Now that Payton is Payton again will the Colts win it all?

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In discussing the attempt to return to the game of Mike Vick, Payton Manning described the problems he had just by missing training camp last year due to an infection in his knee. He said it took him until the middle of the season to really get the timing and feel of the pocket back. The statistics prove it. Prior to game 9 Payton threw 9 ints and 10 TDs. From game 9 to the end of the season he threw 17 TDs and only 3 picks.

The Colts are just beginning to see their window to the Super Bowl start to close. Payton is 33. He is the key to the Colts offense. Two of his critical protectors are on the wrong side of 30 as well. All pro C Jeff Saturday is 34 and RT Ryan Diem is 33. WR Marvin Harrison is gone. The Colts will only go as far as their O takes them.

Payton is poised to have his typical MVP quality season. He will miss WR Harrison but has Reggie Wayne to run deep patterns and former 3rd WR Anthony Gonzalez and always reliable TE Dallas Clark to run underneath routes. The battle … Read more at FryingPanSports

Critical questions you must answer about a draft choice.

QB

By Bill Smith

The draft like life is based on rules. In both, it isn’t how much you know, or who you know that gives you the power to succeed. It is how much you know about who you know that gives you power.

The secrets to a GM keeping his job is simple—avoid draft busts and don’t trade the barn for someone else’s head cases. We will discuss trade theory later. Now I want to review the questions that scouts and GMs MUST ask about players before they take the plunge to draft them.

Because of the controversy about the Lions taking a QB or OL, today we will look at that position. We will look at critical questions on other positions later in the week.

Over the last 30 years, more QBs taken in the first 2 rounds have failed than have been at least serviceable. While a good number of those guys have gone to really bad teams, that does not explain the high rate of failure. As a HC or GM, you can survive a QB bust taken in round 3 or 4. You probably won’t survive a bust at QB taken in the first … Read more at FryingPanSports