Chris Ballard Press Conference @ Noon

[Jake stone]

8 minutes ago, Luck12-to-Hilton13 said:

I'm just not a fan of the BPA strategy. So if the best player available was a qb, hypothetically, we take him??? I just don't like that strategy, personally. But I still trust Ballard. He seems like he knows what he's doing.

Come on man, obviously he's not going to take a qb, besides none of these qbs are going to be BPA.

[James Ducheteau]

1 minute ago, Jake stone said:

Come on man, obviously he's not going to take a qb, besides none of these qbs are going to be BPA.

At some point they could be...like the 3rd or so...then what, you draft a qb?

[Yoshinator]

Just now, Jake stone said:

That's a terrible attitude and it's a problem of the world today. I trust him because he was hired for a reason, just like i trusted grigson when he was hired. People should have to lose your trust in my opinion not earn it. How can you respect someone if you can't trust them?

You trust him because he's a Colt now, and it's out of your control. So you naturally believe someone with experience will do a good job. He has to earn my trust by showing he can do a good job. He's never even done a draft and you trust him, that just shows how gullible you are. I have standards, and I said in my post, I'd give him the chance to earn my trust. He has 0 experience doing drafts. Of course I don't trust him yet.

[GoColts8818]

I've always thought best player available that fits a need.  I.E. if a QB is the best player on the board and the Colts can't trade back they would take the next best player on the board.

[Andrew Luck fan club]

How can we watch it now that it's over? I only caught the last 5 minutes. 

[Yoshinator]

Just now, Majin Vegeta said:

How can we watch it now that it's over?

I hope so  

[LockeDown]

I think BPA is always right unless you have a franchise player at the position.  For instance, Luck is ours and he is in his prime.  I would only draft backups for him.   Adrian Peterson was the franchise player in his prime, so I wouldn't draft the top RB, but instead his backup.  THis is how the real world works in the NFL.  It's more of a common sense approach.  It's a terrible idea to draft on need only.  

[Jake stone]

9 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

You trust him because he's a Colt now, and it's out of your control. So you naturally believe someone with experience will do a good job. He has to earn my trust by showing he can do a good job. He's never even done a draft and you trust him, that just shows how gullible you are. I have standards, and I said in my post, I'd give him the chance to earn my trust. He has 0 experience doing drafts. Of course I don't trust him yet.

I'm not gullible, I'm just always optimistic about something new, it's his first draft at the lead but he doesnt have zero experience with the draft.

[lollygagger8]

Chris Ballard is the real deal. 

 

I like everything that he's saying. 

[Superman]

1 hour ago, stitches said:

I expect a TE and S in the 4th or 5th. That's my read (because of his comment that this is the deepest draft he's ever scouted at those positions).

 

The player that immediately came to mind is Jake Butt.

[stitches]

2 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

The player that immediately came to mind is Jake Butt.

Yeah. I've been thinking about him as well. Him and Kittle from Iowa. i'm not that big on the safety DEPTH. I like some players in the first 2-3 rounds but I'm not sure I love anyone day 3. I wonder who are the players they like depthwise?

[DougDew]

1 hour ago, stitches said:

I expect a TE and S in the 4th or 5th. That's my read (because of his comment that this is the deepest draft he's ever scouted at those positions).

And its no surprise looking at our roster or the moves made this offseason.  

 

Green is an experiment.  Butler was announced to play saftey, but has only a one year contract.

 

And Swoope is a number 3 TE at best on anybody's team, so a TE is needed.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if we took a S at 15 if one of the elite's fall, or trade back to take a second tier guy late in the first round.  Not saying that's what I want, but looking at the moves this off season, I think its a possibility.

[Superman]

40 minutes ago, Luck12-to-Hilton13 said:

I'm just not a fan of the BPA strategy. So if the best player available was a qb, hypothetically, we take him??? 

 

No.

[Andrew Luck fan club]

5 minutes ago, DougDew said:

And its no surprise looking at our roster or the moves made this offseason.  

 

Green is an experiment.  Butler was announced to play saftey, but has only a one year contract.

 

And Swoope is a number 3 TE at best on anybody's team, so a TE is needed.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if we took a S at 15 if one of the elite's fall, or trade back to take a second tier guy late in the first round.  Not saying that's what I want, but looking at the moves this off season, I think its a possibility.

Couldn't disagree more on Swoope. 

[Fluke_33]

1 hour ago, Everyone said:

Embrace Lamp at 15

is lamp in the top 15?  To me this sounded more like get ready for OJ Howard. 

[DougDew]

1 minute ago, Majin Vegeta said:

Couldn't disagree more on Swoope. 

Maybe not number 3 at best, but if a TE is drafted, it will be with the intent of taking PT away from Swoope eventually.  It might not work out that way, but  if we're just looking for TE depth to ride the bench and fill in for injury, I think UDFA usually fits that role.

[jskinnz]

46 minutes ago, Luck12-to-Hilton13 said:

I'm just not a fan of the BPA strategy. So if the best player available was a qb, hypothetically, we take him??? I just don't like that strategy, personally. But I still trust Ballard. He seems like he knows what he's doing.

 

A BPA draft strategy is more nuanced than that.  

[Steamboat_Shaun]

41 minutes ago, Luck12-to-Hilton13 said:

I'm just not a fan of the BPA strategy. So if the best player available was a qb, hypothetically, we take him??? I just don't like that strategy, personally. But I still trust Ballard. He seems like he knows what he's doing.

 

No, it's not that literal. BPA really means "highest remaining player that you have targeted on your big draft board," and I think it's safe to assume that they're not targeting any QBs in this draft.

[will426]

A lot of you people mentioning qb as bpa hypothetically speaking are just being extra..none of these qbs are even first round material that being said why keep using them as an example lol

[Superman]

3 minutes ago, will426 said:

A lot of you people mentioning qb as bpa hypothetically speaking are just being extra..none of these qbs are even first round material that being said why keep using them as an example lol

 

Even if they were, it's still not a good example. It's not clever.

[Andrew Luck fan club]

7 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Maybe not number 3 at best, but if a TE is drafted, it will be with the intent of taking PT away from Swoope eventually.  It might not work out that way, but  if we're just looking for TE depth to ride the bench and fill in for injury, I think UDFA usually fits that role.

"I think Swoope’s got a lot of talent. We’ll see. I thought we saw signs of progression last year that were exciting to see. He’s got to take another step. And we’ll see if he does it or not.”

 

Despite this limited role, Swoope showed he had a knack for big plays, evident by his ridiculous 19.8 yards per reception mark. He recorded 15 catches for 297 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Ballard is bullish when it comes to Swoope because he sees the physical traits that have the potential to transcend the 24-year-old into a dominant tight end.

 

“I think Swoope is really talented. I want to see Swoope get to his ceiling,” said Ballard. “He’s a very talented athlete and can be a mismatch player. The only way guys like that are going to ascend is by competing every day to get better. That’s the only way.”

[bananabucket]

1 hour ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I agree, this sort of thing has cost teams before. Ballard is playing it smart saying this. It's still worrisome as a fan though to know we could go rb or something like that though.

 

If you're going to make this point then make it with a position that isn't one of our biggest needs..

 

I would be freakin thrilled with mccaffrey

[bababooey]

31 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

The player that immediately came to mind is Jake Butt.

Do you think he would last that long? Injury aside, I had him below Howard and Njoku. Njoku is a possible first rounder. I am no draft expert and am going simply by the guys I watched from college without doing a ton of research so I'm genuinely wondering.

[DougDew]

16 minutes ago, Majin Vegeta said:

"I think Swoope’s got a lot of talent. We’ll see. I thought we saw signs of progression last year that were exciting to see. He’s got to take another step. And we’ll see if he does it or not.”

 

Despite this limited role, Swoope showed he had a knack for big plays, evident by his ridiculous 19.8 yards per reception mark. He recorded 15 catches for 297 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Ballard is bullish when it comes to Swoope because he sees the physical traits that have the potential to transcend the 24-year-old into a dominant tight end.

 

“I think Swoope is really talented. I want to see Swoope get to his ceiling,” said Ballard. “He’s a very talented athlete and can be a mismatch player. The only way guys like that are going to ascend is by competing every day to get better. That’s the only way.”

I agree that Ballard has said some nice things.  I'm just saying that if Ballard now drafts a TE with a fairly high pick two months after also giving Doyle a bunch of cash, its with the intention of those two players playing a lot.  It would be making a fairly high investment in a player with the expectation the player would earn the team its investment by playing well and often. 

 

Currently, Ballard has nothing invested in Swoope, other than some very nice words at a presser.

 

If he passes on a TE, that speaks volumes about what he actually thinks of Swoope.

 

I could see Ballard using a 4th on Jake Butt with the expectation that he might be as good as Doyle after being fully healed and getting some meaningful playing time over a couple of seasons.

[Superman]

2 minutes ago, bababooey said:

Do you think he would last that long? Injury aside, I had him below Howard and Njoku. Njoku is a possible first rounder. I am no draft expert and am going simply by the guys I watched from college without doing a ton of research so I'm genuinely wondering.

 

I feel Jake Butt is a 4th round guy. 

[myic90]

49 minutes ago, lollygagger8 said:

Chris Ballard is the real deal. 

 

I like everything that he's saying. 

 

Why? Everything he's said, Grigson's said before. A very good FA notwithstanding, this is the crucial period for Ballard as a GM.

 

And to many others:

 

Enough with those moronic "BPA? guess we're taking a qb" nonsense. It's best player available on our draft board, not mike mayock's.

 

Let me put it in overly simplified terms:

 

Everything is weighted. Need from 0 to 1. Player positional ability from 1-100. The combination of those will result in a weighted grade and ranked on our draft board.

 

Let's say Watson is graded as a 90 on ability but on our need multiplier, it's a 0.5 (i.e. not needed). His final grade on our board will be 45.

 

Now take some random edge rusher from xyz state. His ability is a 60, our need multiplier is a 0.9 (heavy need). His final grade will be a 54, and he will be graded higher on our board than Watson even though he's a 3rd day prospect.

 

Obviously this is over simplified and there's many many more factors like leadership, injury history, potential, coachability, system fit, legal history and others but this is an example of how it works.

 

When we say BPA, It's the best grade on OUR DRAFT BOARD.

 

So stop with the nonsense please and thank you.

 

 

 

[ColtsBlitz]

1 hour ago, ColtsArmy84 said:

It should be BPA at a position of need. We dont need a QB or a WR right now. Round 1 should be BPA amongst CB ILB, EDGE and RB

He is very broad with the term 'BPA'.  I personally think it's a smoke screen to actually being BPA (at position of need)

[DougDew]

19 minutes ago, myic90 said:

 

Why? Everything he's said, Grigson's said before. A very good FA notwithstanding, this is the crucial period for Ballard as a GM.

 

And to many others:

 

Enough with those moronic "BPA? guess we're taking a qb" nonsense. It's best player available on our draft board, not mike mayock's.

 

Let me put it in overly simplified terms:

 

Everything is weighted. Need from 0 to 1. Player positional ability from 1-100. The combination of those will result in a weighted grade and ranked on our draft board.

 

Let's say Watson is graded as a 90 on ability but on our need multiplier, it's a 0.5 (i.e. not needed). His final grade on our board will be 45.

 

Now take some random edge rusher from xyz state. His ability is a 60, our need multiplier is a 0.9 (heavy need). His final grade will be a 54, and he will be graded higher on our board than Watson even though he's a 3rd day prospect.

 

Obviously this is over simplified and there's many many more factors like leadership, injury history, potential, coachability, system fit, legal history and others but this is an example of how it works.

 

When we say BPA, It's the best grade on OUR DRAFT BOARD.

 

So stop with the nonsense please and thank you.

 

 

 

Well said, although some GMs may put too high of a weighting on need at certain positions and not enough on others.

 

Also, I never remember Grigson or Polian or Tobin ever saying

 

"we passed up a better player and instead took the player we just took"

[JRnINDY]

1 hour ago, James Ducheteau said:

At some point they could be...like the 3rd or so...then what, you draft a qb?

Yes.....

that sounds like something the Patriots would do (have done). Looks like it works out ok for winning teams.

[James Ducheteau]

35 minutes ago, will426 said:

A lot of you people mentioning qb as bpa hypothetically speaking are just being extra..none of these qbs are even first round material that being said why keep using them as an example lol

Well the draft has more than one round doesn't it? At some point your going to be in a round where a QB's talent might out weigh others

[ColtsBlitz]

1 hour ago, Jared Cisneros said:

You trust him because he's a Colt now, and it's out of your control. So you naturally believe someone with experience will do a good job. He has to earn my trust by showing he can do a good job. He's never even done a draft and you trust him, that just shows how gullible you are. I have standards, and I said in my post, I'd give him the chance to earn my trust. He has 0 experience doing drafts. Of course I don't trust him yet.

Ballard was part of a great drafting regime in KC. I believe in him and the scouts and that they will do their job. He said they have been working from 8am to 9pm... that's 13 hours a day. I'm not saying Ballard is already a trustworthy drafter, but I believe he will put us in a good place.

[shasta519]

12 minutes ago, James Ducheteau said:

Well the draft has more than one round doesn't it? At some point your going to be in a round where a QB's talent might out weigh others

 

Absolutely. I wouldn't mind seeing the Colts take a page out of the NE playbook and draft a QB...have him look good in preseason and then trade him for a haul. It wouldn't hurt to have a legit backup on a rookie deal anyways.

 

For example, if the Colts are picking in the 3rd round, and Kizer is somehow sitting there, I am probably taking him.

[krunk]

1 hour ago, DougDew said:

Maybe not number 3 at best, but if a TE is drafted, it will be with the intent of taking PT away from Swoope eventually.  It might not work out that way, but  if we're just looking for TE depth to ride the bench and fill in for injury, I think UDFA usually fits that role.

just stop. you're still at it I see

[shasta519]

34 minutes ago, DougDew said:

I agree that Ballard has said some nice things.  I'm just saying that if Ballard now drafts a TE with a fairly high pick two months after also giving Doyle a bunch of cash, its with the intention of those two players playing a lot.  It would be making a fairly high investment in a player with the expectation the player would earn the team its investment by playing well and often. 

 

Currently, Ballard has nothing invested in Swoope, other than some very nice words at a presser.

 

If he passes on a TE, that speaks volumes about what he actually thinks of Swoope.

 

I could see Ballard using a 4th on Jake Butt with the expectation that he might be as good as Doyle after being fully healed and getting some meaningful playing time over a couple of seasons.

 

I don't agree with this. Ballard thinks this TE class is as deep as he has seen. So he could just be looking to get good value at the position when he can. He said the same thing about S as well. And if he drafted a S early...I don't think that would mean that Geathers suddenly loses a bunch of snaps. More likely, that S was his BPA and will develop for a season and then compete with Green/Geathers long-term for a starting spot.

 

Similarly, looking at the TE position from a long-term standpoint, Doyle has no guaranteed money past next season and Swoope will be an RFA. So it makes sense to draft a TE now and have him develop for a season or two. Then, in a season or two, they can decide to commit long-term to Swoope or let him go...or even let Doyle go.

[krunk]

33 minutes ago, James Ducheteau said:

Well the draft has more than one round doesn't it? At some point your going to be in a round where a QB's talent might out weigh others

It's already been explain AD Nauseum on this form countless numbers of times.  It's not that simple, but you're making it very simplistic just to bash the philosophy.  Its really very clear we won't be taking a QB.  I'm sure somewhere in your mind you know this. 

[Rackeen305]

Chris Ballard sounded like he was referring to a lot of so called questionable players, i.e. Rueben Foster. Chris B, Do the right thing and build the team with the best players.

[Steamboat_Shaun]

46 minutes ago, JRnINDY said:

Yes.....

that sounds like something the Patriots would do (have done). Looks like it works out ok for winning teams.

 

Yeah, but they don't have holes on their roster like the Colts do. Maybe a year or 2 down the road, picking up a QB in one of the early rounds and developing him behind Luck becomes a viable option, but at this point, I don't see the purpose.

[Superman]

1 hour ago, JRnINDY said:

Yes.....

that sounds like something the Patriots would do (have done). Looks like it works out ok for winning teams.

 

Meh, this is overblown, if not completely misunderstood. The Patriots have done this once, with Matt Cassel, and the only reason they were able to get a really good pick for him is that he played a full season when Brady went down. They might be able to get a decent pick for Garappolo, but that's only because he was able to start when Brady was suspended. 

 

As a general rule, teams aren't giving up good draft picks for unproved backup QBs, even with the Patriots. They got a conditional 6th rounder for Ryan Mallett, and they drafted him in the 3rd round. They drafted Kevin O'Connell in the third round in 2008, and waived him prior to the start of the 2009 season. They cut Hoyer and got nothing in return, but he was undrafted. There are other QBs they drafted that did nothing for them.

 

In reality, the Patriots have wasted several picks on QBs that didn't help their team, and for whom they got zero return. They are able to make up for those wasted picks in other ways, but it doesn't change the fact that those picks were wasted.

 

So if your strategy is to draft a QB and then try to trade him down the line, I think that's a flawed strategy.

[TKnight24]

 

[DougDew]

The Patriots can draft good unneeded players because they can go to the playoffs every year without the unneeded player.  The Colts need every pick to build a team that can get back to the playoffs.