Pat Curtis

What we need is a few QB hungry teams to trade up in front of us, and I'm hoping a couple do. Also teams trading up to grab OT's. Either we get a stud at 15 or (most likely) trade back 5-8 spots and still land a great talent. BUT...just one time I'd like to see Ballard get aggressive and trade up to get a top WR. Then spend that extra cap space on a FA DB/Safety. The rest of the draft picks remaining he can fill the roster with RAS super stars or trade down....I don't really care.

Before we signed Raekwon Davis (and re-signed Tyquan), I thought we'd go DT in the 1st round. The Dline looked like cheeks when Grover was out...and we all know Ballard likes his trench guys. I think having those guys in the room with everyone else returning gives the team the green light to go after other positions IMO. I think Bowers and Mitchell are gone right before we pick. With tons of freak athletic 1st round talent grades on several premium positions, I think there's a great potential for a trade down and still acquire a highly rated guy and pick up extra picks. The DB from Iowa or Alabama, or the smaller WR from Texas. With that said, I can see Ballard going DE to shock us all. If Dallas Turner falls with all of the QB's, OT's, and WR's dominating top 10....Ballard would be drooling for him.

He'll more than likely sign a 1 year deal with a team...then get cut in camp. IMO...his body is done.

Last year it was awful. With such a high pick I'm surprised there wasn't more to it. I really look forward to this series as I enjoy the actual day to day workings of everyone.

Overall the current roster going forward is strong. QB, Oline, WR, TE, RB, DL, LB, P/K....all set. A winning season with a backup QB 80% of the games and nearly every CB either hurt/cut/suspended will be enough to bring Ballard and his scouting staff back. Things to do moving forward: -Fire Gus Bradley (FGB) -Get AR healthy -Resign our key Free Agents -Be aggressive to fill holes in Free Agency. We have decent cap space. Don't rely solely on the draft. -BPA in the draft round 1. Defense with a lot of our picks.

"Splash plays". It makes (some) people forget how bad the defense has been overall.

This. I think a caller to the post game show on the radio a few seasons ago (no...not "Barb" lol) asked the same question. Short answer is simply DL and LB's today are all blazing fast athletes. A telegraphed handoff to the perimeter is going to result in a lot of TFL situations.

If the Colts do go in a different direction at DC I'll just assume we'll use the same basic 4 down lineman setup. What I do not want to see is a complete overhaul to a Hybrid system which will take several drafts to acquire the body type for that defense. I think we can all agree on that. Pass rush, if not consistent from the front 4, needs to be manufactured by blitzes. IMO we have Speed and Franklin who are both solid when they've come in on blitzes. Moore II off the slot was Eberflus's go-to for a blind side sack. I've only noticed him coming in a few times this season (not to mention last season Bradley grossly misused him). I'd really like to see Nick Cross use that speed and athleticism and go after the QB a few times.

AP is a 3rd option on his best day. He can block and stretch the field with minimal separation on any route. Ballard and staff need to realize his ceiling is not as high as hoped. High motor but limited physical ability.

I like Ballard and I agree his misses in FA and the draft have handcuffed the coaches on both sides of the ball to some extent. Scheme-wise, the Offense has the capability of being tier 1 when fully healthy. Bradley's conservative scheme however, even if we had better DB play and fully healthy....peaks in the lower half of the league IMO because he does not adjust effectively in-game. Personally I'd like to see a more aggressive coordinator, or at least one that can match up better to today's offensive minds. BPA on Defense in April and throw some cash at a some impact Defensive positions (Taven Bryan as a backup DT has killed us numerous times) would go a long ways with a new coordinator who can make adjustments and scheme effectively.

Zero adjustments. Zero creativity. Vanilla preseason looks every snap. Cover 3 wasn't working early in the year so Bradley dumbed it down to running primarily Quarters. Any mildly accurate QB just picks this D apart. Today was especially bad from the missed tackles and non-existent pass rush.

Even with some heavy hitters in dead cap space the last couple of years, the team is still healthy in that department. That is one area that Ballard and the front office guys have done a fantastic job managing in respect to some horrible contracts. In terms of next year's Oline, I can see both Kelly and Smith coming back (especially Smith). Freeland getting stronger in the offseason would pay huge dividends next year. I want BPA in the draft but would rather see the top 3 rounds used on DB/DT/WR. I think our scouts do a great job at finding athletic offensive lineman that can play if needed.

I'd rather see Nelson not get flat smoked every game at his natural position than see him at FB/HB/anywhere else. He's solid but....for the money he's making he gets embarrassed far too often.

I was going to ask about this. Does Steichen like a vanilla Cover 3? Does Ballard? A Jim Schwartz type of defense is my personal favorite.

Rick Venturi said it years ago. Leonard makes his living off of "splash plays" which then makes everyone forget his missed tackles and blown assignments. Without the splash plays now and coupled with his mega-contract, his days are numbered. The lack of speed and explosive quickness he had during his rookie contract amplifies the bad play now.