Yoshinator

I would think we'd have to stay ahead of the Bengals to get Thomas, and the Rams to get Latu. Just my guess. Wouldn't mind either of them at 15, I'm guessing both will be there.

They let him go because they paid Chris Jones instead. They also have Trent McDuffie. Their scouting department has proven they can draft corners. They have won 3 SBs with Mahomes (and made 4), I'm pretty sure they can trade a player away instead of paying him from time to time. Veach has earned that trust among the fanbase. If I were a Chiefs fan, I would be extremely happy right now. Best QB in the league. won 3 SBs and made 4 with Mahomes. A great GM that builds through the draft and FA. An elite defense. Those numbers were average for Mahomes standards yes. Normally he's much better than that. If we had those numbers on the Colts, we'd probably make the playoffs every year. We don't though. That's Ballard's fault since Luck's retirement. You and a lot of others take for granted that a new GM usually doesn't have an elite QB to start his tenure. Ballard did, that was a luxury. He had a large head thinking all he had to do was build through the draft around Andrew Luck. When Luck retired, Ballard was exposed. He didn't even know the proper way to get a QB. He was trying to do it through FA and trades when the vast majority of the time teams develop their franchise QBs through the draft. Ballard built through the draft, except for the QB. How ironic is that? 8 years in, we are still hoping we hit on the QB. Maybe AR is the guy, as the division is harder, as the AFC has numerous elite QBs, as the NFL passes us by. "If we had average QB play like that these last 7 years". Where has the standards gone of being a fan? We should be regularly making the playoffs and competing for a SB 8 years in Ballards tenure. Instead, we are hoping the QB hits still at this point and we can fix the secondary on the team. Give me a break. This team is run by a scout that's a wannabe GM who stubbornly refuses to change his ways. The only reason we're mediocre is because he's actually good at scouting. Unfortunately, as a GM, he has no idea how to compete with 31 other GMs who are actually qualified to be GMs.

I'm very open-minded when I get proven wrong. Ballard hasn't proven me wrong at all. His methods suck. Sorry. He's a scout that GMs like a 13-year-old Madden player. You can't build through the draft without using FA and trades in real life. Then he thinks the secondary isn't important when the Chiefs proved otherwise last year by having two elite CBs that helped carried them to another SB title when Mahomes was average. You can't teach an old dog new tricks apparently.

I really think Ballard will go after a CB on day 2 like Cam Hart. He has all the measurables Ballard loves. He'll be our version of JuJu Brents from last year.

I agree he doesn't want to spend much on the cornerback position. I don't agree his hands are tied by ownership. He spent roughly close for an extension on Buckner what it would have cost to extend Sneed. It saved us a draft pick or two and CB is better this year in the draft than DT, so maybe it's a good move in that respect. I don't doubt Ballard doesn't want to spend much at the CB position. Unfortunately, being a zone team as you said, Ballard probably won't draft a CB high. I've been pushing the narrative that Ballard will draft an EDGE like Latu in the 1st round as Paye and Dayo are FAs after next year and Ballard loves the trenches. I just dislike stubborn people that hold on to their beliefs when they are outdated and have been proven wrong. Sneed may like Nashville better than Indy, however, unlike Hunter, there was nothing leaked that he went to the Titans because of location. It seems to me that was because Ballard wasn't willing to pay what the Titans were to extend the contract in guaranteed money. I honestly think that's all it was.

You would have an argument if it wasn't the Titans. He didn't get traded to the Bills or Eagles who have elite QBs. He got traded to the Titans, who are a worse team than us. So that is highly unlikely. You are just grasping for straws to defend Ballard in why he is cheap and risk-averse. This is an 8 year pattern. He didn't just become GM. If Sneed didn't want to go to Indy, that would have been leaked by now. Ballard didn't want to pay the guaranteed money. That makes a lot more sense.

He did get drafted in the 4th round, however, Ballard has not proven he can draft an elite corner. He can draft good ones late, but no elite ones. Sneed was a nice scheme fit that could play zone, and I'm pretty sure he'll be better than any 3rd round corner that will be available in that range for us (and the Titans got him for a 2025 3rd rounder). I saw the presser, and one year of experience isn't going to be enough to overcome not having an elite CB on this team. He mentioned the O-Line, but the O-Line had Nelson, Braden Smith, and Ryan Kelly. All the CB room has is Kenny Moore. As good as he is, he's a slot corner. I would love to get someone like a Cam Hart for the Colts, but we are projecting, and it has to happen. Getting a CB that hits in the first 3 rounds is best-case scenario. We can make excuses for Ballard and say it's ok and he has a plan, but there has to be a time when fans need to admit he is just risk-averse. We'll see in 5 days how the Colts end up. I still expect to trade down.

That's possible, but his job needs to be on the line if he has that stance, because teams like the Chiefs are proving that Ballard is wrong in that belief. If we draft a CB early, than I'll eat crow, but that's yet to be determined and relying on Mitchell/Arnold to be there at 15 is based on a certain degree of luck.

Yep. There was no excuse for not trading for Sneed. 1.) We had interest 2.) We knew the compensation and it was low. 3.) Ballard didn't want to pay the guaranteed money, which he was willing to pay a similar amount for Buckner to re-sign. It just reeks of cheapness and being risk averse. The Titans also got him, so it's not like he went to an elite team. No defending missing out on Sneed. Anything else someone can make a case for.

Don't remember much of him as a kid besides the altercation with Mel Kiper. Know he drafted Marshall Faulk and was the GM of the Colts for that 95 Colts team with Jim Harbaugh. He brought me a lot of laughs roasting Mel Kiper. RIP Bill!

Walker has stone hands, I think he will go day 3 for real. Love Corley, he is a 2nd rounder IMO, Polk is solid, Washington is good, Rice has a lot of potential, he's late day 2 pick IMO. The others are day 3 picks IMO.

Zinter will miss most of the year next year. Not sure I'd take him in the 3rd round. Love Jackson. Dorius is good. Smith is ok. Puni I have more of a 4th rounder. Taylor is a luxury pick based on our DL. Sounds like the Vikings forum is smart if these are the main options remaining.

Pearsall played a year at Florida with Anthony Richardson, so there's some familiarity there between the two. Haynes is a favorite of mine, he has versatility at G and T. If he's there in round 3, take him. An EDGE you could go in round 3 is Adisa Issac, he's one of the better day 2 EDGE rushers in the class after Kneeland. CB is very deep actually. You should have no problem getting one in round 3 or later.

I would have taken Pearsall at 46 myself in your situation. In the 3rd round, maybe someone like Cam Hart or Khyree Jackson at CB could be a good pick. If Jonathan Brooks or Jaylen wright could be good at RB. I also like Junior Colson in the third round if he's available.

Yes, I was responding to a post about WRs. Just WR hits. Ballard has had a lot of hits at other positions.

Pittman is the only definite hit Ballard has had since being the GM. When Downs and Pierce are maybe, and they're the next best thing, that's not a ringing endorsement. IMO, we'll take a WR in the first two days again. Probably round 2.

I think we stand pat at 15. Mitchell or Arnold might be there at 15, Bowers might be there at 15, Brian Thomas is another one. There's also the EDGE rushers. I'm guessing someone that Ballard has in the top 10 of his rankings will fall to 15, and he'll stand pat and take him there. I've heard the rumors of trading up for a WR, I just don't believe them.

The only similarities that Ballard and Veach have is that they were both on KC at the time Mahomes was drafted (Veach is the GM now obviously), and they both build well through the draft. Other than that, they are different in every other way as GMs. You are correct, Ballard is more like Dorsey. Ballard is actually best friends with Dorsey. They had a thing in the draft where Dorsey always prank called Ballard during the draft. Was kinda funny. If AR hits, then we will have gotten there as a playoff team the slow way. However, with Ballard, it will have taken a lot onger than it ever should have. People can blame Lucks retirement, Reich, or whatever, but GMs generally don't start with a franchise QB when they take over a team. IMO, Ballard was a scout who had no idea how to be a GM when he took over, and when Luck retired, it completely exposed him. He finally figured it out 7 years in his tenure. Might be too little, too late.

Yep, the narrative would be that the Lakers were on a hot streak and the Nuggets ran into them at the wrong time. In reality, I don't trust the refs or the league when it comes to the Lakers and Lebron James. He is still the poster boy of the league.

I feel the league may try to rig the series for the Lakers. Didn't want to have this matchup.

Yeah that's right. I got the girl wrong lol.

Yeah for sure. I'm guessing Ballard will trade down in the first 2 days of the draft. So we'll probably end up with 9 picks or so anyway.

Yeah maybe. Sorry for overreacting a bit. Just didn't realize they determined picks like that.

In any case, it's cool Clark went to Indiana. That'll make it fun for people who watch the WNBA on this forum.

I believe she's done that twice Vs Stephen Curry. She beat him 2 years ago and then he beat her last year. EDIT: She beat him last year and he beat her this year.