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Thoughts on Ballard's vision


ColtStrong2013

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11 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

I just finished watching Ballard and Frank's press conference... how many of you complaining watched it? 

 

They make a lot of interesting points and comments on this draft. First and foremost, Ballard is 100% confident that this league is won up front, especially in December and January when it matters most. That is so important to me as a Colts fan as it has been neglected time and time again. He commented that he "dreamt of the day when he drafted o-line and dline." He feels that strongly, and I tend to agree. They both talked about the division and how important the trenches are against our division opponents... Jacksonville damn near won a superbowl last year because of consistent focus on the fronts. And they have retooled for this season by snagging Norwell. These first two rounds are HUGE for the Indianapolis Colts and the health of this franchise going forward for that reason alone. We are facing 2 formidable defensive fronts in Houston with a healthy JJ Watt and Co. & Jacksonville with Campbell and Co. 4 games next year could put Andrew Luck into retirement if we fielded an o-line like we did last year. Ballard simply said we picked plauers off the street last year because of no depth and he refuses to do it again. KUDOS to you my friend. 

 

They talked about Leonard and how quickly he would have been picked up had they not taken him. He was #5 linebacker on their board and 4 were off, so they felt good. He's fast and they preached the importance of speed for this defense and team overall. 

 

Most important they talked in depth about the defensive line and its importance to this defense. They play on running 7 to 9 guys consistently and what he considers in "rotational waves" which lead to them placing high importance on Turay and Lewis. Ballard thinks highly of them both, especially Turay who is "long, explosive and has great bend." He mentioned Von Miller carefully and laughed as the media told them Turay's comment about Miller. They will be key pieces in this defense from the start, make no mistake. 

 

In other points, Reich talked about the wide receiver depth which was questioned multiple times by the media. He said the mini camp showed that we have plenty of talented receivers that are explosive off the ball, catch well and are understanding the new offense. New England has won many superbowls with underrated receivers that fit that mold... plenty of opportunities to find talent there in rounds 4, 5 and 7. 

 

Ballard said last year he was frustrated with the fronts getting beat so badly. There was little depth in the draft which is why they spent money in FA on the defensive line especially and focused on skilled players in the draft. 

 

I'm confident this team improved drastically the past two nights. 

Watched it and it definitely cooled me down. I think Braden Smith was a much better pick than I did a few minutes ago with it being his last starting O-Lineman on the board. Leonard probably doesn't fall so it's solid there. Not sold on the DE's, but I understand his vision for the team with them and will give it a chance.

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1 minute ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

No one is griping about the offensive linemen we picked. Its the 2 situational DE'S we picked. How did that make the Colts better today?

This I agree with. He wanted to build through the D-Line, but when you have to reach, trade down or go to plan B and go BPA. That's where I disagree with him.

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Just now, Jared Cisneros said:

Watched it and it definitely cooled me down. I think Braden Smith was a much better pick than I did a few minutes ago with it being his last starting O-Lineman on the board. Leonard probably doesn't fall so it's solid there. Not sold on the DE's, but I understand his vision for the team with them and will give it a chance.

It works on defense. Find guys that mesh well together as pass rushers and work them in and out as units throughout the game. Philly's defensive line was wonderful with this last year. I think that is a big reason why Reich is buying in on this vision. Philly made the trenches work last year. You cannot have 5 guys on each side of the ball... you have to have 7 or 8 starting caliber players, because they more than likely will be at some point through the season. It's not a contact sport folks, it'a a collision sport.

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5 minutes ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

No one is griping about the offensive linemen we picked. Its the 2 situational DE'S we picked. How did that make the Colts better today?

GET WITH THE PICTURE DUDE. They are all situational defensive lineman in this defensive scheme. What do you not understand about this???

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6 minutes ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

No one is griping about the offensive linemen we picked. Its the 2 situational DE'S we picked. How did that make the Colts better today?

You didn't read the original post at all did you? You clearly didn't watch the press conference. You obviously don't follow the Colts and what they are planning on doing defensively this season. 

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Just now, ColtStrong2013 said:

It works on defense. Find guys that mesh well together as pass rushers and work them in and out as units throughout the game. Philly's defensive line was wonderful with this last year. I think that is a big reason why Reich is buying in on this vision. Philly made the trenches work last year. You cannot have 5 guys on each side of the ball... you have to have 7 or 8 starting caliber players, because they more than likely will be at some point through the season. It's not a contact sport folks, it'a a collision sport.

This type of draft actually reminds me more of a Seahawk type team than an Eagles team. I love it in one sense, build the depth and some of the players should become great players with sheer numbers, and some will become dependable backups. The only problem i had is i didn't think they were worth the value. We'll see though if they break out. Right now, we have no pass rush, and this is a much better alternative than getting one guy a draft.

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4 minutes ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

Last  time I checked you can only play 11 guys at once. You can't stack 11 defensive linemen.

You get 5 DEs for example, and rotate the heck out of them throughout the game, keeping them fresh and ready to sack the QB. You are also prepared for injuries in case of a worst case scenario. Trust me, I think we reached a bit, but Ballard is doing it right.

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1 minute ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

Last  time I checked you can only play 11 guys at once. You can't stack 11 defensive linemen.

Yeah and Philly won a championship rotating 7 to 9 defensive lineman this season... but you knew this

 

Dazzle us with your brilliance, dont babble us with your nonsense

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I know that he drafted 8 players last season and people seem to be pretty content with 6 of them.

 

Willing to wait and see how these players look on the field before I freak out about us not taking guys who were high on mock drafts.

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13 minutes ago, Buck Showalter said:

Well said @ColtStrong2013 I have to wonder if the detractors even listen to Ballard when he has described his philosophy, if they don't understand it, or if they just don't pay attention. It seems pretty clear through free agency & the draft that Ballard has a plan & is sticking to it...

ALL of the above. They don't listen. They don't understand it. They think they know best and can't hold a conversation with people that follow the Colts every day and every move. Some people actually watch the pressers and try to understand what the goal is. Some don't care and like to complain for a living. 

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3 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

ALL of the above. They don't listen. They don't understand it. They think they know best and can't hold a conversation with people that follow the Colts every day and every move. Some people actually watch the pressers and try to understand what the goal is. Some don't care and like to complain for a living. 

That presser put things into perspective. Didn't realize how close all their targets were to coming off the board, so Smith and Leonard were musts there. I think it should be a much better year this year. The team has a direction, and we have some players from this draft that fit that direction. I'll watch the pressers a bit more lol. Still have a day 3 as well!

2 minutes ago, needanoline63 said:

I think we would’ve taken will Hernandez had he been there, I wish! But I’m excited about Nelson and smith!

We would of for sure. He got sniped from us. Smith was the last O-Lineman starter on our board. Still happy though!

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1 minute ago, needanoline63 said:

I think we would’ve taken will Hernandez had he been there, I wish! But I’m excited about Nelson and smith!

No doubt. Ballard said Smith was just behind Hernandez and Corbett. They felt good about him. Why wouldn't they feel good pairing an All-American with the nastiest and best guard prospect to ever come out of college in Quenton Nelson. Our offensive line could very well go from god-awful to dominant in the next few seasons. This season should feel much more comfortable on offense. 

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This presser from Ballard was the most reminiscent of his opening presser, stressing the importance of building the trenches. The way he said you can’t win with bad line play, you can tell he never wants it to be a weakness again.

 

I get the feeling that some people fell in love with certain prospects and are upset that we passed on them. Or some think we reached on the DE’s, or that we could’ve traded back to get them, but the truth is we have no idea if that would’ve been possible. I do agree that Turay especially is a bit of a project, but I think from Ballard’s previous pressers it’s apparent that he trusts Phair/Mathis to develop him.

 

Also I think people are overlooking  Tyquan’s versaility. He seems a lot like Autry in that he can play inside/outside, especially with the kind of defense we’re going for.

 

Still, I have guys I wanted too, in particular a CB that we could’ve gotten instead of trading back, but yeah, that’s the draft.

 

 

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2 hours ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

No one is griping about the offensive linemen we picked. Its the 2 situational DE'S we picked. How did that make the Colts better today?

Not everything is about making the team better today. We aren't contending this year and picking guys that you believe can develop into very good players in a year or 2 is smart. Next year I could see us stacking up on skill positions and with the trenches fortified from this draft, we'll be ready to contend.

 

If you try to build to win today, you're already losing. This is what Grigson did and we all know how that went.

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3 hours ago, Buck Showalter said:

Lol... 

Have you listened to Ballard & Reich's presser??? It is the verbage they use & i don't think it's that hard to understand...

I understand your (well, theirs really)  premise but depth only makes sense if you at least have solid (meaning average or better) starters at key positions.  If you have gaping holes at key positions, and the likely starters are coming from your inexperienced role players, it seems like a legit concern to raise.  Perhaps last year's picks will step up, but I think it still remains to be seen.  Our corners are weak, our linebackers are non existent (though the one we did pick up I liked) and our receiving corp is scary inexperienced and completely unproven at any level beyond Hilton.  Those are enormous holes to fill with a 4, 5 and 7.  I am still unsure of RT at this point as well and neither of these DEs are (or at least shouldn't be) starters this year.   For that matter we still need another back to go with Mack.  You can't fix all of this with a single draft which is why I didn't understand spending on a single difference maker at our biggest positions of need so that we at least had one less hole unfilled.  I guess we're saving Irsay a few bucks this year.   Let's hope they don't chase some camp reject or aging vet in desperation like Bryant.  

 

So the sky isn't falling... that fell during Grigson's years. I am less trusting until people prove something.  Hopefully the results will live up to or surpass our GM's reputation league wide.  I am optimistic but to suggest we're now on easy street after 5 picks in the first two rounds seems a little too optimistic.  Meanwhile Luck's years are ticking by with half of them so far already wasted.  

 

On a positive note, thank god they are FINALLY serious about fixing the O-Line.  

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2 hours ago, JPFolks said:

I understand your (well, theirs really)  premise but depth only makes sense if you at least have solid (meaning average or better) starters at key positions.  If you have gaping holes at key positions, and the likely starters are coming from your inexperienced role players, it seems like a legit concern to raise.  Perhaps last year's picks will step up, but I think it still remains to be seen.  Our corners are weak, our linebackers are non existent (though the one we did pick up I liked) and our receiving corp is scary inexperienced and completely unproven at any level beyond Hilton.  Those are enormous holes to fill with a 4, 5 and 7.  I am still unsure of RT at this point as well and neither of these DEs are (or at least shouldn't be) starters this year.   For that matter we still need another back to go with Mack.  You can't fix all of this with a single draft which is why I didn't understand spending on a single difference maker at our biggest positions of need so that we at least had one less hole unfilled.  I guess we're saving Irsay a few bucks this year.   Let's hope they don't chase some camp reject or aging vet in desperation like Bryant.  

 

So the sky isn't falling... that fell during Grigson's years. I am less trusting until people prove something.  Hopefully the results will live up to or surpass our GM's reputation league wide.  I am optimistic but to suggest we're now on easy street after 5 picks in the first two rounds seems a little too optimistic.  Meanwhile Luck's years are ticking by with half of them so far already wasted.  

 

On a positive note, thank god they are FINALLY serious about fixing the O-Line.  

Again, to the point of this thread, it seems many of the raised issues were addressed during the draft presser, and Ballard addressed his philosophy on free agency team/locker building just after the free agency period. So, one can choose to agree or not, but Ballard has a plan that has been fairly well expressed & he is following the plan fairly strictly. 

 

I'm not sure anyone is suggesting the team is on easy street, but in part, following a similar model as Philly who rebounded rather quickly after the Chip Kelly experiment, if you get the lines solidified first, the rest can more easily fall into place...

 

& yes kudos to making moves to solidify the Oline...

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The Colts ranked 31st in sacks and 22nd in rushing. There is an obvious deficit along both sides of the line.  If we continue to grow and get these two area fixed we are 2 players per side away from being an elite team.  That can easily be done in another off season thru the draft and smart free agency. I think this is a 3yr rebuild/retool and we will see incredible progression in two years.  I love the vision and the method. This is how you build a team around an elite QB.  

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Check back in a couple of years.  Having 5 picks in the first 2 rounds is a rare thing,,,,this draft will likely determine if the Colts continue with mediocrity or go back to being in the playoffs every year. 

 

Come 2020 when people look back at this draft Ballard will either be judged a fool or a genius....you can’t really label him either today. 

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8 hours ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

No one is griping about the offensive linemen we picked. Its the 2 situational DE'S we picked. How did that make the Colts better today?

Is the question how does adding a young pass rush to the team help us or is the question how does adding talent and depth to the d line help us? 

Most people are simply upset that they don't know the players or the schools, which doesn't mean anything at all.  Or they only understand flash positions like wr or rb which again isn't a priority for this team at the moment.  Go do some research and learn about the players and watch Balland and Reich pressers and you'll gain some perspective I think,

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9 hours ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

I just finished watching Ballard and Frank's press conference... how many of you complaining watched it? 

 

They make a lot of interesting points and comments on this draft. First and foremost, Ballard is 100% confident that this league is won up front, especially in December and January when it matters most. That is so important to me as a Colts fan as it has been neglected time and time again. He commented that he "dreamt of the day when he drafted o-line and dline." He feels that strongly, and I tend to agree. They both talked about the division and how important the trenches are against our division opponents... Jacksonville damn near won a superbowl last year because of consistent focus on the fronts. And they have retooled for this season by snagging Norwell. These first two rounds are HUGE for the Indianapolis Colts and the health of this franchise going forward for that reason alone. We are facing 2 formidable defensive fronts in Houston with a healthy JJ Watt and Co. & Jacksonville with Campbell and Co. 4 games next year could put Andrew Luck into retirement if we fielded an o-line like we did last year. Ballard simply said we picked plauers off the street last year because of no depth and he refuses to do it again. KUDOS to you my friend. 

 

They talked about Leonard and how quickly he would have been picked up had they not taken him. He was #5 linebacker on their board and 4 were off, so they felt good. He's fast and they preached the importance of speed for this defense and team overall. 

 

Most important they talked in depth about the defensive line and its importance to this defense. They play on running 7 to 9 guys consistently and what he considers in "rotational waves" which lead to them placing high importance on Turay and Lewis. Ballard thinks highly of them both, especially Turay who is "long, explosive and has great bend." He mentioned Von Miller carefully and laughed as the media told them Turay's comment about Miller. They will be key pieces in this defense from the start, make no mistake. 

 

In other points, Reich talked about the wide receiver depth which was questioned multiple times by the media. He said the mini camp showed that we have plenty of talented receivers that are explosive off the ball, catch well and are understanding the new offense. New England has won many superbowls with underrated receivers that fit that mold... plenty of opportunities to find talent there in rounds 4, 5 and 7. 

 

Ballard said last year he was frustrated with the fronts getting beat so badly. There was little depth in the draft which is why they spent money in FA on the defensive line especially and focused on skilled players in the draft. 

 

I'm confident this team improved drastically the past two nights. 

Perfect!

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4 hours ago, JPFolks said:

I understand your (well, theirs really)  premise but depth only makes sense if you at least have solid (meaning average or better) starters at key positions.  If you have gaping holes at key positions, and the likely starters are coming from your inexperienced role players, it seems like a legit concern to raise.  Perhaps last year's picks will step up, but I think it still remains to be seen.  Our corners are weak, our linebackers are non existent (though the one we did pick up I liked) and our receiving corp is scary inexperienced and completely unproven at any level beyond Hilton.  Those are enormous holes to fill with a 4, 5 and 7.  I am still unsure of RT at this point as well and neither of these DEs are (or at least shouldn't be) starters this year.   For that matter we still need another back to go with Mack.  You can't fix all of this with a single draft which is why I didn't understand spending on a single difference maker at our biggest positions of need so that we at least had one less hole unfilled.  I guess we're saving Irsay a few bucks this year.   Let's hope they don't chase some camp reject or aging vet in desperation like Bryant.  

 

So the sky isn't falling... that fell during Grigson's years. I am less trusting until people prove something.  Hopefully the results will live up to or surpass our GM's reputation league wide.  I am optimistic but to suggest we're now on easy street after 5 picks in the first two rounds seems a little too optimistic.  Meanwhile Luck's years are ticking by with half of them so far already wasted.  

 

On a positive note, thank god they are FINALLY serious about fixing the O-Line.  

 In this new defense, it really doesn't matter who is starting on the defensive line. There is going to be a lot of rotation, and a lot of players getting equal snaps. "Situational Waves" meaning they are going to plug Basham and Turay in together at times and let them try and cause chaos. Simon and Sheard. Autry and Anderson. Ridgway and Lewis. There is a lot of quality players on this defensive line that are going to be rotated and fresh every single game. 

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9 hours ago, Southside Hoosier Fan said:

No one is griping about the offensive linemen we picked. Its the 2 situational DE'S we picked. How did that make the Colts better today?

Nevermind.  I see many have covered this already.  

 

Just mention that we signed Autry with this same rotational philosophy.  I think we're done adding pass rushers from the LOS.

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9 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

You get 5 DEs for example, and rotate the heck out of them throughout the game, keeping them fresh and ready to sack the QB. You are also prepared for injuries in case of a worst case scenario. Trust me, I think we reached a bit, but Ballard is doing it right.

 

Love the draft philosophy and I’m not trying to be a Ballard apologist with this comment.

 

”Reach” is a subjective term.  It means that WE didn’t have the same opinion or knowledge as the pros who make the selection, right?

 

It’s moot at this point, we may be right but at least right now we have to assume that the teams know more than us, Kiper, Mayock, DJ, etc...

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9 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

This I agree with. He wanted to build through the D-Line, but when you have to reach, trade down or go to plan B and go BPA. That's where I disagree with him.

no difference makers...other than Nelson.. just cheap depth..just like FA... someone has to start and there was much better talent that wasn't a reach.... VERY disappointing... another 4 yrs of Luck's career wasted...

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10 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

 

Love the draft philosophy and I’m not trying to be a Ballard apologist with this comment.

 

”Reach” is a subjective term.  It means that WE didn’t have the same opinion or knowledge as the pros who make the selection, right?

 

It’s moot at this point, we may be right but at least right now we have to assume that the teams know more than us, Kiper, Mayock, DJ, etc...

I completely agree with this. Not only is the concept entirely subjective and dependent on one’s own perspective and preconceived notions of where players should get drafted, it isn’t relevant once they hit the field. If CB got who he wanted and they perform well on the field, nobody will question or care where they were drafted... 

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12 minutes ago, Old Colt said:

no difference makers...other than Nelson.. just cheap depth..just like FA... someone has to start and there was much better talent that wasn't a reach.... VERY disappointing... another 4 yrs of Luck's career wasted...

Leonard is a starting linebacker in this defense.
Smith is a starting guard and makes an interior offensive line that Andrew Luck has never had the privilege of playing behind in the NFL. He is an All-American... which makes 3 on the interior. That's not wasting Luck's career, that is trying to salvage it.

 

Turay and Lewis might be cheap depth in your eyes, but you aren't taking into consideration that they will play every bit as much in this defense as the "Starters" you refer to. 

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39 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Nevermind.  I see many have covered this already.  

 

Just mention that we signed Autry with this same rotational philosophy.  I think we're done adding pass rushers from the LOS.

I would hope. I don't dislike the defensive line picks. I like the philosophy and think Turay and Lewis can be steals in this draft if developed properly... and Ballard is all about developing players. But I think our defensive line is solidified for now. We can find solid players at skilled positions from here out. We still have some good early picks in the 4th and 5th rounds. Lot of talent still left on the board.

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