Q&A with Ballard

[Bravo]

To me, This Q&A answer by Ballard makes me believe we are going to make a selection at #3 unless absolutely blown away by a trade in our favor. 

 

Ballard also makes it sound like they won't try and be extremely active in FA.

 

A good Q&A here.

 

http://m.colts.com/news/article-1/Chris-Ballard-On-Senior-Bowl-Draft-Preparation-Coaching-Search/bf492a25-84e7-4d9e-8630-acc4a14724f0

 

 

 

[NorthernBlue]

Good read. Nice to get some insight. Couple things I found interesting.

 

He says they want to build a team through the draft. Gonna be selective in FA. Even referenced they were pretty aggressive last year (in terms of volume of players brought it, they were). Based off how last year they were after Poe and even Jeffrey, I'd say they may go after 1 or 2 big fishes in a position of need, but won't hesitate to pull the plug if the dollars are too much.

 

Also talked about how they'll get the coaches involved with pre draft evaluations, which is good.

 

And regarding his comment on the third pick, it might just be him blowing smoke and trying to drive the value of the pick up.

[Four2itus]

Just letting the fray know it's gonna cost to taste #3....

[Andrew Luck fan club]

Hmm I want us to make Norwell the highest paid guard in the league, but I don’t know if Ballard will do that. 

[Happy2BeHere]

Well typically you don’t advertise your plans in this league so I don’t find any of it relevant or useful.

[The Peytonator]

I really don’t see how we aren’t active in free agency. The cap space isn’t gonna spend itself. Not saying to pass out stupid contracts, but going all in on Norwell, bringing in a LB or two, and bringing in another corner doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility to me. 

[Virtuoso80]

"With a new coaching staff we're going to have some schematic changes on both sides of the ball, and that's going to affect some of what we do going forward. "

 

3-4 to 4-3?

[Coltsfanforlife12]

43 minutes ago, Andrew Luck fan club said:

Hmm I want us to make Norwell the highest paid guard in the league, but I don’t know if Ballard will do that. 

I want Norwell too but I don’t think it’s smart to make him the highest paid guard in the league when he’s not the best guard in the league.  I agree with theabove poster that we aren’t going to be active.  We have to be.  I expect something similar to last year. A large exodus of players left over from the Grigson years and new stol gaps put in place until Ballard can build the homegrown funnel of players

[Bravo]

16 minutes ago, Virtuoso80 said:

"With a new coaching staff we're going to have some schematic changes on both sides of the ball, and that's going to affect some of what we do going forward. "

 

3-4 to 4-3?

 

If we are getting the DC Everyone says it's going to be a hybrid of that. So both at times.

[NewColtsFan]

First....    not sure what Ballard said that would make anyone conclude that we're not trading down, and instead just staying where we are and picking at three.    I don't think CB said anything that tipped his hand one way or another.

 

Second....   we have roughly $80-plus million dollars to spend.   So Ballard HAS to spend most of that.  Don't we have to be CLOSE to 89 percent most every year?   That alone forces his hand to a certain extent.   Even if Ballard want to save money for the 19 free agency he can still sign guys to one year deals.   He's not boxed in.

 

Ballard is very good at answering questions without saying and revealing very much.  Good for him.   Not so good for us fans.

 

He sounds confident he can put a much better team on the field in '18.   Please let it be true.

 

[superrep1967]

53 minutes ago, NorthernBlue said:

Good read. Nice to get some insight. Couple things I found interesting.

 

He says they want to build a team through the draft. Gonna be selective in FA. Even referenced they were pretty aggressive last year (in terms of volume of players brought it, they were). Based off how last year they were after Poe and even Jeffrey, I'd say they may go after 1 or 2 big fishes in a position of need, but won't hesitate to pull the plug if the dollars are too much.

 

Also talked about how they'll get the coaches involved with pre draft evaluations, which is good.

 

And regarding his comment on the third pick, it might just be him blowing smoke and trying to drive the value of the pick up.

I notice no questions about Luck. I'm sure he was told not to ask that. 

[NewColtsFan]

4 minutes ago, Coltsfanforlife12 said:

I want Norwell too but I don’t think it’s smart to make him the highest paid guard in the league when he’s not the best guard in the league.  I agree with theabove poster that we aren’t going to be active.  We have to be.  I expect something similar to last year. A large exodus of players left over from the Grigson years and new stol gaps put in place until Ballard can build the homegrown funnel of players

 

If Norwell isn't THE best guard in the league, he's close.   Making him the highest paid is not going to be controversial.   Unless Norwell has his eyes on a certain team and not being the highest paid then he's going to get paid.   Teams are going to throw huge gobs of money at him.   I hope we're competitive.

 

[indyprosports1]

I thought we had to spend the majority of the cap we have. have to spend it on someone

[Virtuoso80]

23 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

First....    not sure what Ballard said that would make anyone conclude that we're not trading down, and instead just staying where we are and picking at three.    I don't think CB said anything that tipped his hand one way or another.

 

Second....   we have roughly $80-plus million dollars to spend.   So Ballard HAS to spend most of that.  Don't we have to be CLOSE to 89 percent most every year?   That alone forces his hand to a certain extent.   Even if Ballard want to save money for the 19 free agency he can still sign guys to one year deals.   He's not boxed in.

 

Ballard is very good at answering questions without saying and revealing very much.  Good for him.   Not so good for us fans.

 

He sounds confident he can put a much better team on the field in '18.   Please let it be true.

 

 

17 minutes ago, indyprosports1 said:

I thought we had to spend the majority of the cap we have. have to spend it on someone

I think it's 89% over a 4 year period.

[LockeDown]

Ballard said it was going to be fun.  Wow! He is one confident dude.  I like it (Peyton Manning voice).

[richard pallo]

Nice article.  To me it looks like we might not be adding a large group of FA's but we are going to try and fill a couple of major holes and we might be more inclined to spend on a couple of higher priced FA's like Norwell for example.  We shall see.  Last year he was pretty open about willing to trade back.  This year he has taken a different stance and was not as open about moving back but mentioned we have a chance to get a great player at the top of the draft.  That doesn't necessarily have to be at 3.  Could also be in the top five or six.  His view of that pick coupled with Irsay's comment about a RB makes me think Barclay has to be a possibility if we stay at 3 or move back a little.  Going to be fun. 

[esmort]

20 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

First....    not sure what Ballard said that would make anyone conclude that we're not trading down, and instead just staying where we are and picking at three.    I don't think CB said anything that tipped his hand one way or another.

 

Second....   we have roughly $80-plus million dollars to spend.   So Ballard HAS to spend most of that.  Don't we have to be CLOSE to 89 percent most every year?   That alone forces his hand to a certain extent.   Even if Ballard want to save money for the 19 free agency he can still sign guys to one year deals.   He's not boxed in.

 

Ballard is very good at answering questions without saying and revealing very much.  Good for him.   Not so good for us fans.

 

He sounds confident he can put a much better team on the field in '18.   Please let it be true.

 

 

I agree I don't think he tipped off anything.  He said a lot without really saying anything.

 

I don't know how active he will be in FA, the way he worded it you could take it either way.  But as far as the 89% floor, as long as we are at 89% over the 2017-2020 time frame we don't HAVE to spend 89% in any one year.  Even if we did want to make sure we stayed in that 89% range I don't believe it would be hard to inflate the numbers (and eat a lot of the free cap space) while not being very active in FA ... Just heavily front load the contracts of the players we do sign and he could eat up the free cap space pretty fast.

 

That being said, I don't think he will do that with our cap space; I think he will spend on a couple big players, re-sign a few of our FAs, and than bring in a bunch of players to compete like he did last year and hope a several stick.

[Andrew Luck fan club]

45 minutes ago, Coltsfanforlife12 said:

I want Norwell too but I don’t think it’s smart to make him the highest paid guard in the league when he’s not the best guard in the league.  I agree with theabove poster that we aren’t going to be active.  We have to be.  I expect something similar to last year. A large exodus of players left over from the Grigson years and new stol gaps put in place until Ballard can build the homegrown funnel of players

He doesn’t have to be the best, he’s top 5 and we have 80 million lol. 

[southwest1]

It's time like this that I wish Gavin was still around. He  always an interesting read regarding our draft options & what he thought INDY should do. I have a feeling we're not moving from #3 unless we get a ridiculous offer from some other squad. 

 

In the meantime, I will just wait & see what Krunk, Dustin, Superman, or Lollygagger8 thinks....

[Douzer]

On Free Agents "you want to try to plug as many holes as you can going into the draft so you're not driven for a need" ---Chris Ballard

 

They'll be active again. 

 

[John Waylon]

Hm. I get that he wants to draft and pay his own, but we're still a couple years away from any of that coming due. It's gotta be spent on something eventually. 

 

We have enough honest holes across this roster that need filled that one or two drafts probably isn't going to fix it all. 

[LockeDown]

Ballard has his core beliefs...like the focus is team and not just Luck or we build the locker room with the draft and not FAs or if 2 guys in the draft are equal talent, he goes with the lineman. He states these things a lot and it doesn't mean he won't get FAs or trade back, he just wants to emphasize the goal.  The big picture.

[NewColtsFan]

1 hour ago, Virtuoso80 said:

 

I think it's 89% over a 4 year period.

 

Thanks...   I thought it was roughly that.  So you've got to be pretty close to that number must every year.    You don't want to be far off that number in any given year because then your hand could be forced into poor decisions in other years.

 

Appreciate the good 411.

 

[Mel Kiper's Hair]

I really believe this is the man that is going to lead the Colts back to greatness. He just exudes confidence but not cockiness. I'm very excited about the future of our franchise!

[DaColts85]

Personally, I think we will be a name attached to the Norwell sweepstakes like we were with Zeitler.  I also think it will just be us seeing what number he has in mind.  Ballard to me is someone who will go grab two guards like a Hurst and Fulton to fill holes for far less than just Norwell.  Help the line and fill key holes going into the draft.  He seems like a guy that looks for the best bargain versus just going for that high priced guy.  Just my point of view though.

[GusFring]

So he was a part of the team that wasted a pick on Cedric Benson? He's definitely taking a lineman

[lollygagger8]

Man whenever Ballard talks, I'm all ears.

 

He really has a way about him. 

[Defjamz26]

I’d expect 1-2 big splashes in FA. Norwell and maybe Johnson. Seems serious about building through the draft. I could see us maybe getting Hitchens because of who our DC is rumored to be.

 

I think unless he gets an offer that includes an extra 1st next year, he might not move down. He’s going to have guys like Fitzpatrick, Chubb, Barkley, etc... at his pick.

[throwing BBZ]

12 hours ago, The Peytonator said:

I really don’t see how we aren’t active in free agency. The cap space isn’t gonna spend itself. Not saying to pass out stupid contracts, but going all in on Norwell, bringing in a LB or two, and bringing in another corner doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility to me. 

 

 Ballard isn't thinking short term like so many here. Our cupboard is mostly bare as to having quality players.
A couple more drafts to see what they can build, then you pay up to add premium talent to fill our needs.

 Will he pay Norwell 2 years of Big Guaranteed $$$ for rebuilding seasons, when his value would be best in years 3,4,5 when we should be much closer to being contenders?
 Don't miss his point about free agents historically only working out for a couple years. I do believe Norwell could still be good in years 3,4, 5 but at what $$$, and how good?
 And there would be no disagreement on this board that building a VG o-line NOW seems imperative. lol
 I enjoy pondering how great it would be to add Norwell & Q Nelson. haha! They would just kill!

 And i have no doubt they will have a couple young FA LB they like and will bid aggressively for.
 And yes a CB makes sense. And a DT that can rush is a Huge need.
 We have loads of needs
 

[TaylorStillTruckedYou]

Seeing the way Ballard talks, i’m not sure we drop the cash Norwell or Demarcus Lawerence will be looking for.  Hopefully Irsay told Ballard that drafting our own is fine, but put our money into the Oline come FA.  I would be happy with that

[MTC]

Going to have to assume the Colts will spend heavy on offensive lineman. 

 

 

 

 

[BProland85]

1 hour ago, Defjamz26 said:

I’d expect 1-2 big splashes in FA. Norwell and maybe Johnson. Seems serious about building through the draft. I could see us maybe getting Hitchens because of who our DC is rumored to be.

 

I think unless he gets an offer that includes an extra 1st next year, he might not move down. He’s going to have guys like Fitzpatrick, Chubb, Barkley, etc... at his pick.

 

Agreed on Hitchens and I would also add RB Dion Lewis to that. As for the draft, if Ballard is offered the Jets 6th overall, 2nd, and 3rd round picks, I would hope he strongly considers that. If the Jets offer both of their 2nds in addition to the 6th overall, I would hope he takes it. A great player will still be available at 6 overall whether it's Chubb, Fitzpatrick, or Nelson. 

[stitches]

14 hours ago, Andrew Luck fan club said:

Hmm I want us to make Norwell the highest paid guard in the league, but I don’t know if Ballard will do that. 

He likes the trenches. He paid handsomely a player in Hankins last year he liked. IMO if he likes the player enough he will spend.  

[Andrew Luck fan club]

5 minutes ago, stitches said:

He likes the trenches. He paid handsomely a player in Hankins last year he liked. IMO if he likes the player enough he will spend.  

He has to be a great locker room guy. 

[stitches]

2 minutes ago, Andrew Luck fan club said:

He has to be a great locker room guy. 

I haven't heard anything negative about Norwell. Or have I missed something? 

[DougDew]

Don't all GMs say that they expect to select a player at their current spot and that they won't break the bank in free agancys?

[BProland85]

31 minutes ago, stitches said:

He likes the trenches. He paid handsomely a player in Hankins last year he liked. IMO if he likes the player enough he will spend.  

 

OG Zach Fulton from Kansas City is another player I could see Ballard going after in free agency. Possibly OT Cameron Fleming or Nate Solder from NE as well since they'll both have ties to McDaniels and will know his system. 

[Andrew Luck fan club]

32 minutes ago, stitches said:

I haven't heard anything negative about Norwell. Or have I missed something? 

No I’m just saying. If he’s going to be the highest paid guard he has to be great in the locker room. 

[stitches]

1 minute ago, Andrew Luck fan club said:

No I’m just saying. If he’s going to be the highest paid guard he has to be great in the locker room. 

Yeah. Well, he was undrafted FA who has turned himself into an All-pro and pro-bowler. At least on work ethic, he seems to be hitting the mark. 

[Superman]

20 minutes ago, stitches said:

Yeah. Well, he was undrafted FA who has turned himself into an All-pro and pro-bowler. At least on work ethic, he seems to be hitting the mark. 

 

He seems like the Chris Ballard prototype for a big FA signing.