DougDew

I modified the list to cut it down to what I think are the best players. This is a good list of players, IMO.

If you are relying upon history, does accuracy matter? I think the reason Smith ended up at RT is because the coaches tried him there out of necessity and he played well, and stayed there due to the coaches wishes. I don't think that FO guys had much to say about it, because Smith was in fact drafted to be a G, not the RT. Ballard's own words after day 2 of that draft was that they drafted Smith a bit higher than they had him ranked, because he was the "last remaining starting caliber G on the board". So it does fit that Smith was not drafted by Ballard or the FO to be a RT...in part because of the measurables and arm length. Also directing this response to @Matthew Gilbert

Well, the reason the issue is germain to me is because the FS position presently on the Colts has an impact on the draft. DeJean or even coverage LBers like Cooper may be taken based upon the options afforded us at FS. My interest does not lie in some perpetual Ballard grievance or defense discussion. What would you trade DAL to obtain a FS that earned a 77.3 PFF ranking in 2023? Keeping in mind that that FS was ranked poorly in terms of tackles, picks, and targets. Which infers that he was asked to play Cover 3 goal keeper and played it well, limiting his targets which basically means limiting his picks and tackles. Which is basically what he played as a rookie prior to having a knee and other injuries years ago. What is the value of that player on our defense, where the deep safety was a problem last year? He has a mid-level vet contract to go with that 77.3 ranking....which means DAL probably thinks there are limits to his game that has nothing to do with speed enough to play the deep FS role. Would you give a 4th rounder for that type of play and the contract he's earned? I think I would. I would probably prefer trading for Malik Hooker with a 4th round pick than to use more cap space to sign a simmons or diggs, or use a high drat pick to pick a prospect like DeJean. Provided that we don't ask Hooker to play a role that's different than the deep FS role that he's played since entering the NFL. He could work well in this defense, but his lack of appearance in any other aspect of the game would mean we would need to improve the underneath coverage of the LBers and SS, and perhaps Kenny has to at least maintain his play. So Cooper in the 2nd, and a 4th for Hooker? And work on the SS coverage best we can? Lessening the need for a DB at 15?

Save it for never. Its not about history. Its about some saying presently that a 5 game rookie had a near all pro career derailed by a knee injury. Nobody knows what any rookie's career would have been after 5 games (see AR today). To say that a player's ceiling, measured by how he plays today in totality, has been determined by injuries suffered years ago and not by what is his natural and entire suite of football skills are seems biased. Since its Hooker, I wonder why.

So that's the dilemma. If you draft Bowers, what do you do with Granson this year? He's set to count $3M against the cap, and I believe this is his contract year, so I don't think a trade could happen, unless its for a 6th rounder or something.

I think that Bowers and Mallory as the Move TEs, and Woods with Ogletree as the Inline TEs, would improve the TE room dramatically from the Granson/Mallory....MAC/Woods/Ogletree room we have now. Probably have to put Mallory on the PS and have Granson on the roster this season though.

I'll jump in too. Do you think that MAC, Ogletree, or Woods are good enough blockers? I know that has nothing to do with Bowers, which is probably the reason for the TE discussion, but to me it seems like we might have three TEs assigned to block often whom aren't really all that good at it. JMO. But I know that Ogle and Woods are young.

Herbert's dead cap hit would roll off before Harbaugh lost his grace period with the fans. It would simply be considered part of the rebuilding years from a team that had the 5th overall draft pick, IMO. The dead cap hit, from a fanbase perspective, is a nonissue, IMO.

Argue about Grigson? No, unlike you, I never did. If you keep misrepresenting my intent, then I may have to keep correcting you. The "it" you seem to be referring to is something I let go before you even raised it. In this 2024 draft, I'm interested if you (or anybody) think's Ballard's past history of improving the oline when his franchise QBs major injuries were not caused by oline protection issues...aka, he just wants a better oline for a Qb who was injured... supports a plausible theory that he could trade down from 15 to select an OT?

I'm confused as to why what Grigson couldn't figure out has to do with how Ballard might feel about providing AR oline help with a trade down from 15. Its not like Ballard hasn't drafted olinemen before when the major injuries to his starting QB were not caused by protection issues. But have a nice day and enjoy the draft.

Chargers trade Herbert to the Vikes for picks 11, 23, and 2025 1st and 3rd round picks. LAC selects JJ McCarthy at 5, and then adds OT and WR at 11 and 23.

Yeah, I remember he kind of fell off from the previous year. It was the season before last I guess.

I didn't say that. I said it wasn't purely the oline's fault because Luck had a long snap to release, and held the ball long.

And Ballard was supposedly looking at Hunter from Minny, so maybe he's been eyeballing vet EDGEs.

But I thought he disappeared in the playoffs each year. Maybe he still pressured.

Its what Arians did. But Luck never seemed to want to be a dink and dunker anyway. He started 2018 dunking it around, and we went 1-5. Then he opened it up and made a name for guys named Inman and Ebron as the year wore on, finishing 10-6. AR is supposedly a long baller and not much of a dinker. We'll see.

Weird timing. Wonder if clearing some space with Buckner was prompted a bit by under the table talking (dare I say tampering) with Hendrickson. I've got my tin foil hat on.

Really? I thought he was one of those guys who beat up on bad teams but disappeared against playoff teams. He'd probably do well next to Defo though.

So use two picks in the same draft to make trades. Pick 46 or 83 to trade up to 8 or 12 to take Turner, and give SF a 4th for Ayiuk whilst paying him on an extension? Possible I guess. Leaving the Colts with either a 2nd or 3rd, and a 5th and a 6th. Hmmm, I'd be surprised if Ballard does that.

Sure, but it wasn't just the oline. Luck's forte was being a long baller, even in frank's offense the last half of 2018, and a scrambler. He wasn't exceptionally accurate in the short passing game. Sounds like a description of AR. Ballard saw the need to improve the oline and added three positions then. I would not be surprised if there is a RT or a RG selection sometime in the first three rounds, which is something more than backup quality talent, IMO.

We've been through this. Luck was last or nearly last in the NFL from snap to release time. Held the ball longer than almost any QB in the NFL. People conveniently ignored that reality. Frank's offense got him to release the ball sooner, which also made Ballard's shiny new oline look good too.

I agree to a point. A player that's going to require a high contract might get had for a mid rounder, but that's still a lot of capital to give up in one draft. Not sure if SF would want more for Ayuik.

Yes. People also forget that Luck lacerated his kidney on a scramble and his shoulder while snowboarding, so the Oline didn't have much to do with his major injuries either (they just like to blame the oline as a way of blaming Grigson), and that didn't stop Ballard from wanting to protect Luck by drafting Nelson and Smith. But having said that, I think 15 is too high for a RT at this point. We could go RG later in the draft and leave Smith at RT. I was just spitballing as to potential value picks with a trade down, considering its a reportedly good OT draft. Getting 5 really good players along the oline would seem like a Ballard thing to do, especially considering how the contracts would be staggered. I'd be fine if our first pick was starter quality RT, but would hold my nose if it was at 15.

There always seems to be QB hype come draft time.

How does he trade for Aiyuk and trade up to 9-ish at the same time?