Spring has Sprung…..Sort Of
I think we can all be forgiven if we’re still thinking that spring sports must still be far off because of the winter-like weather we’ve had recently. But baseball and soccer season are already upon us and the Masters Golf Tournament was recently played, with Brit Danny Willett upsetting Yankee hotshot Jordan Spieth and winning the green jacket. If the Masters has been completed, then spring is here sports fans — no matter how the weather is outside! We are also racing into the Indy Car season. NASCAR has already run eleven events. Major League Baseball is already seven games into the 2016 season. Here at home the Indy Eleven are two games into their spring season and are currently ranked sixth in the North American Soccer League with two draws to their credit, and the argument about building a state-of-the-art professional soccer stadium downtown rearing its head again. For the kids, Little League Baseball is in full swing, and soccer, lacrosse, and rugby teams playing their schedules. High schools are already into their various track and field, gymnastic, baseball, and golf seasons. We are nearly one third of the way into 2016 so if you are waiting for something to happen in the sports world, well, it is happening now.
Opening Night at the Vic
In what has become a rite of spring here at the Weekly View, the Boss and Yours Truly will be attending opening night at Victory Field to watch the Tribe take on the Columbus Clippers April 14, starting at 7:05 p.m. The first three games on the road in Columbus, Ohio had to be postponed due to bad weather, but the Indians split a double-header with the Clippers on Sunday to open the season. The Weekly View Sports Department will be on the opening night event like white on rice. PLAY BALL!
Colts in the 2016 NFL Draft
The National Football League’s draft of college football players is a bit less than three weeks away — April 28th through the 30th. Our Colts have the 18th pick of the first round, which is somewhat higher than the three previous years due to their 8-8 finish. They have six picks in seven rounds. The team traded their sixth round pick to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Sio Moore. The Colts do have both their first and second round choices. The offensive line would seem to take top priority, particularly the right tackle spot. This year’s draft class is deep in offensive tackle prospects. The Tennessee Titans have the first pick and are expected to select Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. If the Colts decide to go that route, then Ohio’s Taylor Decker or Michigan State’s Jack Conklin should be available. Either of the two Big Ten tackles could be plugged in at the right tackle spot that has given the Horseshoe offense so much trouble.
The Colts defense is in need of some serious help, particularly at linebacker. The Colts need some run stuffers at the insider linebacker spots and some pass rushers on the outside. It’s possible that the team might take an inside linebacker like Reggie Ragland of Alabama or Darren Lee of Ohio State. If edge rushers like Leonard Floyd of Georgia or Noah Spence are available when the Colts select, they will be given hard looks. If the Colts go defense with the first pick they will undoubtedly try to find an offensive tackle like Jason Spriggs of Indiana or Willie Beavers from Western Michigan with their second pick.
After hitting big in the 2012 draft, General Manager Ryan Grigson has not fared so well in subsequent drafts. Grigson’s number one pick in 2013 Bjorn Werner was cut this winter after washing out as a pass rusher. The Trent Richardson for a number one pick fiasco still looms large in Colt drafting history and there have not been any major successes in picks from 2013 on. Grigson will really have to make every pick count this year.
snicewanger@yahoo.com