NewColtsFan

McDermott has plenty of credibility in Buffalo. Not sure what you think he’s done that he deserves to be fired?

We need early round rookies to play most every year. The Colts rookies didn’t play as much this past season, but only due to injuries…. Richardson and Brents.

I’ll give you more ammunition…. Back when the Niners were Kings of the 80’s and early 90’s, look who was winning when San Fran wasn’t…. The NFC was loaded with some of the greatest teams of all-time… Chicago with one of the greatest defenses of all-time. NY Giants with one of the greatest defenses of all-time and a HoF HC. Wash with three different QB’s and a Hall of Fame HC. And Dallas with Two HoF coaches and great defenses. That’s four other great franchises that were at their peak. And SF was the best of them all. That’s what Montana was up against.

I think McDuffie is amazing. Every time I see him, he’s like Velcro on WR’s. But he might have the shortest arms of all corners. I think his are 29 1/2. So I doubt Ballard would ever consider him. Would love for someone to ask CB about McDuffie.

A common theme for me, is that it’s not as much the total deal as it is the amount that is guaranteed. Money that is not guaranteed teams can do more creative accounting to deal with. But guaranteed is eventually money in your pocket.

I think the only way Pitt isn’t back with a new contract or tag ISN'T a Ballard issue. I think it would be a Steichen issue. And I don’t see that happening. I think SS wants MP back and so it will happen.

Fair point. It’s just hard for me to think of Bradley as someone who Steichen will want longer than one more year. When people would complain about Frank for years, CB would defend him strongly. “We are lucky to have him” was a popular Ballard defense. I didn’t hear anything like that for Gus. His comments were much much milder. So even though I can’t pinpoint a reason, doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Not a great argument, I grant you that. But that’s my viewpoint for now. Perhaps something will surface once we see how FA and the draft go.

Yup…. And for the record, I’m a big admirer of Zierlein. He’s good friends with Ballard and understands how he thinks. Does as good a job as anyone. But what none of us knows, is how much input Steichen gets this year? I suspect a fair amount. Plus a reminder that Ballard and his scouts look at video of every player three times. The first time about a week ago, after all college all star games including the senior bowl. The second time after the combine. The third time after the pro days. All of this is to say decisions won’t be made for about two months, and things are still very fluid.

I don’t mean to be a kill-joy, but my thoughts are that the first mock from all these analysts are much less valuable than the mocks done in April. We haven’t had the Combine yet. We haven’t had the Pro Days yet. We haven’t had the private workouts yet. All that and more will change things dramatically in two months. All I’m saying is don’t read too much into early mocks.

The Colts weren’t going to get TWO players out of five in this class. Let’s enjoy that Dwight got in and not wonder why Reggie didn’t.

The Colts don’t play enough man coverage currently. But I’d say it’s possible that changes soon. Maybe this coming year and no later than 2025 when I’d expect to have a new younger more aggressive DC.

It’s also possible he’ll be signed by his own team. Just as Pittman is a FA and the Colts hope to re-sign or tag him. That could happen to Fant.

Chris Jones may be listed as a DT but he plays everywhere. Literally everywhere, up and down the line on any given down. On the key 3rd down play late in the game for SF, Jones was at the LDE and got penetration which made Purdy rush his throw. Playing everywhere is one of Jones’s better qualities.

Aren’t you assuming Fant will be available?

It taught us absolutely nothing. Would the lesson have been any different had the 9ers kicker made the extra point and San Fran had won? Ballard has always said there are many different ways to win. Yet you keep insisting there is one way to do things. One size fits all. This has been false every time you’ve said it. How did Mahomes fall to 10th in the draft? Dumb luck. Andy Reid once had a reputation as the best coach to not win a big game. All of his best success has come since he turned 60. Shanahan has reached the Super Bowl with Jimmy G and Brock Purdy, neither are franchise QB’s, though Purdy might be someday. In short, Ballard’s point about there are many ways to win has been proved correct pretty much every single year.

As you may know, I’m not on Twitter…. So I’m not following your argument. Shouldn’t Colts Twitter serve as an extension to Colts PR? Aren’t they doing exactly what they should be doing? Trolling other fan bases? Can you offer up an example? Not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand your viewpoint….

You don’t have to like the whole newspaper. We’re only talking about one story. One very good story!

Read it again. There’s plenty new. Read more than the quotes.

So Joel Erickson is out with a long thoughtful piece about the Colts off-season. And I believe the story is FREE to everyone, even if you don’t have a subscription to Indystar. It’s a view of what the Colts want to do going forward with the benefit of the 30,000 foot perspective. Big picture. I think everyone will be interested and maybe even excited. Honestly, I’d say read it twice, there’s lots of good information in there that clearly came from Steichen and Ballard. I think it’ll give fans good reason to be optimistic going forward. So go to Indystsr.com, go to the sports section and click on Erickson story. I think you’ll be glad you did! If someone wants to link it here, my thanks in advance!

A small reminder on that 4.48 time at Georgia. That’s a hand time, a stop watch. At the combine they use the same computerized timing that’s done in the Olympics. So those two timing methods produce slightly different results at 40 yards. I suspect you know this, but wanted to remind others who might not.

This is an interesting perspective. For me this falls under the heading that we all see the same thing differently. I thought SF had the much better roster. Not even close. To me the difference was that KC had the much better QB, especially down the stretch. And that’s not a knock on Purdy who was good, but not good enough. But if the 49ers kicker had made the extra point, this conversation would likely be different.

The Niners didn’t lose to an inferior team. They lost to a team that has now played in the last four Super Bowls winning three of them. The Chiefs have the best QB in football who is halfway to a 1st ballot Hall of Fame career plus a future Hall of Fame head coach. I think fans and media are way, way too quick to assign blame. It was a good game. Sorry one had to lose. But if the 49ers kicker makes the extra point, we might be having a different conversation.

Perhaps. That’s your perspective. But it’s certainly not mine. Im happy to blame Shanahan when he was the OC of Atlanta in the SB where they blew the lead against New England and lost in overtime. I think that’s entirely on him. The other two I’m much less critical of.

Kyle Shanahan didn’t lose this game. Theres no shame losing to Pat Mahomes and Andy Reid.

Technology did that. Websites like Twitter did that. It made putting out information almost instantaneous. But I’d guess that every journalist who has been around since before this new technology has at least a small degree of fear that what they put out quickly might come back to haunt them. But this is what the world we all living in has become. I said this a few weeks ago, but technology changed the world for better, AND for worse. Shefter did his job and he was right. That it sucked for Luck and Colts fans is a secondary concern at best.