CardiacColts

Thank you. I wish it were just a really bad April fools…

This is the first I have heard of that; however, I haven’t actively been looking for any content on this topic. If true, that seems like a very shortsighted approach for the players to take…

Unfortunately, it seems that this is accurate. The TMZ article has a quote from one of Vontae’s personal friend’s facebook post. TMZ Source

I would like to see the NFL ramp up additional supports for current and former players. Kicking the stigma is good, but it’s going to take a much more intentional and targeted effort to curb some of these emerging trends with mental wellness.

This is exactly what I am most afraid of.

Couldn’t agree more. I just want to know why/how.

honestly, I’m pretty sure this is the exact point that is making this so difficult for me to process. I’m very curious to hear more of the details once everything comes out. 35 is just way too young…

Agreed. I’m seeing a couple of other outlets like CBS repost that original article about the death investigation. It sounds legitimate. I’m pretty bummed out…

Mods, feel free to delete or merge if this has already been posted. I came across a few posts on Twitter suggesting that Vontae Davis passed away at age 35. However, it is April 1, and I have yet to find any sort of verified source for this. I’m hoping this is a bad prank in poor taste, but my gut is telling me otherwise. Has anybody come across any other sources for this news? If this is true, it is so tragic. Vontae had his challenges in life, but by all accounts he was a pretty good guy. I have always been biased, since I had loved him when he played for university of Illinois as well. Below, I will link the article I came across. Vague Article Twitter Post from Coach Frazier

It’s getting a little better on this thread. Only had to catch up on 2.5 pages to see that there are no new signings or updates . Carry on…

Wow, I didn’t realize how closely we were aligned from a team building standpoint. Can’t say I’m surprised. Couldn’t agree more. For me, I just want to see AR play the whole season. Get him weapons in the draft. Let the offense jell for a year and see what we have. If the offense shows promising development this season, allow them to build continuity for 2025, and throw the kitchen sink at the defense with FA mercenaries if we need to. That said, still hoping we plug a few more holes in the secondary before the draft.

Zaire seems to find this amusing. I wish I had his level of confidence in this moment lol. Zaire’s Tweet

I’m certainly of the camp that it is better to do things right rather than rushed. Perhaps they are just ironing out all the details of a potential deal with Sneed. That said, there has been way too much media attention and way too many conflicting reports. At this point, I’m going to have to accept that this is likely an Occam‘s razor situation. My interpretation is that Ballard has drawn his line in the sand, and he’s standing firm. More likely than not at this point that a deal isn’t getting done. I will be the first person to tell you that I hope I’m wrong. But this is how I’m reading the tea leaves today.

I love that for you! My lady is a little older, and we have been together for a long time. So my 2 step kids will officially both be in college as of next fall. So I will be an empty nester by 37. Life works in very mysterious ways. And there is never a linear path through it. Best regards!

I’m 36 going on 87. Probably going to go catch the early bird special somewhere soon before I get ready for bed at 7 lol. I can empathize.

I just got a new phone, and it logged back in no problem. It’s saved somewhere, and that works for me lol.

The world we live in today, everyone in every industry is expendable. So I get your point. That said, there are certainly advantages to retaining top end talent through their prime. At the end of the day, Buck will likely end up going down as one of my favorite Colts. I just really like the guy. I enjoy having players who I like on the squad. It enhances the whole experience of being a fan. The older I get, the more I find myself caring less and less about the “advanced metrics” of life. Sometimes we forget that it all exists for our own enjoyment. Could we turn and churn entire rosters to keep the average age down and play moneyball every year, sure. For me, though, I like rooting for the individuals who we invest our emotions in just as much as the team as a whole. I appreciate efficiency and I appreciate effectiveness, whether it’s a company I work for or a team I cheer for. But I refuse to lose sight of what really matters. To me, that is enjoying life and stopping to appreciate the things that make it so great.

I agree with you. Personally, he is a player I am fine riding with until the wheels fall off or he hangs it up. My point was more or less, now that the dust has settled, we definitely “won” that trade. We still have Buck playing at a high level. San Fran now has no Buckners, no Armsteads, and no Kinlaws.

I am so glad you made that point. Completely forgot that. Wow. Can’t give them too hard of a time though, since they are a well run franchise. But that will definitely be a dark spot on a few resumes.

Have you seen my profile picture? I don’t know how to change anything on here these days. I’m lucky I still know how to login, although I couldn’t tell you my password anymore either.

Imagine losing Buckner to hang on to a guy you go and release anyways a few years later. Seriously though, it would be great if the rest of our division could stop being so active in free agency lol. Please, and thank you!

That sounds reasonable to me, but I am the furthest thing from a cap guru there is. I just wait for Superman and others like yourself to break this all down lol. Thank you for your service!

For what it’s worth. Sounds like we could just be waiting for an extension to be finalized. Fans on the Chief’s subreddit all seem to accept it and are just speculating on the compensation. I have been out of the loop a little bit, and haven’t had a chance to go all the way down the rabbit hole with this one. Has this been talked about here at all? Sneed trade official?

Your passion is infectious in the best kind of way! I love seeing spirited debate on this forum. That said, I simply can’t engage with a substantial portion of your response. I respect your opinion, and you absolutely have a right to it! I just don’t share it. Cheers to the draft though. I absolutely agree this will be a great opportunity to see how this team takes shape. I actually like the direction we are starting to head. Call me a homer, but I’m actually pretty optimistic. Of course, I could be wrong. But I am just enjoying feeling pretty good about our team. I would love to share a little bit of this feeling with you, bro. Maybe I’m just naïve, but I enjoy feeling this way about the upcoming season. Even if they let me down next year, I appreciate feeling pretty good about the team AND the depth at the moment. We have plenty of needs that need to be addressed. So does every other team… To me, personally, this is what makes the NFL so fun. The salary cap ensures parity to a certain extent. Roster size plays a role. You can’t be successful allocating 90% of an annual budget to 3 players like the NBA. Sometimes the depth contracts get signed first (not sexy contracts, I agree), and then the impact players sign later (much more exciting, I agree). Other seasons, the inverse is true. I suppose my biggest ask of you, just for posterity and culture on the forum purposes, is can we not treat every new media bit as a reason to cause division? Most of us just want to hear other people’s thoughts on the latest signings or losses, but without someone needing to win. We just want to talk. We are all passionate, we all have different emotions linked to our varying levels of Colt’s fandom. I’m just asking that we wait for the season to start to make it a debate instead of a conversation. My final statement is that I hear you. I believe many of us here, hear you. Your thoughts and feelings are 100% valid. None of us have a crystal ball, none of us know if AR will eclipse Mahomes or never finish a season. That’s why it’s a forum. It’s all speculation. None of us are omniscient… But please, let this be a place of fun, recreation, decompression, and conversation. Let’s just talk. I promise I’m here to listen. We can all slide over a seat and get on the same side of the table. We are all in this together, regardless of our opinions. Much love and respect…

This is the most logical take. If we were really in the final stages of negotiations with either of the free agents, I can’t imagine our players would interfere with that on social media for the sake of both parties. To me, it means 1 of 2 things. Either a deal is already done, or it ain’t getting done…