bluephantom87

Diggs just went to the Texans....

Yawn...

I can respect the time and thought put into that response which by the way I agree with some but not all. At the end of the day we want the same thing.... I gave Ballard big kudos last season for the Shane hire, the AR pick and the Minshew signing. We did have some success last season and that's a start. I just don’t feel with how the division is shaping up that now is the time to sit pat but I also said we'll see how the draft pans out. I just expected a few more moves considering what Chris said at seasons end about improving the team with more explosive players and by changing up some of the things that he did in the past. If the gm shines that means the Colts shine and that's all I want whether it comes from Ballard or someone else but again I have no control over that. Cheers!

You do realize you have the option to bypass right? It wasn't addressed to you anyway.

Dear God... I'll never give undeserved credit when it's not earned. I know you probably think that Ballard is one of the top gms in the league but I don't. IMO he's more middle of the pack and based on his sub .500 record that might be a stretch. He could dip even further if we finish near the bottom of a newly talent infused division. As a matter of fact some early predictions have us doing just that for the upcoming season. To me this draft has to produce some elite talent or have some noticeable upgrades in positions of need. Ballard has done some decent things in his tenure as gm but he hasn't done enough to move any needles as far as getting the team back to upper tier status. I am a season ticket holder and have been for years through good times and bad so no bandwagon fan here just one who's invested like many others who are. Trust me this forum is NOT the only place where Ballard's welcome has worn thin due to the team's minimal accomplishments. As a matter of fact this board is tame compared to other sights that speak on his job performance. Now if Ballard suddenly turns the corner with a slightly different approach to elevate the team PAST mediocrity and actually follows through with some of the things that he usually says at his season ending presser then maybe we'd be having a different conversation. Enough of the "It's on me", "We need more explosive players" and the "I've got to do better." Yada yada... I say again I will have no problem applauding him IF he gets the team to a place where they can compete for a division title, make a couple of playoff runs or ultimately hoist a Lombardi. Trust me I won't gaslight because I stand on what I say. Your opinion is that Ballard is doing things the right way but his Colt's resume of nearly 8 yrs says differently. It has no division titles to list and reflects ONE playoff win courtesy of an inherited Andrew Luck. Those are the facts that somehow seem to fall under the term "bashing" as you and some others defend him. I say to each his own and for the record I was a Ballard fan initially but MY opinion has changed over time. It doesn't matter regardless because like I've said on several occasions until Irsay is fed up with this low reward journey of Ballard it shall stay status quo.

I wasn't expecting anything from either guy because I didn't like the picks in the first place! As far as Eason I'm not so sure they didn't take a flyer on a guy with a big arm who could possibly develop behind Rivers. His comp by some coming out that he was a poor man's Josh Allen (arm wise) and could even end as a steal in the mid rounds by becoming an eventual starter in the league. See Dak and Kirk Cousins who also were 4th rd picks that eventually became starters. Hc Frank Reich at the time was considered to be a qb whisper so it's not out of the possibility to think that was the plan for Eason. I had ALREADY said earlier that none of it matters as long as Irsay is satisfied!!!! So what's your point? You're not telling me anything I don't already know except that YOU knew for a FACT that Ballard never drafted either to be a franchise guy. Ok. I guess since neither has shown any type of success Ballard just simply threw away some picks drafting backup qbs which made no sense considering our qb hell situation post Luck. Most thought Ehlinger would go undrafted anyway and for good reason I might add. They just brought in a nearly 40 yr old Flacco cause Sam is not the answer as backup. Same as last season with Minshew but he'll stay because he's Ballard's guy.

Sorry NCF I don't know what happened. Glad you pointed that out. It was meant as a response to ColtStrong2013 from an earlier post directed to me.

Lol.. That's how many feel about Ballard's tenure.

In all honesty how many resets does a guy get? Has Ballard even earned it and based on what? As long as Jim Irsay is satisfied with the mediocrity that Ballard brings he'll be safe but at some point those results won't be good enough. You are one of the main ones that comment on his lack of a competent qbs after Luck's departure like he played no part of the long list of washed or downright awful qbs including the ones he drafted in Eason and Ehlinger prior to Richardson. Bring up his factual record or accomplishments while at the helm and receive snide remarks but guess what MAYBE if Ballard changes some his approach like how he deals with free agency or his tendency to mostly trade back to gain more later rd picks to use on guys with high RAS scores instead of moving up trying to snag an upper tier type of player who produced at a high level against top competition. With that being said I'll be the first to applaud him if the team starts winning on a consistent basis that sees a divion title or two, a few playoff runs and maybe a shot at a SB. For a guy that wants to build mostly through the draft and from inside out I'm not seeing enough special or elite in 7 plus years especially at the premium positions. HOF gm Bill Polian also built through the draft but the difference was that he hit on some HOFs or fringe type guys. His record in Buffalo and Indy reflected that too with a few SB appearances to match.

And so are you with the ready made excuses for your guy.

If that's the case then Ballard should surround Richardson with multiple offensive weapons like the Titans have done with Levis because they will find out real soon if Will is the man or not. Stroud has options and so does Lawrence. Every year Ballard is waiting according to some on this board to the tune of being under .500 and accomplishing absolutely nothing but I'm starting to see the OVERALL gameplan now.... Plod along for another decade or so and wait for everyone else to decline. Some laughed at John Lynch when he became a gm around the same time as Ballard but guess what he's ran circles around the "polished" talking Ballard who couldn't even take advantage of a formerly weak AFC south. The Niners haven't won a SB but they've lost two close ones while we continue to wait as Ballard uses the 80's blueprint to build a team which hasn't worked so far after years of wash, rinse, repeat.

I'd say I'll believe it when I see it. 0 division titles under Ballard in going on 8 yrs with ONE playoff win courtesy of Andrew Luck who was known to carry below or avg teams led by nice but subpar first time head coaches and two mediocre at best gms.

Just for arguments sake... Say the Colts finish below or around .500 this upcoming season and that's a strong possibility with a tougher schedule while also having to navigate inside their own division against teams which by all accounts have upgraded in talent level as they try to make a playoff push by first winning the division which gives you the easiest path to get in. IMO someone will take the blame because of the ground swell narrative of "one play away with a backup qb" that's been used as far as how good this team is by some who justify the lack of any DIFFERENCE making moves outside the resigning of our own. I do think the offense will improve with a healthy AR but I also think it won't matter in the end because the Colts will not benefit from one of the easiest schedules from a season ago. I say Gus will be the odd man out. His meh type defense set a Colt sack that came against some bad offenses which were led by either backups or rookies.

I remember for a split second when Jim Bob Cooter was in Detroit as oc with Stafford he was a hot hc candidate but it was reported that some owners couldn't take him serious because of his name and that's sad. Jabs are still taken at his name in "fun" every blue moon but I can see some stuffy owner or buttoned up executive shying away regardless of what JBC could bring to the table as a hc. Bless his parents but they did him no favors (corporate wise) with that name right or wrong. Me personally I could care less as long as he could perform in his chosen field at the highest level period. I'm sure JBC will make the best decision for he and his family as well as his career but to me it seems like Nick is on VERY shakey ground in Philly. So to me JBC's best move might be to stick with the shoe and be part of something that appears to be trending upward which could lead to even better opportunities down the road. I would rather JBC stay because he is another good offensive mind on hand but we are still in good hands with Shane.

Cooter would actually be calling the plays in Philly like he did a few years back with the Lions. Nick is hc in Philly but doesn't call the plays. Here in Indy Cooter is oc by title and helps with the overall offensive game plan but Shane calls the plays. This is a little interesting to me though. Would Shane feel some type of gratitude to Nick for allowing him to shine in Philly by hiring him as Philly's oc a couple of years back? Could Shane block the move? Yes but I believe he will allow Jim Bob to make his own decision concerning his future. Shane runs the show on offense anyway and is probably confident enough with his current staff to promote someone from within like the qb coach.