New Gm

[Fatboyslim11]

I really have have no suggestions. I, personally, think it would be a mistake to get rid of the Polians. But if I were to pretend they were retiring, I really don't know. Good GMs might be as rare as franchise QBs. You can't just find them laying around. Often times raid a successful team like NE for assistant GMs. But its hard to tell if that person really has the ability or in just a good situation. I wouldn't want to make that call. I would want someone with a proven winning track record.

That summary isnt different from most things in sports or life. You cant fast forward to determine an outcome - you have to let it play out in a linear, real time fashion. If "Tweets" Irsay were to make a change, there is a chance it may not work out; but then again if he doesnt make a change there is a chance the team will continue to go downhill. In either case, he needs to make a decision.

[billpolianx]

nobody except the polians know what or who chris has done or drafted,but if i were jim irsay which i'm not ,i would have to assume at least some of the article kravitz wrote to be true,i would unload the polians and caldwell and start fresh the colts picked up a lot of young fans all the while peyton was playing but when your a kid you don't root for a team that has no chance

[Ramblinwreck7]

nobody except the polians know what or who chris has done or drafted,but if i were jim irsay which i'm not ,i would have to assume at least some of the article kravitz wrote to be true,i would unload the polians and caldwell and start fresh the colts picked up a lot of young fans all the while peyton was playing but when your a kid you don't root for a team that has no chance

I still like Bill Polian, he's the one who brought in all of those guys that Chris supposedly forced out.

And your right, I don't like it when people assume that last year was Chris's first draft. I think Bill is still the man in charge and that he along with Irsay have the final say on who gets drafted. Just because Chris set the parameters of the draft board doesn't mean that he made the decisions of who to take all on his own. Bill likes being in charge, but it seems that Chris doesn't like it even more when people disagree with him.

[MCurtis32]

I did not like how Caldwell got his job. I don't like the way Chris Polian got his. How about Rich McKay? He built Tampa and the Falcons.. I belive he is unemployed. He can bring Gruden with him.

[pacolts56]

I did not like how Caldwell got his job. I don't like the way Chris Polian got his. How about Rich McKay? He built Tampa and the Falcons.. I belive he is unemployed. He can bring Gruden with him.

Rich McKay is actually a good idea... I forgot about him.

He did a good job in Tampa Bay and Atlanta.

[Jay305]

Jonathan Grullon would be the perfect gm

[OLD FAN MAN]

does not matter as long as they can build a brick wall o-line and dts who can destroy the pocket, then we will beat everyone

[FireJimCaldwell]

Rich McKay is actually a good idea... I forgot about him.

He did a good job in Tampa Bay and Atlanta.

I did not like how Caldwell got his job. I don't like the way Chris Polian got his. How about Rich McKay? He built Tampa and the Falcons.. I belive he is unemployed. He can bring Gruden with him.

McKay is the President & CEO of the Falcons.

[utall]

The recipe for a good GM is that you have the #1 draft pick at the right time. The FO knows this and they are about to get again the #1 draft pick at the right time and hopefully that pick is a PM. And if it is not, then they will be gone just like all of the other places our FO has been. Timing is everthing.

[Superman]

I'm thinking that Chris Polian is the one forcing out all of these former guys like Tom Moore and Dom Anile. Remember, Bill Polian has worked with all of these guys for a long time now, so I find it hard to believe that he is the one that is forcing them out of the organization. Bill hired all the scouts and talented executives that made this front office great, so why would he all of a sudden get rid of them? That doesn't make sense and is the reason why I am blaming it on Chris.

How come Tom Moore's retirement to an easier and less time-consuming position with the Jets isn't good enough reason for him to leave? He'd been hinting at retirement for several seasons, so I don't get why there has to be a "reason" for his retirement other than that he was over 70 years old and didn't want to do the day-to-day job of being an NFL coordinator.

As for the hit piece on Chris Polian, citing unnamed sources, I just can't get behind it. As a non-local Colts fan, it's increasingly hard for me to take the Indy sports media seriously with regard to the Colts. They dislike how Bill Polian and the front office handle breaking news -- which has been well-documented -- and Bill Polian doesn't make it particularly difficult to dislike him and his attitude. Maybe the local media has sufficient reason to dislike the front office. I don't care, though. They have assailed Bill and Chris Polian in ways that I think are unfair -- especially Kravitz's hit piece -- and I just can't read anything they write without thinking about how much they evidently hate Bill Polian for freezing them out. I don't think they're capable of being objective, and I can't take what they write seriously. (For instance, Kravitz writes the other day that 'most of the Colts losses have been blowouts.' How so? By my count, we have three blowouts this season: Houston, 34-7; New Orleans, 62-7; Atlanta, 31-7. Three out of ten (at the time) is "most"??? This is minor, but it shows how petty he's being.)

Anyways, I say all of this just to point out why I don't pay any mind to Kravitz's article about Chris Polian forcing long-time Colts assistants out the door. In reality, NFL front office and coaching jobs have very high turnover rates. And most of the time, when a coach or assistant is fired, it's for a legitimate reason. People complained about firing Gene Huey, and I felt bad for him just like everyone else did, but our run game has been better this season than it's been since 2007, statistically speaking. And that's behind an offensive line that is very much still a work in progress and that has been riddled with injury. So why exactly shouldn't Gene Huey have been fired? That's just one example. I already mentioned Tom Moore. I think my point is clear.

So when it comes to Chris Polian, I don't know for sure what he's been responsible for, either with regard to assistants and front office personnel or player acquisition. To hear Bill Polian tell it, it's a collaborative effort. I seemed to notice a subtle change this past offseason with regard to the draft strategy and free agency. Nothing radical, but if we're attributing anything to Chris, it would seem fair to give him at least partial credit for this season's draft, which looks like a very good one (80% pass).

[Ramblinwreck7]

How come Tom Moore's retirement to an easier and less time-consuming position with the Jets isn't good enough reason for him to leave? He'd been hinting at retirement for several seasons, so I don't get why there has to be a "reason" for his retirement other than that he was over 70 years old and didn't want to do the day-to-day job of being an NFL coordinator.

As for the hit piece on Chris Polian, citing unnamed sources, I just can't get behind it. As a non-local Colts fan, it's increasingly hard for me to take the Indy sports media seriously with regard to the Colts. They dislike how Bill Polian and the front office handle breaking news -- which has been well-documented -- and Bill Polian doesn't make it particularly difficult to dislike him and his attitude. Maybe the local media has sufficient reason to dislike the front office. I don't care, though. They have assailed Bill and Chris Polian in ways that I think are unfair -- especially Kravitz's hit piece -- and I just can't read anything they write without thinking about how much they evidently hate Bill Polian for freezing them out. I don't think they're capable of being objective, and I can't take what they write seriously. (For instance, Kravitz writes the other day that 'most of the Colts losses have been blowouts.' How so? By my count, we have three blowouts this season: Houston, 34-7; New Orleans, 62-7; Atlanta, 31-7. Three out of ten (at the time) is "most"??? This is minor, but it shows how petty he's being.)

Anyways, I say all of this just to point out why I don't pay any mind to Kravitz's article about Chris Polian forcing long-time Colts assistants out the door. In reality, NFL front office and coaching jobs have very high turnover rates. And most of the time, when a coach or assistant is fired, it's for a legitimate reason. People complained about firing Gene Huey, and I felt bad for him just like everyone else did, but our run game has been better this season than it's been since 2007, statistically speaking. And that's behind an offensive line that is very much still a work in progress and that has been riddled with injury. So why exactly shouldn't Gene Huey have been fired? That's just one example. I already mentioned Tom Moore. I think my point is clear.

So when it comes to Chris Polian, I don't know for sure what he's been responsible for, either with regard to assistants and front office personnel or player acquisition. To hear Bill Polian tell it, it's a collaborative effort. I seemed to notice a subtle change this past offseason with regard to the draft strategy and free agency. Nothing radical, but if we're attributing anything to Chris, it would seem fair to give him at least partial credit for this season's draft, which looks like a very good one (80% pass).

Here's a couple of holes with what you are saying:

1. You said maybe Tom Moore didn't want to be an offensive coordinator anymore? Truth is, he wasn't. He was the senior offensive assistant last year for the colts while Clyde Christensen was the offensive coordinator. He went from supposedly retiring to being an offensive consultant with the Jets this offseason. That sounds kind of unusual to me.

2. It's not like Tom Moore is the only guy I'm talking about, what about Clyde Powers? He was the longtime director of player personell for the colts and he worked for them for 31 years. The front office said that he was retiring, but Clyde came out and said that he was fired. He even said that Chris Polian should be entitled to have people around him that he is comfortable working with. He's basically saying that Chris Polian fired him because he didn't want to work with him. That is proof of at least one conflict between Chris and former executives. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/26/colts-director-of-pro-personnel-powers-wants-to-make-it-clear-he-was-fired/

Dom Anile and several scouting directors were let go in 2009 for economic reasons I think. How much does it cost to pay one of the best scouting directors in the NFL? I don't understand the reasoning behind economic restructuring excuse. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4152243

[Bleedin Blue]

You have no idea what Chris has done or not. I tend to side with the guys that have had success so right now, I'm very anti Chris Polian. I'm referring to the Kravits article where the unnamed sources say he has forced out many key executives and scouts in this organization. We have gotten a lot worse since then, dating back to after 2006 when Chris started moving up the ranks in the front office.

And to answer the question, I guess the only guy that I have heard of is the Packers personnel manager or something like that. He seems to do a good job of building from the draft and acquiring good talent. I don't know his name though. I like Bill Polian though because he has had success and proven himself. Chris has not. I would demote Chris and make him earn his way through the organization and bring back guys like Dom Anile who were vital to this teams success earlier in the decade to help Bill.

I'm guessing you mean Reggie McKenzie or John Dorsey. AS for Dom Anile, he was only a consultant from 2006 to 2009 when he was "restructured out". I'm not sure how much of his influence is making a difference today. Personally, I think Chris' draft choices have been great. We will see how he does this April in what will be one of the most pivotal drafts for this franchise in recent memory. We'll see if he does as well as his last draft.

[Corndog]

Bill Polian's oldest grandson , whoever he is (j.k).

I could see it know, Polian and Irsay having a conversation. Polian thinks Irsay is about to fire him and his son, " Wait a second I know what you are about to say, but I think you should see this first." Polian brings in a baby in a stroller. " Forget about Chris, he's old news. This is my grandson, we just took a baby football IQ test and he is off the charts. I guarantee this kid has atleast 6 championships ahead of him. "

[Ramblinwreck7]

I'm guessing you mean Reggie McKenzie or John Dorsey. AS for Dom Anile, he was only a consultant from 2006 to 2009 when he was "restructured out". I'm not sure how much of his influence is making a difference today. Personally, I think Chris' draft choices have been great. We will see how he does this April in what will be one of the most pivotal drafts for this franchise in recent memory. We'll see if he does as well as his last draft.

That's the big problem though, we don't know if this last draft was Chris's. Since you know how much Bill likes to be in control, then it's hard to doubt that he is the one who made the final decisions on draft day along with Irsay.

Consultant's are very important to businesses though. Companies all over the world bring in specialists to do important things that that company needs help with. Dom Anile is a specialist when it comes to scouting and he was an important consultant for the colts, even if he technically didn't work for the colts as an executive.

[pacolts56]

I'm guessing you mean Reggie McKenzie or John Dorsey. AS for Dom Anile, he was only a consultant from 2006 to 2009 when he was "restructured out". I'm not sure how much of his influence is making a difference today. Personally, I think Chris' draft choices have been great. We will see how he does this April in what will be one of the most pivotal drafts for this franchise in recent memory. We'll see if he does as well as his last draft.

Huh?

Dom Anile had way more history with the Colts than that of a consultant. He was a team executive for several years.

http://sports.espn.g...tory?id=4152243

[Superman]

Here's a couple of holes with what you are saying:

1. You said maybe Tom Moore didn't want to be an offensive coordinator anymore? Truth is, he wasn't. He was the senior offensive assistant last year for the colts while Clyde Christensen was the offensive coordinator. He went from supposedly retiring to being an offensive consultant with the Jets this offseason. That sounds kind of unusual to me.

If I'm not mistaken, Moore's title was "Senior Offensive Coordinator" in his final year with us. Even if it wasn't, he was still involved in the day-to-day duties of coaching a football team: he was involved in all the film study and gameplanning, he was at every practice, he was at every game, he likely spent hours every day preparing for Sundays. He's not doing that anymore. He was reportedly considering retirement for two or three years before he finally left. He's 73 years old. His friends and family members are probably all enjoying their retirement already. He has children and grandchildren that he hasn't been able to spend the holidays with for over 30 years.

Now, he's a consultant with the Jets. Apparently, he gets sent film every week and he goes over it with the coaches and maybe the players. He isn't gameplanning. He isn't involved in practices or any of the other day-to-day operations of the team. He's effectively retired, working a part-time gig from home, still involved in the game that he's spent the last 50 years playing and coaching. He has three Super Bowl rings and he has worked with some of the best coaches and players of all time. What's wrong with the idea that he was just ready to stop devoting 70 hours a week to football? Why does there have to be some conspiracy to explain his departure?

Tom Moore might very well hate the Polians' guts. He could have been forced out the door (that wouldn't make sense in light of the ceremony the Colts just held for him, but whatever). Everything Kravitz said about his relationship with Chris could be true. I'm simply pointing out that there's no evidence to suggest that, especially not the fact that he left after spending 13 years as the coach here. Coaches leave sometimes. What was really unusual isn't the fact that he left and took a different position with a different team. What's unusual is the fact that he was here for as long as he was in the first place. Offensive coordinators don't usually last in one place for 13 years and work for three different head coaches during that time. The idea that Tom Moore might have been forced out just doesn't jive to me. It seems like a forced and contrived story line meant to prove that there's dissension in the front office due to Chris Polian.

2. It's not like Tom Moore is the only guy I'm talking about, what about Clyde Powers? He was the longtime director of player personell for the colts and he worked for them for 31 years. The front office said that he was retiring, but Clyde came out and said that he was fired. He even said that Chris Polian should be entitled to have people around him that he is comfortable working with. He's basically saying that Chris Polian fired him because he didn't want to work with him. That is proof of at least one conflict between Chris and former executives. http://profootballta...r-he-was-fired/

Dom Anile and several scouting directors were let go in 2009 for economic reasons I think. How much does it cost to pay one of the best scouting directors in the NFL? I don't understand the reasoning behind economic restructuring excuse. http://sports.espn.g...tory?id=4152243

I'll say two things about this:

1) We're swinging a two-edged sword here. Either Chris is in charge and is making personnel decisions as he sees fit, and should therefore be judged on the outcome of those decisions (including the draft), or Bill is still pulling all the strings and we Chris isn't really making any decisions. I've seen both ideas argued in this very thread, but both can't really be true. Either we give Chris the credit/blame, or we're still talking about Bill. In any event, the results should be judged, not the fact that a few guys who had been here for a long time were let go. As a matter of fact...

2) Being with one organization in the NFL for 31 years is not normal. If there really is a regime change in effect (or maybe it's already happened) then it stands to reason that some people will be let go. I don't know how we're attributing Dom Anile's departure in May 2009 to Chris Polian, seeing as how Chris wasn't promoted until later that year. But it doesn't really matter to me. A good organization needs good people from top to bottom in order to stay relevant, and the Colts have had good people. Dom Anile, Clyde Powers, Gene Huey, Tom Moore -- all good people that helped the Colts become one of the best teams in the NFL. But nothing lasts forever. Even if there has been some sort of conflict with Chris Polian and the aforementioned people -- which I think is a little sensational, but very possible -- I don't really care. If the net result is that we do better at drafting and we improve our coaching staff, then what difference does it make that a 31 year assistant was fired? Not to mention the fact that all the individuals in question are advanced in age and would eventually be replaced anyways.

Indications in the past year have been that Chris is setting the parameters by which the team operates, both with regard to coaches and player acquisitions. As I mentioned earlier, there was a noticeable shift this past offseason with both the draft and free agency. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Chris Polian is very involved and even running point as the GM. And if that's the case, then I think he did a good job this past offseason: we knocked the draft out the park, we added a couple of players in free agency, the change at running backs coach has been a positive one, and we retained several key players.

We were unprepared for Manning going down, which sucks, and the on field results have been atrocious. Still, I said in Week 1 that I think our team is in better shape now than it was a year ago, with the exception of not having a good quarterback. We have issues at several positions, but none of them are beyond help from my point of view. We need a safety, a linebacker, a blocking tight end who can stay healthy, maybe a receiver, a corner, depth at defensive line. None of that is beyond our reach. I'm assuming we'll be okay at quarterback, one way or the other. I think we might have players at corner and safety already, and with adjustments to our scheme, maybe they'll be more effective.

I won't be upset if the front office gets turned over. I don't necessarily think it needs to be turned over. I think it's time to make some significant changes with our coaching staff. At the very least, the defensive coordinator, secondary coach and special teams coach need to be relieved of duty. There's no arguing for the status quo when you're 0-11. So I'm not just defending people just for the heck of it. I just think the slam piece on Chris Polian was absurd, and I think that either we give him the credit and blame, or we don't. We can't blame him for everything we don't like, and then when there's something good happening decide that he's not really involved and it's still Bill's show.

[BOTT]

Rich McKay is actually a good idea... I forgot about him.

He did a good job in Tampa Bay and Atlanta.

to be fair i think it was sam wyche who drafted the core of that defense...sapp, lynch and brooks

[pacolts56]

to be fair i think it was sam wyche who drafted the core of that defense...sapp, lynch and brooks

You're right about that.... thanks for the info.

And quite a job by Wyche.

[AlwaysColtsFan]

How about Tony Dungy?

[Ramblinwreck7]

If I'm not mistaken, Moore's title was "Senior Offensive Coordinator" in his final year with us. Even if it wasn't, he was still involved in the day-to-day duties of coaching a football team: he was involved in all the film study and gameplanning, he was at every practice, he was at every game, he likely spent hours every day preparing for Sundays. He's not doing that anymore. He was reportedly considering retirement for two or three years before he finally left. He's 73 years old. His friends and family members are probably all enjoying their retirement already. He has children and grandchildren that he hasn't been able to spend the holidays with for over 30 years.

Now, he's a consultant with the Jets. Apparently, he gets sent film every week and he goes over it with the coaches and maybe the players. He isn't gameplanning. He isn't involved in practices or any of the other day-to-day operations of the team. He's effectively retired, working a part-time gig from home, still involved in the game that he's spent the last 50 years playing and coaching. He has three Super Bowl rings and he has worked with some of the best coaches and players of all time. What's wrong with the idea that he was just ready to stop devoting 70 hours a week to football? Why does there have to be some conspiracy to explain his departure?

Tom Moore might very well hate the Polians' guts. He could have been forced out the door (that wouldn't make sense in light of the ceremony the Colts just held for him, but whatever). Everything Kravitz said about his relationship with Chris could be true. I'm simply pointing out that there's no evidence to suggest that, especially not the fact that he left after spending 13 years as the coach here. Coaches leave sometimes. What was really unusual isn't the fact that he left and took a different position with a different team. What's unusual is the fact that he was here for as long as he was in the first place. Offensive coordinators don't usually last in one place for 13 years and work for three different head coaches during that time. The idea that Tom Moore might have been forced out just doesn't jive to me. It seems like a forced and contrived story line meant to prove that there's dissension in the front office due to Chris Polian.

I'll say two things about this:

1) We're swinging a two-edged sword here. Either Chris is in charge and is making personnel decisions as he sees fit, and should therefore be judged on the outcome of those decisions (including the draft), or Bill is still pulling all the strings and we Chris isn't really making any decisions. I've seen both ideas argued in this very thread, but both can't really be true. Either we give Chris the credit/blame, or we're still talking about Bill. In any event, the results should be judged, not the fact that a few guys who had been here for a long time were let go. As a matter of fact...

2) Being with one organization in the NFL for 31 years is not normal. If there really is a regime change in effect (or maybe it's already happened) then it stands to reason that some people will be let go. I don't know how we're attributing Dom Anile's departure in May 2009 to Chris Polian, seeing as how Chris wasn't promoted until later that year. But it doesn't really matter to me. A good organization needs good people from top to bottom in order to stay relevant, and the Colts have had good people. Dom Anile, Clyde Powers, Gene Huey, Tom Moore -- all good people that helped the Colts become one of the best teams in the NFL. But nothing lasts forever. Even if there has been some sort of conflict with Chris Polian and the aforementioned people -- which I think is a little sensational, but very possible -- I don't really care. If the net result is that we do better at drafting and we improve our coaching staff, then what difference does it make that a 31 year assistant was fired? Not to mention the fact that all the individuals in question are advanced in age and would eventually be replaced anyways.

Indications in the past year have been that Chris is setting the parameters by which the team operates, both with regard to coaches and player acquisitions. As I mentioned earlier, there was a noticeable shift this past offseason with both the draft and free agency. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Chris Polian is very involved and even running point as the GM. And if that's the case, then I think he did a good job this past offseason: we knocked the draft out the park, we added a couple of players in free agency, the change at running backs coach has been a positive one, and we retained several key players.

We were unprepared for Manning going down, which sucks, and the on field results have been atrocious. Still, I said in Week 1 that I think our team is in better shape now than it was a year ago, with the exception of not having a good quarterback. We have issues at several positions, but none of them are beyond help from my point of view. We need a safety, a linebacker, a blocking tight end who can stay healthy, maybe a receiver, a corner, depth at defensive line. None of that is beyond our reach. I'm assuming we'll be okay at quarterback, one way or the other. I think we might have players at corner and safety already, and with adjustments to our scheme, maybe they'll be more effective.

I won't be upset if the front office gets turned over. I don't necessarily think it needs to be turned over. I think it's time to make some significant changes with our coaching staff. At the very least, the defensive coordinator, secondary coach and special teams coach need to be relieved of duty. There's no arguing for the status quo when you're 0-11. So I'm not just defending people just for the heck of it. I just think the slam piece on Chris Polian was absurd, and I think that either we give him the credit and blame, or we don't. We can't blame him for everything we don't like, and then when there's something good happening decide that he's not really involved and it's still Bill's show.

Your dealing in absolutes which neither are probably true. There's more than just 2 scenarios that could have happend.

It's already been proven that Clyde Powers was forced out by Chris Polian, it seems that you are trying to dispute that a little bit. But to assume that just this past year is the only time where Chris Polian has been heavily involved in the colts organization is not probably not true either.

Think about it like this, when did Chris join the colts? I think it was 2004, and we were in really good shape when it came to the front office. Our last good draft excluding 2011 came in 2006. Dom Anile became a consultant in 2006 which probably means that he had less of an impact on scouting as he used to. We just haven't done as well since 2006 and that's kind of when Chris started to gain more responsibilities. I don't know all of the names of people that were let go by the colts sense then, but it makes sense that as Chris takes on more responsibilities that the more colts executives get let go as he takes their place.

I'm just worried that Chris was forcing out the quality guys that made our front office one of the best in the league. If this is true, then I don't feel confident in him being a high ranking executive in this organization because the last few haven't been as good as they used to be.

[basketballsteve]

LOL.... thats pretty fair but the OP said New GM, not coach.

And author Jeff Pearlman has some issues of his own as well. He's utterly incapable of writing a book that doesn't dig into people's personal lives and then level personal attacks on them.... and I guess his latest target is Walter Payton.

But enough about that pencil-neck geek.

Jimmy Johnson was terrific on Draft Day at spotting and fitting talent into a team with balance on offense AND overall team balance.

Belichick and Polian aren't exactly the embodiment of kind benevolence either.

You're exactly right JJ built that team with his drafting BUT...... he traded Herchel Walker (and others) for a boatload of draft picks so that he could completely turn over that Cowboys roster with some room for error in his drafting and BTW that book clearly documents how good at drafting JJ was.

As for Boys will be Boys, the book opens with Michael Irvin asking a teammate who is getting a haircut in the locker room to get out of the barber chair so that Michael can take the chair and when he doesn't, Michael stabs the teammate in the neck with scissors ending the teammates career. The Cowboys covered it up. That's not my definition of digging into someones personal life.

Finally JJ has been in an "easy chair" kind of job for 15 years now and GM is a full time job.....JJ's time is passed....I want a young GM built to last.

[Superman]

Your dealing in absolutes which neither are probably true. There's more than just 2 scenarios that could have happend.

It's already been proven that Clyde Powers was forced out by Chris Polian, it seems that you are trying to dispute that a little bit. But to assume that just this past year is the only time where Chris Polian has been heavily involved in the colts organization is not probably not true either.

My comments are mostly in light of what Kravitz wrote, which was very absolute. He basically wrote that every coach or front office guy who's left the Colts in the last three years was forced out by Chris Polian. If Clyde Powers was let go by Chris Polian, which is what Powers himself said, then I say the same thing that he said: If Chris is running the show, he should have the right and ability to have people around him who he can work with and who can work with him. More on this in a minute, but my point is really just that I don't buy into the picture Kravitz is painting.

Think about it like this, when did Chris join the colts? I think it was 2004, and we were in really good shape when it came to the front office. Our last good draft excluding 2011 came in 2006. Dom Anile became a consultant in 2006 which probably means that he had less of an impact on scouting as he used to. We just haven't done as well since 2006 and that's kind of when Chris started to gain more responsibilities. I don't know all of the names of people that were let go by the colts sense then, but it makes sense that as Chris takes on more responsibilities that the more colts executives get let go as he takes their place.

Chris joined the Colts in 1998 as director of pro scouting, when Bill took over. It wasn't until 2009 that he was named GM. You're trying to tie a slip in the draft to Chris' increased influence in the front office, and the facts just aren't there to do so.

I'm just worried that Chris was forcing out the quality guys that made our front office one of the best in the league. If this is true, then I don't feel confident in him being a high ranking executive in this organization because the last few haven't been as good as they used to be.

This is a valid concern, but it's not one that I share. Going back to Clyde Powers, he was with the team for 31 years, right? That includes 18 seasons of Colts mediocrity, fifteen years without going to the playoffs, and a 2-3 playoff record. Then Polian takes over, and things get turned around. Powers may have been a very big part of the turnaround, and I'm certainly not going to blame him for the bad seasons before 1999, but all things considered, it's not like we lost the architect of the modern day Colts. He was reportedly given a very generous severance package, and life goes on. As far as I understand, he's still unemployed, and this through a lockout and a frenzied free agency period where new front offices could have used an experienced pro personnel guy, at least as a consultant, right?

Meanwhile, we nail the draft. We add a couple of solid guys in free agency. I don't think we're missing Clyde Powers, nor do I think we're missing the 73 year old Dom Anile (who would need to be replaced at a certain point, right?), who is also still not employed by an NFL team, as far as I know. We're not missing Gene Huey, even though I don't think he's necessarily the reason for the woes with the running game over the past three seasons. We're not missing Howard Mudd, who I think is a very good offensive line coach, but who I think held us back with his vision for a mid-90s Broncos offensive line. We could probably use Tom Moore, but realistically speaking, there's not much help for our offense without significantly improved quarterback play. And I say again, I think he was ready to get out of the day-to-day, and he has. I say good for him and wish him good health in his retirement.

All I'm saying is that the Colts organization has been blessed with more stability with ownership and management than most NFL franchises, especially over the last 15-20 years. There's been no wide-reaching housecleaning operation. The front office is in its 14th year, with a planned transition still underway. We had a planned transition with the coaching staff three years ago. All this lends itself to having several long time front office guys and consultants on the team. I said earlier, it's not normal for us to have had one offensive coordinator for 13 years, spanning three head coaching operations. Eventually, those guys leave, one way or the other, especially when they're in their 70s.

I say all of this just to point out that I think Kravitz's piece was horse dung, and those are the reasons why. I'm really not worried about our front office. Mistakes have been made, some of them serious. I don't think losing Dom Anile, Clyde Powers, Gene Huey, Howard Mudd, etc., are necessarily among those mistakes. I don't think Chris Polian forced Tom Moore out. We've got a lot ahead of us. I think the future of the team is bright, despite how bleak the present circumstances look.

[Guest indynorth]

Mike Ditka would be good as well as Jimmy Johnson.Ditka is alot tougher and thats what we need.

[Superman]

Mike Ditka would be good as well as Jimmy Johnson.Ditka is alot tougher and thats what we need.

THE Mike Ditka?

[pacolts56]

You're exactly right JJ built that team with his drafting BUT...... he traded Herchel Walker (and others) for a boatload of draft picks so that he could completely turn over that Cowboys roster with some room for error in his drafting and BTW that book clearly documents how good at drafting JJ was.

As for Boys will be Boys, the book opens with Michael Irvin asking a teammate who is getting a haircut in the locker room to get out of the barber chair so that Michael can take the chair and when he doesn't, Michael stabs the teammate in the neck with scissors ending the teammates career. The Cowboys covered it up. That's not my definition of digging into someones personal life.

Finally JJ has been in an "easy chair" kind of job for 15 years now and GM is a full time job.....JJ's time is passed....I want a young GM built to last.

Correct.... and exactly why I originally said it was unrealistic.

Johnson appears to be happily retired from any hands-on football role, and it is well known that he prefers the other end of the thermometer to cold snowy places like Indy.

Anyways, Chris Polian has the throne for now.... lets just hope he doesn't mistake it for a toilet.

[buccolts]

Mike Ditka would be good as well as Jimmy Johnson.Ditka is alot tougher and thats what we need.

Well, if you need a new downtown restaurant, and to see your head coach on the tube constantly promoting anyone that'll pay him, then Ditka's your guy.

He'd also fit the 'emotional' criteria, if that's another need of yours.

[johnwaynes44]

More than a new GM, I would like to see a little transparency with this organization. I know that teams are not obligated to share anything other than what the league mandates, but this team is so shrouded in secrecy. From the insertion of Chris Polian through the back door to the Tom Moore retirement and subsequent "consulting" position, the Manning situation, quitting on a perfect season, the list goes on and on, it just continues to be very confusing for fans. When a team is upfront with the their fans and the media, it holds press conferences to explain and formally announce their decisions and shares their thought processes and mission going forward. This team is a secret society and they expect us to just buy into it.

[Ramblinwreck7]

My comments are mostly in light of what Kravitz wrote, which was very absolute. He basically wrote that every coach or front office guy who's left the Colts in the last three years was forced out by Chris Polian. If Clyde Powers was let go by Chris Polian, which is what Powers himself said, then I say the same thing that he said: If Chris is running the show, he should have the right and ability to have people around him who he can work with and who can work with him. More on this in a minute, but my point is really just that I don't buy into the picture Kravitz is painting.

Chris joined the Colts in 1998 as director of pro scouting, when Bill took over. It wasn't until 2009 that he was named GM. You're trying to tie a slip in the draft to Chris' increased influence in the front office, and the facts just aren't there to do so.

This is a valid concern, but it's not one that I share. Going back to Clyde Powers, he was with the team for 31 years, right? That includes 18 seasons of Colts mediocrity, fifteen years without going to the playoffs, and a 2-3 playoff record. Then Polian takes over, and things get turned around. Powers may have been a very big part of the turnaround, and I'm certainly not going to blame him for the bad seasons before 1999, but all things considered, it's not like we lost the architect of the modern day Colts. He was reportedly given a very generous severance package, and life goes on. As far as I understand, he's still unemployed, and this through a lockout and a frenzied free agency period where new front offices could have used an experienced pro personnel guy, at least as a consultant, right?

Meanwhile, we nail the draft. We add a couple of solid guys in free agency. I don't think we're missing Clyde Powers, nor do I think we're missing the 73 year old Dom Anile (who would need to be replaced at a certain point, right?), who is also still not employed by an NFL team, as far as I know. We're not missing Gene Huey, even though I don't think he's necessarily the reason for the woes with the running game over the past three seasons. We're not missing Howard Mudd, who I think is a very good offensive line coach, but who I think held us back with his vision for a mid-90s Broncos offensive line. We could probably use Tom Moore, but realistically speaking, there's not much help for our offense without significantly improved quarterback play. And I say again, I think he was ready to get out of the day-to-day, and he has. I say good for him and wish him good health in his retirement.

All I'm saying is that the Colts organization has been blessed with more stability with ownership and management than most NFL franchises, especially over the last 15-20 years. There's been no wide-reaching housecleaning operation. The front office is in its 14th year, with a planned transition still underway. We had a planned transition with the coaching staff three years ago. All this lends itself to having several long time front office guys and consultants on the team. I said earlier, it's not normal for us to have had one offensive coordinator for 13 years, spanning three head coaching operations. Eventually, those guys leave, one way or the other, especially when they're in their 70s.

I say all of this just to point out that I think Kravitz's piece was horse dung, and those are the reasons why. I'm really not worried about our front office. Mistakes have been made, some of them serious. I don't think losing Dom Anile, Clyde Powers, Gene Huey, Howard Mudd, etc., are necessarily among those mistakes. I don't think Chris Polian forced Tom Moore out. We've got a lot ahead of us. I think the future of the team is bright, despite how bleak the present circumstances look.

There's only a couple of things wrong with this though. We may have had a great draft this year, but you can't just nail a draft 1 in every 5 years if you depend on it to build you team. We haven't added any big pieces in free agency, just a couple of solid backups which I think is good. I also don't like the way Chris got his job. As far as I know, he has only worked for the colts starting in 1998 like you said. I don't trust dads to use proper judgement when evaluating their son's, especially now a days. He hasn't worked his way to the top of any other team, but in a span of 11 years he has gone from the scouting director to all of a sudden the general manager and future president? I wouldn't trust the son of a CEO becoming the next CEO of a major business like Exxon or Chevron if he hasn't proven anything else besides becoming a high ranking official in that company, would you?

I don't know if I would use our coaching transition as an example. It hasn't worked out very well so far which is disappointing.

This all adds up to one big problem, we are 0-11. That doesn't happen if our front office does a good job over the past 5 years. Chris Polian has become a large part of the colts over the last few years. I want to see wins! This team is better than that and there are people in this organization that are preventing that. Of course, Bill could be telling Chris what to do as well so it's hard to guage what the front office is doing and their influence over Caldwell and the coaches.

[Superman]

There's only a couple of things wrong with this though. We may have had a great draft this year, but you can't just nail a draft 1 in every 5 years if you depend on it to build you team. We haven't added any big pieces in free agency, just a couple of solid backups which I think is good. I also don't like the way Chris got his job. As far as I know, he has only worked for the colts starting in 1998 like you said. I don't trust dads to use proper judgement when evaluating their son's, especially now a days. He hasn't worked his way to the top of any other team, but in a span of 11 years he has gone from the scouting director to all of a sudden the general manager and future president? I wouldn't trust the son of a CEO becoming the next CEO of a major business like Exxon or Chevron if he hasn't proven anything else besides becoming a high ranking official in that company, would you?

Why are we judging Chris Polian on the last five drafts? All indications are that he was the point man for the 2011 draft, and that's been the most extensive influence he's had on any draft. This was the year that Chris came more into the forefront as the guy setting the parameters and making the decisions, though it was a collaborative effort. I don't see why we're talking about the last five drafts, unless it's to show how much better this year's was. In which case, that goes to Chris' credit.

Like you, I don't like how he got his job. (I don't like how Caldwell got his job, either. More on that later...) But based on what we know and what we can judge him by, I like what he's done. Even if he's forced out long time assistants, which I don't really believe he has.

I don't know if I would use our coaching transition as an example. It hasn't worked out very well so far which is disappointing.

I wasn't using it as an example. I don't like that we didn't interview anyone else to see who the best available candidate was. I don't like that we let Dungy basically appoint his heir, and then leave the organization. What difference does it make to him who our coach is? I'm a black man, but I think Dungy was more concerned about making sure another black man got the job than in making sure the best man got the job, and I don't like that. I've said this several times in the past.

The reason I mentioned the transition is because I was pointing out that we haven't rocked the boat. The organization has been level and stable for the better part of two decades, unlike the majority of other organizations, who have flipped their coaching staffs and front offices, and even ownership groups, in the past 15-20 years. That being the case, it's understandable that we have guys who have been with the team for 30 years. But that's not the norm. Spending 30 years with the same NFL franchise isn't common, and the fact that a couple 30 year guys were fired or let go in the past three years or so isn't proof that Chris is cleaning house. Maybe he is; but maybe it was just time for Dom Anile to move on. Maybe Tom Telesco was better for the organization than Clyde Powers was. Maybe Tom Moore just didn't want to be involved in the day-to-day anymore.

This all adds up to one big problem, we are 0-11. That doesn't happen if our front office does a good job over the past 5 years. Chris Polian has become a large part of the colts over the last few years. I want to see wins! This team is better than that and there are people in this organization that are preventing that. Of course, Bill could be telling Chris what to do as well so it's hard to gauge what the front office is doing and their influence over Caldwell and the coaches.

Without Peyton Manning, we'd be looking at 4-12 anyways. Only difference is that we'd have a better defense and maybe a better offensive line over the past three or four seasons. Maybe we win a couple of Super Bowls in that span. I agree that the front office has made mistakes, and I think maybe it's even logical to trace some of those mistakes to our less than ideal postseason results. Still, I don't think it's logical or fair to lay that blame at Chris Polian's feet. It seems to me that 2011 is the first year that it's been mostly his show.

[Ramblinwreck7]

Without Peyton Manning, we'd be looking at 4-12 anyways. Only difference is that we'd have a better defense and maybe a better offensive line over the past three or four seasons. Maybe we win a couple of Super Bowls in that span. I agree that the front office has made mistakes, and I think maybe it's even logical to trace some of those mistakes to our less than ideal postseason results. Still, I don't think it's logical or fair to lay that blame at Chris Polian's feet. It seems to me that 2011 is the first year that it's been mostly his show.

That's the frustrating part, who is running the colts? Is it Bill Polian? Is it mainly Chris Polian? Maybe there both in charge? It's hard to tell who is running things by looking at the colts organization hahah...

[Bleedin Blue]

Huh?

Dom Anile had way more history with the Colts than that of a consultant. He was a team executive for several years.

http://sports.espn.g...tory?id=4152243

No, what I'm saying is that Anile was just a consultant at the time that he was supposedly "forced out" by Chris Polian. He was the team executive before 2006. Also, unless Bill is outright lying, Chris ran the 2010 draft and the other members (Bill and Chris, Jim, and Tom Telesco) participated in the vote.

"The dynamic has changed, there is no two ways about that,'' said Bill Polian, who has overseen Colts drafts since 1998 with the help of a support staff that has included his son, senior player personnel consultant Dom Anile, player personnel director Tom Telesco, head coaches Jim Mora, Tony Dungy and Jim Caldwell, assistant coaches and countless scouts.

"Chris set the parameters. He did the study that gave us the road map as to where we needed to go. We stayed with that.

"Your interest, I know, is what happens in the room. Nothing much has changed there.''

The Colts again were led by a four-man panel: the Polians, Telesco and Caldwell. It was their consensus that retooled the offensive line with tackles Anthony Castonzo (first round) and Ben Ijalana (second), and delivered high-energy tackle Drake Nevis (third) to the defense.

Link

[Ramblinwreck7]

No, what I'm saying is that Anile was just a consultant at the time that he was supposedly "forced out" by Chris Polian. He was the team executive before 2006. Also, unless Bill is outright lying, Chris ran the 2010 draft and the other members (Bill and Chris, Jim, and Tom Telesco) participated in the vote.

Link

Setting the parameters for the draft doesn't mean that you ran the draft or made the decisions. Parameters are boundaries right? That doesn't really prove anything.