DougDew

That was when he earned the $15m to be a backup...and he wasn't just cut after stinking the first year. IIRC.

Polian had already built up a lot of credibility with his previous success. Its funny how the forum can criticize Polian's mistakes objectively, but Ballard deserves some kind of special status, apparently to some. Everything good that happens is the result of his plan. Everything bad that happens is the result of circumstances or Frank. Its weird.

But he was good for the "locker room"

I watched that video too, but Warner was holding Wentz up to a pretty high standard of quickness to read a play as it develops. Warner was probably one of the best ever at doing that. Also, it was one game, the last Jax game and he froze the screen a lot, which failed to capture the speed at which the rush was bearing down on Wentz. I'm not denying Wentz has issues, but that video was kind of extremely derogatory and not very fair, IMO.

Having been voted something is definitely a fact. Not saying it isn't. How relevant of a fact it is when reasoning behind the vote isn't supplied. That's the issue. Ryan Kelly got voted to the Pro Bowl, yet many thought he was a bottom half center this year. I'm a Colts fan. I hope the GM always has enough players on offense under contract to field a team on any given day of the year, and not have to rebuild the offense in year 6. Maybe the voters haven't figured out that's what he is doing?

LOL. I never saw it. But I don't put stock in others' opinions unless they provide their reasoning behind it. Credentials don't matter.

My thinking is that the stuff in Philly had some substance, probably overblown and a matter of individual perceptions, but had some roots. But when Keefer basically says the exact same script that was said in Philly, and never supports it with actual incidents of Wentz' misbehavior (so to speak), it sounds like a cover up/gloss over of some real reason that Irsay wanted him gone. I understand nobody in Indy having specific incidents in Philly of Wentz not taking coaching, or selfishness, or whatever subjective perceptions a person might have...we weren't there. But our reporters are supposed to be here in Indy. They are supposed to ask for specific things Wentz did, on what date, during what game, during what practice, etc., To just spout off the same derogatory things that was done from afar last year seems like a half assed way of reporting, and sounds like he may simply have not wanted to embarrass Irsay over the half assed reason Irsay wanted Wentz gone.

That isn't a huge concern for me. While I don't think Ballard is the plan following genius many make him out to be....my concern is that we have not yet signed our own good players back to the team, Pryor and Reed.

Perhaps...just a guess....that Irsay dumped Wentz for obscure personal reasons...made a big deal out of something only he cares about....now players are issed at Irsay and have second thoughts about the quality of the organization.

Your post can be summarized by that sentence. So this means that we are in a rebuilding point, right? Today, March 15, we need to rebuild the offense. The only way to remedy the problem and to get us back to the 9-8 team that we were a few weeks ago is to hope....hope...that players who are both good enough AND meet Ballard's salary limits are available this free agency period. Hope that the draft falls the way that you need it to. Hope doesn't sound like a plan.

Part of this is that folks think we have a 9-8 team. No we don't. At the present time, we have a rebuilding team. Our QB is gone, and so is the LT. The backup LT is not on the roster. The starting RG is gone. The backup G is not on the roster. The starting TE retired. Two WRs with significant playing time last year are not on the roster. We have players on defense. We have a defensive team under contract. When you have no players on offense, virtually, you are now left with having to build it via FA or the draft. Maybe it works out. But folks who think that this was an intended plan....that Ballard is just sitting by patiently knowing exactly where all of the players are going to land...and the guys that he actually wants will be left alone by other teams just waiting to be plucked by the genius, is simply wishful thinking.

I read a tweet that said with a lot of Gs off the market now, the market for Chris Reed is heating up. Probably Reed's agent LOL. But it would be kind of telling if Ballard signs Mo Alie Cox but loses out on both Glow and Reed. And if Pinter and Fries are such good picks in the 6th round...why was it smart to take a G with the 6th pick? Lots of stuff going on that seems a bit baffling and contradictory at the moment, but maybe it will get straigthened out.

Valid question. A bit early. More germaine after more time passes, but still a valid question since he could have already "signed" them. Maybe today.

Doesn't matter. He's going to have to rely on this free agency to fill a lot of holes in important starting positions...or a lot of rookies. Most other teams have less money because they have fewer holes. Just asking what evidence suggests that a GM who went 9-8 last year, two playoff appearances, and is still left with a team with huge holes in its roster evidence that he is in the top 10 of smart GMs?

I tend to agree, if JG is the Qb he wants. Why is Ballard smart to haggle over a 2nd or 3rd or 4th round pick? Why isn't it smarter to go get JG for a second and next year's 3rd, if that's who he wants?

Just asking. Do you think that is a winning strategy? To rely upon getting a WR, QB, and LT in the second wave of free agency in any random year? What do you save the draft for, to select Gs , ILBs, Xs, and RBs with high capital. I'm asking, do you think that is a winning/planned strategy, or does it seem like a guy who might be outmatched and has to play catch-up?

To the Ballard supporters (and I consider myself an objectivist, I look at each deal/decision as they are made.) How do you know that Ballard knows what he's doing., that he isn't a middle of the road GM kind of flailing around? Why is it that when Ballard is bidding on a player, and the player chooses the other team, why then does it become the other GM being dopey because he spent too much money? Why don't you say that Ballard got outmatched, outwitted by the other GM? Why is Ballard the litmus test for what other GMs should pay? Do you know why the Colts have $70m...more than other teams? Its because we have fewer players on the roster right now. We don't have a QB more competent than a second year 6th round pick. We have one competent WR. Before MAC, we had a second year 4th round TE. We still don't have a #1 TE. We have no LT. We have no team, that's why we have so much money. Why is that evidence to you that Ballard knows what he's doing? What tells you that he is smarter than player agents, or other GMs?

My only concern with the first day is that there was a tweet saying that the G market is now thin so the market for Chris Reed is heating up. SInce we lost Glow, I hope we do not lose Reed.

Why, did he sign Landry to play Z?

At this point Landry is not a speed guy. He's an X, and we already have three of them.

As teams sign players to big contracts, it doesn't necessarily raise the price of other free agents. Teams are using up their cap space pretty quickly. In the ensuing days, the market will show less and less total aggregate cap space throughout the NFL compared to the number of free agents available. At some point the market turns where players are racing to compete with other players to get as much available cap space as is left in the NFL, and that's when reasonable deals start happening.

Wonder if the Colts will be able to resign Chris Reed.

Good signing for the bungls. They are becoming my second favorite team, and a team to follow and root for.

Our 70 mil looks like a lot, but its created by not having very many expensive players under contract. Hardly any spots on offense are even filled.

Or SF telling potential suitors that they are willing to wait. Meaning, JGs price goes up if you wait us out to trade for him, because if you do, JG will be your only option by then.