Review of Ballard's first year

[The Fish]

On 12/18/2017 at 10:57 AM, NewColtsFan said:

Not trying to be argumentative....    but why would anyone do a season long review when the season ISN'T EVEN  OVER?!?

 

The last two games might just influence your view on the team, the players, the draft or free agency...

 

Just saying......

 

 

Not trying to be argumentative, but you've watched this team. Theres' a infinitesimally small chance that the perception of what was done by Ballard could change. Is someone else going to get hurt?

The OP did a solid run down. I agree, Ballard did his job pretty well. 

[The Fish]

2 hours ago, 1959Colts said:

What killed us in 2017 is the mistake the management (Ballard) made of failure to evaluate Andrew Luck's status. A viable backup QB should have been acquired well before the start of regular season. Foolish to believe Tolzien was capable of carrying the team.

No..

What killed us was literally not having Luck.. There was no saving this season if he wasn't playing. Tolzein played one.. 1.. UNO game this year. That's not the season.

I'd love to know what they really knew, when they knew it, but given how the Brissett trade went down and all of the talking points that came from the team, I believe they were as caught off guard by the slow rehab/healing as we were. Could be wrong, there's not proof positive either way.

 

And to whom ever thought it was a super smart point to say "Grigson did better in year one than Ballard" - Grigson got fired, because *he* DID NOT do a good job. The Luck pick was made by Irsay to boot.

Luck played well. Grigson assembled bad teams. This wasn't a complicated thing to observe.

[NewColtsFan]

37 minutes ago, The Fish said:

Not trying to be argumentative, but you've watched this team. Theres' a infinitesimally small chance that the perception of what was done by Ballard could change. Is someone else going to get hurt?

The OP did a solid run down. I agree, Ballard did his job pretty well. 

 

Don't get me wrong,  I'm with you on Ballard.     But new faces could emerge,  or old faces might surprise.    Stuff happens.    What if Wilson or Basham looks good the last few games?    Or Mack?     Maybe that changes someone's perspective?

 

This is more of a personal thing that happens quite often here....     people want to discuss an issue so badly that they can't wait for the right time to do it.       Hence,  someone wants to do a season re-cap BEFORE the season is over.     That stuff annoys me.     But that's likely more a "me" thing than anyone else.    I know that....

 

Not that big a deal to me.    That's why I haven't said anything else about it since my one post......

 

 

[1959Colts]

2 hours ago, The Fish said:

No..

What killed us was literally not having Luck.. There was no saving this season if he wasn't playing. Tolzein played one.. 1.. UNO game this year. That's not the season.

I'd love to know what they really knew, when they knew it, but given how the Brissett trade went down and all of the talking points that came from the team, I believe they were as caught off guard by the slow rehab/healing as we were. Could be wrong, there's not proof positive either way.

 

And to whom ever thought it was a super smart point to say "Grigson did better in year one than Ballard" - Grigson got fired, because *he* DID NOT do a good job. The Luck pick was made by Irsay to boot.

Luck played well. Grigson assembled bad teams. This wasn't a complicated thing to observe.

 

The fact that Tolzien only played one game (and then was benched) really does show how unprepared Ballard was regarding Luck's health condition.

[Relocated]

On 12/18/2017 at 9:40 AM, Valpo2004 said:

Free Agency: B+ 

 

Pretty much every free agent performed up to their contract.  So that's a positive that puts it up there to a B+.  However I don't see any major steals out of free agency.  

 

Draft: B-  

 

Hooker looked good and the later round picks have given us some usage.  But Wilson and Bashem havn't done much yet.  Plus Banner was a wasted 4th round pick.  Now Wilson and Bashem still have another year, so this grade could improve dramatically if they two of them improve their play substantially.

 

Trades: B

 

Dumped Dwayne Allen and actually got a pick for him.  Got a useful future backup and starter for the season for Dorsett who was proving out to be at the bottom of the WR chart anyways.  However we didn't completely fleece anyone.  

 

Overall Grade: B

 

Most of the moves where in the draft and free agency so the trades count little towards this grade.  Plus the trades where pretty low level moves.  Moving a TE for moving up in the draft and moving a WR for a future backup QB.  

Mostly agree.  I think the FA grade should drop a little with Schwenke being the only O-line brought in.  If you didn't have the O-line rookies rated high, some effort to fix our mess should have happened.

His most important grade will be based on the selection of the next coach and staff.

[chad72]

18 minutes ago, 1959Colts said:

 

The fact that Tolzien only played one game (and then was benched) really does show how unprepared Ballard was regarding Luck's health condition.

 

I disagree. Ballard had to rely on the coaches' confidence. If the coaches were not confident in Tolzien, he would have made the trade a tad sooner. The coaches sold Tolzien to all of us. Remember, he was coming into a situation where the fired GM was accused of meddling with and overriding coaches' decisions. So, in year 1, he had to trust the coaches. We fans felt Stephen Morris had the upside more than Tolzien in pre-season, and he was let go. At some point, you have to let the coaches coach, give them what they want. I am certain the updates were not as forthcoming from Luck's camp either, thus delaying the decision to bring in Brissett. 

[1959Colts]

1 minute ago, chad72 said:

 

I disagree. Ballard had to rely on the coaches' confidence. If the coaches were not confident in Tolzien, he would have made the trade a tad sooner. The coaches sold Tolzien to all of us. Remember, he was coming into a situation where the fired GM was accused of meddling with and overriding coaches' decisions. So, in year 1, he had to trust the coaches. We fans felt Stephen Morris had the upside more than Tolzien in pre-season, and he was let go. At some point, you have to let the coaches coach, give them what they want. I am certain the updates were not as forthcoming from Luck's camp either, thus delaying the decision to bring in Brissett. 

 

The coaches and GM should have known Tolzien was not a QB you can win with.

[richard pallo]

2 minutes ago, chad72 said:

 

I disagree. Ballard had to rely on the coaches' confidence. If the coaches were not confident in Tolzien, he would have made the trade a tad sooner. The coaches sold Tolzien to all of us. Remember, he was coming into a situation where the fired GM was accused of meddling with and overriding coaches' decisions. So, in year 1, he had to trust the coaches. We fans felt Stephen Morris had the upside more than Tolzien in pre-season, and he was let go. At some point, you have to let the coaches coach, give them what they want. I am certain the updates were not as forthcoming from Luck's camp either, thus delaying the decision to bring in Brissett. 

I might be mistaken but I thought BB was the one who called us about Dorsett.  I think they had a few injuries and knew there was talk about us thinking about moving Dorsett.  Without his call maybe the trade does not happen. 

[chad72]

2 minutes ago, 1959Colts said:

The coaches and GM should have known Tolzien was not a QB you can win with.

 

I really do not think the results would have been that different with Brissett vs the Rams. Tolzien might have fared just as well as Brissett outside the stretching of the field part. We fans just wanted a change and Brissett was like a breath of fresh air till the newness wore out. We would never know if Tolzien would have held up better in second half of games as he got more and more games under his belt. Brissett was just working with more benefit of doubt since we had seen Tolzien's ceiling, which was not much.

[The Fish]

4 minutes ago, 1959Colts said:

 

The coaches and GM should have known Tolzien was not a QB you can win with.

The Steelers game last year was evidence that he could play at an acceptable back up level. Week one this year. Not so much..

I'd just say that hindsight being what it is, it's not like they disagreed with you. They didn't wait on him ala Curtis Painter.

Maybe they did get it wrong, but I think it's more evidence that they didn't know the whole status of Lucks rehab/health. Look at it however you want, though.

[1959Colts]

Just now, chad72 said:

 

I really do not think the results would have been that different with Brissett vs the Rams. Tolzien might have fared just as well as Brissett outside the stretching of the field part. We fans just wanted a change and Brissett was like a breath of fresh air till the newness wore out. We would never know if Tolzien would have held up better in second half of games as he got more and more games under his belt. Brissett was just working with more benefit of doubt since we had seen Tolzien's ceiling, which was not much.

 

I don't think Brissett is the answer at all.

[1959Colts]

Case Keenum and Nick Foles were free agent backups who have shown they can win. Both heading into playoffs

[richard pallo]

3 minutes ago, 1959Colts said:

Case Keenum and Nick Foles were free agent backups who have shown they can win. Both heading into playoffs

We need veteran backups like those guys to back up Luck.  Just like Hasselback.  Brissett is a project player.  A prospect who has shown a flash here and there but has a long way to go before he can be counted on to be a reliable backup.  

[mahagga73]

Free agents were decent . Draft , average.  You can't judge anything for at least a couple years imo. If Luck was playing they would be around .500 or so. They got caught napping on the severity of Lucks injury though.  

[Rudy74coltstrong]

FA: Hankins’s a good pick up, just hasn’t had the support he needs, Sheard and Simon are decent pick ups, Woods isn’t any better than Parry, so he should be released, Aiken’s been a let down just hasn’t played to the level we hooped.

 

Draft: Hooker was playing at a rookie all pro level, he’s without a doubt our best defensive player now, Wilson hasn’t been in football shape since he was drafted, coach P said that since OTAs, Basham we all knew is a work in progress and will take some seasons to be a good situational pass rusher, Banner was a bust but can’t blame our GM his size was worthy of risking a 4th rounder, Mack will be a featured back behind an improved oline and with a inside the tackles RB, he’s nos a bell cow back, he needs someone to complement him, correct me if I’m wrong but I see some Alvin Kamara in him, Walker i believe he can be a good ILB in this league just needs to work on his speed, but shedding some weight he’ll be good, I personally think any ILB in our roster is better than Morrison, dude’s really bad at everything can’t cover, can’t play hard inside the box and gets manhandled every time when he’s blocked. 

 

Trades: Getting rid of Allen and Dorsett for a box of candy would’ve been a fair deal, getting a 4th rounder and a capable backup QB for whom we can get a 2nd rounder was great. 

 

I really thrust Chris and I know he’s going to do great just give him  couple or

years to fix that ugly roster Griggsson left. 

[hoosierhawk]

10 hours ago, 1959Colts said:

What killed us in 2017 is the mistake the management (Ballard) made of failure to evaluate Andrew Luck's status. A viable backup QB should have been acquired well before the start of regular season. Foolish to believe Tolzien was capable of carrying the team.

How in God's green earth can you blame Ballard for his evaluation of Luck's recovery. Don't you think that he and the Colts management relied on the Doctors evaluation. we didn't hire Ballard as a team doctor but a team GM.                                                                

[hoosierhawk]

1 hour ago, Rudy74coltstrong said:

FA: Hankins’s a good pick up, just hasn’t had the support he needs, Sheard and Simon are decent pick ups, Woods isn’t any better than Parry, so he should be released, Aiken’s been a let down just hasn’t played to the level we hooped.

 

Draft: Hooker was playing at a rookie all pro level, he’s without a doubt our best defensive player now, Wilson hasn’t been in football shape since he was drafted, coach P said that since OTAs, Basham we all knew is a work in progress and will take some seasons to be a good situational pass rusher, Banner was a bust but can’t blame our GM his size was worthy of risking a 4th rounder, Mack will be a featured back behind an improved oline and with a inside the tackles RB, he’s nos a bell cow back, he needs someone to complement him, correct me if I’m wrong but I see some Alvin Kamara in him, Walker i believe he can be a good ILB in this league just needs to work on his speed, but shedding some weight he’ll be good, I personally think any ILB in our roster is better than Morrison, dude’s really bad at everything can’t cover, can’t play hard inside the box and gets manhandled every time when he’s blocked. 

 

Trades: Getting rid of Allen and Dorsett for a box of candy would’ve been a fair deal, getting a 4th rounder and a capable backup QB for whom we can get a 2nd rounder was great. 

 

I really thrust Chris and I know he’s going to do great just give him  couple or

years to fix that ugly roster Griggsson left. 

Think you forgot Hairston who was probably our most surprising an productive rookie this year as well as our punter/ kickoff guy. To say that Woods is not an upgrade to Perry is ridiculous.

[Superman]

4 hours ago, hoosierhawk said:

To say that Woods is not an upgrade to Perry is ridiculous.

 

Woods has been good. I don't understand how people don't see it.

[Superman]

6 hours ago, Rudy74coltstrong said:

Trades: Getting rid of Allen and Dorsett for a box of candy would’ve been a fair deal, getting a 4th rounder and a capable backup QB for whom we can get a 2nd rounder was great. 

 

Why do people think the Colts will be able to get a 2nd rounder for Brissett?

[Valpo2004]

17 hours ago, 1959Colts said:

 

The coaches and GM should have known Tolzien was not a QB you can win with.

 

Realistically most teams can't win on a regular basis without their starting quarterback.  

 

Brisset's been better then Tolzien but he's still only won 3 games.  

[ty4atd]

On 12/18/2017 at 6:23 PM, NewColtsFan said:

 

The original question was about comparing the first season for each GM.      And you said they were about the same.

 

I found that baffling.    And despite your attempts to explain yourself, I still find it baffling.

 

I don't know if you're afraid to give Grigson credit, or afraid to be seen as knocking Ballard.     But either way,  I find it mystifying.     Grigson had a better first year than Ballard did.     That's just the way the two seasons unfolded.

 

That doesn't mean that Grigson is a better GM than Ballard.     Not at all.    You don't judge these things based on just one year.     It only means when comparing the two seasons that Grigson's was better.    And I'm happy he's gone and I'm happier that we have Ballard.      I think there are better days ahead for this franchise,  even with a cloud of doubt still around Luck.

 

Grigson might have had a better record in year 1 as Ballard but that doesn't mean the moves he made as a GM in year 1 were better than Ballard's. If records were all that determined if a GM had a good year or not Grigs never had a bad year the worst he did was 8-8 why would that get someone fired? He had that record because he had Luck, and a better roster to begin with. Year 1 was Grigson's best but just because he had a better record doesn't mean he did a better job than Ballard. 

[NewColtsFan]

2 hours ago, ty4atd said:

 

Grigson might have had a better record in year 1 as Ballard but that doesn't mean the moves he made as a GM in year 1 were better than Ballard's. If records were all that determined if a GM had a good year or not Grigs never had a bad year the worst he did was 8-8 why would that get someone fired? He had that record because he had Luck, and a better roster to begin with. Year 1 was Grigson's best but just because he had a better record doesn't mean he did a better job than Ballard. 

 

Grigson's first year was a complete tear down...   much like Ballard's first year.     The Salary Cap in 2012 was around $120 Million.     But due to Dead Cap money hits the team elected to tape to cut older, expensive players,  Grigson only had $80 million to spend on his roster.      He built that team with 1/3rd less money than other teams that year.   

 

Yes, he had Luck,  but football being the team game it is,  Grigson did a nice job with the handicap that he had.

 

He lost his job due to a combination of things.    First, what was going on off the field (his documented problems with Pagano and others)  PLUS his decisions in the draft and free agency were what led to the mess we all saw this year.     Most of the problems this year were Grigson related and not Ballard related.      Even the loss of Luck is on Grigson,  his failure to build a competent O-line in 5 full seasons.

 

And I repeat,  that doesn't mean Grigson is a better GM,  only that he had a better first season.    He gets the credit for what was on the field.     That's the way this works.      But I believe over time,  we will all see that Ballard is a better GM.      At least,   that's what we all hope for....   

 

[a06cc]

No one can deny 87 million in cap space. That alone makes Ballard a genius. He has made cap friendly deals. We can point the finger all we want about AL being hurt. Just be happy everyone. We get our guy back next season. We also get to improve the roster by getting younger. He is cleaning up a mess left behind from our old GM. 

[ty4atd]

48 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

He lost his job due to a combination of things.    First, what was going on off the field (his documented problems with Pagano and others)  PLUS his decisions in the draft and free agency were what led to the mess we all saw this year.     Most of the problems this year were Grigson related and not Ballard related.      Even the loss of Luck is on Grigson,  his failure to build a competent O-line in 5 full seasons.

 

And I repeat,  that doesn't mean Grigson is a better GM,  only that he had a better first season.    He gets the credit for what was on the field.     That's the way this works.      But I believe over time,  we will all see that Ballard is a better GM.      At least,   that's what we all hope for....   

 

Fair enough but I do just want to say one last thing, if you admit that most of our problems this year are Grigson related then why are you holding it against Ballard by saying Grigs was better because he had the better record? Grigson made 3 very good moves year 1 signing Jerrell Freeman, Drafting TY and the Vontae trade he made some more decent ones but drafting Luck I don't give him credit for it was a slam dunk that Irsay made the call on. He inherited Robert Mathis, Reggie Wayne and Bethea all better than anyone that was on the team Ballard was handed. Ballard for the most part I think was also held back in FA last year even with more cap space because he inherited Pagano for the year and he's mostly likely gone now and the new coach may want a different scheme and kind of players knowing that he couldn't go around dishing cash out IMO. We'll have to wait for the off-season but I think once Ballard picks his coaching staff he'll be more aggressive this year in FA.   

[aaron11]

3 hours ago, a06cc said:

No one can deny 87 million in cap space. 

i wouldnt credit ballard for that.  we have that much because we dont have many good players signed to long term contracts.

[a06cc]

4 hours ago, aaron11 said:

i wouldnt credit ballard for that.  we have that much because we dont have many good players signed to long term contracts.

That’s Ballard’s doing.

[OLD FAN MAN]

On 12/18/2017 at 4:15 AM, ty4atd said:

Lets take a peak now that the season is basically over at Ballard's moves in his 1st year as GM and how they look.

 

FA: Lets start with his biggest move in free agency, Jonathan Hankins signed a 3yr 30 million dollar deal and while his stats might not show it (43 tackles and 2 sacks) he's been a great addition to the front 7. He's done a great job of stuffing the run and getting a good push against the pass, and at only 25 there shouldn't be any decline going forward. Next was Jabaal Sheard he signed for 3yr and 25.5 million dollars. On the season Sheard has 5.5 sacks and has been the Colts best pass rusher on the season. PFF currently has him as the #10 edge defender in 2017. He has definitely been worth every penny and has been a A+ signing. John Simon was snagged away from the Texans he got a 3 yrs 13.5 million deal to be the other OLB in our 3-4. After starting off the season strong 3 sacks and a pick in 6 games he hurt his shoulder and after trying work his way back in week 12 and 13 he was put on IR for the year. Simon's shoulder shouldn't need surgery so he should be good to go by next year and hopefully he's able to play like he was before the injury. Al Woods was another good find by Ballard, his stats don't do him justice but he's another big body that has stuffed the run very well at both NT and DE earning a 84 ratting on PFF. He signed a 2yr 4 million dollar deal and if he plays like this next year Ballard will need to look at bringing him back. He also signed Barkevious Mingo and Margus Hunt to cheap 1 year deals both have provided solid depth and ST play and should be brought back at a similar price if possible. Ballard did a very good job with the pieces that he brought in on D and hopefully he can build on it in the coming months. On offence Ballard didn't do a whole lot through free agency with Kamar Aiken being the biggest addition and he's been a major disappointment. The offence will likely see more attention this off-season with a new RB, a 2nd WR and some OL help needed. 

 

Draft:

In round 1 the Colts went with Malik Hooker the rangy FS from Ohio State 15th overall and most pundits and fans thought they got a steal and gave them an A grade. Unfortunately his rookie year came to an end after only 7 games, he was able to notch 3 INTs and showed off why during the lead up to the draft he was compared to Ed Reed. If feel like I say this a lot but, if he's able to come back healthy next year he should fit right in as the starting FS for the foreseeable future. 

 

Round 2 brought the Colts Quincy Wilson CB out of Florida. Wilson has had a up and down rookie year, after playing the first two games of the year and looking pretty good against Arizona Wilson was banged up and missed some time. Once he was healthy though he was still a healthy scratch for multiple games, the reason Pagano told the media when questioned about it was he hadn't shown enough in practice and on ST to be dressed. He plays well when he gets a chance so I don't know why he's in Chuck's doghouse. Now that seemingly every other CB on the team is hurt Wilson has played the last two games and looked decent, he's had his rookie moments but for the most part has played good. If he can build off that in the last 2 games and into next season I feel good about Wilson being at least a #2 CB.

 

Tarell Basham was the 3rd pick by the Colts No.80 overall, coming from a smaller school and mostly playing with his hand in the dirt at Ohio the transition has been a slower one for Basham. At the begging of the season Basham struggled to get snaps and didn't make much of an impact. Since Simon has been placed on IR he has gotten more snaps and notched his 2nd sack of the season against Jacksonville. Unless he shows off to finish the season the Colts can't count on him being anything more than depth on the edge, he's also still young and pass rushers typically take longer to develop.

 

In the 4th round the Colts picked up a trio of players Zach Banner, Marlon Mack and . Banner was cut before the season started so that's a whiff. The giants from USC just couldn't make the transition to the NFL his feet were too slow and he couldn't protect the QB. Think about this Banner couldn't even make it as a backup on one of if not the worst OL in the league, it was a brutal pick. Marlon Mack however was a very nice pickup for Indy. Gore has still been the main back for the Colts this season, but his time is quickly coming to an end. While Mack hasn't shown that he can carry the load he has brought something to Indy that they haven't had in a while, someone who can break a big run. On the year Mack has averaged just under 4 y/a which with this OL ain't to shabby. Next season Mack will probably see an expanded role and if paired with another bigger back he could be part of a nice tandem. With the very next pick in the draft Ballard picked Grover Stewart out of Albany State. The jump in competition from Albany State to the NFL has made the Colts be patient with Stewart since he has every tool you could want for a 3-4 DE. NFL.com lists him as 6'4 334lbs and his arms measured over 33". Most knew his first year would more or less be a red-shirt year for Stewart, but he has played more recently and shown some promise. If he's able to have a good off-season and put in work he could be a monster for the Colts at the point of attack.

 

The last two picks of the Colts draft came in the 5th round. First the Colts selected Nate Hairston CB out of Temple and 3 picks later Anthony Walker Jr LB from Northwester. Hairston value wise is probably Ballard's best pick of the draft, he's played in 12 games so far and has been the Colts nickle CB all season. Hairston doesn't have the ideal size like Wilson but he's not a small CB, listed at 6-0 195lbs, and has quicker hips to match-up with inside receivers. On the year Hairston has 2 sacks, 1 INT and 5 PDs he's had mental lapses that have lead to big plays but most rookies do, if he's able to clean up those plays he'll be a good nickle CB for Indy. Walker Jr was a highly productive LB at Northwestern  1st&2nd team All Big Ten in 2015 and 2016, but showed he wasn't the best athlete at the combine and predraft workouts. Many scouts noticed he had packed on a lot of muscle and seemed to be stiffer in 2016 as the year before and said if he could shed some pounds and regain some of his quickness he could be a steal. So far he has spent most of the season practicing but only dressing in 8 games and only playing 8 snaps on ST. Against the Broncos he was able to get some snaps with the D and showed looked alright in limited time. next season he'll come into camp as competition for depth and if he makes a leap even a starting ILB spot. He hasn't played enough to really make any kind of assessment of his play but I liked the pick at the time and I still believe it will pan out.   

 

Trades: During the draft Ballard did some moving up and down with trades only involving picks but I'm not going to touch on those. The two trades I will focus on are the ones made with the Patriots where we shipped Allen and Dorsett to Boston. First was Allen he was traded along with a 2018 6th rounder for the 4th round pick that ended up being Banner. Just the trade itself without knowing we'd waste the pick on Banner was great for the Colts Allen was injury prone, expensive and was passed by Doyle last year. Even though Banner ended up being useless, Allen in New England hasn't exactly been tearing it up he has 8 catches and 60 yards.....and Gronk even missed games and Allen couldn't do %. The next trade with New England was a definite win for Indy Philip Dorsett was traded for Jacoby Brissett. In 2 years with Indy Dorsett managed 753 yards and 3 TDs, he sucked there's no other way to say it, and so far with the Pats he's been even worse. He has a whopping 144 yards in 13 games and the Pats even recently signed Kenny Britt pushing him further down the ladder. Brissett hasn't lit the world on fire with his play but at the bare minimum he has shown he can be a good backup QB. His stats don't look pretty but remember he has a % OL, Hilton and Doyle are the only decent targets and he showed up in week 2 and is trying to learn a new system on the fly. He's also only in his 2nd year and with a more competent coaching staff and team around him he can be a average starter. In my lifetime the Colts have only had someone even resembling that behind their starter once, Old man Hasselbeck for 3 years.

 

Now even though the results haven't shown this year I believe Chris Ballard's 1st season as GM was a success, he's been handicapped by having to keep Pagano, Luck's injury and the brutal roster Grigs left behind. 

great post

[aaron11]

18 hours ago, a06cc said:

That’s Ballard’s doing.

ballard is the reason we dont have many good players on the roster?

[a06cc]

27 minutes ago, aaron11 said:

ballard is the reason we dont have many good players on the roster?

We have some good players. Again he is fixing a mess left behind.

[aaron11]

5 minutes ago, a06cc said:

We have some good players. Again he is fixing a mess left behind.

grigson had lots of money to spend in free agency too

 

the reason we have a lot now is there was no one on the team to pay besides luck and ty the last few years 

[a06cc]

Just now, aaron11 said:

grigson had lots of money to spend in free agency too

 

the reason we have a lot now is there was no one on the team to pay besides luck and ty the last few years 

Also Ballard had made cap friendly contracts to young FA he brought in. He needs time to fix this. He came out at the beginning of the season to state such. 

[aaron11]

Just now, a06cc said:

Also Ballard had made cap friendly contracts to young FA he brought in. He needs time to fix this. He came out at the beginning of the season to state such. 

 grigson had a lot of money to spend in free agency too though.  

 

i dont think we have this money because of some genius moves by ballard.  if you look at other teams like the browns and 49ers, they have had tons of cap space too because they didnt have good players to pay.  

[BOTT]

On 12/18/2017 at 9:40 AM, Valpo2004 said:

Free Agency: B+ 

 

Pretty much every free agent performed up to their contract.  So that's a positive that puts it up there to a B+.  However I don't see any major steals out of free agency.  

 

Draft: B-  

 

Hooker looked good and the later round picks have given us some usage.  But Wilson and Bashem havn't done much yet.  Plus Banner was a wasted 4th round pick.  Now Wilson and Bashem still have another year, so this grade could improve dramatically if they two of them improve their play substantially.

 

Trades: B

 

Dumped Dwayne Allen and actually got a pick for him.  Got a useful future backup and starter for the season for Dorsett who was proving out to be at the bottom of the WR chart anyways.  However we didn't completely fleece anyone.  

 

Overall Grade: B

 

Most of the moves where in the draft and free agency so the trades count little towards this grade.  Plus the trades where pretty low level moves.  Moving a TE for moving up in the draft and moving a WR for a future backup QB.  

I disagree....Ballard fleeced Belichick at least one time.  I didn't think the colts could get more than a half eaten Twinkie for Allen and BB gave the colts a 4th.

[Valpo2004]

On 12/22/2017 at 10:30 PM, BOTT said:

I disagree....Ballard fleeced Belichick at least one time.  I didn't think the colts could get more than a half eaten Twinkie for Allen and BB gave the colts a 4th.

I believe we traded a 5 to him so it's more like we moved up then he just handed us a 4th.  

[P'Son]

Ask me after his third draft if I think he's worth a darn.

[CR91]

On 12/18/2017 at 1:15 AM, ty4atd said:

Lets take a peak now that the season is basically over at Ballard's moves in his 1st year as GM and how they look.

 

FA: Lets start with his biggest move in free agency, Jonathan Hankins signed a 3yr 30 million dollar deal and while his stats might not show it (43 tackles and 2 sacks) he's been a great addition to the front 7. He's done a great job of stuffing the run and getting a good push against the pass, and at only 25 there shouldn't be any decline going forward. Next was Jabaal Sheard he signed for 3yr and 25.5 million dollars. On the season Sheard has 5.5 sacks and has been the Colts best pass rusher on the season. PFF currently has him as the #10 edge defender in 2017. He has definitely been worth every penny and has been a A+ signing. John Simon was snagged away from the Texans he got a 3 yrs 13.5 million deal to be the other OLB in our 3-4. After starting off the season strong 3 sacks and a pick in 6 games he hurt his shoulder and after trying work his way back in week 12 and 13 he was put on IR for the year. Simon's shoulder shouldn't need surgery so he should be good to go by next year and hopefully he's able to play like he was before the injury. Al Woods was another good find by Ballard, his stats don't do him justice but he's another big body that has stuffed the run very well at both NT and DE earning a 84 ratting on PFF. He signed a 2yr 4 million dollar deal and if he plays like this next year Ballard will need to look at bringing him back. He also signed Barkevious Mingo and Margus Hunt to cheap 1 year deals both have provided solid depth and ST play and should be brought back at a similar price if possible. Ballard did a very good job with the pieces that he brought in on D and hopefully he can build on it in the coming months. On offence Ballard didn't do a whole lot through free agency with Kamar Aiken being the biggest addition and he's been a major disappointment. The offence will likely see more attention this off-season with a new RB, a 2nd WR and some OL help needed. 

 

Draft:

In round 1 the Colts went with Malik Hooker the rangy FS from Ohio State 15th overall and most pundits and fans thought they got a steal and gave them an A grade. Unfortunately his rookie year came to an end after only 7 games, he was able to notch 3 INTs and showed off why during the lead up to the draft he was compared to Ed Reed. If feel like I say this a lot but, if he's able to come back healthy next year he should fit right in as the starting FS for the foreseeable future. 

 

Round 2 brought the Colts Quincy Wilson CB out of Florida. Wilson has had a up and down rookie year, after playing the first two games of the year and looking pretty good against Arizona Wilson was banged up and missed some time. Once he was healthy though he was still a healthy scratch for multiple games, the reason Pagano told the media when questioned about it was he hadn't shown enough in practice and on ST to be dressed. He plays well when he gets a chance so I don't know why he's in Chuck's doghouse. Now that seemingly every other CB on the team is hurt Wilson has played the last two games and looked decent, he's had his rookie moments but for the most part has played good. If he can build off that in the last 2 games and into next season I feel good about Wilson being at least a #2 CB.

 

Tarell Basham was the 3rd pick by the Colts No.80 overall, coming from a smaller school and mostly playing with his hand in the dirt at Ohio the transition has been a slower one for Basham. At the begging of the season Basham struggled to get snaps and didn't make much of an impact. Since Simon has been placed on IR he has gotten more snaps and notched his 2nd sack of the season against Jacksonville. Unless he shows off to finish the season the Colts can't count on him being anything more than depth on the edge, he's also still young and pass rushers typically take longer to develop.

 

In the 4th round the Colts picked up a trio of players Zach Banner, Marlon Mack and . Banner was cut before the season started so that's a whiff. The giants from USC just couldn't make the transition to the NFL his feet were too slow and he couldn't protect the QB. Think about this Banner couldn't even make it as a backup on one of if not the worst OL in the league, it was a brutal pick. Marlon Mack however was a very nice pickup for Indy. Gore has still been the main back for the Colts this season, but his time is quickly coming to an end. While Mack hasn't shown that he can carry the load he has brought something to Indy that they haven't had in a while, someone who can break a big run. On the year Mack has averaged just under 4 y/a which with this OL ain't to shabby. Next season Mack will probably see an expanded role and if paired with another bigger back he could be part of a nice tandem. With the very next pick in the draft Ballard picked Grover Stewart out of Albany State. The jump in competition from Albany State to the NFL has made the Colts be patient with Stewart since he has every tool you could want for a 3-4 DE. NFL.com lists him as 6'4 334lbs and his arms measured over 33". Most knew his first year would more or less be a red-shirt year for Stewart, but he has played more recently and shown some promise. If he's able to have a good off-season and put in work he could be a monster for the Colts at the point of attack.

 

The last two picks of the Colts draft came in the 5th round. First the Colts selected Nate Hairston CB out of Temple and 3 picks later Anthony Walker Jr LB from Northwester. Hairston value wise is probably Ballard's best pick of the draft, he's played in 12 games so far and has been the Colts nickle CB all season. Hairston doesn't have the ideal size like Wilson but he's not a small CB, listed at 6-0 195lbs, and has quicker hips to match-up with inside receivers. On the year Hairston has 2 sacks, 1 INT and 5 PDs he's had mental lapses that have lead to big plays but most rookies do, if he's able to clean up those plays he'll be a good nickle CB for Indy. Walker Jr was a highly productive LB at Northwestern  1st&2nd team All Big Ten in 2015 and 2016, but showed he wasn't the best athlete at the combine and predraft workouts. Many scouts noticed he had packed on a lot of muscle and seemed to be stiffer in 2016 as the year before and said if he could shed some pounds and regain some of his quickness he could be a steal. So far he has spent most of the season practicing but only dressing in 8 games and only playing 8 snaps on ST. Against the Broncos he was able to get some snaps with the D and showed looked alright in limited time. next season he'll come into camp as competition for depth and if he makes a leap even a starting ILB spot. He hasn't played enough to really make any kind of assessment of his play but I liked the pick at the time and I still believe it will pan out.   

 

Trades: During the draft Ballard did some moving up and down with trades only involving picks but I'm not going to touch on those. The two trades I will focus on are the ones made with the Patriots where we shipped Allen and Dorsett to Boston. First was Allen he was traded along with a 2018 6th rounder for the 4th round pick that ended up being Banner. Just the trade itself without knowing we'd waste the pick on Banner was great for the Colts Allen was injury prone, expensive and was passed by Doyle last year. Even though Banner ended up being useless, Allen in New England hasn't exactly been tearing it up he has 8 catches and 60 yards.....and Gronk even missed games and Allen couldn't do %. The next trade with New England was a definite win for Indy Philip Dorsett was traded for Jacoby Brissett. In 2 years with Indy Dorsett managed 753 yards and 3 TDs, he sucked there's no other way to say it, and so far with the Pats he's been even worse. He has a whopping 144 yards in 13 games and the Pats even recently signed Kenny Britt pushing him further down the ladder. Brissett hasn't lit the world on fire with his play but at the bare minimum he has shown he can be a good backup QB. His stats don't look pretty but remember he has a % OL, Hilton and Doyle are the only decent targets and he showed up in week 2 and is trying to learn a new system on the fly. He's also only in his 2nd year and with a more competent coaching staff and team around him he can be a average starter. In my lifetime the Colts have only had someone even resembling that behind their starter once, Old man Hasselbeck for 3 years.

 

Now even though the results haven't shown this year I believe Chris Ballard's 1st season as GM was a success, he's been handicapped by having to keep Pagano, Luck's injury and the brutal roster Grigs left behind. 

 

That was a very good read. I think ballard did the best he could with the whole luck situation and tried to make a competitive team probably knowing he was not going to have luck. I think his focus was to re-tool the defense in hope that they could carry the team, but the lack of attention given to the offense proved to be his downfall imo. with a QB behind on the playbook with no time with his receivers to be acclimated and working behind a makeshift line, there was no chance for success. Obviously the hope is luck comes back, but he is going to need help in the form of atleast one priced olineman in FA preferably a RT, taking Qunten Nelson with the top pick, and an upgrade at WR2 and TE. 

[pizzaman67]

i pretty much agree with everything, the team isn't as bad as its record. considering the turnover in players. to consider they had leads at the half in most of their losses, and just by watching., the coaching staff was unable to make any adjustments in the 2nd halfs of games. 3 and out time and time again does not bode well for a young defense. you could see guys sucking wind. brissett is a good qb if given time to develop .   with the news of pagano's departure at the end of the season imo had a lot to do with the smile on Luck's face yesterday. lets be real AL had lost all confidence in these coaches. they are nice guys I'm sure but overmatched in every aspect of the game. new beginnings next season. the future i believe is bright

[colt18]

On 12/19/2017 at 3:06 PM, 1959Colts said:

Case Keenum and Nick Foles were free agent backups who have shown they can win. Both heading into playoffs

Keenum and Foles have complete teams around them, Brissett does not. I'm not sure why anyone would doubt Brissett's ability when he's played fine for a QB in a dysfunctional franchise. 

[GwinnettColt]

I think the jury is still out on it.  I do like the OP's post, a very thorough one.  

 

I don't think Ballard did enough to address the O-line issues, either through FA or the draft but I also think that the play calling and blocking scheme is muddled. 

 

As for Defense, he did a lot more to address this, especially on the D-line.  Hooker, IMO, will be good as will Wilson.  I would have liked to have seen more emphasis on pass D and on the speed rush. 

[NewColtsFan]

On 12/24/2017 at 12:55 PM, Valpo2004 said:

I believe we traded a 5 to him so it's more like we moved up then he just handed us a 4th.  

 

The Colts received a 4 and we traded a 6 to the Pats.