Stampede Blue on Ballard's lack of spending

[richard pallo]

7 hours ago, K-148 said:

For all people wanted Ballard to trade for Mack, Bell, Cooper.

July 2018: Ballard traded 1st round of 2019 and 1st round of 2020 for Mack, get 2nd round 2020. Sign Mack 141 mil. for 6 years.

August 2018: Ballard traded 2nd round of 2019 and 2nd round of 2020 for Bell. Sign Bell 70 mil. for 4 years.

September 2018: Ballard traded 3rd round of 2019 for Cooper.

October 2018: Colts are 6-0.

November 2018: Andrew Luck injured his repaired shoulder and retired.

April 2019: Colts trying to find franchise QB with 4th round pick, their first of the 2019 NFL Draft.

 

But;  In 2019 Jacoby Brisett leads Colts to Super Bowl win and wins MVP. 

[K-148]

41 minutes ago, richard pallo said:

But;  In 2019 Jacoby Brisett leads Colts to Super Bowl win and wins MVP. 

Ah, so that was a plan...

[NDcolt]

On 10/17/2018 at 3:11 AM, Luck 4 president said:

Did you even watch all the games? We were in position to win in almost all of our losses. The only game we really didn’t come close to winning was the patriots game.

 

just off the top of my head I can remember 1 play from each game that swung the result. 

Bengals- 40 seconds left in the red zone jack Doyle fumbles it and it gets returned 83 yards for a TD. 

Eagles- 4th down at the end of the game needing a stop to secure the win, Jabaal Sheard gets called for defensive holding (something that is never called on D linemen)

texans- end of the 4th, Luck is on fire and Marcus Johnson drops a wide open 6 yard pass in his hands on 3rd down. We settle for a field goal and go into OT.

jets- the pick 6 that bounced of Marlon mack’s Hands. 

 

Thats 4 plays right there that have defined our season so far. We have played terribly, but to say we weren’t even close to winning those games is false. All those games (except pats and jets) were nail biters and came down to the last drive. 

 

Luck4Pres, Thank you so much I can’t  believe some of these posters call themselves Colts fans because clearly they ain’t watching Colts games!  As the ROSTER stands, we were 1 play away from winning the Bengals, Eagles, Texans game EASILY with no other playmakers ADDED which makes us 5-2!!!  I will argue 1 top OF playmaker we beat the Jets & ALL OF A SUDDEN, 6-1!  What freakin games are you fans watching or do you all reside in CO?  To say we add 3 studs & still be 1-5 or no difference in record is doing serious CRIME!  

[crazycolt1]

45 minutes ago, NDcolt said:

Luck4Pres, Thank you so much I can’t  believe some of these posters call themselves Colts fans because clearly they ain’t watching Colts games!  As the ROSTER stands, we were 1 play away from winning the Bengals, Eagles, Texans game EASILY with no other playmakers ADDED which makes us 5-2!!!  I will argue 1 top OF playmaker we beat the Jets & ALL OF A SUDDEN, 6-1!  What freakin games are you fans watching or do you all reside in CO?  To say we add 3 studs & still be 1-5 or no difference in record is doing serious CRIME!  

I resent you saying that some of us are not Colt fans.

The same thing can be said of you because you refuse to trust the system that Ballard has in place. Your wanting instant gratification means zero.

Just because Ballard isn't doing what you want now you want to whine about it?  You want some cheese?

[Steamboat_Shaun]

On 10/15/2018 at 8:21 PM, Flash7 said:

Ebron is a Free Agent signing. He’s been a valuable addition. No reason to think that other young FAs couldn’t come in, adapt, grow with the team and help this team win now.

 

There were several people on this forum who hated the Ebron signing, & he’s completely outperformed every single big name free agent that Colts fans wanted Ballard to sign. I tip my cap to Ballard & Reich for the Ebron signing, & am so glad they didn’t waste a bunch of money on overpriced, big name players that aren’t playing well.

[NDcolt]

36 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

I resent you saying that some of us are not Colt fans.

The same thing can be said of you because you refuse to trust the system that Ballard has in place. Your wanting instant gratification means zero.

Just because Ballard isn't doing what you want now you want to whine about it?  You want some cheese?

Your post is a little off as I said nothing about trusting the system but simply implying that we could be 5-2 with current roster.  Many posters think that we would still be 2-5 even if adding 2-3 playmakers which simply is not true!  I will say that we could be 5-2 or 6-1 if AC, MM, JD didn’t miss significant time & will

drink this teams Kool-Aid & say we could be undefeated if those 3 plus TY play gainst the Pats!  So how is this thinking not on board with CB?  I think this current roster minus injury COULD be 7-0!  Back to topic, IF we added 3 STUDS to current roster, plus healthy AC, MM, JD & TY, YOU gonna argue with me we still be 2-5?  

[southwest1]

On 10/16/2018 at 4:22 PM, hoosierhawk said:

How about trading Brissett for Cooper if Carr is in Gruden's doghouse.

Okay, I will admit that I have been absent from the Forum for awhile & I certainly don't want to restrict anyone's freedom to express themselves without fear of backlash or ridicule. However, why would we give up Jacoby for Cooper? Are you serious? When Dallas picked him up, I roared with laughter. Cooper is decent, but he's no game changer & far from clutch when you really need to move the chains. JMO. Besides, Brissett is an excellent backup. Why give that up?

[Steamboat_Shaun]

On 10/15/2018 at 8:06 PM, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

https://www.stampedeblue.com/2018/10/15/17977776/colts-news-are-the-colts-paying-the-price-for-chris-ballards-approach-to-free-agency

 

The amount of (presumably) grown men crying in the comments of that article is just embarrassing.

[crazycolt1]

1 hour ago, NDcolt said:

Your post is a little off as I said nothing about trusting the system but simply implying that we could be 5-2 with current roster.  Many posters think that we would still be 2-5 even if adding 2-3 playmakers which simply is not true!  I will say that we could be 5-2 or 6-1 if AC, MM, JD didn’t miss significant time & will

drink this teams Kool-Aid & say we could be undefeated if those 3 plus TY play gainst the Pats!  So how is this thinking not on board with CB?  I think this current roster minus injury COULD be 7-0!  Back to topic, IF we added 3 STUDS to current roster, plus healthy AC, MM, JD & TY, YOU gonna argue with me we still be 2-5?  

I am not arguing with you period.

You calling some us non fans was insulting enough and now all you have is ranting?  Nah, take it to someone else.

[crazycolt1]

1 hour ago, southwest1 said:

Okay, I will admit that I have been absent from the Forum for awhile & I certainly don't want to restrict anyone's freedom to express themselves without fear of backlash or ridicule. However, why would we give up Jacoby for Cooper? Are you serious? When Dallas picked him up, I roared with laughter. Cooper is decent, but he's no game changer & far from clutch when you really need to move the chains. JMO. Besides, Brissett is an excellent backup. Why give that up?

When I seen that Dallas gave up a first round pick for Cooper I just shook my head.

As always, Jerry Jones needs to hire a legitimate GM. 

Cooper may come in and be decent but a first round pick? 

[Yoshinator]

22 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

When I seen that Dallas gave up a first round pick for Cooper I just shook my head.

As always, Jerry Jones needs to hire a legitimate GM. 

Cooper may come in and be decent but a first round pick? 

Since we had the Jets 2nd rounder, I was hoping we'd give a 3rd for Cooper, but a 1st rounder is way too much. Cowboys gave Gruden exactly what he was praying he would get. IMO, they may of outbid themselves. However, Cooper is still only 24 years old, and he has a lot of potential. My problem with him on the Cowboys, is that he goes from a below average QB in Carr, to another below average QB in Prescott. I don't think it improves Cooper's situation at all, and I'm not sure the Cowboys are any closer to contending with Cooper, and now they don't have a 1st round pick in a historically good D-Line draft next year. Glad we didn't try and match their offer.

[crazycolt1]

1 hour ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Since we had the Jets 2nd rounder, I was hoping we'd give a 3rd for Cooper, but a 1st rounder is way too much. Cowboys gave Gruden exactly what he was praying he would get. IMO, they may of outbid themselves. However, Cooper is still only 24 years old, and he has a lot of potential. My problem with him on the Cowboys, is that he goes from a below average QB in Carr, to another below average QB in Prescott. I don't think it improves Cooper's situation at all, and I'm not sure the Cowboys are any closer to contending with Cooper, and now they don't have a 1st round pick in a historically good D-Line draft next year. Glad we didn't try and match their offer.

Yeah I wouldn't have had a problem with a 3rd round pick but IMO Cooper hadn't done anything that would have deserved anything higher.  We have no way of knowing if Ballard even had his hand in the mix.

[NDcolt]

On 10/26/2018 at 3:03 AM, crazycolt1 said:

I am not arguing with you period.

You calling some us non fans was insulting enough and now all you have is ranting?  Nah, take it to someone else.

My fault Crazy, I apologize for my actions & words towards the Fanbase I love dearly!  My frustration belongs with the FO, as is I visioned this team had the talent to compete AS IS & wished the FO had been more aggressive adding talent! Funny thing about that statement is we didn’t need to add talent, just be healthy at the start & Bam 5-3!  Regardless the outcome, this team is HOT and it’s up to LOS to give this team the EDGE it needs gainst a Cocky Divisional Foe!  Time to represent LOS, let’s join hands & take back the Division!!!

[NDcolt]

On 10/26/2018 at 3:40 AM, Jared Cisneros said:

Since we had the Jets 2nd rounder, I was hoping we'd give a 3rd for Cooper, but a 1st rounder is way too much. Cowboys gave Gruden exactly what he was praying he would get. IMO, they may of outbid themselves. However, Cooper is still only 24 years old, and he has a lot of potential. My problem with him on the Cowboys, is that he goes from a below average QB in Carr, to another below average QB in Prescott. I don't think it improves Cooper's situation at all, and I'm not sure the Cowboys are any closer to contending with Cooper, and now they don't have a 1st round pick in a historically good D-Line draft next year. Glad we didn't try and match their offer.

How did that 1st rd trade work out for Dallas?  Not saying Cooper isn’t worth it but not with Dak throwing the Rock!  Big D in a FREEFALL & with no 1st rd pick, just maybe John Gruden isn’t dumb after all?

[Yoshinator]

2 minutes ago, NDcolt said:

How did that 1st rd trade work out for Dallas?  Not saying Cooper isn’t worth it but not with Dak throwing the Rock!  Big D in a FREEFALL & with no 1st rd pick, just maybe John Gruden isn’t dumb after all?

What we know right now is Gruden traded Mack and Cooper for three 1sts and downgrades in other rounds. We'll figure out how smart he is based on if he can replace Mack and Cooper's production in the draft with the picks he received from them. They don't have to be the same position obviously, but the question is, will the team be better than with Mack and Cooper after he uses those 1st round draft picks?

 

As far as Cooper goes, he's a good WR, but Dallas struggled with or without him. May be a slight improvement, but that's it. LOL.

[NannyMcafee]

It’s actually an ESPN article

http://www.espn.com/blog/indianapolis-colts/post/_/id/23652/colts-paying-price-for-gms-stubbornness-during-free-agency

 

stampede just decided to share. 

[DougDew]

You can't "target" a FA class, per se.  Just because a player's contract is coming up in 2019 or 2020 doesn't mean he'll be available.  Nor does it mean he'll be healthy, or a great player at his position emerges in college at the same time.  If Ballard is holding back money to "target" a future FA class, it presents a lot of risks.

 

Ballard has said he wants to have money to resign our own (I'm assuming the next two years).  But like many, I don't see that many of our players worthy of signing contracts that impact the cap that much. 

 

So to me, saying that Ballard is saving space for future use doesn't seem to add up.

[Hoose]

It will be interesting to see whether the team will be able to spend its $ if Ballard refuses to sign top  caliber FAs. I think he has to within the next 2 seasons. I suspect he will be looking at a top notch SS to pair with Hooker--someone the Colts don't have to develop; a solid #2 WR; and a solid #1 or #2 type CB. But that shouldn't break the bank, and my understanding is that he will have to spend a very high percentage of that cap at some point or the team pays a penalty. Anyone know when the cap space has to be spent and what year the hammer falls? 

[aaron11]

2 minutes ago, Hoose said:

It will be interesting to see whether the team will be able to spend its $ if Ballard refuses to sign top  caliber FAs. I think he has to within the next 2 seasons. I suspect he will be looking at a top notch SS to pair with Hooker--someone the Colts don't have to develop; a solid #2 WR; and a solid #1 or #2 type CB. But that shouldn't break the bank, and my understanding is that he will have to spend a very high percentage of that cap at some point or the team pays a penalty. Anyone know when the cap space has to be spent and what year the hammer falls? 

the penalty isnt really that harsh

 

theres are pretty clear explanation here about 3/4ths down under appendix 

 

https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2018/3/9/17099712/cleveland-browns-salary-cap-understanding-the-89-cash-spending-requirement

[throwing BBZ]

11 minutes ago, Hoose said:

It will be interesting to see whether the team will be able to spend its $ if Ballard refuses to sign top  caliber FAs. I think he has to within the next 2 seasons. I suspect he will be looking at a top notch SS to pair with Hooker--someone the Colts don't have to develop; a solid #2 WR; and a solid #1 or #2 type CB. But that shouldn't break the bank, and my understanding is that he will have to spend a very high percentage of that cap at some point or the team pays a penalty. Anyone know when the cap space has to be spent and what year the hammer falls? 

 

 No problem spending the minimum required. We have until sometime post the 2020 draft i believe.
We have a number of our own he will want to resign/extend the next 2 seasons.

And yes probably a couple solid adds that are somewhat pricey over the next 2 off seasons.

 He should and will IMO save as much back as possible each season waiting to resign our best players starting in 21. 

[aaron11]

the penalty for not spending 89% almost looks like a non factor to me now

 

if you dont like any available free agents, you just give the difference to your current players.  sounds like something ballard would do if it came down to it

[Nesjan3]

Arm chair GM's including whoever put this garbage "article" together will use hindsight and say we should have done this or that. Many have stated that a few plays or players could mean a 5-1 record. 

 

Going in to the season we had one of the worst rosters and a HUGE question mark at quarterback, its not rocket science that its obvious Ballard was not preparing to make a run this year and i don't think anybody expected him too. Ballard knows what he is doing so lets not pretend that this was a huge mistake.

[gspdx]

The difference in many games in a handful of plays.  This team is competing and learning.  They will learn how to win, especially with a guy like Luck at that helm.  

 

A few additional FAs might not have changed that.  There is no guarantee they would make any difference. And they do keep our new young guys off the field.

 

I think the approach is working and it the right way to go.