Chris Ballard’s Strategy to Build a Team

[BlueShoe]

I believe we are going to see an immediate impact on how the Colts front office operates with Chris Ballard at the helm.

 

I have taken a lot of pride in carefully listening to Colts general managers, in the attempt to understand their philosophy of how to build a football team. Over the years, I have learned a great deal from the Colts general managers. I will admit that I started to tune Grigson out over this past season though. I lost faith in his vision.

 

During Chris Ballard's press conference, he said the words I have been longing to hear from a Colts General Manager.

 

"You win with the guys up front."

 

The Big Uglies will determine football games, especially later in the year. This isn't rocket science. To win in this league you must protect your quarterback, run the ball effectively, stop the run, and get after the opposing teams quarterback. Any team that does all those things well will be competitive in the playoffs, every single year.

 

On offense it is your front five, and on defense it is your front seven. Those two areas should always be the primary focus of any NFL front office. 

 

It amazes me to watch teams (front offices) fall in love with players who handle the ball. There have only been a handful of players in my lifetime, who could take a team on his back, and make it competitive. Every year a team wins the Super Bowl with good defense, sustaining drives, and not turning the ball over. 

 

I am impressed by Chris Ballard's thoughts on building through the draft, and buying young players in free agency. This is what Bill Polian did well for many years. When we must dive into free agency (our current situation), I believe we are much better off to roll the dice on a player who is 26 years old than we are of making several one-year deals with the 30 and over crowd. Grigson never really did get over the Philly idea to assemble a dream team of soon-to-be retired players. 

 

I think it is quite possible that Doyle and Swoope may be the only UFA's we bring back in 2017. It is possible that Butler could get another go around on a short deal, but I like the attraction of looking at a much bigger fish. A young player who could make a real impact on our defense. I am talking about Trumaine Johnson, because I believe he is the best free agent available in the 2017. Imagine the smile on Chuck Pagano to have two shut-down corners, and he is easily worth what the market will pay him (4 years / 55 million). 

 

It will be interesting to watch us sign players in their mid-20's, and draft trench players high.

 

Chris Ballard wisely chose a moment to pull the weight off Andrew Luck's shoulders. Sure, Andrew is a great player, but we have to look at our team as a 53 man roster (63 including the practice squad). It's not about any one player. We are absolutely very fortunate to have him, but we can't win just because we have him. We need all of the pieces working together. 

 

For our Colts to be playoff competitive in 2017, Ballard needs to walk away from this off-season with a starting right corner, a pass rusher who makes a difference, and future starters in the trenches. It would also be nice to have some youth at running back. I believe those are his intentions.

[BlueShoe]

I actually meant to say, we need to walk away with a starting left corner. Too late to edit it.

[chad72]

Maybe grabbing a pass rusher and CB via FA might make BPA even more flexible during the draft, and am sure that a pass rusher from FA may not solve all woes but would reduce a desperate need to just a need.

 

However, I am confident his FA moves will be measured based on what I see here the last 2 off seasons when Chris Ballard was director of football operations and possibly had more input on signings??? 

 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/transactions/_/name/kc/year/2015

 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/transactions/_/name/kc/year/2016

 

 

[Douzer]

50 minutes ago, BlueShoe said:

I believe we are going to see an immediate impact on how the Colts front office operates with Chris Ballard at the helm.

 

I have taken a lot of pride in carefully listening to Colts general managers, in the attempt to understand their philosophy of how to build a football team. Over the years, I have learned a great deal from the Colts general managers. I will admit that I started to tune Grigson out over this past season though. I lost faith in his vision.

 

During Chris Ballard's press conference, he said the words I have been longing to hear from a Colts General Manager.

 

"You win with the guys up front."

 

The Big Uglies will determine football games, especially later in the year. This isn't rocket science. To win in this league you must protect your quarterback, run the ball effectively, stop the run, and get after the opposing teams quarterback. Any team that does all those things well will be competitive in the playoffs, every single year.

 

On offense it is your front five, and on defense it is your front seven. Those two areas should always be the primary focus of any NFL front office. 

 

It amazes me to watch teams (front offices) fall in love with players who handle the ball. There have only been a handful of players in my lifetime, who could take a team on his back, and make it competitive. Every year a team wins the Super Bowl with good defense, sustaining drives, and not turning the ball over. 

 

I am impressed by Chris Ballard's thoughts on building through the draft, and buying young players in free agency. This is what Bill Polian did well for many years. When we must dive into free agency (our current situation), I believe we are much better off to roll the dice on a player who is 26 years old than we are of making several one-year deals with the 30 and over crowd. Grigson never really did get over the Philly idea to assemble a dream team of soon-to-be retired players. 

 

I think it is quite possible that Doyle and Swoope may be the only UFA's we bring back in 2017. It is possible that Butler could get another go around on a short deal, but I like the attraction of looking at a much bigger fish. A young player who could make a real impact on our defense. I am talking about Trumaine Johnson, because I believe he is the best free agent available in the 2017. Imagine the smile on Chuck Pagano to have two shut-down corners, and he is easily worth what the market will pay him (4 years / 55 million). 

 

It will be interesting to watch us sign players in their mid-20's, and draft trench players high.

 

Chris Ballard wisely chose a moment to pull the weight off Andrew Luck's shoulders. Sure, Andrew is a great player, but we have to look at our team as a 53 man roster (63 including the practice squad). It's not about any one player. We are absolutely very fortunate to have him, but we can't win just because we have him. We need all of the pieces working together. 

 

For our Colts to be playoff competitive in 2017, Ballard needs to walk away from this off-season with a starting right corner, a pass rusher who makes a difference, and future starters in the trenches. It would also be nice to have some youth at running back. I believe those are his intentions.

I am thrilled to see the "big uglies" comment. I preach it, because I know it to be true. If you get those 12 players right, you can win with average skill players. Without them, an early exit from the playoffs is your ceiling. I'm now officially optimistic we might actually become more than regular season champions...

[BProland85]

The value in this upcoming draft is at pass rush, CB, and RB. Those are the positions Ballard should focus on in my opinion. Free agency can be spent getting a few pieces in the trenches. The draft offers better options for LB, CB, and RB. 

[twfish]

I'm as ecstatic as everone else about Ballard, however I really didn't hear anything that I was like "wow I haven't heard every GM say that before". He was left in pretty good hands though. Solid cap space, the offense isn't really missing much besides a running back and maybe another guard so he really only needs to focus on the defensive side of the ball and he's going into a very defensive heavy draft where there's depth in positions of need. It will be very hard for him to screw it up and he should be able to really "build the monster" now

[BlueShoe]

7 minutes ago, chad72 said:

Maybe grabbing a pass rusher and CB via FA might make BPA even more flexible during the draft, and am sure that a pass rusher from FA may not solve all woes but would reduce a desperate need to just a need.

 

However, I am confident his FA moves will be measured based on what I see here the last 2 off seasons when Chris Ballard was director of football operations and possibly had more input on signings??? 

 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/transactions/_/name/kc/year/2015

 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/transactions/_/name/kc/year/2016

 

 

 

Ingram and Perry are possible fits. 

 

It is kind of interesting to think about Jason Pierre-Paul standing up, but that would be a different type of risk. I doubt we go down that road though. Ballard doesn't really seem like much of a risk taker.

 

Interesting, reading through the 2015-2016 Kansas City transactions. 

[BlueShoe]

24 minutes ago, twfish said:

I'm as ecstatic as everone else about Ballard, however I really didn't hear anything that I was like "wow I haven't heard every GM say that before". He was left in pretty good hands though. Solid cap space, the offense isn't really missing much besides a running back and maybe another guard so he really only needs to focus on the defensive side of the ball and he's going into a very defensive heavy draft where there's depth in positions of need. It will be very hard for him to screw it up and he should be able to really "build the monster" now

 

There is definitely a stark contrast of philosophy between Ballard and Grigson. I doubt we will witness many gotcha moments from Ballard. Probably won't spend much time trying to figure out who and the heck our final pick is. Every player we draft will likely be on the mainstream radar. 

 

You're right about Ballard being in a good position to succeed.

 

I am quite sure we will often draft defense and offensive linemen early in drafts. That is something we didn't even see from Bill Polian on a regular basis. 

[BProland85]

I would love to see Ballard as a smart GM in regards to trades, more so in the draft. 

[braveheartcolt]

Pretty sure the trend is shifting. There are more SB champs with a Defense that are not 'top 5' than ever before (comparing decade v decade etc). So how long before we are hearing 'Offense wins Championships....'

[ThorstenDenmark]

Im so impressed with Chris Ballard.

I have studied communication in both the US and in Denmark and have a master in it. And one of the things I noticed about his press conference, was how strong he was in attitude and how he handled the media.

Not only did he take the time to learn the various reporters name, but he also showed strength toward them, by addressing them to be more prepared with their questions.

 

If this is the way he handle his business in all areas of his work, and if he is so dedicated to football, well, we might end up with a very good GM.

 

Compared to Grigson, he killed the press conference, and based on this press conference, he seems to be a no nonsens guy that require every single person to be prepared 24/7.

 

I also liked that he told reporters that, Its all about the team, and not only Andrew Luck. Which I believe can take som press of Andrews shoulders. 

 

I firmly believe that Chris Ballard will do wonders for this franchise, and that we will cut a lot of players in the next couple of months. He will make swiftly and tough decisions, which all will be in the interest of the TEAM.

 

Dont get to surprised if he tells chuck to retool his coaching staff and fires a couple of guys. 

 

Overall im jacked 

[LockeDown]

If Ballard is better at drafting linemen and defense, that would be a welcome change...at least for now.  

 

 

 

[ThorstenDenmark]

4 minutes ago, LockeDown said:

If Ballard is better at drafting linemen and defense, that would be a welcome change...at least for now.  

 

 

 

People who think we go RB in the first round of the draft this year, well, its a new era for the colts. Lets go defence

[chrisfarley]

2 hours ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

People who think we go RB in the first round of the draft this year, well, its a new era for the colts. Lets go defence

i say Sidney Jones - CB at 15 (Peters qualities) unless a better defensive player is still available at that pick. (or zack cunningham)

[superrep1967]

7 hours ago, BlueShoe said:

 

There is definitely a stark contrast of philosophy between Ballard and Grigson. I doubt we will witness many gotcha moments from Ballard. Probably won't spend much time trying to figure out who and the heck our final pick is. Every player we draft will likely be on the mainstream radar. 

 

You're right about Ballard being in a good position to succeed.

 

I am quite sure we will often draft defense and offensive linemen early in drafts. That is something we didn't even see from Bill Polian on a regular basis. 

 

Yeah, I wouldn't be upset if he drafted an o-lineman in the first round of the draft. 

[CR91]

Ballard is definitely a defensive guy, but it seems pass rush will be addressed through the draft with how much emphasis he put on the draft so don't be surprised if we don't sign a big name. Guys like Zach brown and Morris Claiborne will probably be the caliber of players we go after.

[Defjamz26]

I loved his press conference. Got a way better vibe from him than I did with Grigson who sounded arrogant from day 1. I can already see the difference in approaches and how Chris will be better. He basically believes in building through the draft. He said "You raise your own" and " A locker room can't be bought". That's a big difference from Grigson who came in every year except his last signing over the hill FAs to start while the young guys just twiddled their thumbs. Also through too much money at those outside guys. He basically failed to properly build a young team. Chris also talked about having a competitive roster and guys having to earn being a Colt, which I also liked. That wasn't the case with Grigson. There was no real competition because you always knew his veteran FAs were coming in to start regardless of skill. Plus any high round picks were going to stay on the roster longer than they should have  just to avoid him looking like he missed. Guys like Werner and Thornton lasted longer than they should have IMO.

 

I think Ballard is also a nice guy and people friendly person unlike our old GM which also helps. I think the Colts have quite the GM. I expect an improved roster at the start of the new season.

[lollygagger8]

1st round: Pass Rusher 

2nd round: CB 

3rd round: ILB

4th and beyond: RB, Safety, and Pass rushers

 

Re-sign: Doyle, Turbin and Butler 

Free agency: ILB, NT, RT, and Pass rusher 

[chad72]

6 hours ago, braveheartcolt said:

Pretty sure the trend is shifting. There are more SB champs with a Defense that are not 'top 5' than ever before (comparing decade v decade etc). So how long before we are hearing 'Offense wins Championships....'

 

Is it really? Lest we forget how the Patriots D responded after 2 Brady turnovers vs Texans and limited Big Ben to 9 points in meaningful time. There's always some defensive category a D ends up Top 10, whether it's yards or PPG or turnovers or INTs or sacks that gave it the edge to lead to its SB appearance, IMO.

 

If the Falcons win it 35-31, I will give it an acknowledgement. You still need the D to respond in critical situations and not expect O to play D for you.

 

I believe the D keeps you in games while the QB gets a chance to finish it off at the end. 

[krunk]

I liked this:

 

3. His approach will be to acquire young talent

It's great to talk about Ballard and who he is, but what's his approach going to be in building this Colts team? In other words, will he get heavily involved in free agency or build mainly through the draft?

"No, look, you want to raise your own," Ballard said. "You want to raise your own. We want to be a great drafting team. We want to have a sound structure and foundation in place where we're producing players every year for the Colts. You have to. You have to produce three or four guys that are going to help you every single year. Now saying that, between street free agents, between waiver claims, we'll get into free agency a little bit, but we will not - like I said earlier, you can't buy a locker room, and you have to be very careful when you enter into free agency. But we're going to try to acquire as many young players that we can [for] a competitive roster. I mean, we want the most competitive roster we can get. That's how you get great. That's how you get to be special as a team, when daily they've got to go out there and compete to get better."

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/30/14446434/seven-things-we-learned-from-chris-ballards-introductory-press-conference-with-the-colts

[krunk]

Liked this too:

 

 

5.  He has a clear vision for the Colts

Ballard was also asked what his vision is for the Colts, and he made it quite clear.

"My vision for the Colts is simple," Ballard said.  "We're going to work together as an organization to build a winning culture that is competing for championships year in and year out. That's easier said than done, and it's going to take a lot of hard work by everybody. Everyone will have to understand that we're all a part of something bigger than ourselves and that every decision we make will be in the best interest of the horseshoe. It will never be about one person. It will take all of us to come together as one. We will set high standards throughout the organization, and make sure that winning becomes our edge. This has to happen at every level of the organization, and we have to make sure we have an organization full of team-oriented problem-solvers to get this done.

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/30/14446434/seven-things-we-learned-from-chris-ballards-introductory-press-conference-with-the-colts

[LJpalmbeacher2]

1 hour ago, lollygagger8 said:

1st round: Pass Rusher 

2nd round: CB 

3rd round: ILB

4th and beyond: RB, Safety, and Pass rushers

 

Re-sign: Doyle, Turbin and Butler 

Free agency: ILB, NT, RT, and Pass rusher 

 

What if a CB is rated higher than a  Pass Rusher in rd.1 ?

What if a ILB is rated higher than a CB in the 2nd round ?

[Dilger85]

7 minutes ago, LJpalmbeacher said:

 

What if a CB is rated higher than a  Pass Rusher in rd.1 ?

What if a ILB is rated higher than a CB in the 2nd round ?

You either trade down to acquire more picks are you draft BPA.

[richard pallo]

Liked his approach about you need to win with the guys up front.  I feel confident now that we will finally find a way to acquire a true NT.  FA , Trade whatever I think he will find us an experienced solid NT that will make a difference.  I am also expecting one solid experienced offensive lineman as well.  Probably guard.  Now he's got me jacked!

[lollygagger8]

1 hour ago, LJpalmbeacher said:

 

What if a CB is rated higher than a  Pass Rusher in rd.1 ?

What if a ILB is rated higher than a CB in the 2nd round ?

 

What if the sky isn't blue? 

 

Ballard is getting paid the big bucks to make these decisions for us now.

[LJpalmbeacher2]

4 hours ago, lollygagger8 said:

 

What if the sky isn't blue? 

 

Ballard is getting paid the big bucks to make these decisions for us now.

Well the good thing about our lousy D is BPA on defense will fill a need for us.

[Douzer]

Young talent is a key word there. Guys coming off their rookie contract are ideal FA's because they are still young (24, 25, 26 year olds). They had a rookie year, where their contributions were limited, a second year where their weight room work and film study improved their game. A third year where they really started putting it all together. I like looking at these players because they're still young, yet now much more ready to truly compete with the early learning curve behind them.

 

Many, also had any nagging college injuries addressed in that window, which could have affected their draft rankings or early career playing time. The next 5 years will be their best years of their careers as maturity, strength, knowledge, etc. kick in. Those early years also provide NFL level film for use in evaluations, unlike college players where the 'can they compete at this level' question is always a speculative unknown.

 

There will be guys (like Jerry Hughes was) that will be out there for the taking because of scheme fits, or position depth bubbles. I'd like to think from his outline, we'll see young FA players matching this profile brought in to help balance up the roster.

[Andrew Luck fan club]

9 hours ago, chad72 said:

 

Is it really? Lest we forget how the Patriots D responded after 2 Brady turnovers vs Texans and limited Big Ben to 9 points in meaningful time. There's always some defensive category a D ends up Top 10, whether it's yards or PPG or turnovers or INTs or sacks that gave it the edge to lead to its SB appearance, IMO.

 

If the Falcons win it 35-31, I will give it an acknowledgement. You still need the D to respond in critical situations and not expect O to play D for you.

 

I believe the D keeps you in games while the QB gets a chance to finish it off at the end. 

No it's not. It always has been and always will be Defense wins championships. No you don't need a top 5 obviously, but you need a good defense. I mean I just don't understand how it's not common sense. Our new GM literally said it in his presser. 

[horseshoepower]

As long as the new GM doesn't make these comments " I wanna win, and I wanna win now!"