Interesting comment I read regarding Ballard and last year's draft.

[Yoshinator]

I was watching some old draft videos regarding the Colts 2018 draft on youtube, and I saw an interesting comment in the comments section. 

This is the video first. 

 

In the comments section there is a 3 comment conversation started by Captain Luck. It says:

 

Captain Luck9 months ago (edited)

Harold Landry was red flagged....bet. Josh Jackson was red flagged. Derius Guice was red flagged. Those are my guesses. Ballard went for the best player available with the best leadership and character. That's how the Cubs built it and Ballard is taking that same approach. If nothing else, he wants a locker room he can be proud of even if he's not drafting the guys other teams would based on talent. Exactly what the Pacers did too and look how well that worked out.

 

Jason Spears9 months ago

Justin Pelkey if that's the case, it makes much more sense.

 

Captain Luck9 months ago

Jason Spears I'm not sure but Ballard said that 45 prospects were automatically red flagged due to lack of scheme fit, lack of maturity/character, and injury history. I think that's why some of the picks lool like reaches. He was really strict about the type of player he was letting in the organization. I forget the Cubs GM name, but Ballard read his book last summer. The Cubs GM did the exact same thing. He looked at unique traits but more importantly brought in proven leaders. Ballard appears to be taking the same approach. We'll have to wait and see if it works.

 

I thought this was very interesting as I'm not sure if he purposely is following the Theo Epstein model or if that's out of coincidence. The most telling thing is that he red flagged 45 prospects due to lack of scheme fit, maturity/character, and injury history. I knew GM's did this to an extent, but Ballard is apparently very picky, to the extent that he just wants certain guys even if he isn't getting value. It's not just about BPA or need with him. It's about getting the exact guys he feels comfortable with at certain positions. I can only imagine how few guys that he's willing to take when it's our pick. 

 

I couldn't find an article saying this info was 100% true, but no one said he was wrong either, and it makes sense. Just thought some people here might think this was interesting regarding Ballard, and it might reveal some of his drafting secrets that we can build mocks off of to emulate him.

 

 

[ThorstenDenmark]

How many championships have the cubs and pacers won ?

 

I like the two drafts Ballard have made, but honestly, I want a couple of players on offense, that have some attitude.

 

Call them what you want, but I want Edelman, Gronk, Brady attitude players on offense. 

Yes they are all great players, but they have edge and attitude.

 

Luck don't seem to have that killer mentality like Brady, Ebron is to nice and TY is mommasboy.

Where is the fire that fuel the rest of the offense?

 

Ballard draft great players, but I want him to draft or trade og sign some bad boys with attitude in freeagency, like those I mentioned. Without them, we dont win anything

 

Remember... Nice guys always finish last

[Jackie Daytona]

8 minutes ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

How many championships have the cubs and pacers won ?

 

I like the two drafts Ballard have made, but honestly, I want a couple of players on offense, that have some attitude.

 

Call them what you want, but I want Edelman, Gronk, Brady attitude players on offense. 

Yes they are all great players, but they have edge and attitude.

 

Luck don't seem to have that killer mentality like Brady, Ebron is to nice and TY is mommasboy.

Where is the fire that fuel the rest of the offense?

 

Ballard draft great players, but I want him to draft or trade og sign some bad boys with attitude in freeagency, like those I mentioned. Without them, we dont win anything

 

Remember... Nice guys always finish last

Ebron is too nice?  If you're nice and finish with 13 TD's as a TE, who cares?  I get what you are saying, and I honestly wouldn't worry about it.... Every team Ballard has ever been on has had it's share of talented "red flag" guys.....  Tank and Briggs with Chi, and Peterson and Hill in KC, etc.....  He says he wants a solid lockerroom established before bringing in riskier high potential guys....  

 

People on here always point out that "Ballard does exactly what he says, why are you surprised he didn't sign X player"......  Thos posters often fail to realize, people are wondering at what point the roster is solid enough in the lockerroom to bring those guys in, PRECISELY because of what Ballard has always said....  CB pretty much has always said it's a when, not if scenario, on bringing in talented guys, who might be higher risks....  

[Smonroe]

TY is a mommas boy?   We need more mommas boys!

[21isSuperman]

31 minutes ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

How many championships have the cubs and pacers won ?

 

I like the two drafts Ballard have made, but honestly, I want a couple of players on offense, that have some attitude.

 

Call them what you want, but I want Edelman, Gronk, Brady attitude players on offense. 

Yes they are all great players, but they have edge and attitude.

 

Luck don't seem to have that killer mentality like Brady, Ebron is to nice and TY is mommasboy.

Where is the fire that fuel the rest of the offense?

 

Ballard draft great players, but I want him to draft or trade og sign some bad boys with attitude in freeagency, like those I mentioned. Without them, we dont win anything

 

Remember... Nice guys always finish last

That's a little ridiculous.

 

TY is a momma's boy, but has 950+ receiving yards in every season except 1.

Luck doesn't have a killer mentality, but was top 5 in passing yards and TDs this year.

Ebron is too nice, but was top 3 in TDs overall and was the #1 TE for TD receptions.

 

These guys are classy and don't need to yell to the world about how great they are, a la Richard Sherman.  They also don't need to play rough or dirty to have an edge over the opponent.  These guys have talent and skill, and that's what leads to wins.  Vontaze Burfict plays with an "edge", but all that has gotten him is a reputation as one of the league's dirtiest players.

[LockeDown]

Theo Epstein has won multiple championships using analytics so I’m sure Ballard would ageee with many things he does.  Also Ballard gave a shout out not long ago to his ex Navy Seal staff member who analyzes personalities etc...and I think it’s no coincidence that everyone says this is the best locker room they have ever seen.  

[BOTT]

33 minutes ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

How many championships have the cubs and pacers won ?

 

I like the two drafts Ballard have made, but honestly, I want a couple of players on offense, that have some attitude.

 

Call them what you want, but I want Edelman, Gronk, Brady attitude players on offense. 

Yes they are all great players, but they have edge and attitude.

 

Luck don't seem to have that killer mentality like Brady, Ebron is to nice and TY is mommasboy.

Where is the fire that fuel the rest of the offense?

 

Ballard draft great players, but I want him to draft or trade og sign some bad boys with attitude in freeagency, like those I mentioned. Without them, we dont win anything

 

Remember... Nice guys always finish last

I have been saying it for years......if Luck wants to take his game to the next level he needs to yell more.

[throwing BBZ]

47 minutes ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

How many championships have the cubs and pacers won ?

 

I like the two drafts Ballard have made, but honestly, I want a couple of players on offense, that have some attitude.

 

Call them what you want, but I want Edelman, Gronk, Brady attitude players on offense. 

Yes they are all great players, but they have edge and attitude.

 

Luck don't seem to have that killer mentality like Brady, Ebron is to nice and TY is mommasboy.

Where is the fire that fuel the rest of the offense?

 

Ballard draft great players, but I want him to draft or trade og sign some bad boys with attitude in freeagency, like those I mentioned. Without them, we dont win anything

 

Remember... Nice guys always finish last

 

  On Offense i would just start and finish with our O-Line. The softest guy is AC and he got pumped playing beside Nelson. But i get the toughness you want.
 Ballard spoke of it so hold on to your hat.
  Leonard will lead well on the D. And lacked some talent on D but they had some toughness against the run. I would bet $110M + that we gonna get tougher.  

[Defjamz26]

ToIf I had to make a prediction, I’d bet that in the coming years Ballard will have the highest hit rate on his draft picks among any other GM because of how thoroughly he vets them and had specific criteria. I know someone on this board pointed out that last year he drafted a lot of guys who were team captains. That type of stuff is important to him, but make no mistakes about it, he also has strict standards on the physical traits he thinks leads to success. He values length.

 

Both WRs he drafted last year were 6’2”. The edge rushers he’s drafted have all been at least 6’3”. The LBs are all at least 6’0” ft. Both corners he drafted were at least 6’0” ft, although Kenny Moore earner himself a starting role despite his size. His OL have all been massive.

 

All things considered, Ballard’s strict criteria seems to have a purpose. His last draft yielded two All-pro players, and Smith  who was a high level starter. It’s not like he’ll never miss on a pick, but I think he’ll get it right more times than not simply because he finds the best players for the Colts, and not just the best player. He takes risk out of the equation by flagging players who might not be available because of injury or character concern. He rules out guys who don’t have the physical skills to constantly win matchups. What you’re left with is high character guys who are top athletes and great teammates and leaders.

[BluHorzhu]

First our defense was "too soft."  Now our offense is "too soft?"  I quit!

[boo2202]

45 players that were red flagged last year? Wonder if deon Cain was one of them. If I remember correctly he had some sort of off field issues. 

[Dark Superman]

Just do the opposite of whatever that Grigson guy did.

[Cynjin]

2 hours ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

How many championships have the cubs and pacers won ?

 

I like the two drafts Ballard have made, but honestly, I want a couple of players on offense, that have some attitude.

 

Call them what you want, but I want Edelman, Gronk, Brady attitude players on offense. 

Yes they are all great players, but they have edge and attitude.

 

Luck don't seem to have that killer mentality like Brady, Ebron is to nice and TY is mommasboy.

Where is the fire that fuel the rest of the offense?

 

Ballard draft great players, but I want him to draft or trade og sign some bad boys with attitude in freeagency, like those I mentioned. Without them, we dont win anything

 

Remember... Nice guys always finish last

 

 

The bolded is all ignorant tripe.

[Four2itus]

2 hours ago, BOTT said:

I have been saying it for years......if Luck wants to take his game to the next level he needs to yell more.

You forgot "hating" on the other team. I think he needs to stare with angry intent at the other sideline. 

[shasta519]

1 hour ago, boo2202 said:

45 players that were red flagged last year? Wonder if deon Cain was one of them. If I remember correctly he had some sort of off field issues. 

 

I bet he was...hence why he was taken so late. I believe Ballard also said something about the 5th round being the cutoff for taking players like that. And if Cain wasn't flagged...then how does he get picked after Fountain?

 

Ballard obviously is willing to roll the dice. He just has a point at where he won't...which seems heavily tied to risk and value.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

3 hours ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

How many championships have the cubs and pacers won ?

 

I like the two drafts Ballard have made, but honestly, I want a couple of players on offense, that have some attitude.

 

Call them what you want, but I want Edelman, Gronk, Brady attitude players on offense. 

Yes they are all great players, but they have edge and attitude.

 

Luck don't seem to have that killer mentality like Brady, Ebron is to nice and TY is mommasboy.

Where is the fire that fuel the rest of the offense?

 

Ballard draft great players, but I want him to draft or trade og sign some bad boys with attitude in freeagency, like those I mentioned. Without them, we dont win anything

 

Remember... Nice guys always finish last

 

So you want cheaters and party animals?  I think you might be rooting for the wrong team.  Why don't we hire McDaniels while we're trying to copy NE... 

 

No thanks.  I'd rather win with guys like Luck and Reich than guys like Brady, McDaniels and Belichick.

 

Besides, we have Nelson on offense setting the attitude the right way. 

[CR91]

I fail to see how being a jerk is a pre-requisite to winning a championship

[shasta519]

Ballard's use of analytics is similar to that of the Cubs I guess.

 

But let's not forget...that the Cubs traded for Chapman (who had DV issues) and tendered a contract to Addison Russell, who is going to be suspended for the first part of the season for DV issues. The "Cubs Way" is questionable at best right now. 

[ThorstenDenmark]

20 minutes ago, CR91 said:

I fail to see how being a jerk is a pre-requisite to winning a championship

Im not sayin Luck, Ebron and Hilton and the rest of the team need to become jerks.

 

What i'm missing is to see Luck with a brady esk attitude on the sideline, and the same from Ebron.

they sometimes look to relaxed on the sideline, instead of having the same fire in their eys, as brady, gronk and eddelman someties shows when the pats are playing.

 

their attitude, just show much more winning is everything attitude than what i often see from the colts players.

 

brady slams his WR´s if they dont do their jobs... I havn't seen luck yell or fireup his offence on the sidelines. 

[CR91]

8 minutes ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

Im not sayin Luck, Ebron and Hilton and the rest of the team need to become jerks.

 

What i'm missing is to see Luck with a brady esk attitude on the sideline, and the same from Ebron.

they sometimes look to relaxed on the sideline, instead of having the same fire in their eys, as brady, gronk and eddelman someties shows when the pats are playing.

 

their attitude, just show much more winning is everything attitude than what i often see from the colts players.

 

brady slams his WR´s if they dont do their jobs... I havn't seen luck yell or fireup his offence on the sidelines. 

 

And what makes you think he doesnt in the locker room? Just because he doesnt do it pubicly, doesn't mean he doesn't hold players accountable

[WoolMagnet]

10 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I was watching some old draft videos regarding the Colts 2018 draft on youtube, and I saw an interesting comment in the comments section. 

This is the video first. 

 

In the comments section there is a 3 comment conversation started by Captain Luck. It says:

 

Captain Luck9 months ago (edited)

Harold Landry was red flagged....bet. Josh Jackson was red flagged. Derius Guice was red flagged. Those are my guesses. Ballard went for the best player available with the best leadership and character. That's how the Cubs built it and Ballard is taking that same approach. If nothing else, he wants a locker room he can be proud of even if he's not drafting the guys other teams would based on talent. Exactly what the Pacers did too and look how well that worked out.

 

Jason Spears9 months ago

Justin Pelkey if that's the case, it makes much more sense.

 

Captain Luck9 months ago

Jason Spears I'm not sure but Ballard said that 45 prospects were automatically red flagged due to lack of scheme fit, lack of maturity/character, and injury history. I think that's why some of the picks lool like reaches. He was really strict about the type of player he was letting in the organization. I forget the Cubs GM name, but Ballard read his book last summer. The Cubs GM did the exact same thing. He looked at unique traits but more importantly brought in proven leaders. Ballard appears to be taking the same approach. We'll have to wait and see if it works.

 

I thought this was very interesting as I'm not sure if he purposely is following the Theo Epstein model or if that's out of coincidence. The most telling thing is that he red flagged 45 prospects due to lack of scheme fit, maturity/character, and injury history. I knew GM's did this to an extent, but Ballard is apparently very picky, to the extent that he just wants certain guys even if he isn't getting value. It's not just about BPA or need with him. It's about getting the exact guys he feels comfortable with at certain positions. I can only imagine how few guys that he's willing to take when it's our pick. 

 

I couldn't find an article saying this info was 100% true, but no one said he was wrong either, and it makes sense. Just thought some people here might think this was interesting regarding Ballard, and it might reveal some of his drafting secrets that we can build mocks off of to emulate him.

 

 

Meh.....old news.

i used the same strategy when i "drafted" my kickball teams in grade school.

 

  All jok aside, i am very happy (obviously) with Ballard and the job he has done in ALL areas of the organization.  Sometimes teams go from "worst to first" in a year or two, but Ballard gas improved the roster, team character, and organizational credibility.  

  What does surprise me , is that more teams arent built this way.  I know some try, but still, there is a heck of alot of common sense in the approach.   I use nany of these things when i pick my foursome in golf tournaments.

  The fiasco Pittsburg is going thru is a hard lesson of just how important thes "red flags" are to building a team.

  Now that the dust has settled on this season i have been realizing just how far this organization has come in a short two years.  And just like in any personal or business endeavor, a major ingredient was a steadfast approach to a great plan.

[Boiler_Colt]

17 minutes ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

Im not sayin Luck, Ebron and Hilton and the rest of the team need to become jerks.

 

What i'm missing is to see Luck with a brady esk attitude on the sideline, and the same from Ebron.

they sometimes look to relaxed on the sideline, instead of having the same fire in their eys, as brady, gronk and eddelman someties shows when the pats are playing.

 

their attitude, just show much more winning is everything attitude than what i often see from the colts players.

 

brady slams his WR´s if they dont do their jobs... I havn't seen luck yell or fireup his offence on the sidelines. 

Want more of this?

 

We don't now what does or does not happen on the Colts sideline. We only see what the cameras allow. Plus I'm sure there are plenty of players around the league who yell on the sideline that aren't any good at all.

 

Brady is the greatest QB of all time and New England is the greatest dynasty of all time, but it's not because they yell at each other. There's a lot of factors there.

[Four2itus]

1 hour ago, Boiler_Colt said:

Brady is the greatest QB of all time and New England is the greatest dynasty of all time....

in my opinion, but it's not because they yell at each other. There's a lot of factors there.

Fixed it for you.

[BOTT]

1 hour ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

Im not sayin Luck, Ebron and Hilton and the rest of the team need to become jerks.

 

What i'm missing is to see Luck with a brady esk attitude on the sideline, and the same from Ebron.

they sometimes look to relaxed on the sideline, instead of having the same fire in their eys, as brady, gronk and eddelman someties shows when the pats are playing.

 

their attitude, just show much more winning is everything attitude than what i often see from the colts players.

 

brady slams his WR´s if they dont do their jobs... I havn't seen luck yell or fireup his offence on the sidelines. 

This guy agrees

[Four2itus]

 

He threw that bottle so hard it knocked him off balance. 

 

Wicked leadership

[Peterk2011]

23 hours ago, ThorstenDenmark said:

How many championships have the cubs and pacers won ?

I like the two drafts Ballard have made, but honestly, I want a couple of players on offense, that have some attitude.

Call them what you want, but I want Edelman, Gronk, Brady attitude players on offense. 

Yes they are all great players, but they have edge and attitude.

Luck don't seem to have that killer mentality like Brady, Ebron is to nice and TY is mommasboy.

Where is the fire that fuel the rest of the offense?

Ballard draft great players, but I want him to draft or trade og sign some bad boys with attitude in freeagency, like those I mentioned. Without them, we dont win anything

Remember... Nice guys always finish last

 

I don't get your point honestly. You sound like Ballard only drafted bunnies. Quenton Nelson is a bunny? He is probably the baddest bad...ss guard already in the NFL. His screaming video that went viral was fake, but his scream wasnt, and his overall killer attitude isnt. He not just pushes, pulls, but buries everyone he can. I've never seen this before from an OL, ever. Leonard is a bunny? His nickname is Maniac, and he earned every letter of that nickname last year. He is indeed a preador on the field.

 

These guys just happen to be nice, dependable people off field, but on field they have the same winning attitude / killer instincts as those you mentioned. Btw, I Gronk isn't a "bad boy" neither. He is rather a funny, immature teenager in a golem's body actually.

 

Actually, I am happy the Colts do not have "bad boys". In my book, "bad boys" tend to become drama queens, and cause trouble over time, hurting their teams more than helping eventually. OBJ, Brown, Sherman, Ramsey, etc. I wouldn't mind Ramsey being a Colts of cource, but not because he is a bad boy. I'd want him because his talent, DESPITE him being a bad boy.

 

[NewEra]

17 hours ago, Four2itus said:

 

He threw that bottle so hard it knocked him off balance. 

 

Wicked leadership

Dude wears Ugg's. Luck has a neck beard. Clear choice who my leader would be. 

[Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers]

17 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Dude wears Ugg's. Luck has a neck beard. Clear choice who my leader would be. 

You don’t choose the Ugg life, the Ugg life chooses you 

Bottom line is I love the trajectory of them team, the leaders that are there now will set the tone for any new player that comes to us via the draft or FA

[NewEra]

1 minute ago, Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers said:

You don’t choose the Ugg life, the Ugg life chooses you 

Bottom line is I love the trajectory of them team, the leaders that are there now will set the tone for any new player that comes to us via the draft or FA

Yes I agree on our leadership. I love what Ballard is building. I have wanted is to build from the lines out since the Manning days so watching our line maul defenses last year was amazing. 

[chad72]

If we’re going based on team captains with skills and athletic abilities, given the fact that we need LBs or safeties  that can keep up with TEs/RBs and play the split zones well; I have 2 guys I’ve in mind for No.26 there. Taylor Rapp (who just can’t be used as single high being biggest weakness), and Mack Wilson.

 

All the DTs that I expect to be there in Jones, Tillery, Willis - there will be something they’re going to be weak at and in this case it would be D vs the run. With teams like the Patriots constantly playing 3 safeties and playoff teams like the Chiefs and Rams looking at safeties too, I’m warming up to Taylor Rapp being our first round pick, he fits the profile of team captain, no red flags, very good TE coverage, good production in college and fits the current NFL defenses very well.

 

He likely won’t be there at our second picks.

[throwing BBZ]

10 minutes ago, chad72 said:

If we’re going based on team captains with skills and athletic abilities, given the fact that we need LBs or safeties  that can keep up with TEs/RBs and play the split zones well; I have 2 guys I’ve in mind for No.26 there. Taylor Rapp (who just can’t be used as single high being biggest weakness), and Mack Wilson.

 

All the DTs that I expect to be there in Jones, Tillery, Willis - there will be something they’re going to be weak at and in this case it would be D vs the run. With teams like the Patriots constantly playing 3 safeties and playoff teams like the Chiefs and Rams looking at safeties too, I’m warming up to Taylor Rapp being our first round pick, he fits the profile of team captain, no red flags, very good TE coverage, good production in college and fits the current NFL defenses very well.

 

He likely won’t be there at our second pick. 

 

 Keep looking at Rapp's Athleticism. And coverage skills. 
And watch more game footage of Wilson. He does pretty good on zone drops, the rest of his game does not look so inspiring. JMO
I strongly believe good coaching can fix things.
 lol

[Myles]

The Cubs had the 4th highest payroll in 2017 and 2018, in 2019 they are #2.

Not sure that lines up with Ballard very much. 

[Yoshinator]

4 hours ago, Myles said:

The Cubs had the 4th highest payroll in 2017 and 2018, in 2019 they are #2.

Not sure that lines up with Ballard very much. 

Once Ballard starts signing his own players to bigger contracts in a couple years, the money will be spent heavily. I do agree though, that we probably won't have a top 5 payroll soon.

[AwesomeAustin]

Oh the whole I want to see fire in his eyes argument. Like that wins ball games.  Here is a funny story:

 

I was once accused of threatening another manager at work.  I called for a meeting with other managers so it was handled immediately.  The GM asked if I said anything threatening...no. He said did I make any gestures that were threatening....no.  He finally asked was i even rude....no. His reasoning...he could see it in my eyes. He was quickly laughed out of the office.  I wonder if I can win football games with my care bear stare. 

[Myles]

10 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Once Ballard starts signing his own players to bigger contracts in a couple years, the money will be spent heavily. I do agree though, that we probably won't have a top 5 payroll soon.

I hope he opens the wallet a bit.    If he drafts well, I can see him not signing some of our own players when the time comes.   

This offseason should clear things up a bit.   I don't want him to waste money, but I do want to see him sign a couple top free agents.    His history at this point doesn't show a willingness to do that,  but it is early. 

[John Waylon]

On 2/16/2019 at 9:18 AM, ThorstenDenmark said:

How many championships have the cubs and pacers won ?

 

I like the two drafts Ballard have made, but honestly, I want a couple of players on offense, that have some attitude.

 

Call them what you want, but I want Edelman, Gronk, Brady attitude players on offense. 

Yes they are all great players, but they have edge and attitude.

 

Luck don't seem to have that killer mentality like Brady, Ebron is to nice and TY is mommasboy.

Where is the fire that fuel the rest of the offense?

 

Ballard draft great players, but I want him to draft or trade og sign some bad boys with attitude in freeagency, like those I mentioned. Without them, we dont win anything

 

Remember... Nice guys always finish last