I have seen 1.5 Ballard Drafts..color me not impressed

[Coltsfanforlife12]

3 hours ago, threeflight said:

I think its a square. 

 

Look......to me Josh Jackson and Ronald Jones could have been two players that would have been not only highly rated, players of need, but they also have that star factor.

 

I just think that the players that were drafted in the second could have been gotten later on.  That is called a reach.

 

I feel the same about most of Ballards FA signings.  He just seems to be to be very conservative and he thinks he is smarter than he really is.

I’m going to trust someone who does this for a living versus some dude on a message board.  You shouldn’t be surprised about any of this if you take one second to listen to Ballard.  He’s talked from day one about about building from the trenches out... sorry but your opinion is clearly uninformed..  I’ll take a good oline, as well as, a linebacker who has 6 ints and 8 FF. 

[Reboot]

17 minutes ago, akcolt said:

Braden Smith started 41 SEC games has played both G spots and RT He makes the line better competes for a starting spot immediately. Good pick

 Davis the ILB many wanted including myself hope we add Avery too Good pick starter

Then we take DE Lewis from OSU and Turay who would be better known if he played somewhere beside Rutgers. 

 

We added a RB and CB's last year CB may still think those guys can play 

All of this!  Great perspective and post!  Life doesn’t operate in a vacuum.  Ballard built with pieces last year.  He’s adding more this year.  There will be more next year.   You don’t fix a 4-12 team in one draft or one off season.  You don’t replenish a roster in a year or two.  

 

The emotional outbursts here are good theater. It’s good to remember that all those “best available” and “who’s left” lists exist because all 32 GMs, not just Ballard, has yet to pick a player.  But yeah, us fans have it all figured out.  They shoulda.  Yep.  

[dw49]

11 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I don't have access to draft boards obviously, but I do study things like schemes and needs, GM preference, and some other factors that can tell me with some accuracy how well players fall. I will be wrong a lot, but usually I'm within the ballpark. In this case, trading down 6-8 spots on our DE's probably would of been fine and picked up a 4th and 5th next year between them. I will admit now that Braden Smith wouldn't of fell. Ballard took him at the correct spot and I was off. Leonard I can't determine.

 

I would love to bet even money that you are correct on at least the DE from Temple. But to Ballards credit he did trade down a few spots and pick up what really amounts to a 6th. Maybe there wasn't a partner in your 6th to 8th spot ? As For the other DE , you and he just plain disagree on that one. Ballard moved up 3 spots there.

[Yoshinator]

1 minute ago, dw49 said:

 

I would love to bet even money that you are correct on at least the DE from Temple. But to Ballards credit he did trade down a few spots and pick up what really amounts to a 6th. Maybe there wasn't a partner in your 6th to 8th spot ? As For the other DE , you and he just plain disagree on that one. Ballard moved up 3 spots there.

I heard from a friend today that Lewis was projected a mid  2nd rounder on a lot of GM's boards. So yes, Ballard might of had to trade up to get him. He was a value pick. Leonard may not of fell either, but that one I'm not sure of. I do know he was Ballard's top ranked LB on day 2. Turay I have no idea still, but Ballard is really high on him, so that might of been a man-crush pick by him for the D-Line.

[dw49]

1 minute ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I heard from a friend today that Lewis was projected a mid  2nd rounder on a lot of GM's boards. So yes, Ballard might of had to trade up to get him. He was a value pick. Leonard may not of fell either, but that one I'm not sure of. I do know he was Ballard's top ranked LB on day 2. Turay I have no idea still, but Ballard is really high on him, so that might of been a man-crush pick by him for the D-Line.

 

I really am not all that familiar with any of the 2nd rounders , so it's a wait and see for me. I do think Ballard did a heck of a job accumulating all those picks for swapping Chubb for Nelson. I read somewhere that that was by far the most lopsided trade in the draft. I also read that the Jets never even talked to the Giants about pick 1.2 , so hard to say they could have had the same deal if they waited on the trade ?

[Lucky Colts Fan]

14 hours ago, Dingus McGirt said:

73 posts...

 

I hope this isn't a knock on a forum member because their 73 reputation is lower than your 387 reputation.

 

I doubt you want those of us with higher reputations doing the same thing to you.

 

[Lucky Colts Fan]

24 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Ballard is really high on him, so that might of been a man-crush pick by him for the D-Line.

 

Now he has to have a "man-crush" on a player because he made sure he picked them before the other 31 GMs?

 

...

 

[Yoshinator]

4 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

Now he has to have a "man-crush" on a player because he made sure he picked them before the other 31 GMs?

 

...

 

I post 10,000 positive things, including a thread about Ballard, and you single me out about this sentence? He said in his presser he thought he was the best pass rusher in the senior bowl, so take your picture and shove it dude.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

6 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I post 10,000 positive things, including a thread about Ballard, and you single me out about this sentence? He said in his presser he thought he was the best pass rusher in the senior bowl, so take your picture and shove it dude.

 

I'm just messin with you , sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way. 

 

Honestly, the 2nd round picks had me a little bit.  But that's just because I don't know a lot about them.

 

So I'm gonna do some more research before assuming Ballard spent the whole 2nd round reaching like Stretch Armstrong.

 

[Yoshinator]

5 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

I'm just messin with you , sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way. 

 

Honestly, the 2nd round picks had me a little bit.  But that's just because I don't know a lot about them.

 

So I'm gonna do some more research before assuming Ballard spent the whole 2nd round reaching like Stretch Armstrong.

 

You're good.  They looked like reaches originally to me, but Smith was the last starting G for Ballard, Leonard was his top LB there, and I'm guessing he loved the D-Line picks. Lewis was a value pick that he had to trade up for. Turay was the weird one, but we'll see. He probably has the highest ceiling.

[Dingus McGirt]

1 hour ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

I hope this isn't a knock on a forum member because their 73 reputation is lower than your 387 reputation.

 

I doubt you want those of us with higher reputations doing the same thing to you.

 

Nah.  Just that it seems some just come on when they have a fairly baseless and flaming negative comment.  Then,  fade away till next time.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

2 minutes ago, Dingus McGirt said:

Nah.  Just that it seems some just come on when they have a fairly baseless and flaming negative comment.  Then,  fade away till next time.

 

Yeah, it happens during every major milestone throughout each season.  It can be annoying.

 

But it can also be amusing.  Some of these people...

 

"Oh what's that? You think everyone in the Colts organization should be fired?  And YOU should take over?  Tell me more..."

[threeflight]

The odds of any 5th, 6th, or 7th round pick playing any significant role, let alone even making the team, are pretty low.

 

To get an extra pick when a proven first round player with health issues in Hurst is on the board?

 

I don't get it.  If he gets well?  It's a huge steal.  If he doesn't? Then he is just like most other picks taken where he was.  Barely playing or cut.

 

Once again, Ballard goes conservative and goes for depth instead of actual starters.

 

How many sure fire starters can we say came from this draft?  2?   Nelson and the LB?

 

With THIS MANY selections in the early rounds.

 

Sorry, but imo he has totally blown this draft.

[jskinnz]

54 minutes ago, threeflight said:

The odds of any 5th, 6th, or 7th round pick playing any significant role, let alone even making the team, are pretty low.

 

To get an extra pick when a proven first round player with health issues in Hurst is on the board?

 

I don't get it.  If he gets well?  It's a huge steal.  If he doesn't? Then he is just like most other picks taken where he was.  Barely playing or cut.

 

Once again, Ballard goes conservative and goes for depth instead of actual starters.

 

How many sure fire starters can we say came from this draft?  2?   Nelson and the LB?

 

With THIS MANY selections in the early rounds.

 

Sorry, but imo he has totally blown this draft.

 

To the bolded - re: Hurst.  Isn't painfully obvious they took him off the board altogether?  I understand the talent but do the risks really outweigh the reward?  Clearly they said no and the risk here is not just him not playing well but much, much worse - tragic even.

 

To the bolder - re: this draft being blown.  What if...

 

*  Nelson turns into a future Hall of Fame player?

*  Leonard turns out to be a quality starter for the next 7 or 8 years

*  They solidify a weak link and Braden Smith is another multi-year starter

*  And Turay develops into Robert Mathis light and Lewis helps make their d-line deep and formidable for the next 4 years?

 

A lot of ifs but there would not have been any less ifs on whoever you wanted them to take.  

 

And really, isn't it incomprehensibly stupid to declare the draft a bust before they have even played a game for the Colts?  Even declaring the 2018 draft a bust if we fast forward to this day in 2019 would be premature. 

 

A little-less chicken little nonsense would probably serve you well.

[IndySouthsider]

1 hour ago, threeflight said:

The odds of any 5th, 6th, or 7th round pick playing any significant role, let alone even making the team, are pretty low.

 

To get an extra pick when a proven first round player with health issues in Hurst is on the board?

 

I don't get it.  If he gets well?  It's a huge steal.  If he doesn't? Then he is just like most other picks taken where he was.  Barely playing or cut.

 

Once again, Ballard goes conservative and goes for depth instead of actual starters.

 

How many sure fire starters can we say came from this draft?  2?   Nelson and the LB?

 

With THIS MANY selections in the early rounds.

 

Sorry, but imo he has totally blown this draft.

I would not agree with your statement about the higher rounds.

 

64% of rosters are made up of 3rd- UDFA

[ColtStrong2013]

19 hours ago, threeflight said:

I think its a square. 

 

Look......to me Josh Jackson and Ronald Jones could have been two players that would have been not only highly rated, players of need, but they also have that star factor.

 

I just think that the players that were drafted in the second could have been gotten later on.  That is called a reach.

 

I feel the same about most of Ballards FA signings.  He just seems to be to be very conservative and he thinks he is smarter than he really is.

How would you know how smart he is or what he thinks about his intelligence?

 

You seem to be a very uninformed casual fan, but I don't know for sure... 

[Lucky Colts Fan]

On 4/27/2018 at 7:54 PM, threeflight said:

Not impressed so far.

 

You made three versions of this same thread.

 

That's three servings of crow coming right up!

 

[ManningGM]

On 4/27/2018 at 7:54 PM, threeflight said:

Not impressed so far.

Still not impressed? 

[threeflight]

Funny I came to this website specifically to post about the draft after seeing the two All Pro selections today and I saw this thread has been revisited.

 

I have to give a lot of credit to Ballard.  His draft really came on the second part of the year.

 

 

I will gladly eat crow and say I was wrong in this case.

Gladly.

Good luck Colts this weekend.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

8 minutes ago, threeflight said:

Funny I came to this website specifically to post about the draft after seeing the two All Pro selections today and I saw this thread has been revisited.

 

I have to give a lot of credit to Ballard.  His draft really came on the second part of the year.

 

 

I will gladly eat crow and say I was wrong in this case.

Gladly.

Good luck Colts this weekend.

 

You're a good man.

 

[Lawrence Owen]

4 hours ago, threeflight said:

Funny I came to this website specifically to post about the draft after seeing the two All Pro selections today and I saw this thread has been revisited.

 

I have to give a lot of credit to Ballard.  His draft really came on the second part of the year.

 

 

I will gladly eat crow and say I was wrong in this case.

Gladly.

Good luck Colts this weekend.

I'd say most of this forum was scratching their heads about this draft when it happened.  But goes to show how much more Ballard and his staff knows about what he is building than we do.

[Four2itus]

17 minutes ago, Lawrence Owen said:

I'd say most of this forum was scratching their heads about this draft when it happened.  But goes to show how much more Ballard and his staff knows about what he is building than we do.

I remember it being about 1/2 and 1/2. The patient side, and the not so patient side. 

[jvan1973]

20 minutes ago, Lawrence Owen said:

I'd say most of this forum was scratching their heads about this draft when it happened.  But goes to show how much more Ballard and his staff knows about what he is building than we do.

I never scratch my head at a draft.   Those that evaluate talent are far better at it than I.   I just sit back and hope they're right

[Stephen]

6 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

I never scratch my head at a draft.   Those that evaluate talent are far better at it than I.   I just sit back and hope they're right

I felt good about the draft and just hoped the people he picked turned out nice

[AZColt11]

Hey listen, in threeflight's defense I loved most of the draft at the time, but was scratching my head on the Leonard pick.  And I had no idea how good it would all turn out.  Never did I suspect we'd have 2 All-Pro's out of this group right out of the gate, and several more playing starter's minutes.

 

Drafts like these change the fortune of franchises, and apparently have in this case.

[crazycolt1]

I have seen over 40 drafts and if there is one thing I have learned is never assume a draft is bad or good till year 2-3.

It is foolish to make predictions right after the draft because you never know how players are going to turn out.

Example: 6th round pick Tom Brady.

You also never know about free agents.

Example: Kurt Warner.

The NFL also has a history of 1st and 2nd round bust too.

There have been a few walk ons that have become great players too.

The moral of the facts are we as fans are just fans, that's all.

[MikeCurtis]

10 hours ago, threeflight said:

Funny I came to this website specifically to post about the draft after seeing the two All Pro selections today and I saw this thread has been revisited.

 

I have to give a lot of credit to Ballard.  His draft really came on the second part of the year.

 

 

I will gladly eat crow and say I was wrong in this case.

Gladly.

Good luck Colts this weekend.

Its all good

 

Many opinions and predictions on a sports board end up being incorrect.......

(Mine included)

 

The ones that crack me up are the ones that are the absolute in nature......

 

"Chris Ballard will take XXXXXX  XXXXXX. Take it to the bank"

 

Go Colts

 

 

 

 

 

[MikeCurtis]

15 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

I have seen over 40 drafts and if there is one thing I have learned is never assume a draft is bad or good till year 2-3.

It is foolish to make predictions right after the draft because you never know how players are going to turn out.

Example: 6th round pick Tom Brady.

You also never know about free agents.

Example: Kurt Warner.

The NFL also has a history of 1st and 2nd round bust too.

There have been a few walk ons that have become great players too.

The moral of the facts are we as fans are just fans, that's all.

100% Correct!

 

I love reading the draft grades the day after the draft, according to the "experts"

 

Many people gave us an average or poor grade the day after the draft this past year

 

Crow.... for lunch 

[Mr.ZapRowsdower]

Everyone has a right to their own opinion. Sometimes I feel like Ballard could draft 1st team all pros at every position and someone would find something negative. Honestly I know that Ballard’s football and scouting knowledge far surpass anyone’s on this board and I have faith in him and Coach Reich. I haven’t  felt this good about the direction of the Colts for a while.

[2006Coltsbestever]

11 hours ago, threeflight said:

Funny I came to this website specifically to post about the draft after seeing the two All Pro selections today and I saw this thread has been revisited.

 

I have to give a lot of credit to Ballard.  His draft really came on the second part of the year.

 

 

I will gladly eat crow and say I was wrong in this case.

Gladly.

Good luck Colts this weekend.

We are all Colts family and were just giving you a hard time out of fun, glad you showed up to Post. After all it is a just chat room and people have a right to give their opinions at the time something takes place. I for one was real happy with the Draft when it took place because we took Nelson at #6, that alone made me happy. I got my guy. I wanted him or Barkley but I knew Barkley would be gone by the time we picked. The Leonard pick was the Cherry on top of the Sundae. 

[r a y s k i]

Why? Just why. 

[Breeze]

Eating crow is honorable.  It’s the coward who keeps defending an opinion when proven wrong.

[DougDew]

Of the people who are criticizing others who didn't like Ballard's drafts, did they actually say they liked the draft's and explain why at the time?

 

Or are they now just using hindsight to call out people, when they themselves never made any commitment to an opinion in the first place?

 

 

[dodsworth]

Everyone was confused with the Leonard pick and most wanted Hines cut

by the end of pre-season. Most posters on here eat their share of crow from

time to time.

[DougDew]

16 minutes ago, dodsworth said:

Everyone was confused with the Leonard pick and most wanted Hines cut

by the end of pre-season. Most posters on here eat their share of crow from

time to time.

After our ILBs got picked on for 10 years by being slow and unathletic, I'd think anybody who understood the Colts AND read pre draft writeups could have predicted the Leonard pick.  If you're saying that people criticize Ballard out of ignorance, well, I can agree with that.

 

IMO, all of our RBs are just JAGS, not that we need much more than that for this O.  But each one could be replaced.  I wouldn't use Hines as an example for building a case one  way or the other. 

 

Nobody said that Nelson would not be good, so I don't understand if some say criticism of the pick at 6 is "wrong" because he was voted as all-pro.  We don't know what our WL record would be if we only had a guy who blocked his man instead of pancaked him, but also had two second round upgrades at DB.  I suspect that giving up the pancakes for less dramatic good blocking and having better coverage and tackling in the secondary would have won us at least one more game and would be hosting a playoff game today, but that's just speculation.

[DougDew]

25 minutes ago, dodsworth said:

Everyone was confused with the Leonard pick and most wanted Hines cut

by the end of pre-season. Most posters on here eat their share of crow from

time to time.

My question is, are the folks who are criticizing others now for criticizing Ballard then, thought that Leonard was going to be a good LB when picked?  

 

If "everybody" was confused by the Leonard pick, I don't see where anybody has the cred to call out others, unless they thought otherwise.  To them, they simply got lucky that Leonard turned out good and now are using that luck to call out others.  LOL.

[KelownaColtsFan]

The Colts are about to play their first playoff game in 3 years and here we are digging up a bunch of discussions from a year ago for some itoldaso's? I feel some people need to reflect on there priorities.

[aaron11]

15 minutes ago, DougDew said:

  We don't know what our WL record would be if we only had a guy who blocked his man instead of pancaked him

you could say that about any high draft pick.  you dont know what would have happened if they did whatever you wanted either

 

nelson was always a good pick

[dodsworth]

38 minutes ago, DougDew said:

After our ILBs got picked on for 10 years by being slow and unathletic, I'd think anybody who understood the Colts AND read pre draft writeups could have predicted the Leonard pick.  If you're saying that people criticize Ballard out of ignorance, well, I can agree with that.

 

IMO, all of our RBs are just JAGS, not that we need much more than that for this O.  But each one could be replaced.  I wouldn't use Hines as an example for building a case one  way or the other. 

 

Nobody said that Nelson would not be good, so I don't understand if some say criticism of the pick at 6 is "wrong" because he was voted as all-pro.  We don't know what our WL record would be if we only had a guy who blocked his man instead of pancaked him, but also had two second round upgrades at DB.  I suspect that giving up the pancakes for less dramatic good blocking and having better coverage and tackling in the secondary would have won us at least one more game and would be hosting a playoff game today, but that's just speculation.

 

29 minutes ago, DougDew said:

My question is, are the folks who are criticizing others now for criticizing Ballard then, thought that Leonard was going to be a good LB when picked?  

 

If "everybody" was confused by the Leonard pick, I don't see where anybody has the cred to call out others, unless they thought otherwise.  To them, they simply got lucky that Leonard turned out good and now are using that luck to call out others.  LOL.

 I believe you may be off your meds today. Draft gurus and everyone in between

were calling Leonard a reach at his draft pick slot, Ballard is the only guy looking

like a genius with this pick.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

1 hour ago, DougDew said:

Of the people who are criticizing others who didn't like Ballard's drafts, did they actually say they liked the draft's and explain why at the time?

 

I usually like to wait and see how the players actually play before making any sort of analysis post-draft, and I think that's the lesson to take away from threads like this.

 

If someone predicted Leonard was going to be All-Pro right after the draft and wants to pat themselves on the back, that's their prerogative.  I always wanted Nelson, and would have taken him at #3.  I would have taken him at #1 because he was the best player in the draft.  But I'm also a biased ND fan. 

 

Luckily, I am not in charge, and Ballard The Impressive Wunderkind turned #3 into two All-Pro Rookies.