Reich zoom call Rivers moving to Indy soon and will be throwing with WR

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Rivers will be moving to Indy soon and will be able to soul out with his team mates. Turay is now back in the facility today rehabbing since facilities could open today.  He also has some very glowing remarks on Ryan Kelly. Hopefully that extension is coming soon. Give me s minute and I will post more.

 

 

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

 

[Myles]

2 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:

 

Ekeler-like I hope.

[crazycolt1]

13 minutes ago, Myles said:

Ekeler-like I hope.

Personally I think we are going to have a dominate running game and that includes the use of Hines out of the backfield. 

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Speaking of players working out together. Chad Kelly is out there throwing with Fountain today. 

 

[csmopar]

22 minutes ago, Chloe6124 said:

Speaking of players working out together. Chad Kelly is out there throwing with Fountain today. 

 

You’re gonna start a riot now

[richard pallo]

45 minutes ago, Chloe6124 said:

Speaking of players working out together. Chad Kelly is out there throwing with Fountain today. 

 

Bring it on he says.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Frank said players will start coming back to Indy soon so hopefully rivers gets up here to train with the WR. I have noticed a lot of the players are still in Indy.

[Myles]

42 minutes ago, Chloe6124 said:

Speaking of players working out together. Chad Kelly is out there throwing with Fountain today. 

 

That is a positive thing.   After drafting Eason, Kelly will not be on the team soon.   Hopefully he can be kept on the PS.  

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

6 minutes ago, Myles said:

That is a positive thing.   After drafting Eason, Kelly will not be on the team soon.   Hopefully he can be kept on the PS.  

I don’t mind keeping him on the PS. He could be a future backup. If Jacoby does leave next year that would leave Kelly as the  3rd string and then in 2022 him and Eason can battle it out for the starting job. If Kelly ends up the future backup that’s ok. 

[csmopar]

You’re assuming he makes it on the PS. He could be swept up by another team. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

17 minutes ago, csmopar said:

You’re assuming he makes it on the PS. He could be swept up by another team. 

Not so sure about that. But in a way your right because Eason would be the scout QB so there really is no need to keep a guy on that PS If we keep 3 on the 53 man roster.

[Myles]

1 hour ago, Chloe6124 said:

I don’t mind keeping him on the PS. He could be a future backup. If Jacoby does leave next year that would leave Kelly as the  3rd string and then in 2022 him and Eason can battle it out for the starting job. If Kelly ends up the future backup that’s ok. 

I agree.   I'd hate to lose him.  He is still young and is gaining experience in the system.  Hopefully JB is gone after this year and Eason backs up Rivers in 2021 with Kelly continuing to compete with Eason for the back up role.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

1 minute ago, Myles said:

I agree.   I'd hate to lose him.  He is still young and is gaining experience in the system.  Hopefully JB is gone after this year and Eason backs up Rivers in 2021 with Kelly continuing to compete with Eason for the back up role.

If it is true the amount of money they paid him on the PS they do see something in Kelly.  Jacoby is going to be so interesting next season. If we bring Rivers back it’s not in our best interest to pay Jacoby to back Rivers up when we have Eason pretty cheap.  Eason needs to be the backup so he gets more reps on practice. 

 

Reich had a good view today on how you try and get rookies used to the game when they aren’t actually playing. 

[csmopar]

25 minutes ago, Chloe6124 said:

If it is true the amount of money they paid him on the PS they do see something in Kelly.  Jacoby is going to be so interesting next season. If we bring Rivers back it’s not in our best interest to pay Jacoby to back Rivers up when we have Eason pretty cheap.  Eason needs to be the backup so he gets more reps on practice. 

 

Reich had a good view today on how you try and get rookies used to the game when they aren’t actually playing. 

New CBA, they can’t do that anymore. Used to, they could essentially pay anyone on PS whatever they and the player would agree on, with only a minimum salary requirement. Under the new CBA , there is a maximum salary per week as well. This means that teams can no longer jack up a players salary to help reduce the chances of him being signed to an active roster elsewhere. Some teams were paying PS players vet minimum or more

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

15 minutes ago, csmopar said:

New CBA, they can’t do that anymore. Used to, they could essentially pay anyone on PS whatever they and the player would agree on, with only a minimum salary requirement. Under the new CBA , there is a maximum salary per week as well. This means that teams can no longer jack up a players salary to help reduce the chances of him being signed to an active roster elsewhere. Some teams were paying PS players vet minimum or more

Yeah when I saw that I go Kelly is going to have to take a pay cut lol. 

[PrincetonTiger]

19 minutes ago, csmopar said:

New CBA, they can’t do that anymore. Used to, they could essentially pay anyone on PS whatever they and the player would agree on, with only a minimum salary requirement. Under the new CBA , there is a maximum salary per week as well. This means that teams can no longer jack up a players salary to help reduce the chances of him being signed to an active roster elsewhere. Some teams were paying PS players vet minimum or more

[shasta519]

Kelly will definitely be on the active roster. The extra two roster spots will be PS players that can play STs. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

14 minutes ago, shastamasta said:

Kelly will definitely be on the active roster. The extra two roster spots will be PS players that can play STs. 

We aren’t keeping 4 QB on the roster. We might not even keep one on the PS. If we keep 3 on the roster there really is no need to keep a 4th on the PS.

[Jackie Daytona]

27 minutes ago, shastamasta said:

Kelly will definitely be on the active roster. The extra two roster spots will be PS players that can play STs. 

I highly doubt anyone can say Kelly will definitely even be on the team, let alone the active roster.... We're JB gone, I'd be inclined to move closer to this view.

[Dogg63]

25 minutes ago, Shafty138 said:

I highly doubt anyone can say Kelly will definitely even be on the team, let alone the active roster.... We're JB gone, I'd be inclined to move closer to this view.

I completely agree. And we can bank on JB being here for this season and next at least (along with PR), but at a lower paying contract after this season. He's the best backup QB in the NFL.

[csmopar]

1 hour ago, Shafty138 said:

I highly doubt anyone can say Kelly will definitely even be on the team, let alone the active roster.... We're JB gone, I'd be inclined to move closer to this view.

 

40 minutes ago, Dogg63 said:

I completely agree. And we can bank on JB being here for this season and next at least (along with PR), but at a lower paying contract after this season. He's the best backup QB in the NFL.

I disagree. I think they’re being patient, waiting to see how Rivers does and if there’s even much of a season. Right now, cutting JB does nothing that it wouldn’t do in September at final cuts. Nothing is saved cap wise, there’s no real roster benefit. Now, wait until preseason is done, cut him then or possibly trade him IF someone goes down. 
 

now, I’m not sure that’s what they’ll do, and I’m not rooting for it, but if I’m Ballard, that’s exactly what I would be thinking and doing. IF and this is a HUGE IF, I wanted to keep the two younger QBs

[EastStreet]

9 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:

I hated seeing Hines on the field running on 1st down with JB as QB. Teams were focusing on the run as the season progressed, and JB was pretty bad throwing screens and into the seems. This year with Rivers should be totally different. I expect his AVG to improve, and I think we'll see receiving numbers closer to or better than 2018. I'd absolutely love to see some 2 back sets. 

6 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:

Speaking of players working out together. Chad Kelly is out there throwing with Fountain today. 

 

Glad he's putting in the work and keeping his head on straight. I'm guessing his hard work and continued good behavior will be rewarded somewhere/somehow.

4 hours ago, csmopar said:

You’re assuming he makes it on the PS. He could be swept up by another team. 

Given the QB glut out there, plus Kelly is still an enigma to most teams, I think there's a good chance he could remain with Indy.

4 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:

Not so sure about that. But in a way your right because Eason would be the scout QB so there really is no need to keep a guy on that PS If we keep 3 on the 53 man roster.

I'd prefer Eason be a student this year, and not the scout team guy. The bigger issue is Eason's lack of mobility as a scout team guy. Do you really want Eason running the scout team when we're prepping for mobile QB teams like Balt, Clev, Hou, or Jax?

2 hours ago, csmopar said:

New CBA, they can’t do that anymore. Used to, they could essentially pay anyone on PS whatever they and the player would agree on, with only a minimum salary requirement. Under the new CBA , there is a maximum salary per week as well. This means that teams can no longer jack up a players salary to help reduce the chances of him being signed to an active roster elsewhere. Some teams were paying PS players vet minimum or more

The "group 4" guys let's you pay 2 guys (4 in 2022) a little more, but it maxes out at 12k a week (204k over 17 weeks) this year. The rest $8,400 a week.

 

It's going to be interesting. I do think Kelly will outplay Eason in the preseason, but I don't see a situation where they try to keep Eason on the PS.... Keeping both of them on the 53 means JB is not here anymore, and I can only see them letting him go with a trade (if some other team's QB gets hurt) or if we sign a guy like Clowney (and cut JB for the $).

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Eason would never last on the PS. I think team would swoop him up pretty quick.  I don’t even want to be on this board if Kelly beats out Eason. That would be pretty disappointing. Kelly has a better chance to last on the PS then Eason I think.

 

You have a good point about Kelly being mobile and helping the team prepare. But the scout QB also breaks down film of the opposing team also. I think Eason could learn a bunch from doing that. 

[crazycolt1]

9 minutes ago, Chloe6124 said:

Eason would never last on the PS. I think team would swoop him up pretty quick.  I don’t even want to be on this board if Kelly beats out Eason. That would be pretty disappointing. Kelly has a better chance to last on the PS then Eason I think.

 

You have a good point about Kelly being mobile and helping the team prepare. But the scout QB also breaks down film of the opposing team also. I think Eason could learn a bunch from doing that. 

While my crystal ball is cracked I see no way Eason is put on a practice squad. 

I think Eason is thought of as a legit QB in training and I don't think Ballard will even take the risk of losing him to another team. 

Signing him to a regular 4th round rookie contact is not that expensive. 

[Xenos]

Excellent write up by Zak Keefer on how Rivers is going to change the Colt's offense:

https://theathletic.com/1819444/2020/05/18/a-look-at-how-philip-rivers-is-going-to-change-the-colts-offense/

Quote

After the contract was signed and the move became official — sealing one of the smoothest free-agent negotiations in this franchise’s recent history — Philip Rivers let his new coaches know why he so badly wanted to become an Indianapolis Colt.

 

He started with these five names: Anthony Castonzo, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Mark Glowinski and Braden Smith.

 

Let’s be honest, any quarterback would love playing behind this offensive line. Rivers was no different.

 

Later, in a discussion with Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni, Rivers brought up another selling point that lured him to Indianapolis: The receiver who torched his Chargers in a game a few years back.

 

“Man, remember that game in 2016?” Rivers said to Sirianni. “T.Y. was a nightmare.”

 

It was the third week of the 2016 season. The Chargers were playing in Indianapolis. Sirianni, San Diego’s wide receiver coach at the time, remembers the team feeling good about the cornerback they were lining up against Hilton that day.

 

“We felt Jason Verrett was a heck of a football player,” Sirianni said.

 

Turns out, that was a mistake.

 

“T.Y. annihilated him that game,” Sirianni said.

 

The Colts squeaked out with a 26-22 win largely because of Hilton. He finished with eight catches for 174 yards, and with 1 minute, 17 seconds left, beat Verrett for a 63-yard touchdown that sealed it.

 

Rivers never forgot.

 

Four years later, when he hit free agency for the first time in his 16-year career, the veteran quarterback weighed that type of game-breaking talent with the five blockers he’ll have in front of him. The fact that he’d get the chance to reunite with Frank Reich, his old offensive coordinator, Sirianni, his old QB coach, and Jason Michael, the former Chargers tight end coach who now holds the same title in Indy, made the decision easy and the negotiations smooth. (The $25 million the Colts were willing to pay him didn’t hurt, either.)

 

“You’re never really sure until you get to that Monday (of free agency) and you can find out who your agent is hearing from,” Rivers said after he signed. “(But) I really, truthfully, was hoping it was going to be the Indianapolis Colts.”

 

He got his wish. The Colts, as they’ve hinted at several times since, saw the chance to sign Rivers as extraordinarily unique — a quarterback they feel is a future Hall of Famer, with an arm that hasn’t diminished, who’ll bring the type of fire to the huddle that was missing late last season. The character assessment of Rivers, typically an exhaustive process for this team as they vet free agents, was easy. Stunningly easy.

 

Reich, Sirianni and Michaels signed off on Rivers without hesitation.

 

The way they see it: He’s exactly what they were missing last season. A team that started 5-2 but faded down the stretch, finding new ways to lose close games every week, needed something. Some fire. Some juice. Something different.

 

Rivers is different.

 

Beyond that, they need an offense that isn’t one-dimensional, a unit that won’t stall late in games and lose the lead. A day after his team was blown out, 38-20, in the final game of the regular season, Reich attacked the topic head-on.

 

“We are used to, around here, in this area of the country, of knowing how to throw the football,” Reich said sternly, a nod to the days of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. “So we are going to throw the football, OK? We will figure it out. We didn’t do a good enough job this year. We will do better next year.”

 

So much depends on Rivers, the 38-year-old quarterback who threw 20 interceptions last year and won’t have anything close to a normal offseason to prepare for his first year in Indianapolis.

 

How different will the Colts’ offense look with him under center? A glimpse:

 

More of a vertical passing game

The Colts were abysmal in this category last season. Reich knows it. It became his chief objective in the early months of the offseason as he reviewed every snap of every game. How could he make his offense more explosive? How could he find a way to scare defenses more often?

 

Indianapolis finished third from the bottom in passing yards in 2019, at just 207.1 per game. The Colts had just 38 throws that went for 20 yards or more, second-fewest in the NFL, and just one that went 50-plus, tied for the worst in the league. Even adding in their potent run game, the team managed just 5.7 explosive plays a game — defined as passes that went for 20 or more yards and runs that went for 10 or more — Indianapolis was 22nd in the league.

 

It wasn’t close to good enough.

 

Rivers, they expect, will change that. And with the addition of Jonathan Taylor to the backfield, the Colts’ rushing attack has another explosive element. That means defenses will have to commit even more to the run, sliding their safeties up in the box, allowing Hilton to see single coverage deep.

 

“The more you run the ball, the more (you’re) able to run the football, the more they play one-high safeties, and we have one of the best big-play wideouts in the NFL with T.Y. Hilton,” Sirianni said. “We know that Philip can make them pay when they have that.”

 

Sirianni also made it clear: Despite some notable new additions — start with Taylor and fellow second-round pick Michael Pittman Jr. at receiver — Hilton will remain the offense’s lead option.

 

“He’s our guy, he’s our lead dog, he’s our alpha dog,” the coordinator said.

 

Throw in Rivers’ arm, which Reich vows hasn’t lost any strength, and the Colts envision a downfield passing attack that will be revitalized in 2020. Sirianni believes Hilton still has the type of speed that can take the top off a defense, similar to what Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin brought to the Chargers’ offense.

 

“They had flat-out speed, T.Y. has flat-out speed,” Sirianni said. “That makes me really excited and I can just picture some of these plays. I can just picture this post (route) that Travis ran against Cleveland, Game 1 against Cover-4 and Philip dropped it right in there to him for a 70-yard gain to start the game. I just envision T.Y. doing that.”

 

An expanded role for Hines

Third-year running back Nyheim Hines will benefit in a big way from Rivers’ arrival. Hines caught 19 fewer passes in his second year with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, largely a product of the Colts’ one-dimensional offense last fall. It became an obvious question late in the year, given Hines’ speed and ability to break tackles in space: Why wasn’t he getting more touches?

 

Rivers will change that. Throughout his career, he’s been among the best in the league at finding running backs and tight ends, especially when plays break down. Danny Woodhead, a scatback like Hines who was with the Chargers from 2013-16, had one season with 80 catches and another with 76.

 

Look for the Colts, and Rivers, to get the ball to Hines in the flat — where he’s most effective.

 

“Where I think Philip is outstanding: He has this great ability to find the running back out of the backfield whether we’re scheming for that guy or whether it just happens within a protection, where he goes through his progression and finds that back,” Sirianni said.

 

“Nyheim is going to benefit big time from playing with Philip Rivers, there’s no question about that.”

 

Less on Rivers’ shoulders

The Colts’ dominant line is the engine behind the offense, so Indy is the ideal spot for Rivers. He won’t have to carry the offense but just deliver the ball to the playmakers.

 

And he’ll have time to do it. And a dangerous run game to boot.

 

“He’s always been great in the pass game,” Reich said of Rivers recently, “but I don’t think there’s any doubt that he’s been most efficient and played his best football when he has a good run game. … I think he’s the same player he was five years ago, physically, and he’s taken good care of his body. I just think he’s at a stage in his career where it’s just — this is the right thing, this is a great move for him.

 

“He’s a great fit for us and I think he’s going to welcome playing behind this offensive line, handing the ball off more and not having to throw it 35 times a game to win.”

 

That’s the balance Reich craves in his offense. Rivers averaged more than 36 passes a game in his last season with the Chargers, including games of 52, 48 and 46 attempts.

In Indy, he’ll have to throw it far less. The way they see it, everyone wins.

 

[shasta519]

7 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:

We aren’t keeping 4 QB on the roster. We might not even keep one on the PS. If we keep 3 on the roster there really is no need to keep a 4th on the PS.

Yeah...I should have modified that...in the event that JB is not here...Kelly is on the active roster.

 

[crazycolt1]

7 hours ago, Dogg63 said:

I completely agree. And we can bank on JB being here for this season and next at least (along with PR), but at a lower paying contract after this season. He's the best backup QB in the NFL.

You nor anyone else can say if JB is going to return to the Colts at the end of his contact. If he sees Rivers is coming back and he has no chance at being a starter he may very well move on from the Colts. Add Eason to the mix he may pose a threat to JB as well. 

You say resign him to a lower paying contract and you cant say with any kind of certainty he would sign it. 

He may want to go to a team he feels he has at least a chance to compete for the starting gig. 

[WoolMagnet]

12 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:

Speaking of players working out together. Chad Kelly is out there throwing with Fountain today. 

 

His future here aside, you gotta give the kid some credit.  
It seems he has taken this “2nd chance” seriously.

on and off the field.

[NewColtsFan]

7 hours ago, Dogg63 said:

I completely agree. And we can bank on JB being here for this season and next at least (along with PR), but at a lower paying contract after this season. He's the best backup QB in the NFL.

Beauty is the eye of the beholder.  So you can think him the best, someone else might say 3rd best and someone else might say 5th best.   But I think it’s obvious JB is on the short list of top backup quarterbacks.   That’s all that matters.   And that’s great.  Glad he’s our backup. 
 

I wish JB the best in ‘21 whether he’s our backup or he’s the backup for someone else....  

[Myles]

11 hours ago, Dogg63 said:

I completely agree. And we can bank on JB being here for this season and next at least (along with PR), but at a lower paying contract after this season. He's the best backup QB in the NFL.

He is a very good backup, but the Colts situation now is to be priming the backup to be the next starter and JB doesn't fit that role.  I would be very surprised if he is part of the team next year.   

 

With Winston, Dalton, Foles and Mariotta as back up QB's, I'm not sure JB in the best in the NFl anymore.  

[Hoose]

4 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Beauty is the eye of the beholder.  So you can think him the best, someone else might say 3rd best and someone else might say 5th best.   But I think it’s obvious JB is on the short list of top backup quarterbacks.   That’s all that matters.   And that’s great.  Glad he’s our backup. 
 

I wish JB the best in ‘21 whether he’s our backup or he’s the backup for someone else....  

Odds are pretty high that he’s elsewhere. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

With all the people we have to re sign in 2021 it really isn’t in our best interest to pay Jacoby five or six million. We could use that money to bring back walker or Mack. 

[lollygagger8]

22 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:

 

 

 

It would awesome to see Hines lined up on the line of scrimmage and Mack or Taylor at RB at the same time. 

[John Hammonds]

20 hours ago, Chloe6124 said:

Speaking of players working out together. Chad Kelly is out there throwing with Fountain today. 

 

Two guys who know that both of them are iffy prospects to be on the team this year.  Work hard and hope!

[fahlman]

Rivers should no problem throwing to a wide receiver who is properly socially distanced. Brissett on the other hand...