Ballard Team Building With JB or Draft

[BleedBlue4Shoe86]

Interesting point that was made on the 1% Better podcast by Stephen Holder and Zak Keefer about Jacoby. They kinda looked at this year as an outlier. They did state that QB was a in need of an upgrade. But stated that it could FA, draft or JB showing improvement. I believe that Keefer stated that he still felt that JB could be an above average QB but needed to work very hard this offseason. 
 

The interesting part was what they said about the way Ballard wants to build the team. They both stated that he wanted a top 5 defense and that a model to look at was the Buffalo Bills. They have an amazing defense and Josh Allen is average. They compared his stats and in a lot of categories he was below JB. They both said if Ballard wants to win with amazing defense, you don’t have to have an elite QB who throws for 300 yards per game, don’t get them wrong it is easier. Lol. They really hammered home that Ballard wants a amazing bully of a defense. 
 

They both expected JB to spend a lot of time with Tom House and as much time as possible with Reich this offseason. 
 

again, they said Colts could draft QB but almost was unsure of drafting one early and leaned to BPA with the 13th. 

[Orioles22]

We really need a tackle with one of those top two picks to improve our defense. It would be a terrible use of our resources to reach for a quarterback and not improve our defense. I wouldn't mind finding a linebacker and cornerback in free agency.

[DougDew]

Putting thoughts on JB aside, I like the concept of not having the SB be placed upon the body/mind/and sore shoulder of one player.

 

Contrary to some comments, I think its harder to find that elite QB to carry the team than it is to build and coach a solid defense.    Once we have those pillars in place over several drafts, its not that hard to replace players as their staggered contracts or age roll off the roster than it is to find that one elite QB and keep him healthy and motivated.

 

BTW, isn't it common human nature to lose a degree of motivation after earning $100 mil?

[BleedBlue4Shoe86]

It is a question that I have been asking. We built our team around two generational QBs and it got us 2 Super Bowl appearance and 1 Title in around 20 years. 
 

Why not try it another way. Build a great defense and have a QB that is average to above average. Try not to be so dependent on just one player. Food for thought. 

[GoColts8818]

7 minutes ago, BleedBlue4Shoe86 said:

It is a question that I have been asking. We built our team around two generational QBs and it got us 2 Super Bowl appearance and 1 Title in around 20 years. 
 

Why not try it another way. Build a great defense and have a QB that is average to above average. Try not to be so dependent on just one player. Food for thought. 

Well lots of teams have tried it like the Colts and other ways and not achieved the same success as the Manning Colts.

 

i am not saying they shouldn’t try it another way but I wouldn’t under sell the Manning Colts accomplishments.

[aReggie7]

The draft will be very interesting this year. (or the offseason in general) It's a very important one for the Colts.

 

I'm not convinced the Colts make a major move at QB this offseason. Mostly because 1) I have doubts about the options in the draft 2) This team can make the playoffs with Jacoby 3) With the Colts pick they can get great talent at another position. 

 

Don't get me wrong...I want and think the Colts should upgrade the QB position. However, that doesn't mean the options available this offseason are upgrades. I think making the wrong move at QB would be far more harmful to this team than not making one this offseason.

 

Sometimes it's the things you decide NOT to do that end up being your best decisions. It makes far more sense to add talent in other areas IF you are not sold on these other QBs. 

 

Don't get me wrong though. Jacoby should not be looked at as the long-term answer at QB. They might say otherwise publicly but I don't think Ballard and Reich really believe so either. So if there is a QB, whether in this draft or next, that they have full confidence in they will take him.

 

 

[WoolMagnet]

  I too have that gut feeling JB will be better For many reasons that we have fully discussed.

  I do have confidence in management and coaching.  This year was somewhat of an anomaly i think.

 

 Some serious work has to be done in the offseason, but  I am actually excited to see what happens.  JB, draftee, FA, or other.

  Build a crazy, playmaking D, and sprinkle in some playmakers on O, and i like this team.  Provided we get a little more from the passing game.  Which I kinda expect Just from healthy receivers.

[Bravo]

Stephen Holder is a joke. His sports coverage is sub par just like Jacobys play on the field.

 

Zak Keefer has some good stories sometimes though.

 

I do believe the Colts will give JB another chance, however they will have his replacement right behind him.

 

HARD for JB not to be better than he was this year.

[#12.]

Ballard wants to win with a dominant defense?  He's had three years to build one and is not close.  He better seriously up his game, and if you continue on with this scheme, I'm not sure you will ever have one.  

 

Having an elite QB is the only way you can win consistently over many years in this league.  It's impossible to have a dominant defense year after year for 15 years.  It's not impossible, however, to draft and groom an elite QB and win consistently with that QB over many years.

 

 

 

 

[Thunderbolt]

How many chances does JB need, he's had full preseason of practice, two full regular season, and hasn't shown improvement.  He needs to go, and get a decent and above avg QB.  

[Happy2BeHere]

Isn’t dak Prescott a free agent? Presuming he doesn’t sign an extension.

 

i think he would be a great pickup IMO

[Two_pound]

I wouldn't be surprised if Ballards first 2 picks in this upcoming draft are both defensive linemen, then with the 2nd pick of the 2nd round we can take Etiene the rb from Clemson. This is presuming ofcourse Costanzo comes back. Mack, Etiene, Hines, and Wilkins. (but we would still need a qb better than Brissett).

[ojsglove]

3 minutes ago, Two_pound said:

I wouldn't be surprised if Ballards first 2 picks in this upcoming draft are both defensive linemen, then with the 2nd pick of the 2nd round we can take Etiene the rb from Clemson. This is presuming ofcourse Costanzo comes back. Mack, Etiene, Hines, and Wilkins. (but we would still need a qb better than Brissett).

Why in the world would we draft a RB?

[Two_pound]

I just think he is outstanding, and would add more depth. And, I know, until we get a better qb drafting any offensive skill players will seem like a silly idea.

[Orioles22]

We need a receiver more than we need a running back. We need a third and fourth receiver more than we need a running back.

[shasta519]

I didn't hear the podcast...but first 2017 was an outlier...and now 2019 is an outlier?

[The Peytonator]

Always with the either/or proposition for fans. It is possible to have a dominant defense and a highly paid/elite QB. 

[Two_pound]

Yes there is room for receivers also, but, just like rb, for depth. I'm expecting big things from Campbell and Dulin. It's hardly fair to criticize wr's when the qb is clueless and missing open guys constantly(ask TY).

[MPStack]

58 minutes ago, #12. said:

Ballard wants to win with a dominant defense?  He's had three years to build one and is not close.  He better seriously up his game, and if you continue on with this scheme, I'm not sure you will ever have one.  

 

I think after three seasons the defense should be better. 

 

Quote

Having an elite QB is the only way you can win consistently over many years in this league.  It's impossible to have a dominant defense year after year for 15 years.  It's not impossible, however, to draft and groom an elite QB and win consistently with that QB over many years.

Having and now not having an elite QB, kinda spells to me, that the Colts remain a “live and die” by the QB play. 
 

Ballard’s done some good things, but I really like the way  J. Lynch has transformed the 49ers over his three years. 
 

Should be and very interesting off-season, no doubt. Go Colts!

[boo2202]

This is year three with a lot of our draft capital and the few FA being brought in primarily on Defense. So how long is this great transformation going to take? And how many corners are we gonna draft, before a couple stick?  

[richard pallo]

If Holder and Keefer are right about Ballards desire to build a top 5 defense then I can see Ballard trading back again with our 1st pick.   Probably not too far but enough to get a 2nd and another pick and then taking a QB somewhere in the 2nd Rd.  

[Moosejawcolt]

38 minutes ago, MPStack said:

 

I think after three seasons the defense should be better. 

 

Having and now not having an elite QB, kinda spells to me, that the Colts remain a “live and die” by the QB play. 
 

Ballard’s done some good things, but I really like the way  J. Lynch has transformed the 49ers over his three years. 
 

Should be and very interesting off-season, no doubt. Go Colts!

Lynch had a string of years to pick really high in the draft.  Then boom, Garapolo lands in his land. Then he gets hurt for a year and this  once again allows the to pick high in the draft. Then they get back their franchise qb back this year.  He has done well but man he has had a lot of luck come his way.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Steven Holder also mentioned in a tweet that building the defense up and sticking with Jacoby would only be until they found the right Qb. I think Allen needs to get better before the Bills will do much damage.   I do think Jacoby will work hard in the off season. We will have to wait until the draft to see what happens.

[coltsva]

Are there drills Brissett can work on in the off season to transform him from the worst 4th quarter QB I’ve ever seen, to one who suddenly starts making clutch throws on a regular basis? 
 

If you find any of those drills, send them to him. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

25 minutes ago, richard pallo said:

If Holder and Keefer are right about Ballards desire to build a top 5 defense then I can see Ballard trading back again with our 1st pick.   Probably not too far but enough to get a 2nd and another pick and then taking a QB somewhere in the 2nd Rd.  

No way because 13 gives us a stud. Either in defense or offense.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

1 hour ago, The Peytonator said:

Always with the either/or proposition for fans. It is possible to have a dominant defense and a highly paid/elite QB. 

I believe Dallas has both. They just have a really bad coach. I believe they have the best offense and defense in the league. He might not be elite but that offense is first in the league.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

That podcast BTW was really good. Everyone should listen. They were really good at laying out all the options.

[NewColtsFan]

2 hours ago, Orioles22 said:

We really need a tackle with one of those top two picks to improve our defense. It would be a terrible use of our resources to reach for a quarterback and not improve our defense. I wouldn't mind finding a linebacker and cornerback in free agency.

A linebacker?

 

Leonard, Walker and Okereke plus perhaps some snaps for Benagu.

 

Where is this linebacker going to play? 

[Jackie Daytona]

40 minutes ago, boo2202 said:

This is year three with a lot of our draft capital and the few FA being brought in primarily on Defense. So how long is this great transformation going to take? And how many corners are we gonna draft, before a couple stick?  

Honestly, you should probably draft at least one corner every year.  It's not like he's wasted tons of draft capital on corners..... You play with three on the field most of the time, so you'll need at least six at any given moment.

[MPStack]

23 minutes ago, Moosejawcolt said:

Lynch had a string of years to pick really high in the draft.  Then boom, Garapolo lands in his land. Then he gets hurt for a year and this  once again allows the to pick high in the draft. Then they get back their franchise qb back this year.  He has done well but man he has had a lot of luck come his way.

You can dissect J. Lynch performance however you like. I think Lynch has faced some obstacles since being GM and made some mistakes in the process, but has done a pretty tremendous reshaping that team in a short time period through the draft, trade and acquiring FA. It’s JMO 

 

 

 

[Orioles22]

14 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

A linebacker?

 

Leonard, Walker and Okereke plus perhaps some snaps for Benagu.

 

Where is this linebacker going to play? 

I thought Bonago was at end. I'd like another elite linebacker to go with Leonard, even though I admit it's not a top priority.

[hoosierhawk]

1 hour ago, Two_pound said:

I just think he is outstanding, and would add more depth. And, I know, until we get a better qb drafting any offensive skill players will seem like a silly idea.

If he is that outstanding wouldn't he be gone by our 2nd pick in the 2nd round?

[WoolMagnet]

1 hour ago, Chloe6124 said:

Steven Holder also mentioned in a tweet that building the defense up and sticking with Jacoby would only be until they found the right Qb. 

People need to focus on this.

 

This is the obvious and best approach.  The odds of finding that “elite” QB even at #13 isnt as easy as some seem to think.  
Even with QB, you still have to stick to Your core draft values.  
 

The statement Holder made sums it up quite nicely i think.

Ballard will upgrade the position when the opportunity comes , or can be facilitated in a way that doesn't reach (too much) or put our team in a bad position.  Not that unlike all positions.
Common sense, no? 

[WoolMagnet]

1 hour ago, MPStack said:

You can dissect J. Lynch performance however you like. I think Lynch has faced some obstacles since being GM and made some mistakes in the process, but has done a pretty tremendous reshaping that team in a short time period through the draft, trade and acquiring FA. It’s JMO 

 

 

 

Sure, but i think Ballard had it worse.

  If out team was as healthy as SF, that is , we had Luck, our WRs, Mack & hilton all year, we may be where they are.

[MPStack]

1 minute ago, WoolMagnet said:

Sure, but i think Ballard had it worse.

  If out team was as healthy as SF, that is , we had Luck, our WRs, Mack & hilton all year, we may be where they are.

Fair enough, and my thoughts are more or less, Ballard can make the team a contender in a short period of time moving forward. Much like Lynch has done in San Fran. 
 

 

 

 

[NewColtsFan]

1 hour ago, Orioles22 said:

I thought Bonago was at end. I'd like another elite linebacker to go with Leonard, even though I admit it's not a top priority.

I think Benagu IS going to be mostly at DE.   But the drafted him with playing at least some snaps at LB, so I’m expecting them to try it again to see how comfortable he is there the second time around. 
 

I hope Ben plays mostly DE.   We likely won’t know until April, May and June. 

[BleedBlu8792]

3 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

I think Benagu IS going to be mostly at DE.   But the drafted him with playing at least some snaps at LB, so I’m expecting them to try it again to see how comfortable he is there the second time around. 
 

I hope Ben plays mostly DE.   We likely won’t know until April, May and June. 

 

He's not played anything but DE since April, so I think it's safe to say he's a DE..

[shasta519]

26 minutes ago, WoolMagnet said:

Sure, but i think Ballard had it worse.

  If out team was as healthy as SF, that is , we had Luck, our WRs, Mack & hilton all year, we may be where they are.

13-3 with HFA? SF is better in almost every area of the field.

 

I don’t know if I buy that Ballard had it worse. He didn’t get a crack at Bosa...but he chances to draft other SF impact players and he didn’t. Ballard has also had a ton of picks and cap space to work with. The Luck situation is bad luck...but Lynch also had to find a franchise QB.
 

Both are doing great jobs...but Lynch took advantage of a situation and got his franchise QB...as well as (IMO) the 2nd best HC in the NFL. I give him the leg up.

[shasta519]

1 hour ago, MPStack said:

You can dissect J. Lynch performance however you like. I think Lynch has faced some obstacles since being GM and made some mistakes in the process, but has done a pretty tremendous reshaping that team in a short time period through the draft, trade and acquiring FA. It’s JMO 

 

 

 

I like Reich...but Shanahan was the HC I wanted most. Lynch nailed that and the Jimmy G trade (this far). It’s time for Ballard to show us what he can do at the QB position.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

35 minutes ago, WoolMagnet said:

People need to focus on this.

 

This is the obvious and best approach.  The odds of finding that “elite” QB even at #13 isnt as easy as some seem to think.  
Even with QB, you still have to stick to Your core draft values.  
 

The statement Holder made sums it up quite nicely i think.

Ballard will upgrade the position when the opportunity comes , or can be facilitated in a way that doesn't reach (too much) or put our team in a bad position.  Not that unlike all positions.
Common sense, no? 

Bottom line if a QB they love is there that has to be the pick. Yes they won’t reach at 13.  Only if it’s the right QB.