I trust Ballard, I really do...

[Southside Hoosier Fan]

I think he will get us some good pieces in the long run. I just think his strategy is like an auction draft in fantasy sports. You get the guys who bid unreal $$ on the top guys forcing you out of the bidding. I am the patient guy, I also however finish the draft with money left over and a full roster, and then look back on it and wish I had bought one of the high name guys at the top.

[gacker65]

Unfortunately, It is the nature of the beast (FA)

[BProland85]

I'm hoping Ballard is a draft wizard and manipulates the draft to his advantage and gets his guys at value spots within the draft. (Fleecing teams for more draft picks and still getting your guy is an example of this.) 

 

That to me is more important than signing big name free agents. If you are an ace when it comes to the draft, you can be successful as an NFL GM. Grigson was nowhere close to that, with the many many misses he had. 

[Southside Hoosier Fan]

OK now I'm totally confused. Colts wouldn't pay Melvin, so we let him and sign for 6.5. Why would we not give him 7.5 to stay? Colts free agency this year has been mind blowing. 8.0-9.0 a year gets us a starting LB...NOTHING. Yet we can spend 6.0-7.0 a year on depth for the DLINE?. please explain what is going on.

[CheezyColt]

Word is Melvin was asking WAY more from the Colts to stay.

[Four2itus]

7 minutes ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

OK now I'm totally confused. Colts wouldn't pay Melvin, so we let him and sign for 6.5. Why would we not give him 7.5 to stay? Colts free agency this year has been mind blowing. 8.0-9.0 a year gets us a starting LB...NOTHING. Yet we can spend 6.0-7.0 a year on depth for the DLINE?. please explain what is going on.

Best I can explain is that you are assuming. I can imagine the Colts eyeing several players that either will come available, or might, and they had a value pegged for Melvin. He wanted too much more than they had him valued, so they are go to do to some other team....exactly what the Raiders did to us. It happens league wide.  

[MPStack]

8 hours ago, BProland85 said:

I'm hoping Ballard is a draft wizard and manipulates the draft to his advantage and gets his guys at value spots within the draft. (Fleecing teams for more draft picks and still getting your guy is an example of this.) 

 

That to me is more important than signing big name free agents. If you are an ace when it comes to the draft, you can be successful as an NFL GM. Grigson was nowhere close to that, with the many many misses he had. 

Ballard really needs to nail this draft more so than last years. I'm assuming the next couple days or so, we'll see some FA signings. However, if he doesn't fill the roster out before the draft, well then he's under some pressure to make few mistakes come draft day. I think he has a plan in place, but with the Colts roster, his marginal of error is small.

[The Peytonator]

20 minutes ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

OK now I'm totally confused. Colts wouldn't pay Melvin, so we let him and sign for 6.5. Why would we not give him 7.5 to stay? Colts free agency this year has been mind blowing. 8.0-9.0 a year gets us a starting LB...NOTHING. Yet we can spend 6.0-7.0 a year on depth for the DLINE?. please explain what is going on.

 

I would have liked to keep Melvin and throw in a little half million sweetener to keep him, but I’m guessing this was similar to when we lost Jake Scott to the Titans. He overpriced himself and ended up taking less money than we would have given him out of pride. 

[DougDew]

2 hours ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

OK now I'm totally confused. Colts wouldn't pay Melvin, so we let him and sign for 6.5. Why would we not give him 7.5 to stay? Colts free agency this year has been mind blowing. 8.0-9.0 a year gets us a starting LB...NOTHING. Yet we can spend 6.0-7.0 a year on depth for the DLINE?. please explain what is going on.

I think he likes the roster more than the people on this forum do.  He needed a pass rusher from the interior since all of our DT types are fairly slow, and got one. 

 

He must like our LBs and DBs enough to feel comfortable starting a season, since we haven't flown any in for a visit, unless I'm mistaken.  Upgrade via the draft, but he must not feel LB and DB are a real need right now.

 

He appears to be looking pretty hard at Gs.

[TonyHose]

When someone says they are rebuilding, that means they are not gonna overpay on big names because they are not in a win it all this year mode.  Ballard is setting us up to BE a great team, in a year or two he may blow some FA money in win it all this year, but for now we are rebuilding and if some pieces come together sooner than awesome

[Four2itus]

39 minutes ago, MPStack said:

 I think he has a plan in place, but with the Colts roster, his marginal of error is small.

As it is with most every GM in the NFL. 

[richard pallo]

I trust Ballard too.  We all know his primary focus is to rebuild through the draft.  Last years results gave him the 3rd. pick in the draft which I'm sure he is ecstatic about.  He begged for a trade back partner last year and couldn't find one. This year he will get his trade back and it should result in a great haul of top round picks to go along with our current picks.  There was actually a titbit in the BBN, Buffalo Bills News , on 3/12 stating the Bills and Colts are currently working on a massive trade that would secure the Bills the 3rd. pick to get their QB.  This was after they moved up for pick 12.  At this point in FA I would be extremely happy if Ballard can shore up our OL with a couple of new young starters and a few targets for Luck.  He would even have some cap space if he wanted to make a run at Mathieu or Suh or Curry.  He did after all make a run at Norwell.  Either way I am sure he will do a good job at finding us some young capable starters like he did last year but once that's done I bet he can't wait to trade that pick, while the iron is hot, for as many picks as he can get and the Bills certainly are anxious to make that deal.  We certainly could be in line for a great draft this year.  It's going to be fun. 

[SolidGold]

We are the next Dynasty up IMO. Within the next 2 seasons I definitely could see us making a playoff run for the next 8-10 yrs straight. I think the worst is behind us now.  Nothing but up from here. These high name FA's this year will be midlevel overpaid players in a couple years. Trading back and building through the draft is the smartest thing to do dealing with the current roster circumstances CB inherited. The upside and potential of a 21 yr old compared to a 27-29 yr old is higher when thinking long-term success. For an example imo we seen the best of Melvin. He's just going to decline from here on while we haven't even came close to seeing the best of Quincy and Nate. Our future is bright with CB. I like his confidence and swag and when the cameras are on he always seems calm and in control. He gives me the same vibes as Elon Musk. Lol idk why.

[icf]

He better be a draft wizard this year (and likely next) to take advantage of the high draft position.  

 

i don’t envy him.....this team right now has soooo many holes.  

[DougDew]

Apparently, Ballard tried to pay for 2 Gs, Norwell, and Jensen, but came up short.  He's downshifting to Pugh and maybe Fluker next.  I don't think that skipping free agency was his strategy.  He seems to be serious about shoring up the oline via FA, but hasn't been able to do it yet.

[IinD]

3 hours ago, MPStack said:

Ballard really needs to nail this draft more so than last years. I'm assuming the next couple days or so, we'll see some FA signings. However, if he doesn't fill the roster out before the draft, well then he's under some pressure to make few mistakes come draft day. I think he has a plan in place, but with the Colts roster, his marginal of error is small.

Agree on him having no room for much error in this draft.

 

It strangely feels like year one of a new GM's tenure in some ways. It's like Irsay said, purge the roster and do what you gotta do to set up the next 3-4 years now that the old coach is gone..that's only conjecture on my part.

 

Ballard is in a weird spot now to in terms of the media as well. If the oline is garbage and Luck is running for his life all year, they'll say 'See Ballard couldn't get McDaniels, couldn't get any FA's, can't protect Luck etc etc...the fans will then turn on him quickly..

 

Just random thoughts..

 

 

 

 

[reidaj1812]

On ‎3‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 6:16 PM, DougDew said:

I think he likes the roster more than the people on this forum do.  He needed a pass rusher from the interior since all of our DT types are fairly slow, and got one. 

 

He must like our LBs and DBs enough to feel comfortable starting a season, since we haven't flown any in for a visit, unless I'm mistaken.  Upgrade via the draft, but he must not feel LB and DB are a real need right now.

 

He appears to be looking pretty hard at Gs.

He also must not feel that G is a real need right now. I  am officially not a fan of CB until he proves something. I'm looking at his draft last year as well. 1st pick no brainer--2nd pick didn't hardly play-3rd pick was a bit of a disappointment (starting doing a little better last few games) 4th pick cut banner-4th Hunt a good back up or 3rd down back-4th Steward no more than a backup--5th cb a good pick possible starter-6th not a starter at MLB

so in the end not a great draft. if he fails in this draft without good starting FA material we are in trouble