DougDew

Thanks for this. I sent you a PM but got a response saying that you can not receive PMs.

That would make sense and would probably fetch compensation higher than JTs intrinsic value given current circumstances.

You are essentially saying that posters' negative comments are being driven by negative bias and not objectivity. 4 and 12, and the Colts generally underperforming expectations season after season, would suggest that coming to the forum with positive bias is rather futile.

Having natural forward body lean is also useful. Edge, Addai, Vic Ballard, Ahmed Bradshaw. Stand up runners usually engage more upright.

I think some have been a colts fan long enough to think that any current GM sucks. If you go back long enough, a person could be a fan of the Colts and also think the current owner sucks. Many Washington Redskins fans thought that about Snyder and many of the GMs, and I bet many people thought those fans were "more real" Redskins fans because of their negative opinion of the owner or GM. Being a fan of a team could be divorced from liking the owner and GM....and wish they would both get new jobs elsewhere.

An example as to why stats and rankings could be flawed, and the eye test could be superior. If true, that Henry is not on the field a lot during pass plays, then I would take it that the coaches think he is not good at pass pro, (superior to both the media and other players opinions). I would take their word over a data compilation service like PFF who might only have a small sample size for which Henry excelled...you know, did well as pass pro when the defense didn't expect a pass play with Henry on the field. Or, he could be off the field during pass plays because the coaches don't think he can catch, and not because of pass pro. The dynamic with Henry is sort of the same as with JT regarding pass pro. I would throw them into the same bucket as being untrustworthy pass protectors based upon how the coaches are choosing to use them. And, if they have catching issues...not saying they do...it would appear that the coaches do not value JTs and Henry's contribution to the passing game as maybe some other RBs. Has JT been traded for two 5th rounders yet? LOL.

What some of us are observing is that the amount of focus being placed on this by Irsay, its suggesting that he may be forcing Ballard to change his approach where Ballard might not otherwise do so on his own. Just pointing out that during the draft, Ballard took the lead on the AR pick and Irsay stepped back, indicating it was more Ballard's decision. The amount of visibility Irsay has provided to the JT situation makes it hard to think Ballard is pulling the strings for the Colts as much. Ballard could very well be, but Irsay's comments do tend to muddy the waters as to who is directly in charge of the contract.

Perhaps Irsay felt he had to step in to announce the Colts position of holding JT to the contract because of some concern that Ballard might have just extended him like Nelson and Leonard.

True Dat, In fact, virtually nobody on this board is addressing the Taylor situation by talking about Ballard's position. Its Irsay. Irsay has once again put himself in the position as representing the Colts when it comes to personnel decisions.

Hey guys, just got back from vacation. Has JT been traded for two 5th rounders yet? Or is that reality still a few weeks out?

Hopefully he's not going to sit in the pocket long waiting on a 3rd read like Ryan or even Wentz. I assume the idea to counter a bad oline would be to spread out the D to create more gaps so that AR could use his jiggle to dance passed sacks. But yeah, its a lot of pressure to put on one player to minimize an oline problem.

I think this was born out in our 41-17? win over them in that one regular season game. JT had a big day and the scoop was that its because you can take the Bills Dline on straight up. I don't know if that had impact on today's game though if there were not a lot of power-ish run play calls.

Maybe this year it would be expensive. I don't recall Smith's contract specifically, but I think as the cap goes up its going to look more like near-elite G money than OT money. Assuming Freeland at RT decidedly outplays Pinter and Fries at RG. the Colts would have both OTs on rookie deals and the Gs on elite money. That would be wonky, but it could smooth out the problems created recently.

I've never really known you to be not nice...at least when as an initiator of engagement...maybe after someone took shot at you...of course. At least you do not sweep in out of the blue to engage other posters with immediate impoliteness. Being an expert at fooling many by disguising his personal shots at posters by how he crafts his comments.....and getting away with it for years. @Restinpeacesweetchloegot abused with repeated impolite comments last year. And I think some "good posters" strangely "liked" the bullying based upon that good ol "lack of facts" nonsense..

Well, I'm one that is watching for Freeland to play better at RT than Pinter or Fries at RG. Then possibly slide Smith to RG and that could improve the oline. I expect it to take a while.

I can't believe that Rush and Jones lasted as long as they did.

Well, its impolite posts like yours that creates victims of impolite posts. Example cited.

Sorry for the long post... A back and forth never starts unless a post starts off with a disrespectful or unpolite quote. I've been the victim of that for years here. Yours was polite, so no chance of a back and forth...just a discussion. But I give back exactly what I get, and always will. I hope any observer would see who starts it and acts accordingly in whatever role they have. I don't know if JT fumbles more or less. but my point to the post that talked about the big runs he has as part of supporting a new contract, the fumbling part would be the "other stuff" that gauges how much he contributes to the game beyond the big run. Of course, a fumble being a big negative contribution. I have read posts here that suggest he fumbles in crucial situations, so I would just assume he's average. But an elite-money back should fumble less, IMO. But no, I wasn't saying indirectly that he fumbles a lot, but it seems to have enough mass that its a concern. If you read my other posts, I don't value internet credentials much. I loved the days when we used to go to libraries and read Encyclopedia Britannica as a solid source of information. Great credentialed material. So much of the internet stuff seems it has promotion or click bait at its root, so its kind of amusing to call it fact. Libraries and the EB didn't have to advertise to get people to use their information. I doubt that Kevin Bowen uses an understanding of the Wisconsin offense to form an opinion about JT. But I think its helpful to know about it. As far as stats, I put stats in the bucket of something credentialed. I never cite them as "facts", because they are not. The facts are the inputs into the algorithm. The stats are only the output of the algorithm. Algorithms have limitations, so they never tell the whole story. I work with stats every day in my profession and know what they are. The algorithms that spit out stats can only process information that has a high degree of uniformity. Stat algorithms hate idiosyncrasies. Football games are full of idiosyncrasies. Each play is different than before, with different matchups between teams, and that's not accounting for injuries from time to time. Stats in football are the root of the betting world and the game of fantasy football. From my perspective, they are not very good at explaining what's happening. The human eye and judgment is better. Its been upsetting to read posts that say my post is ignorant because it lacks the stuff they consider to be facts...like internet links and stats...especially when they are written in a confrontational and impolite tone..

see my post above. JT was this way in college too. And another has mentioned about Frank calling runs up the gut with Hines and JT. That's exactly why JT was drafted, because that's what Wisconsin's offense is based on and what JT did for 4 years there. He might be able to do more. But paying him big money now before he has shown it would be paying a RB big guaranteed money on spec. I agree 100% with Irsay, Ballard, and SS at this point. Did these posts answer your question?

As a clue to my way. I don't form opinions based upon other peoples credentials. I don't think of stuff that is linked as being fact or accurate. So if I make an opinion based solely upon my own observations and reasoning, I guess it comes off as an assertion that's based on "not accurate" stuff to folks who hold the-credentialed in higher esteem. All I can say is that's the way I form opinions, so that's how I post. There is no malice or ill-intent. Edit: BTW, I don't recall us ever butting heads...are you thinking of the right guy? The only thing I remember is a couple of weeks ago I called you a HOMER...you know, because you attach Homer GIFS a lot. I was acknowledging your badge of honor I thought you wore proudly, but it got interpreted as a personal shot. Sorry.

I just give my opinions, and in more than two sentences because I think all opinions should be backed up. I was supporting a position another poster took because I thought your definition of "overpay" was based on an opinion. I can't control if you are offended. I had no desire...or ever do...to have a disagreeable back and forth with you or anyone.....but I also never back down. BTW, I share your fandom of the Huskers. Hopefully we can come together on that if a thread supports it. Have a nice day.

I don't know what this means. Are you saying that we both share the same reasoned opinion on this matter or that we have some sort of perpetual tribal bond that's based on something else? Who are the good posters and the bad? I suppose, the good ones here provide links to another person's opinion, where that other person happens to have their own YouTube channel or Twitter Feed or something.? But yet the media guys and twitter feedies know more about JT vs the landscape than Irsay, Ballard, and SS; who are actually around the team 24/7.

This is true, but I look at it in totality. When he isn't scoring those big runs, how does he help the offense move the ball? Does he get stuffed a lot when not breaking one? Does he create on his own or does he pretty much run to where the play-block was called? Does he fumble more, average, or less than other RBs? How many of those non-contributory plays have to be run in order to get the game breaking ones? Does the offense get first downs or three and outs when it feeds it to JT looking for a game break. When not running, does he help the QB stay upright? You can refer to the game breaking stats and possibilities similarly with a WR. Take a fast straight ahead guy like TY Hilton and throw bombs to him all game long. I'd bet the offense would connect on one or two of them for 14 pts. But what would happen to the O when they didn't? Would he help the QB or RB get yards by running wide behind TY's great block? Can that WR run outs and comebacks, or muscle a catch for a FD? see my post above. JT was this way in college too. And another has mentioned about Frank calling runs up the gut with Hines and JT. That's exactly why JT was drafted, because that's what Wisconsin's offense is based on and what JT did for 4 years there. He might be able to do more. But paying him big money now before he has shown it would be paying a RB big guaranteed money on spec. I agree 100% with Irsay, Ballard, and SS at this point.

You seem to be defining what an overpay is to a lot of us by your personal opinion of what is reasonable. I think based upon the limited kind of usefulness JT has displayed in college and carried to the NFL so far, paying him $4.3M for this season in a new offense coming off of an ankle that he says is till a problem seems reasonable. Anything MUCH more than that is an overpay, IMO. And I agree with @Solid84. If he wasn't a Colt, people would be looking at his (reported) contract demands combined with his apparent attitude a lot differently.

Well, he apparently has formally requested a trade. I assume that means he's decided that he doesn't want to be here, and is so sure about it that he stepped up to tell the owner himself. If reports are accurate. Wasn't the scoop on the Hines deal last year that Ballard accommodated him with wanting a trade? He wasn't traded because he had low value to the team (cough cough). He was (apparently) a high value player who simply didn't want to be here. So I assume that if a player wants a trade, Ballard seeks to accommodate it. Probably under the same idea you're talking about.