DougDew

Agreed. I would also say the same thing about Paye, and any of our TEs. Flip Paye to the other side and treat Ebukam as a stop gap. If we pick Bowers, just drop everybody else down one notch on the depth chart and then figure out what to do with the Granson/Mallory redundancy.

Big and fast like AP, but nothing tells me they will separate or have superior route running. Just going by what folks criticize AP for not having. I think that is important to know for any WR prospect.

Think about this though. What is the salary cap hit of a pick 15 player? Pretty high, all things considered? If Ballard doesn't seriously go for Sneed, a proven player, because of price; do you think he will spend a good capital draft pick and the salary cap implications for a player that is NOT proven? I think corner is just too high of a price at 15, IMO. I think its EDGE, WR, or TE (Bowers), and then try to trade the guy pick 15 will be replacing...maybe some sort of package. JMO. But maybe I'm over thinking this.

Sorry, I know nothing about college players this year. Are they WRs? And what would you do with AP? Its a question that needs answering if we go WR in the first, because almost assuredly that guy will start because of draft slot.

But we have no way of knowing that when its time to sign him. Is he a FS or a SS? Can he cover well enough to play FS at a high level, or hold up well enough as a SS? I think he's gone. And I'm fine with it.

Who are they?

I don't know. frankly. I have not gotten involved in the draft/college player stuff this year, so I have no recommendations. I'm just talking about explosion, something that Ballard said he wants, and conceptually how to get it. But I don't know if it would match with any specific player this draft. That pick 46 will get us a nice player, but probably won't register on the explosion meter, so its fine to sacrifice that pick if it means getting true explosion in round 1. Thinking out loud, I know a few players who will likely be taken before 8. There may be 4 QBs taken in the top 7 picks. And also WR Harrison Jr, and LT Joe Alt. That's 6 players. I keep mentioning Bowers, but that's only because he's about the only player name I really know. I'd think the best EDGE player would be a good pick at 8...if the value is there for him.

We need explosion. Trade pick 15 and 46 to ATL for pick 8, and pick the most explosive guy on the board. Don't settle for what's left at 15.

This thread was supposedly started to discuss actual NEWS and FA signings, so if its inappropriate to ask this just delete it. Does anybody actually want Blackmon back? I get it for value, but does anybody want him starting? because that's what bringing him back at a good price will probably mean.

In less than a heart-beat it would be.

Perfect comment.

I like watching competent football and I think JAX and HOU are very competent (JAX had a down year with Trevor playing injured IMO). I have no issues at all rooting for them if the Colts aren't winning. I actually like their teams, how they are constructed, and like both QBs, and both HCs. Its just unfortunate that they play in our Division.

With what? Isn't Mallory and Granson the same player? And Woods and Ogletree the same all around type? And MAC the blocker? Its stuffed because we apparently need 5 players to play 3 roles. Some of these guys were "Frank's" specialist. I expect a shake out before pre-season.

We don't know numbers. I think its more than that. I think Ballard wants to upgrade S position. Cross and Mr. X will be the new starters next year. Just a hunch.

I think he's gone.

Howie Rosman traded up for WR Smith. That worked out pretty well. Not saying that I have a specific player in mind, but trading a pick to move up 7 slots seems reasonable. Its the trading of 2 number 1s and more for the QB spot that is the costly mistake.

It sets you back one 2nd round draft pick that you probably had less than a 50% chance of hitting on a player that you couldn't get from a mid level veteran FA the next offseason. If there is an "explosive" guy worth trading up for, I'd give pick 15 and the 2nd rounder no problems. Draft value chart says that our pick 15 and pick 46 will get us ATLs pick 8 (actually TENs 7, but I doubt they would trade). I could see that, if Ballard actually wanted to do that.

And trading back is generally NOT the way to directly get "more explosive". You do that by trading up. JMO.

I would hope that when a GM says that we need to get more explosive on both sides of the ball, that its not a coy way of saying that he plans on just getting our own guys back that were on IR. It would be kind of a disingenuous way to address the fans. I would hope also that it meant something other than adding a vet player. I was hoping he meant that about 3 or 4 positions would be targeted for replacing existing players the next two offseasons. Something more of that magnitude

Ah, okay. So when Ballard said that he wants us to be more explosive, he meant just getting AR back. I kinda thought he was implying adding another piece, but you might be right. Getting AR back would technically fit the description.

His words of getting more explosive is going to force him to do something critical with a recent draft pick. Either AP or Paye/Dayo, if it isn't the TEs. Watch. He'll probably get "more explosive" by adding a safety. He let Blackmon go so you know he's already thinking about S at some point this offseason.

With everybody saying that Bowers will not fall to us, I would not at all be surprised if Ballard trades up to get him. It would take a second round pick to trade up. Do we need more young corners with that second round pick...or more young edges (that don't seem to work out when drafted there anyway). With Downs, and Pitt on board, Ballard's words suggest he's not ready to give up on AP. How do you get more "explosive" in Ballard's words. if you don't replace AP? He's not replacing Downs, and obviously not Pitt. With Grover and Davis signed, is Ballard going to pick a DT with that second round pick he would use to trade up for Bowers? Not making a prediction. But you heard it here first if Ballard does the out of character thing and gets more explosive by trading up for Bowers.

This needs to be placed into context. Some of the discussion around Ballard or rookie deals is coming straight from the realization that Sneed is not going to be a Colt (we think as of today). That loss is now being argued that not spending a mid round pick and a lot of cap space on a cornerback is somehow an injustice to AR. What would be a more direct injustice to ARs development would be not having improved WR and TE play...or at least production....from last season. And not having the top end explosive players there has been a lot of Ballard's problem for about 6 years. Question: Do you think that AP and the TE room are notably better at their jobs than our existing Cornerback room is at their jobs? I would say no, they are not. But, I would say that they are notably better than our Safety room.

I don't disagree. I'm just focusing on the topic of rookie contracts...or having players out play their contracts being the key to success. Simply getting what you pay for is not good enough. You need players that provide a high return on investment. IMO, if you look at a lot of the contending teams, they have players that exceed their "value" of where they were drafted. Hill, Kupp, McDuffie...and yes, the QBs Purdy, Hurts, etc. Chris Jones was on a very cheap second contract when KC won its first SB...outplayed his contract. I can't think of a player that the Colts have drafted that has exceeded his draft slot other than Raimann. We've had good players, but its either nelson at pick 4 or JT at 41, and some of those positions they play kind of detract from their impact unlike a Hill, Kupp, Sneed, Jones, the QBs etc. There is hope for the Colts, we have Raimann at LT and probably AR at QB that have (can) outplay their contract. Need an EDGE that will do the same...and probably a receiver (either a wide out or a TE). Once those players return a higher investment than we've had at EDGE and WR, then the FA acquisitions mean something.

I think the formula for any SB contending team in the past 15 years is for several players to outperform their rookie deals by a wide margin. KC had HIll a few years back. SF has Purdy now. Philly had Hurts. But GB had an old AR. NE and ATL old QBs. LAR had Kupp, IIRC. Its not essential that its the QB. You've got to have players out-play their rookie deals. You get those players by drafting well, not necessarily getting them through the first week of free agency. Draft better. Have more 3rd rounders play like 1st rounders (not just "start"), rather than 1st rounders play like 3rd rounders. And have the 1st rounders play like 1st rounders. More players like Raimann. Fewer players like Paye.