[MMQB] Colts GM’s Mission: ‘It Can't Just Be About Andrew Luck’

[stitches]

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/05/11/indianapolis-colts-andrew-luck-chris-ballard-nfl-notebook

 

Quote

 

Thu May. 11, 2017 | Albert Breer

Colts GM’s Mission: ‘It Can't Just Be About Andrew Luck’

Chris Ballard inherited a roster with a great quarterback and work to do at many other positions. Here’s how he’s gone about shoring things up.

 

 

It’s not like Chris Ballard needed much more to like in Andrew Luck, and the then-Chiefs executive didn’t have any idea that he’d soon be building a team around him.

 

But if there were any boxes still empty, the Colts franchise quarterback checked them for Ballard last Oct. 30. Ballard stayed behind in the press box after a Chiefs win in Indy, making calls to set up Monday free-agent workouts in the wake of a slew of Kansas City injuries. Meanwhile, Luck was at a podium on a TV monitor near Ballard’s seat.

 

“And so I watched the press conference with Andrew, and he owned it all,” Ballard said from his new office on Tuesday. “Didn’t throw anyone under the bus. He owned everything. His mistake or not, he owned everything. And I’ll never forget going down, and I told (Chiefs GM John) Dorsey, ‘Boy, I just watched one of the best press conferences I’ve ever seen.’ A kid who owned it all. And that’s what the great leaders do—they don’t point fingers and they don’t blame.

 

“So I had a hint of it coming in the building, that that’s who he was. But now being around him, and watching his teammates, and how they react to him, and how they much they care about him, and on the flip side how much he cares about them and their success? It’s special. It’s really special.”

 

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[read the full article here]

 

 

 

Read the full article at the link above.

[Valpo2004]

I think especially with the OL players that Grigson drafted in the 2016 draft, Luck actually has a good amount of talent around him on offense.  He needs help at RB but Mack was drafted.  And last year it was a top 10 offense.  I think Ballard is right, the OL just needs to develop. 

 

The problem was very clearly the defense and Ballard brought in through FA and the draft a lot of new players.  And it's very likely that over half the starters for the 2017 defense will be different from the starters for the 2016 defense.

 

 

[TKnight24]

18 minutes ago, Valpo2004 said:

I think especially with the OL players that Grigson drafted in the 2016 draft, Luck actually has a good amount of talent around him on offense.  He needs help at RB but Mack was drafted.  And last year it was a top 10 offense.  I think Ballard is right, the OL just needs to develop. 

 

The problem was very clearly the defense and Ballard brought in through FA and the draft a lot of new players.  And it's very likely that over half the starters for the 2017 defense will be different from the starters for the 2016 defense.

 

 

Just give me a defense that won't blow a lead with 30 seconds left in the game 

[will426]

26 minutes ago, TKnight24 said:

Just give me a defense that won't blow a lead with 30 seconds left in the game 

Lol as much as I hated the defense I'd also say give me an offense that scores in 1/2/3 qtr and not just the 4th

[NewColtsFan]

2 hours ago, stitches said:

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/05/11/indianapolis-colts-andrew-luck-chris-ballard-nfl-notebook

 

 

 

Read the full article at the link above.

 

Thanks for posting all of this!

 

Not only did you beat me to it,  you lifted and quoted the Ballard comment that I was going to post as well.

 

I wanted to emphasize how rare and special that quality about Luck truly is....      if ALL quarterbacks did what Luck did each week,  Ballard wouldn't have paid much attention to that.     But they don't.      I know we all sometimes get tired of Luck saying roughly the same thing after every loss,   and we roll our eyes,  but this is in part what makes Luck so special.    That he protects his teammates whenever and however possible.

 

Thanks again for the post, Stiches!