M3, a young team, & the playoffs

[VegasPackFan]

It will be interesting to see how M3 handles the playoff pressure this year with a young team. Playoff football can be very different than regular season play - especially with the "one and done" pressure of making the right play calls, schemes, etc.

There is NO "getting it fixed next week" in the playoffs.

All hype aside, do you think he can raise it up another level this year with this young team? Or will it just become a great learning experience for a potential run next year?

Of course, I am hopeful that we go all the way!

[coolman3]

I think the Colts had the second youngest team last season when they won the Super Bowl.

Proponents of those who favor drafting for needs in the early rounds like to point to Polan as an example.

When the Colts need a wr opposite Harrison, Polian drafted Wayne; when they need a te, Polian drafted Clark; when they need a DE, Polian drafted Freeny; need a saftey, Polian drafted Sanders, etc

Ted Thompson, based on what I've seen, is just the opposite--preferring to draft the best player available regardless of position.

I'm not a Colt fan, but Polian has turned the once woeful Colts into a constant Super Bowl contender.

[sepporepi]

Darfting for need is fine, as long as you hit on your "reaches".

Polian did.

[MadtownPacker]

The way I see it the need to win the home game and get to the NFC title game. Everything after that is gravy.

[Brohm]

The way I see it the need to win the home game and get to the NFC title game. Everything after that is gravy.

I agree. We need to re-establish our "home-field advantage" in the playoffs and wipe away the stain of the Atlanta and Minnesota losses at home. I hope we destroy whomever comes to Lambeau on the 12th.

Then the NFC Championship.

[MadtownPacker]

Yes, the Lambeau mystic has been seriously tainted since vick da lowlife won on holy ground in '02. That has to be reversed.

[Scott Campbell]

They get this week to work on problems in our game. They get next week to game plan for the opponent. I like our chances.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I think the Colts had the second youngest team last season when they won the Super Bowl.
Colts had a much more experienced coaching staff with more cohesion than the Packers do. Not saying it's not possible for us to win, but there are some big differences between the two teams.

Hopefully MM doesn't coach like he did against Dallas and try and get cute with the gameplan. Go with the plan that has worked this season. Short passes, timely runs, go deep when it's set up properly.

The NFC doesn't scare me in the least, we can beat any of the teams in our conference. We have more than enough talent to win, it's the coaching that I believe will be our downfall if anything. MM has done a COY worthy job this season, but he is only in his 2nd year as a HC. Hopefully he doesn't freeze in the playoff lights.

[vince]

I think the Colts had the second youngest team last season when they won the Super Bowl.

Proponents of those who favor drafting for needs in the early rounds like to point to Polan as an example.

When the Colts need a wr opposite Harrison, Polian drafted Wayne; when they need a te, Polian drafted Clark; when they need a DE, Polian drafted Freeny; need a saftey, Polian drafted Sanders, etc

Ted Thompson, based on what I've seen, is just the opposite--preferring to draft the best player available regardless of position.

I'm not a Colt fan, but Polian has turned the once woeful Colts into a constant Super Bowl contender.
Polian is a great case study, as the Colts have obviously had a lot of success since he came onboard and immediately drafted Peyton Manning in 1998. However, the facts contradict your assessment of Polian's overall approach to building a team.

1. Polian does NOT draft exclusively on need. Rather, like Thompson, he tends to draft based on a combination of BPA and need.
The fact that he's been ultimately successful in the draft with the players you cited doesn't mean that those players filled positions of need at the time.

In 2003, he drafted Dallas Clark in the first round despite having one of the most productive tight ends in the league at the time in Marcus Pollard. In fact, from 2001 to 2003, Pollard caught more passes each year than Dallas Clark ever has until this year. TE was not a position of need when the Colts drafted Dallas Clark - and that selection has turned out to be a good one.

When Reggie Wayne was drafted in 2000, the team had a very productive offense and a weak defense. Their needs were clearly on defense. Polian took what he deemed BPA, and it's turned out well. Here's a quote about the selection from Wikipedia.

Following the 2000 season, it became clear that the Colts needed to focus on defense as their offense was very productive. Polian opted instead to draft WR Reggie Wayne with their first pick in the '01 draft. Although this choice was infurating to some Colt fans at the time (most people felt the team needed more defense), Wayne has gone on to become one of the premier receivers in the league, complementing Marvin Harrison in an already potent offense.

2. Polian focuses on having a great scouting system, drafting a lot of players and building through the draft, being particularly successful in the later rounds and through low budget free agents.

Here's another quote from Wikipedia.

Free Agency
Despite his penchant for quality drafts, the key to the Colts success may come from Polian's ability to sign free agents, specifically undrafted rookie free agents who would become key contributors. Under Polian's watch, the Colts have signed undrafted or waived rookies such as Jeff Saturday, Dominic Rhodes, Terrence Wilkins, Raheem Brock, James Mungro, Gary Brackett, Ben Utecht, and Ryan Lilja. Polian also signed Nick Harper and Mike Vanderjagt as free agents from the Canadian Football League. Polian has rarely signed established free agents away from other teams through big money contracts.

The Colts have 19 rookies and first year players this year, 12 of which were undrafted signings. 7 new players this year were drafted. Also, of the 53 players on the current roster, only 13 were drafted in the first three rounds. 39 players were drafted in the fourth round or later, were undrafted free agents or picked up on the waiver wire.

3. While Polian does not dip much into the big name, big money free agent game, he will dip his feet in the water. Instead, he prefers to sign and keep his existing quality players.

The only unrestricted free agent signing on the 53 man roster is Adam Viniatieri.

While Polian enjoyed the quickest turnaround in league history in 1999, going from 3-13 to 13-3, he has enjoyed lasting success by adhering to the same principles that Ted Thompson has, who also has enjoyed a very quick turnaround. It appears that Ted Thompson has been studying the successful GM's and has learned well from them.

[Patler]

Sometimes I think they all draft for need, the difference is that some look for a player at the one position of greatest need while others are willing to take the best player available at one of the 2 or 3 positions of greatest need.

Many fans have pointed to Rodgers as not a "need" pick. I think it clearly was. QB had been identified as one area of greatest need for GB for several years by draft people and even by the team. Sherman openly mentioned it. Favre was ambivalent about returning, and the team had no one ready to take over. Had TT known that Favre would play through 2007 and likely into 2008 he may have passed on Rodgers, but indications at the time were that a replacement would be needed sooner rather than later, and there might not be a lot of time to get him ready to play. It turned out not to be a need pick, but at the time I think it was.

Clearly Hawk was at a position of need.

I don't think it was it just a coincidence that the "best players available" in the second round the last three drafts happened to be a safety and a WR in 2005, a guard and WR in 2006 and a runningback in 2007. These were all areas of greatest need for GB in those years.

It wasn't just a coincidence that in the middle rounds the best available players happened to be more players projected as guards and safeties rather than tackles and cornerbacks, or that they happened to be potential return specialists. Again, all were areas of need.

Harrell is about the only one of the higher draft picks that is difficult to explain based on need, but that may be because we see the needs of the team differently than TT does.

[4and12to12and4]

Sometimes I think they all draft for need, the difference is that some look for a player at the one position of greatest need while others are willing to take the best player available at one of the 2 or 3 positions of greatest need.

Many fans have pointed to Rodgers as not a "need" pick. I think it clearly was. QB had been identified as one area of greatest need for GB for several years by draft people and even by the team. Sherman openly mentioned it. Favre was ambivalent about returning, and the team had no one ready to take over. Had TT known that Favre would play through 2007 and likely into 2008 he may have passed on Rodgers, but indications at the time were that a replacement would be needed sooner rather than later, and there might not be a lot of time to get him ready to play. It turned out not to be a need pick, but at the time I think it was.

Clearly Hawk was at a position of need.

I don't think it was it just a coincidence that the "best players available" in the second round the last three drafts happened to be a safety and a WR in 2005, a guard and WR in 2006 and a runningback in 2007. These were all areas of greatest need for GB in those years.

It wasn't just a coincidence that in the middle rounds the best available players happened to be more players projected as guards and safeties rather than tackles and cornerbacks, or that they happened to be potential return specialists. Again, all were areas of need.

Harrell is about the only one of the higher draft picks that is difficult to explain based on need, but that may be because we see the needs of the team differently than TT does.

Excellent post. I agree completely. But, even with Harrell, there was really no one left that stood out at ANY position. And, he WAS needed based on the way we rotate in and out. I think it was talked about all along that this would be the plan so everyone would stay fresh. Most Packer fans wanted to draft a receiver, but nobody was good enough to go that high. There was only one receiver worthy of a 1st round selection IMO and he was long gone (see Detroit Lions). So, I think Harrell could be considered a "need" pick also.

[Bretsky]

As it turns out Dwayne Bowe and Reggie Nelson would certainly have been worthy of being selected there.

I'm fine though to see how Harrell Develops