Ballard explains free agency strategy.

[Coltsman1788]

4 hours ago, bsteves said:

Pouncey signed for 7.5 a yr. Ballard with another epic fail.

That’s not bad in my opinion. Ballard spent as much for Ebron. 

[Dark Superman]

Yeah well if Ballard doesn't get this offensive line right this off-season and Luck ends up re-injuring his shoulder, Chris Ballard will be out of Indianapolis and looking for a new job in 2019.

[Dark Superman]

Everyone behind Ballard's strategy now will be the same one complaining when the Colts go 6-10 and miss the playoffs because our QB got murdered on the field.

[crazycolt1]

17 minutes ago, DarkSuperman said:

Everyone behind Ballard's strategy now will be the same one complaining when the Colts go 6-10 and miss the playoffs because our QB got murdered on the field.

Couldn't be complaining more than you are now,

 

[crazycolt1]

I see most of the ones complaining about Ballard not doing this or doing that were some of the same ones who called for the coaches head last season. It was all in the bad schemes the coaches were calling. It was all the long developing plays called. It was all about no adjustments made. This team has talent but is not being used to it's abilities. Those were the excuses used when Luck and Brissett got beat up.

Fast forward today and now it's all about the lack of talent. This team is so void of talent it will be lucky to win 4 or 5 games. Luck will end up killed.

Now we have a whole new coaching staff to deal with and the team jam packed with no talent.

Ironic isn't it.

 

[John Waylon]

Ballard is still 3 years away from having to pay his first draft pick. 

 

So why not, you know, help our team out in that time?

 

Are we tanking? It’s really starting to look that way. This team is worse today than it was New Year’s Eve. Ballard is gonna have to have a legendary draft to change that. 

 

And guess what? It happens again next March. We’re going to have a ton of cap space and no picks from the Grigson years worth using significant amounts of that space on. 

 

So we’re filling out the roster as cheaply as possible while we “build through the draft” for the next who knows how many years. 

 

Ballard is going to have to set the bar where it comes to success rate of drafting players, and that’s gonna be a tough bill to pay in the current state of the differences between college and the NFL. It’s like trying to play a game of darts where only bullseyes and triples count. 

[John Waylon]

The really ironic thing in all of it is that Grigson himself proved you can do both. You can sign free agents, and still have cap space. 

 

Knock him all you want, it’s all warranted, but the fact is he took good care of the cap. He didn’t go out and sign players to ridiculous deals that put us in a bad cap position. (You can argue the Art Jones deal, but keep in mind that Pagano surely went to Grigson and begged for that signing. Pagano, having worked with Jones in Baltimore talked him up to Grigson and I’m sure he said Jones was a player that he had to have. It was a bad deal, but I’m guessing the lust for Jones from Pagano compounded that. And even still, the Art Jones deal did not screw us over cap-wise.)

[csmopar]

1 hour ago, DarkSuperman said:

Yeah well if Ballard doesn't get this offensive line right this off-season and Luck ends up re-injuring his shoulder, Chris Ballard will be out of Indianapolis and looking for a new job in 2019.

 

1 hour ago, DarkSuperman said:

Everyone behind Ballard's strategy now will be the same one complaining when the Colts go 6-10 and miss the playoffs because our QB got murdered on the field.

 

13 hours ago, bsteves said:

Pouncey signed for 7.5 a yr. Ballard with another epic fail.

 

 

NFL.com lists EVERY OL FA signing as the worst possible deals made, which I agree with...  Maybe Ballard knows something we as fans dont...  I want the OL fixed as well, but now that the emotions and dust have settled, I don't think any of the OL FAs would have fixed this line.

 

Practically every big-ticket offensive line signing: Supply and demand was a problem for teams in need of offensive linemen. The market forced the Giants to pay Nate Solder starting quarterback money despite Solder never having made a Pro Bowl. It forced the Browns to give Chris Hubbard, a super sub in Pittsburgh, quality starter money.

The Bucs made Ryan Jensen the highest-paid center in football despite him making all of 16 starts at center in his career, all in 2017. (The Ravens never viewed Jensen as more than a backup in his five seasons, elevating him to a starter only because of injuries.) Former Giants Weston Richburg and Justin Pugh were both paid like stars despite serious injury concerns.

Some of these moves will work out, but history says that most will not. Offensive lines are mysterious beasts, with coaching, cohesion and continuity often playing a bigger role than talent. Teams are essentially paying a premium in free agency for failing to draft and develop linemen, ponying up exorbitant prices for players that previous teams believed were expendable.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000922026/article/worst-freeagency-deals-case-keenum-jordy-nelson-overpriced

[John Waylon]

9 minutes ago, csmopar said:

 

 

 

 

NFL.com lists EVERY OL FA signing as the worst possible deals made, which I agree with...  Maybe Ballard knows something we as fans dont...  I want the OL fixed as well, but now that the emotions and dust have settled, I don't think any of the OL FAs would have fixed this line.

 

Practically every big-ticket offensive line signing: Supply and demand was a problem for teams in need of offensive linemen. The market forced the Giants to pay Nate Solder starting quarterback money despite Solder never having made a Pro Bowl. It forced the Browns to give Chris Hubbard, a super sub in Pittsburgh, quality starter money.

The Bucs made Ryan Jensen the highest-paid center in football despite him making all of 16 starts at center in his career, all in 2017. (The Ravens never viewed Jensen as more than a backup in his five seasons, elevating him to a starter only because of injuries.) Former Giants Weston Richburg and Justin Pugh were both paid like stars despite serious injury concerns.

Some of these moves will work out, but history says that most will not. Offensive lines are mysterious beasts, with coaching, cohesion and continuity often playing a bigger role than talent. Teams are essentially paying a premium in free agency for failing to draft and develop linemen, ponying up exorbitant prices for players that previous teams believed were expendable.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000922026/article/worst-freeagency-deals-case-keenum-jordy-nelson-overpriced

 

The problem is, as I’ve said for years, offensive linemen coming from college to the NFL aren’t coming prepared to play at this level and many never reach that point at all. 

 

The salary cap is its own little economy. It’s it’s own little living creature. Teams have grown tired of swings and misses from the college ranks, and it’s caused them to put a higher value on mediocre linemen already in the league because at least they know they can get some decent production from them as opposed to some college player who may come in and be the next Zach Banner. Teams have started to trade the prospect of finding the next pro-bowl offensive linemen in the draft for signing some guys who can adequately do the job, even if he probably won’t be the best to do it. 

[Defjamz26]

19 hours ago, Flash7 said:

I was in the camp for being active in Free Agency, simply because we have Luck, and with him we're always a contender. I am still of the opinion that you can build a team through A) Draft; B) Free Agency; C) Trade. Ballard may see things differently.

 

It doesn't matter what our opinions are. Ballard is gong to do what he sees right for the team. I'm going to sit back and watch and not worry any more. He'll either get it right or he won't. We'll have to sit back and watch. No point in getting into arguments with fellow Colts fans over something we have no control over.

The argument I keep hearing is that we’re always a contender with Luck. That’s false. With Luck and a good team around him, we’re always a contender. No top tier QB wins Superbowls without a good team around them. Just ask Drew Brees. Future HoF and he’s played in 1 Super Bowl.

[OffensivelyPC]

11 hours ago, ColtsBlitz said:

This is why the Jaguars are gonna collapse from their current throne in 3 years. It’s some time, but their FA frenzy will catch up with them. 

 

That being said, they will still have Smith, Ramsey, Fournette, and M Jack. Once that time rolls around, Ballard the Builder will have us in the playoffs if we aren’t in them in 2 years, or possibly this year if we manage a good draft and our oline actually protects Luck. 

It's hard to say what will or won't happen, but I'm sure they will have to get creative in managing their cap with all the contracts they've given out the past 2 years.

[ColtsBlitz]

45 minutes ago, OffensivelyPC said:

It's hard to say what will or won't happen, but I'm sure they will have to get creative in managing their cap with all the contracts they've given out the past 2 years.

No doubt. Our division won’t be looked at as the weakest anymore, that’s for sure. I’m excited to see good competition in the division. 

[Valpo2004]

21 hours ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

You are among the ____ ____ that want to go big and finish 8-8.
Irsay expects something much different. And Ballard is doing his best to do it the right way.
Not like a bunch of silly, Fake, arm chair GM's here would do. Let's Hope we draft 1st next year.

 

I'm not saying go all in on FA's.  But a few to fill a few spots would be good.  

[TheMarine]

Filling a few spots would indeed be great.

 

Overpaying for those spots, not so much.

[shasta519]

2 hours ago, csmopar said:

 

 

 

 

NFL.com lists EVERY OL FA signing as the worst possible deals made, which I agree with...  Maybe Ballard knows something we as fans dont...  I want the OL fixed as well, but now that the emotions and dust have settled, I don't think any of the OL FAs would have fixed this line.

 

Practically every big-ticket offensive line signing: Supply and demand was a problem for teams in need of offensive linemen. The market forced the Giants to pay Nate Solder starting quarterback money despite Solder never having made a Pro Bowl. It forced the Browns to give Chris Hubbard, a super sub in Pittsburgh, quality starter money.

The Bucs made Ryan Jensen the highest-paid center in football despite him making all of 16 starts at center in his career, all in 2017. (The Ravens never viewed Jensen as more than a backup in his five seasons, elevating him to a starter only because of injuries.) Former Giants Weston Richburg and Justin Pugh were both paid like stars despite serious injury concerns.

Some of these moves will work out, but history says that most will not. Offensive lines are mysterious beasts, with coaching, cohesion and continuity often playing a bigger role than talent. Teams are essentially paying a premium in free agency for failing to draft and develop linemen, ponying up exorbitant prices for players that previous teams believed were expendable.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000922026/article/worst-freeagency-deals-case-keenum-jordy-nelson-overpriced

 

This is why I still feel like Ballard missed the boat last offseason. Guys like Warford and Wagner were only getting $8M/year...and the OL was still as big of a need as it is now. But all he did was sign Brian Schwenke.

 

As for this offseason, I am not going to lament missing out on Norwell. But I do think it would have been prudent to at least sign Sitton or Pouncey, who both signed reasonable short-term deals. And I would have been fine taking a chance on Pugh since he only got $15M gtd. I am definitely disappointed they haven't acquired a single established OL player.

 

I have to wonder if Ballard will turn his attention to the trade market. 

[sracolts84]

Offensive lineman are getting overpaid because the college game makes it harder to truly evaluate how they transition to the NFL. Much like it has with QB's.

Almost all other positions, based on their primary roles, don't require a big adjustment going from college to the NFL.

That's why QB's and OL, even above average ones, get huge paydays if the hit free agency. They are known commodities and some teams prefer that then to taking a chance in the draft.

[smittywerb]

Anyone that thought our plan this free agency was to sign big names misled themselves.  

 

We have wholes pretty much everywhere.  Putting majority of our money into a couple players will not set us up in the future to makes moves.

 

sign key free agents, draft well.  We tried to sign big green agents but got outbidded.  It’s ok.  Trust the process.