was dumb. I am going to go ahead and say he is a better talent evaluator then anyone on this board.
by boothman11 on Sep 29, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
COmmon old argumen. Manning makes the decision EASY!
any GM with half a brain AFTER the interviews should know who to pick. Before those interviews, they look at numbers and objective facts, Leaf skewed the scale a bit. Just like if you dont know a person just looking at his numbers (like you and some others at Polian), will think Polian is a better GM… hahaa
If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!
by Manning4ever on Sep 29, 2010 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Good job ignoring most of his post.
He mentioned more than manning vs leaf. No one would have thought James would’ve been better than Williams, or Freenet was worth an 11th overall pick. Heck, I remember hearing people complain when he took reggie in the first round.
You’re also ignoring his success with undrafted and later round picks. Bracket and Bethea… undrafted and 6th round to mention a couple. Maybe manning was an obvious choice, but the others definitely weren’t. But hey. You’re obviously so knowledgeable that you would have made those picks. Oh wait.
by WaynesWorld on Sep 29, 2010 1:06 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Williams and James....
Something is seriously wrong in your head if you think James was a better back than Edge. One of them is still playing and and contributing. If Ricky Williams hadn’t decided weed was more important than football would of been one of the best backs of all time. He would of killed Edge’s numbers and more than likely would of competed with LT as the greatest back the past decade. Edge was great for our team but you also have to remember how everyone played us with Marvin stretching the field.
Weed is the reason Williams is playing football.
Williams basically has missed 4.5 seasons due to drugs and injury. That has saved his body alot of hits.
Also for the pasted couple of years with Miami its not like Ricky has been the feature back for them.
6-2, 185
I never said James was more talented than Williams. I stated he was better, mainly referring to the years he was with the colts, and i’ll stand by that. Look at the numbers while he was active on the colts. Then look at Williams’ numbers from the same period. I’d rather have a good, productive back then a guy who’s suspended half the time. I wasn’t trying to get into an edge vs Williams fight… I was providing an example of intelligent drafting by Polian.
by WaynesWorld on Sep 29, 2010 2:32 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
You are ignoring Polian's past success.
By saying Polian gets love only because he picked Manning #1 overall. History is full of great QB’s that never won a Super Bowl, so a great QB does not make a Super Bowl a guarantee.
Also Polian has had great success elsewhere.
In Canada Polian built 2 CFL Grey Cup winners while working for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Montreal Alouettes.
In 1986 Polian took over the 2-14 Bills. It only took him 4 years to build a team that reached the Super Bowl 4 straight years. In the 16 years since Polian left the Bills they have only had 5 years with winning records(one of which is a 9-7 year).
With the Carolina Panthers it only took Polian 2 years to build a team that went to the NFC Championship game. In the 14 years since Polian left the Carolina Panthers they have had only 3 years with winning records(2003, 2005, 2008).
Even ignoring the success the Colts have had under Polian because he got lucky enough to draft the Greatest QB of all time Polian would still has put together a pretty good resume that says he is a good GM
6-2, 185
Here we go again. I could not care less who the backup QB is. If it matters, than we are a sub-500 team anyway whether is’s Painter or Brandstater. I cannot understand why you are spending so much of your effort on this. As a former auditor, I am beginning to think that you have some connection to Brandstater you are not telling us about.
by boothman11 on Sep 29, 2010 11:03 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Well put, minus the conspiracy theory at the end
The Colts backup QB does not play a single freaking meaningful snap. It doesn’t matter if it’s Curtis Painter, Brandstater, or Jar Jar Binks — if Manning goes down, they’d all likely lose. Unless they have some sort of secret-handshake deal with Jeff Garcia or Kurt Warner to sign with the team if something like that happens, it doesn’t matter who our clipboard holder is.
I like the idea of having Jar Jar Binks on the roster
Instead of a fivehead we’d have a five…neck?
How can you not love a team that does this?
Binks is unavailable to be the Colts' backup QB
Apparently he already plays a different sort of football.
6-2, 185
It's common sense,
you pick the better of the two, and Polian didn’t do that.
Pick the better QB?
Pick the better what of the two? The better physically-gifted quarterback? In that case, I agree that Polian didn’t do that. But who’s to say that he didn’t pick the person who can, from the sidelines, provide the best insight? Maybe Painter buckles under pressure, but he has a high football IQ and can give Manning the best information from his perspective to help him adjust his gameplan. Maybe he sees trends and habits from the opponent’s defense that Brandstater and the Colts staff cannot. Maybe it goes beyond having an emergency backup, and Painter is there instead of Brandstater simply because he can provide more assistance now while Manning is in the game, which is really all they are hoping to accomplish anyway.
Do I know this is a fact? Of course not; I agree Brandstater was the better quarterback on the field, but there’s no way of telling whether Painter was kept around because Polian has a man-crush on him, or if he prefers him for reasons beyond what he can accomplish in the game.
how do you know brandy may not win some games for us??
Painter showed us he couldn’t. Brandy so far showed us that he had a better chance of winning something for us. This is a fact. We don’t know of the Colts’ logic in Backup QB. But saying that brandy will just lose us games much like Painter did is unfair. He actually may fight and scratch and run and do whatever he can to win. If he was given the chance to play in games like Painter did and still performed as badly, then your statement may be true.
If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!
by Manning4ever on Sep 29, 2010 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions
If anyone thinks that Painter’s game and a half of regular season football last year is how he is going to play after another season under his belt and with the best talent around him the colts have to offer then you are crazy. Remember that poor OL play cause that fumble last year. He hasn’t played with all of our first stringers yet, as it should be. Brandy might eventually be the better of the two in our system, but this year, they both would win the same amount of games: not enough. Painter will not lead us to the playoffs and neither would Brandy.
Honestly, this may be a stroke of genius on BP’s part: if the unspeakable happened, we can tank the season and get a better pick to stack our roster again
by TrueColtsFan on Sep 29, 2010 12:49 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
If this is all we have to complain about
then Polian is the greatest GM in the history of football. I just do not understand 1) why anyone cares or 2) why anyone thinks they know more than Bill Polian. Is your football team better than his football team? Are your 6 Executive of the Year awards better than his? just wondering…
by boothman11 on Sep 29, 2010 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
well...he is God almighty as far as some of you think.
he is not the best. honestly, the one who is running the Chiefs may be the best. check him out when you have the chance.
If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!
by Manning4ever on Sep 29, 2010 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Well when all we have to complain about
is his decision for backup QB, then that pretty much seals his awesomeness. But, as they say, “Haters gonna hate.”
yeah, same with you... enjoy using that phrase whenever you can.
If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!
by Manning4ever on Sep 29, 2010 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions
It's not hating.....
it’s looking at things objectively. We’ll never know the answer to this question, but I wonder how all the other team presidents would have done over the past 12 years if they were fortunate enough to have the ‘one and only’ great Peyton Manning directly their offense. More than one superbowl, perhaps? We’ll never know, will we? Anyway, it’s food for thought.
IF
Peyton had of landed on lets say the Patriots team they would still be winning titles.
btw, those awards are all good. They dont necessarily mean nothing is wrong with Polian.
see “Heisman”??
If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!
by Manning4ever on Sep 29, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Who cares?
Peyton is healthy, we are starting to get hot, we get to whoop up on the Jags in 3 days and Revenge vs. the Texans is just a little over a month away…clearly we’ve won a bazillion games over the past decade…Polian is fine, everyone is fine…The End.
"I’m very fast. I’m like Forest Gump except... I am not an idiot." - Michael Scott
by Z.Pain on Sep 29, 2010 12:03 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Peyton is healthy?
What the hell kind of irresponsible comment is that? Perhaps you don’t know WHAT"S REALLY GOING ON!
"Hey, quit callin' the f@&%in' plays, alright?...When we call pass plays, BLOCK!" - #18
by EVLGNUS on Sep 29, 2010 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
REPLY FAIL -- I guess it's kind if anti-climactic...
when the link doesn’t show up. Please return to your reguarly scheduled ranting.
"Hey, quit callin' the f@&%in' plays, alright?...When we call pass plays, BLOCK!" - #18
LOL...
A link? But whatever do you mean EVLGNUS? I got it dude…“A” for Effort.
Your tag is frickin money…I remember watching that game vs. the Rams and eating about 50 wings..they were 10 cent wings…when I saw P yelling at 5 very large men and Glenn stand up to tell em to sit his ass down, I coughed up hot buffalo sauce.
"I’m very fast. I’m like Forest Gump except... I am not an idiot." - Michael Scott
One of these days
I’ll figure out these new fangled computer things. Yeah, that was a great moment in sports. Tempers, they were a flarin’. Can’t wait to see what it looks like after NFL Films slows it down and ads some bad-ass martial music! LOL
"Hey, quit callin' the f@&%in' plays, alright?...When we call pass plays, BLOCK!" - #18
No doubt...
I thank God everyday that Saturday doesn’t have a temper, cuz that woulda got ugly real fast! And man, how awesome would it be to have Glenn at LT in this offense? Oh well….
"I’m very fast. I’m like Forest Gump except... I am not an idiot." - Michael Scott
Yeah, really looking forward to Nov 1 Texans vs Colts. Supra revenge at LOS.
BEST OF LUCK to Tom Brandstater. Here’s hoping and praying you get a spot on another teams roster.
Give it up
He’s not even good enough to hold down a practice squad spot. He got cut without them even needing a spot for someone else.
But yeah, it’s a mistake not having him on the active roster.
Cookie Cookie Cookie starts with C!
by willyduer on Sep 29, 2010 1:34 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Practice squads. Which any team in the NFL can raid for their roster at any time.
Yet, nobody wanted him for their roster. And, the Colts figure they could have better players than him on their practice squad.
I wish Brandstater the best, but this thing has been blown completely out of proportion.
53% of statistics are made up on the spot.
Brandy
had 4 tds and 4 came in a game where everyone he played against was cut…
correction THREE came against players that were cut...
and more than likely the 4th one was also.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Stampede Blue
Related FanShots on Stampede Blue
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
- UPDATE: Charlie Sheen didn’t buy Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl ring
- Alex Smith gets blown up by Jon Beason over Cam Newton comments
