Boondoggle

It's funny what people see. That game vs Pittsburgh Levis played like a veteran up until the end when he started putting up risky balls. Which was irritating. Frankly I was a bit disgusted by how he looked for about 3/4 of the game. Then very glad to see him rook it up late, because I don't want to see him play like a vet year one. There's no way any Colts fan should be rooting for him now, even in order to say "I told you so." Because that would never make up for the pain of seeing Tennessee blunder into a top QB addition in round 2. Best thing we've got going here with him is that he is a bit weird, reminds me of a male cheerleader type moreso than a locker room leader. So the hope here has to be that he'll struggle and then have trouble managing the pressure and coaching corrections like we saw with Wentz. But he showed a lot of character vs Pittsburgh. That's a serious rush and well coordinated defense for a rook to play in their house.

Having a second tier DC does not excuse Leonard for his play.

Schwartz is grossly underrated.

Yeah it's painful because I knew Levis was being underestimated. But what irked me the most was the Titans ending up with him. Cannot stand that team. But one game doesn't mean anything at this level. Falcons were giving up single coverages in their gameplan. Tomlin will mix it up on him and teach him a thing or two I'm sure. This is a tough league for any rookie QB, even one who was well prepped for it.

If the Colts want to contend they would be wise to install a better DC. I didn't care for the hire and have never liked Bradley but will admit he has done some good things. But is he the right leader for that side of the ball to get you where you want to go. For myself that would be a no. I think we know who he is, which is a second tier DC at best. And whether they replace him will be a good indicator of the health of this organization. So I am not certain that will happen. Would not surprise me if they were to hold on to him, though I voted "yes" because I'd move on from him.

What bothers me is of those TD passes three of them travelled a very long way in the air. Have not seen that impressive of an initial outing for a rookie QB in a long time. It's a really bad sign. But they're playing Pittsburgh on Thurs night. Hopefully the Steelers make him look like a rook, that's a tough defense to play as a QB as their secondary is solid and the rush is good, not to mention Tomlin usually gameplans well on defense. There is certainly room for him to start looking like a rookie.

He was well prepared by Liam Coen and that staff. They had him running pro style elements (WCO offense and in his los reads) and it's why I said before that draft that he was the one if you wanted a QB to play quickly. The way the NFL evaluated QBs last year was absolutely terrible. As a group. Young going 1 overall is divine comedy. Colts took a big risk but at least their selection has the highest of upsides. I'd hate to be a Carolina fan.

I was not remotely surprised. The guy came back for that final year of seasoning, lost his OL to the draft and OC to the NFL, and played through injuries and nobody was interested in reading between the lines on him. Then add Tenn fans hating on him because he was a Kentucky player, the media not liking his personality, etc the media never had a chance to see that one clearly. His film was actually pretty good too that final year as well, given all that. He's a modern day example of what occurred with Rodgers. Hopefully he's not going to be that good, but that was an exclamation of an initial outing. What's really funny is the Titans had him behind Malik on the depth chart.

I expect the Colts will go on a meaningless win streak and end up selecting 15-20.

That depth chart QB is always real popular with fans. Until they see enough of him of course.

Jags are the future of this division. They're going to get better and better as Pederson continues to bring Lawrence along. Colts have a chance to factor in but I am afraid we're talking second fiddle at best. And that's iffy I think. This is going to continue to be Irsay's circus until he kicks the bucket.

Yes and that is unfortunate. But him having time to fully absorb the offense vice being out there with his legs taking shots is nice. Rookie QBs generally don't take teams anywhere noteworthy year one anyway. So he should be able to master that playbook, get to the point where he know the plays inside and out, and next year in camp the installs should be smooth for him and he'll be ready to roll.

They should have sat him for year one. For multiple reasons but chiefly among them this is a big boy league and his best trait is something that will get him hurt. Coaches will use that best trait plain and simple, because they want to win games or their own standing is at risk. And if you look at the shelf life of RBs you can see a guy who runs too much has a good chance to not last very long. When you draft a QB high you want that player to be your cornerstone. So the best play would have been to sit him year one and make him run the scout team and string together drives with minimal running. During that first year he learns the offense and works on running to buy time in the backfield and keeping his eyes downfield. As the season goes on if he reaches the point where he can't be stopped in practice then you know you got your guy like the Chiefs did with Mahomes. That would have been ideal for this player I think. Because he has to work on his accuracy too, which is very difficult to fix at this level. So this could end up being a blessing in disguise from that perspective of him getting the time he needs to fully master the offense. If they decide to sit him then the coach has to solve his issues without running the rook into the teeth of defenders like a round 6 running back.

Irsay needs to pull the coach into his office to explain how using the rookie QB's legs to sustain drives is a poor plan. He's still learning and needs to use the pocket protections more to ensure he can survive to that point where he becomes a knowledgeable vet QB. If he can't do that then start Minshew.

I like the fight Richardson showed in that loss. Key with him is not getting his career ended by relying on his legs too much while he's learning. That is my sole concern with him. He's never going to move past the missing of open receivers on occasion, just like the QB up there in Buffalo who has a very similar skillset. His upside is special but making sure he gets there has to be a team priority, i.e. not blowing your wad trying to get a win by overusing him on the ground in year one regular season games. Rams sort of let us back in that game. They missed two field goals, either one of which would have ended the game. They gave us a possession in great field position for that first TD too. Felt like they sort of relaxed to me, so it didn't kill me that we lost the game. This roster isn't ready for competing on the big stage just yet. The QB has to have this seasoning which will include losing games. Once again what matters is preserving him so he can grow into that talent level.

That didn't take long did it. This is a grown man's league with a lot of players who envy what QBs make. Most of those guys on defense for example. So running needs to be judicious if you want a long career as a QB. If you're gonna run, running to buy time to throw is best, but always being careful to avoid hits is key. This is why I say winning from the pocket is paramount for a long career. One thing I detest, as well, is when coaches use a QB's mobility early on to move the chains. This can shorten their life span considerably. Which is why I also say that sitting the QB until they're ready is the best way to go. These guys are too valuable to risk if they have to compensate for a lack of reading and decision making by tapping into that run threat. As great as this kid is running the ball we are doing him a disservice trotting him out there when he's still putting the most crucial part of his game together still.

They will certainly move him. Prior to them putting him on the block I was thinking ok maybe he goes at the trade deadline, which would be smart business. Smart because teams can be much more desperate if they consider themselves contenders and are seeking that extra piece to increase their odds. But I was not surprised to see them elect to move him now, or at least offer him up. If the offers are not good enough then the wise call is to hold on to him until the deadline. At the deadline, if things get that far, I would take whatever the best offer is.

Players usually have preferences in terms of landing spots. And this situation in particular we have a player who is bitter so to think he will clap along with any offer that comes in, or that this is entirely on the Colts to make the decision on where to move him, is to have poor understanding of the situation. No team ever wants to trade for a disgruntled player. So any team trying to acquire him will need to appease not only the Colts but also the player. Now some teams will of course be more preferred than other teams. Imagine if you hear the Eagles and Browns are trying to trade for you, for example. I would accept less money to play for the Eagles over the Browns. What he prefers I don't profess to know, however I am certain he will have preferences. The contract will affect value in trade for the Colts. If one of the teams can get him to agree in principle to a contract both parties like, his value goes up. If none of the teams can get him to agree in principle to a contract, his value goes down. I have no idea what he's thinking, unlike you, but I expect there is a chance one of the teams gets him to agree in principle to something frontloaded that gives his ego an outlet. And I hope that is the case because then we are looking at the best chance for value in return. A happy Taylor almost surely will bring at least a round 2 pick. Hopefully more.

The problem is you have a team moving a stud player because of his unhappiness, which would be made worse by the above. So yes he has team control. But no team that trades for him will do so blindly, they will require his representation to agree in principle to at least a rough range and framework of a deal. What this means is that he will very much affect where the Colts move him. There may be some teams he refuses to come to any agreement with. There may be some others he wants badly to join and will more easily agree to terms with. As to his deal nobody is going to pay him above market. Last team to do that was the Rams with Gurley and they got burned big time. But what they will do is give his team a reality check, and once he realizes the ballpark range he's looking at it will be about getting him as much up front as possible so it'll be all about the bonus.

Teams are going to be interested. They will initially want to take advantage of the situation and buy low on a stud talent, but the amount of interest should prevent that. Colts need to get two or more teams in competition for him. This is what drove the McCaffrey deal. Danger to all this is possible desperation by Irsay. Where he wants this kid off his team now which can affect things if it is true and other teams know it. So hopefully he stays out of it and lets Ballard and team run the show.

Well at least the Colts are taking the right approach here. Play hardball on your expectation. Taylor is a stud. He is worth a first round pick. If you cannot move him, then hold on to him and move him closer to the deadline when a talent like his will have more value to contenders.

At this point it looks like Taylor will be moved at the trade deadline. That's the best time to get what you can for a RB of his caliber because in that moment his quality will speak to the contenders. But it would not surprise me if they move him sooner, though I think that is unlikely as everyone (Irsay and the Colts decision makers) is going to need to marinate in this situation a bit more before the obvious end result is accepted.

Been on vacation. I did say the market is the market. I am not blaming Irsay for the RB market. I am saying the guy is past his prime as owner and his final years might suck more and more as we go forward. I think his weighing in with the RB situation was unnecessary, it would have been better to let the people he pays to work with Taylor's representation instead of weighing in and making it personal and alienating a player who is crucial to us this season. Way I see it he's had his fingers in more things than just the RB situation of late. And I am feeling more and more like the guy is not benefitting us overall from that owner chair. If you disagree, I am fine with that as always. But as I see it the next five years or so for the Colts isn't particularly bright and Irsay is part of that take.

Been getting bad vibes from Irsay for a while now. Starting to think we might have a lot of ugly ahead. Hope not, but it feels that way to me right now. Taylor's frustration I get btw. But the market is the market. He'll make some good money, it just won't be as much as he prefers.

Speeches only go so far. Then you get out on the gridiron and the other team hits you in the mouth and you gotta beat that other dude for an hour. This isn't a Hollywood movie it's a league of grown men who are serious about their craft. And we're a team that has a career backup QB and a rookie QB on our depth chart as our options. So save the speech and use it next year when maybe something good can come of it.