Trust Ballard

[Lucky Colts Fan]

This was supposed to be a "rebuilding" year, and look where we ended up. 

 

We are going to get better and make it to the promised land. 

 

The Colts are back and we have Ballard to thank. 

[Flash7]

I am pro Ballard. I love what he's done and I think he will continue to improve this team.

 

But at the same time, I can't help but think he didn't do enough through FA/trades to add top-level talent. I think the thought was that we would build slowly and methodically. He underestimated the Luck factor.

 

With Luck, this team will meet/exceed its potential as it did this year. It's okay to add a play maker to take this team up another level. I like the Ebron type signings, (young guys with potential) but maybe add an Amari Cooper or K. Mack who are guys that could've made as big of an impact.

[coltfaninnewyork]

I'm all in with Ballard we have to understand this was a rebuilding year ,the goal next year is get the one seed and get bye week .no way we starting 1-5.

15 minutes ago, Flash7 said:

I am pro Ballard. I love what he's done and I think he will continue to improve this team.

 

But at the same time, I can't help but think he didn't do enough through FA/trades to add top-level talent. I think the thought was that we would build slowly and methodically. He underestimated the Luck factor.

 

With Luck, this team will meet/exceed its potential as it did this year. It's okay to add a play maker to take this team up another level. I like the Ebron type signings, (young guys with potential) but maybe add an Amari Cooper or K. Mack who are guys that could've made as big of an impact.

Don't forget jack Doyle will be healthy,he's a stud 

[Dark Superman]

Anyone who doesn't trust in Chris Ballard is simply a troll.

[RollerColt]

22 minutes ago, coltfaninnewyork said:

Don't forget jack Doyle will be healthy,he's a stud 

Very true statement. It looked like they were wanting Ebron to have that type of role tonight, and it just wasn’t working.

[SLILLINGTON10]

Boy would I have been thrilled for a player like K.Mack to play next to D. Leonard, but that asking price was sure high. Along with the amount Mack is going to eat into that salary cap. The bears can do it right now because they have a QB on a rookie deal.

[ReMeDy]

4 hours ago, Flash7 said:

I like the Ebron type signings, (young guys with potential) but maybe add an Amari Cooper or K. Mack who are guys that could've made as big of an impact.

 

Agreed. We had a ton of money and didn't spend it. My guess is Ballard thought we weren't going to make the playoffs, then got surprised when we did, but by then it was too late to acquire and groom new weapons. Had we not started 1-5, it's possible we would have made bigger splashes in FA.

I think only two teams in NFL history made the playoffs starting 1-5, so I can't blame him for looking towards next season.

[NorthernBlue]

5 hours ago, Flash7 said:

I am pro Ballard. I love what he's done and I think he will continue to improve this team.

 

But at the same time, I can't help but think he didn't do enough through FA/trades to add top-level talent. I think the thought was that we would build slowly and methodically. He underestimated the Luck factor.

 

With Luck, this team will meet/exceed its potential as it did this year. It's okay to add a play maker to take this team up another level. I like the Ebron type signings, (young guys with potential) but maybe add an Amari Cooper or K. Mack who are guys that could've made as big of an impact.

Take in what Chicago gave up to get Mack (2 firsts), and what the Cowboys gave up to get Cooper (a first), and yet the Colts ended up doing better than Chicago, and equal to the Cowboys this season. All 3 of these teams I feel like are in that borderline 'good but not elite' tier of football teams. Yet the Colts are going to have an easier time reaching that 'elite' status compared to Dallas and Chicago because we still have our draft picks and FA money. Dallas and Chicago are pretty close to their ceiling. Indy's is still miles above. 

[Colts_Fan12]

It bums me out that the FA class is weak and we have the most money. We got quite a few positions that can use an upgrade yet only one real option to get the players from. Hopefully we can find some gems in the later rounds 

[Yoshinator]

I've been a Ballard guy since day 1. He was my candidate of choice from when we were interviewing people after Grigson was canned. He has done a fantastic job so far in both the draft and FA. He has put together a locker room that we can be proud of in only 2 years. Now comes the true test though. Lots of money in FA, a lower and harder draft pick in the 20s, and trying to take the next step throughout the playoffs and hopefully reach the SB.

 

Lets see if Ballard is up to the challenge! 

[Breeze]

5 hours ago, NorthernBlue said:

Take in what Chicago gave up to get Mack (2 firsts), and what the Cowboys gave up to get Cooper (a first), and yet the Colts ended up doing better than Chicago, and equal to the Cowboys this season. All 3 of these teams I feel like are in that borderline 'good but not elite' tier of football teams. Yet the Colts are going to have an easier time reaching that 'elite' status compared to Dallas and Chicago because we still have our draft picks and FA money. Dallas and Chicago are pretty close to their ceiling. Indy's is still miles above. 

Great perspective.  Big splash FA’s don’t guarantee a Super Bowl.  And they can potentially set you back.  I like our strategy.

[aaron11]

2 minutes ago, Breeze said:

Great perspective.  Big splash FA’s don’t guarantee a Super Bowl.  And they can potentially set you back.  I like our strategy.

 

we are in a position where a big FA move wont set us back.  we have a lot of cap space that we have to spend by 2020.  it wont roll over any more after next season 

[DougDew]

Some of us talk about positional value.  We have three 1st round draft picks along the O line and our offense scored 6 points.  You've got to spread talent throughout positions.  A RB that can break tackles in a playoff weather game and a WR who can reliably get open and catch are needed.

[MPStack]

7 hours ago, ReMeDy said:

 

Agreed. We had a ton of money and didn't spend it. My guess is Ballard thought we weren't going to make the playoffs, then got surprised when we did, but by then it was too late to acquire and groom new weapons. Had we not started 1-5, it's possible we would have made bigger splashes in FA.

 

 

 

That makes zero sense!

[Dingus McGirt]

11 hours ago, coltfaninnewyork said:

I'm all in with Ballard we have to understand this was a rebuilding year ,the goal next year is get the one seed and get bye week .no way we starting 1-5.

Don't forget jack Doyle will be healthy,he's a stud 

Don't be too sure.  Injuries have already taken a toll on him.

[Rally5]

7 hours ago, ReMeDy said:

 

Agreed. We had a ton of money and didn't spend it. My guess is Ballard thought we weren't going to make the playoffs, then got surprised when we did, but by then it was too late to acquire and groom new weapons. Had we not started 1-5, it's possible we would have made bigger splashes in FA.

I think only two teams in NFL history made the playoffs starting 1-5, so I can't blame him for looking towards next season.

What Ballard wanted was for the youngest team in the NFL (if you takeout Vinny) to get playing time.  He wants a young team with experience by year 2 and 3, that's why we parted with some good vets and didn't sign guys.  It's brilliant really because we don't go into next year with a bunch of 'what if's' we know the holes to fill and the young guys know exactly what to work on to improve their game.  It's advanced level GM'ing, color me impressed.  I truly enjoyed this season.  Next year, expectations will be high for this group!

[coltfaninnewyork]

12 minutes ago, Dingus McGirt said:

Don't be too sure.  Injuries have already taken a toll on him.

He's been banged up,but this one was a kidney injury not knees or back at least .They say he will br ok

[DougDew]

12 hours ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

This was supposed to be a "rebuilding" year, and look where we ended up. 

 

 

Now that the season is over and we only won one playoff game against a bad QB, I wish it stayed a rebuilding year.  It was fun in the short term, but like most parties, you pay for it afterwords.

 

Why should we trust him?  Our pancaking LG and first round FS did not help us much.  I know Hooker wasn't in the game, but KC beat us on plays that would have rendered a ball-hawking FS moot anyway.....as does the game plan of most playoff caliber offenses.

 

The skills of pancaking and ball-hawking are pointless in the modern NFL.

[Dingus McGirt]

I agree...well, about some things being pointless.

[coltsfeva]

1 hour ago, Breeze said:

Great perspective.  Big splash FA’s don’t guarantee a Super Bowl.  And they can potentially set you back.  I like our strategy.

 Couldn’t agree more. Everybody in Philadelphia is applauding Howie Rosmen for his decisions for the Eagles (and he did draft, Wentz, Gottlieb, Cox, Ertz and others) but missed on a few and paid for FA misses like Gnata, Tate and Ajaia.

  Develope and sign you own is a way to build continuity, depth and cohesiveness, without bringing talent at the expense of character issues into the locker room.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

48 minutes ago, DougDew said:

You've got to spread talent throughout positions.

 

23 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Why should we trust him?

 

The Colts did better this year than you expected.

 

I'm guessing the Colts will do better next year than you expect.

 

Just trust Ballard. 

[Legend of Luck]

53 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Some of us talk about positional value.  We have three 1st round draft picks along the O line and our offense scored 6 points.  You've got to spread talent throughout positions.  A RB that can break tackles in a playoff weather game and a WR who can reliably get open and catch are needed.

You're correct, but you can only fill so many holes in one offseason. Start with the most important, protect Luck. Then, (2019) add playmakers. But ALWAYS start with o-line.

[chad72]

5 minutes ago, Legend of Luck said:

You're correct, but you can only fill so many holes in one offseason. Start with the most important, protect Luck. Then, (2019) add playmakers. But ALWAYS start with o-line.

 

Yep. Given the uncertainties in the offseason about Luck, getting through this season with Luck unscathed was a positive. Ballard did set expectations that it would not happen overnight. But when Luck is healthy, the rebound can happen quicker than expected, we are finding out, and a big part of that is the OL. 

 

Now, we can focus on skill positions.

[DougDew]

12 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

 

The Colts did better this year than you expected.

 

I'm guessing the Colts will do better next year than you expect.

 

Just trust Ballard. 

You are assuming that it was Ballard's personnel decisions that created achievement and not just getting Luck back healthy,  liberating the roster from bad coaching, and changing schemes.

 

We paid a premium price to buy pancaking and ball hawking, and buying those unneeded commodities hinder the ability to buy the other stuff we need.  

 

I hope that stops happening, but I don't necessarily trust that it will.

[Legend of Luck]

2 minutes ago, DougDew said:

You are assuming that it was Ballard's personnel decisions that created achievement and not just getting Luck back healthy,  liberating the roster from bad coaching, and changing schemes.

 

We paid a premium price to buy pancaking and ball hawking, and buying those unneeded commodities hinder the ability to buy the other stuff we need.  

 

I hope that stops happening, but I don't necessarily trust that it will.

I cannot roll my eyes any harder than I am right now. Your perspective is so twisted and negative... you make absolutely no sense.

[NewEra]

45 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Now that the season is over and we only won one playoff game against a bad QB, I wish it stayed a rebuilding year.  It was fun in the short term, but like most parties, you pay for it afterwords.

 

Why should we trust him?  Our pancaking LG and first round FS did not help us much.  I know Hooker wasn't in the game, but KC beat us on plays that would have rendered a ball-hawking FS moot anyway.....as does the game plan of most playoff caliber offenses.

 

The skills of pancaking and ball-hawking are pointless in the modern NFL.

We only won one playoff game.....smh

[Lucky Colts Fan]

1 minute ago, DougDew said:

You are assuming that it was Ballard's personnel decisions that created achievement and not just getting Luck back healthy,  liberating the roster from bad coaching, and changing schemes.

 

We paid a premium price to buy pancaking and ball hawking, and buying those unneeded commodities hinder the ability to buy the other stuff we need.  

 

I hope that stops happening, but I don't necessarily trust that it will.

 

You know he doesn't just make personnel decisions, right?  He also decided to change coaches and schemes, which seems to be working out even better than his personnel decisions.

 

You seem to be assuming you could do a better job than Ballard.  I hope that stops happening, but I don't necessarily think that it will.

 

Just trust Ballard.

[Rally5]

8 minutes ago, DougDew said:

You are assuming that it was Ballard's personnel decisions that created achievement and not just getting Luck back healthy,  liberating the roster from bad coaching, and changing schemes.

 

We paid a premium price to buy pancaking and ball hawking, and buying those unneeded commodities hinder the ability to buy the other stuff we need.  

 

I hope that stops happening, but I don't necessarily trust that it will.

1

Is this one of those joke threads that I don't get right away only to find out 10 responses later you're just trolling?

[Cynjin]

8 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

You seem to be assuming you could do a better job than Ballard.  I hope that stops happening, but I don't necessarily think that it will.

 

 

Don't hold your breath on that hope.

 

I'm betting that he won't stop.

[LockeDown]

Scout: Chris, it’s a no on that kid from the Div II school.  Turns out he’s a ball hawk,.,sorry, I know you were high on him.  

[DougDew]

23 minutes ago, Rally5 said:

Is this one of those joke threads that I don't get right away only to find out 10 responses later you're just trolling?

No.  The OP said trust.

 

OP is instructing us to emotionally invest that our GM will build a complete roster during Luck's prime.  Based upon overvaluing skills that don't matter at the expense of finding players that do, to emotionally invest into the feeling that things will be alright feels more like a "gamble" to me rather than something I should "trust".

[Lucky Colts Fan]

1 minute ago, LockeDown said:

Scout: Chris, it’s a no on that kid from the Div II school.  Turns out he’s a ball hawk,.,sorry, I know you were high on him.  

 

Scout:  Chris, this kid is a generational talent.  He is a pancake machine.

 

Ballard:  Sorry, Doug said that's an unneeded commodity.  We can do better if we do it Dougs' way.  His track record is way better than mine.

 

#TrustDoug

[DougDew]

29 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

You know he doesn't just make personnel decisions, right?  He also decided to change coaches and schemes, which seems to be working out even better than his personnel decisions.

 

You seem to be assuming you could do a better job than Ballard.  I hope that stops happening, but I don't necessarily think that it will.

 

Just trust Ballard.

Instructional commands come from the perception of the writer that they know more than the reader.

 

Instructing us to trust Ballard is condescending.

 

No, I would not trust myself to be a good NFL GM, and have never asserted that I would be.

[CoachLite]

We have a few high talent, high performance players. I think we rely on them far too much which can lead to injuries (like TY Hilton). With drafting / acquiring more talent we can take some of the pressure off our star players. A high performance WR, a threatening pass rusher, and a few better supporting players - along with the kids getting more experience - we should be very competitive. I agree Ballard didn't figure we do this well, this early.

[DougDew]

3 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

Scout:  Chris, this kid is a generational talent.  He is a pancake machine.

 

Ballard:  Sorry, Doug said that's an unneeded commodity.  We can do better if we do it Dougs' way.  His track record is way better than mine.

 

#TrustDoug

nevermind

8 minutes ago, LockeDown said:

Scout: Chris, it’s a no on that kid from the Div II school.  Turns out he’s a ball hawk,.,sorry, I know you were high on him.  

How can you criticize me in your example.  Strawman.  I picked Leonard to us about 3 weeks before the draft when I figured we were in no position to get Roquan, and LVE was a popular first round name.

 

Your example given makes no sense, and in fact, is just the opposite of fact.

[DougDew]

4 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

Scout:  Chris, this kid is a generational talent.  He is a pancake machine.

 

Ballard:  Sorry, Doug said that's an unneeded commodity.  We can do better if we do it Dougs' way.  His track record is way better than mine.

 

#TrustDoug

I would never use the terms to trust me, because I'm not condescending.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

1 minute ago, DougDew said:

Instructional commands come from the perception of the writer that they know more than the reader.

 

I'm not commanding anyone to do anything.  I'm saying that Ballard knows more than the rest of us and he's earned our trust.

 

But if you want to hold a grudge against me over past disagreements and hijack my thread... proceed.

[2006Coltsbestever]

My expectations for next season is AFC Title Game or bust after another Draft and Free Agency. We should at least make it a step further. 

[DougDew]

3 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

I'm not commanding anyone to do anything.  I'm saying that Ballard knows more than the rest of us and he's earned our trust.

 

But if you want to hold a grudge against me over past disagreements and hijack my thread... proceed.

He knows way more than me.  He hasn't earned my trust simply because he knows more than me.

 

He earns my trust when he doesn't spend draft capital on skills that don't matter very much. 

 

You and every body else are free to trust him.  I'm merely expressing my opinion and stating why, not looking for anyone to agree or caring if anyone agrees.

 

As typical, the thread gets derailed when I'm involved because people respond with smart aleck comments, and I don't back down from them.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

1 minute ago, DougDew said:

He knows way more than me.  He hasn't earned my trust simply because he knows more than me.

 

He earns my trust when he doesn't spend draft capital on skills that don't matter very much. 

 

You and every body else are free to trust him.  I'm merely expressing my opinion and stating why, not looking for anyone to agree or caring if anyone agrees.

 

k