Boy the Colts sure could use some luck…or should I capitalize that last word? The topic is impossible to avoid. Many scouts out there say that the Stanford quarterback (what’s his name again?) should be taken number one overall regardless of the team in that position. That means whether it be the St. Louis Rams, New England Patriots, or even the Indianapolis Colts.
[caption id="attachment_372" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Is this guy crazy?"]
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ESPN’s Herm Edwards even went as far as to say the Colts should trade, that’s right, TRADE Peyton Manning and rebuild around Andrew Luck. It sounds absurd, I know. Of course, owner Jim Irsay hasn’t helped quell the talks by saying he would at least consider it. As for the rest of the Indy crew, they are keeping quiet on the topic. Peyton Manning came out of hiding recently saying he has no timetable for a return but if he had the opportunity to play this season, he would like to take it, despite some others’ concerns it only makes him vulnerable to unnecessary risks. He still has not been put on IR by Colts management, which does leave him available should the doctors clear him to play. When asked about Luck, he acknowledged the question but said he would not discuss it. Is it an insult to draft a QB? One would think not, unless for some reason the Colts are under the sick delusion that they should play the rookie right away.
[caption id="attachment_373" align="alignleft" width="260" caption="Manning could take Luck under his wing"]
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But why not get Luck? This move 1) secures the future of the franchise 2) gives the Colts a big upgrade at the backup quarterback position and 3) gives Luck a chance to sit and learn from the best of the game for a couple of years. Is anyone arguing it hurt Aaron Rodgers to sit for a couple years behind gunslinger Brett Favre? I highly doubt it. Of course, no one can say Indianapolis will have the number one pick. But let’s be honest, it is looking more and more like a possibility. You could even go as far as to say if they don’t have it, trade up for it with some other picks or a player. It is now without a doubt proven how invaluable Manning is to the Colts. Fans could rest much easier knowing that their season isn’t lost should #18 go down again with Luck in the shadows.
That brings us to the last topic, and that is the remainder of the season. Just how likely is it the Colts get the number one pick? Or dare I even mutter the word, winless? Here are all the teams in the running for the number one pick. I’ll briefly comment on the possibility of them wanting Luck and what I think they should do.
- Panthers (2-6): No way they want Luck. They have Can-Can Cam. Frankly, I’ll be shocked if they don’t win around 3 to 5 more games by season’s end. But should they get that pick, again, they won’t pull the trigger on Luck.
- And I would agree. Cam has been a very pleasant surprise and I’m really excited to see what he does in the future.
- Jaguars (2-6): Having just got Blaine Gabbert, it would be shocking if the Jags would take Luck with the first pick. They just wrapped up a great deal of money in Gabbert and throwing it away would look very bad.
- Would I do it? Yes. I’ve personally watched Gabbert for his entire college career and was never convinced this guy had what it took. Not to say he was bad. He did some impressive things at Missouri. But during the course of the season, he has actually appeared to get worse and is showing no signs of saving Jacksonville’s season. Forget what people might say and the money you wasted. A little bit of Luck can change everything for this team.
- Seahawks (2-5): They would have to get Luck at number one. It isn’t even a question. Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst are not franchise quarterbacks by any stretch of the imagination. Pete Carroll has worked with some great quarterbacks at USC. He would be drooling with Luck on his side.
- How they got wins is something I have trouble answering so go ahead and grab Luck. I wouldn’t hesitate.
- Broncos (2-5): Tebow, Tebow, Tebow…You want to root for him but it becomes hard when he provides little spark to the Broncos offense. John Fox might go under criticism for getting Luck if he could, but how can John Elway deny someone from his alma mater? After going back and forth with it, the Denver staff and management would all come to the consensus that there is no other choice. Get Luck and don’t look back. Maybe the Tebow era just isn’t fit for the mile-high city.
- Yes, shut up the critics about starting Tebow by grabbing what is as close to a sure thing as you can get. Put Tebow and the misery behind you. But give Tebow some dignity. After all, John Fox put him in the situation. Tebow shouldn’t be the scapegoat.
- St. Louis Rams (1-6): The Rams need some luck, but note the lower case. Sam Bradford is around so there is no need to go after another young QB. Bradford has a bright future in St. Louis. This year just isn’t it for Spags and the gang.
- Nothing much else to say. Except if they get the number one pick, they should trade down and give it to some other team for a very high price.
- Cardinals (1-6): Kevin Kolb hasn’t been the savior Arizona has been hoping for. Although it isn’t just his fault. This team needs help all around. What better way to start than by drafting the Stanford prodigy? They could question it but there isn’t enough there to go another direction.
- Andrew Luck drops back…looks left…looks right…and finds Larry Fitzgerald for a 43-yard touchdown! It sounds nice, right? I’m taking Luck here.
- Dolphins (0-7): Ah, yes. The Colts’ main competition for that top draft pick. It’s not as if Chad Henne was piss poor for them. But honestly, Luck vs. Henne, not really close. If Tony Sparano sticks around long enough to get a say in a number one pick, I think he is saying, “Luck, save my job.”
- You really have to do this to compete in the division. With the likes of Fitzpatrick, Sanchez, and of course, Tom Brady, you aren’t going to last much longer without a great quarterback. But even with Luck, the Dolphins still need to fit other holes to do a complete 180 next year.
As for the Colts, the remaining schedule has a couple more spots where a win could come for them. Next week doesn’t look promising against Atlanta. In fact, only the division games really provide hope for Indy fans. They still have two games with Jacksonville and games against Houston and Tennessee. The Colts have played competitive in most of their games (let’s just ignore the Saints game). But due to injuries and lack of overall depth, the Colts literally just cannot match up talent wise.
[caption id="attachment_374" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Not a great time to be a Colts fan"]
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It makes the team hard to watch, with the struggles they have had this season. If people want a prediction, then it’d be tough to say this team wins anymore than two games. They certainly will have at least a top three draft pick. Should they not get Luck, that high draft pick along with Manning’s return could make for biggest turnaround in NFL history. No one is waiting more for next year than the city of Indianapolis, with or without drafting Andrew Luck.
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