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Not a Single Signing 30 years or Older


Defjamz26

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I think that's a big thing people are missing about Ballard. He's actually doing what we have all said the Colts should do and he said, which is get younger. Sure these aren't slam dunk marquee names, but these are young guys with upside on super cheap contracts. He's not signing a bunch of old guys to try and strong arm this team to a Super Bowl. He's sticking to the right process. He wants to be the Packers. A draft and develop team. And when you have youth that development is increased. You can't develop a 31 year old or improve him. He's hit his ceiling and may be able to give you quality play (like Adams) but he's only going to go down hill and it's a short term fix.I think by surrounding the team with young players it's forces serious competition because no one is going to be awarded the job because they're a veteran. Everyone is going to have to earn it every day. It'll only make us better. How many times in the Grigson era did we watch some young guy take a back seat to a veteran awarded the job only to find out that he was better?

 

I for one am I fan of this approach as this is how true contenders are built. We have our vets with Hilton, Luck, Castonzo, and Vontae. Let the rest of the guys work for it and get a chance to improve (which they can do because they're young). If they don't work out it's a minimal loss because they're contracts don't cost much. Youth is the key to success. Get young guys and let them grow. Ballard is doing an excellent job IMO.

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Ballard also said he uses analytics.  All of these guys look like matches from querying a database of free agents that fit a range of criteria he is looking for.  It wont show you heart, but it will give you all the physical specs you need.  I find his approach interesting too.  Better get used to it, because this will be how he does things.  Nailing the draft being the most important. 

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8 hours ago, LockeDown said:

Ballard also said he uses analytics.  All of these guys look like matches from querying a database of free agents that fit a range of criteria he is looking for.  It wont show you heart, but it will give you all the physical specs you need.  I find his approach interesting too.  Better get used to it, because this will be how he does things.  Nailing the draft being the most important. 

 

I love this whole post. Ballard using analytics and "matches from querying a database".:heart:

 

Sounds good enough and smart enough to make me happy. Go Ballard!!!!!!!!

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8 hours ago, LockeDown said:

Ballard also said he uses analytics.  All of these guys look like matches from querying a database of free agents that fit a range of criteria he is looking for.  It wont show you heart, but it will give you all the physical specs you need.  I find his approach interesting too.  Better get used to it, because this will be how he does things.  Nailing the draft being the most important. 

He's taking the Moneyball approach it seems. Underrated guys for cheap that never got a real shot. 

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2 hours ago, Jules said:

 

I love this whole post. Ballard using analytics and "matches from querying a database".:heart:

 

Sounds good enough and smart enough to make me happy. Go Ballard!!!!!!!!

And I think the analytical thing is mostly for FA. Just because there's so much money involved. Better not to try and think with purely gut feelings because then you start really opening your wallet up. That's how they ended up with Spencer's Ware. Ware was a 2013 6th round pick by the Seahawks. He was cut August 2014 but the Chiefs signed him to a futures contract in December of that same year. Activated off the practice squad week 8 of the 2015 season. He just finished 2016 with 921 rushing yards and 447 rushing yards.

 

Based on his comments and how things were done in KC, I think his approach in the draft will be different. He has certain measurables he's looking for, but also takes what the coaches need into consideration. But I think he'll stick to the traditional football rules. He'll build up the trenches meaning he'll draft OL and DL early (Chiefs have recently drafted Poe, Chris Jones, Dee Ford, and Fisher high). Poe was before he got there though but I think he followed the model that Dorsey set. He likes athletic LBs who can cover and long corners. I think he's going to build a totally new look Colts team if given time.

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12 hours ago, chad72 said:

Hmmm..Darius Butler is 31. :scratch:

 

I get what you are saying though. 

I was talking more along the lines of outside FAs lol, but I guess. And Hunt turns 30 soon but he's a young 30 because he was taken in the 2013 draft. It's just that if my math is correct he was already about 23 around draft time. That comes from not going to SMU full time until 2009 but playing all 4 seasons. He's almost 30 but he'll be a young 30. 

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15 hours ago, oldunclemark said:

The age just isn't relevant..we need 'better'..not younger

 

The draft gets you younger....

 

Generally in the NFL better is younger.  A lot of our problems on defense and really all over the team was because we had older players.  

 

Older players don't get better, they get worse.  Mike Adams is one of very few players who's best years where ahead of him past age 30.  But that is a rare exception to the rule.  Most players who are past age 30, their best football years are behind them with the exception of maybe kickers, QB's and punters.  

 

Younger players still have the chance to get better.  

 

 

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And just to add, no one should be upset with Ballard. I know we should be moving on, but we should be upset with Grigson. If he had put more talent on the team through the draft, we probably could've went after a big name. If Ballard were to sign a big name for every hole we had, we'd already be in cap trouble. At seasons end we had holes at CB, OLB, FS, ILB, NT, and OL. You sign the top FA at each of those positions and that $60 million in cap is gone like that. I think these signings are necessary.

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1 hour ago, Defjamz26 said:

And just to add, no one should be upset with Ballard. I know we should be moving on, but we should be upset with Grigson. If he had put more talent on the team through the draft, we probably could've went after a big name. If Ballard were to sign a big name for every hole we had, we'd already be in cap trouble. At seasons end we had holes at CB, OLB, FS, ILB, NT, and OL. You sign the top FA at each of those positions and that $60 million in cap is gone like that. I think these signings are necessary.

 

To play devil's advocate, we don't have a lot to be excited about right now with Ballard's additions. Yes, we've added younger players, and there's reason for optimism. I'm with all that.

 

But there are questions with every single player added. None of them are actual difference makers. There are a couple starters with Sheard and Simon, and the rest are borderline starters, role players at best. And a punter, which was necessary (but not because of anything Grigson did or didn't do).

 

At best, Ballard has replaced older veteran starters with younger veteran starters, who might have the potential to do a little better in certain areas. I like Spence's athleticism, but we don't know that he'll actually be better than Jackson was. I'm fine with the move, and I prefer Spence for sure, but he's not even necessarily a starter at this point. We're no better at corner, maybe worse. So right now, our roster is younger. It's not necessarily better, especially in the areas in which we've struggled -- pass rush, pass coverage, run defense, pass protection.

 

I'm not complaining about Ballard, at all. But it's interesting to see everyone contrasting this offseason with Grigson's approach. This offseason so far reminds me of 2013, which was mostly a bust for the Colts, in hindsight. We added a bunch of veteran role players, none were expected to be difference makers, we were just filling holes on the roster due to the lack of talent. It's possible that Ballard's additions work out better than Grigson's did -- and let's hope so -- but we won't know for a while. So far, there's nothing special about what Ballard is doing, and his strategy really hasn't been anything different than what Grigson did under similar circumstances.

 

And there's still the draft, which we won't be able to judge for 2-3 years. Where he'll really set himself apart is if we get defensive starters in multiple drafts in a row, at which Grigson failed.

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7 hours ago, Superman said:

 

To play devil's advocate, we don't have a lot to be excited about right now with Ballard's additions. Yes, we've added younger players, and there's reason for optimism. I'm with all that.

 

But there are questions with every single player added. None of them are actual difference makers. There are a couple starters with Sheard and Simon, and the rest are borderline starters, role players at best. And a punter, which was necessary (but not because of anything Grigson did or didn't do).

 

At best, Ballard has replaced older veteran starters with younger veteran starters, who might have the potential to do a little better in certain areas. I like Spence's athleticism, but we don't know that he'll actually be better than Jackson was. I'm fine with the move, and I prefer Spence for sure, but he's not even necessarily a starter at this point. We're no better at corner, maybe worse. So right now, our roster is younger. It's not necessarily better, especially in the areas in which we've struggled -- pass rush, pass coverage, run defense, pass protection.

 

I'm not complaining about Ballard, at all. But it's interesting to see everyone contrasting this offseason with Grigson's approach. This offseason so far reminds me of 2013, which was mostly a bust for the Colts, in hindsight. We added a bunch of veteran role players, none were expected to be difference makers, we were just filling holes on the roster due to the lack of talent. It's possible that Ballard's additions work out better than Grigson's did -- and let's hope so -- but we won't know for a while. So far, there's nothing special about what Ballard is doing, and his strategy really hasn't been anything different than what Grigson did under similar circumstances.

 

And there's still the draft, which we won't be able to judge for 2-3 years. Where he'll really set himself apart is if we get defensive starters in multiple drafts in a row, at which Grigson failed.

Oh by know means am I saying that we hit the jackpot in FA. A lot of the guys are stop gap and aren't all-stars. I agree with you there. The excitement for me comes from seeing a change in philosophy and the continuation of one thing Grigson did right in FA. Like Grigson Ballard didn't throw ridiculous money at the "top" FAs, which is good. Unlike Grigson however, Ballard didn't throw a bunch of money at 30+ year old guys way past their prime. He isn't trying to forcibly fill holes. He seems content to leave the rest to the draft. It's just nice to see the Colts actually getting younger. And honestly just being younger makes us better already. Guys with fresher bodies, room to grow, and more gas in the tank. His strategy for filling holes is better than Grigson's IMO. Even if Sheard, Simon, etc...don't blow up it's better than handing starting jobs to 32 year olds.

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4 hours ago, Defjamz26 said:

Unlike Grigson however, Ballard didn't throw a bunch of money at 30+ year old guys way past their prime.

 

Not really, though. In 2013, RJF was 27, Gosder was 28, Landry was 28, Thomas was 28, Toler was 28, Havili was 26, Bradshaw was 27, Walden was 28. The only older guys were Hasselbeck and Franklin. 

 

These signings didn't work out, but they weren't over the hill 30+ players.

 

Quote

He isn't trying to forcibly fill holes.

 

Grigson signed players who could start, while younger players got experience. Ballard's signings so far are intended to fill holes. I don't know how you "forcibly" fill holes, besides signing players you think can play. 

 

Quote

He seems content to leave the rest to the draft.

 

??? 

 

Werner, Thornton, Holmes, Hughes, were all intended to be starters eventually, and they all had more than enough chances to contribute. Grigson's plan was to fill holes in the short term (evident from contract structure, if nothing else) and hope for draft picks to develop into starters. Ballard's strategy in free agency so far seems to be the same.

 

Quote

It's just nice to see the Colts actually getting younger. And honestly just being younger makes us better already. Guys with fresher bodies, room to grow, and more gas in the tank.

 

I agree that getting younger is good. It's not necessarily better. That remains to be seen. 

 

Quote

His strategy for filling holes is better than Grigson's IMO.

 

So far, it's the exact same strategy Grigson employed in 2013. We'll see if it works out better.

 

Quote

Even if Sheard, Simon, etc...don't blow up it's better than handing starting jobs to 32 year olds.

 

Which didn't happen until Year 4.

 

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7 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Not really, though. In 2013, RJF was 27, Gosder was 28, Landry was 28, Thomas was 28, Toler was 28, Havili was 26, Bradshaw was 27, Walden was 28. The only older guys were Hasselbeck and Franklin. 

 

These signings didn't work out, but they weren't over the hill 30+ players.

 

 

Grigson signed players who could start, while younger players got experience. Ballard's signings so far are intended to fill holes. I don't know how you "forcibly" fill holes, besides signing players you think can play. 

 

 

??? 

 

Werner, Thornton, Holmes, Hughes, were all intended to be starters eventually, and they all had more than enough chances to contribute. Grigson's plan was to fill holes in the short term (evident from contract structure, if nothing else) and hope for draft picks to develop into starters. Ballard's strategy in free agency so far seems to be the same.

 

 

I agree that getting younger is good. It's not necessarily better. That remains to be seen. 

 

 

So far, it's the exact same strategy Grigson employed in 2013. We'll see if it works out better.

 

 

Which didn't happen until Year 4.

 

 

 

Oh sure,  throw facts in our face!!

 

Facts!     Facts!    Facts!     Facts!      

 

Boy, oh boy,  don't you ever get tired of facts?!          :peek:

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