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Ballard's Decision to Not Draft Darrisaw...


masterlock

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I'll preface my remarks by saying I don't dislike Kwity Paye. Great kid, great story, lots of potential. Could very well blossom into a star pass rusher. That said, there's something that just BUGS me about Ballard's stated reason for not drafting a left tackle in 2021--that there was no one who fit the mold of a "prototypical" left tackle. Here's a quick comparison...

 

Measurables:

  • Christian Darrisaw: 6'5", 313 lbs., 34.25" arms
  • Anthony Castonzo: 6'7", 305 lbs., 34.25" arms
  • Eric Fisher: 6'7", 306 lbs., 34.5" arms

 

So, a 2-inch difference in height was the deal-breaker? Really? Or was it some other attribute, like lateral quickness, ability to steer defenders, etc? What glaring reason was there for why Darrisaw didn’t fit the mold of a "prototypical" LT at the NFL level? Most scouts saw him as a LT (including those at Minnesota). When the dust settled in 2021, here's how things shook out...

 

2021 Results (I don't have all the stats because I don't subscribe to PFF):

  • Darrisaw: Earned a 71.8 PFF grade, allowed 22 pressures in 11 games, and 1 sack for every 124 snaps played.
  • Fisher: Earned a 68.6 PFF grade, allowed 39 pressures in 15 games and 1 sack for every 130 snaps played.

 

And bear in mind, Darrisaw was a freakin' ROOKIE. I realize Fisher was coming off an achilles tear, which maybe affected his ability to play at 100 percent. But that's precisely the point: You take a 30-year old tackle coming off an achilles tear, in the twilight years of his career, over a promising, young prospect who had the measurables, who had only upside, and who would've addressed the second-most important position in football. It just doesn't make sense to me. But hey, what do I know? I'm just some random fan. Feel free to criticize.

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9 minutes ago, masterlock said:

I'll preface my remarks by saying I don't dislike Kwity Paye. Great kid, great story, lots of potential. Could very well blossom into a star pass rusher. That said, there's something that just BUGS me about Ballard's stated reason for not drafting a left tackle in 2021--that there was no one who fit the mold of a "prototypical" left tackle. Here's a quick comparison...

 

Measurables:

  • Christian Darrisaw: 6'5", 313 lbs., 34.25" arms
  • Anthony Castonzo: 6'7", 305 lbs., 34.25" arms
  • Eric Fisher: 6'7", 306 lbs., 34.5" arms

 

So, a 2-inch difference in height was the deal-breaker? Really? Or was it some other attribute, like lateral quickness, ability to steer defenders, etc? What glaring reason was there for why Darrisaw didn’t fit the mold of a "prototypical" LT at the NFL level? Most scouts saw him as a LT (including those at Minnesota). When the dust settled in 2021, here's how things shook out...

 

2021 Results (I don't have all the stats because I don't subscribe to PFF):

  • Darrisaw: Earned a 71.8 PFF grade, allowed 22 pressures in 11 games, and 1 sack for every 124 snaps played.
  • Fisher: Earned a 68.6 PFF grade, allowed 39 pressures in 15 games and 1 sack for every 130 snaps played.

 

And bear in mind, Darrisaw was a freakin' ROOKIE. I realize Fisher was coming off an achilles tear, which maybe affected his ability to play at 100 percent. But that's precisely the point: You take a 30-year old tackle coming off an achilles tear, in the twilight years of his career, over a promising, young prospect who had the measurables, who had only upside, and who would've addressed the second-most important position in football. It just doesn't make sense to me. But hey, what do I know? I'm just some random fan. Feel free to criticize.

 

I could be mistaken but I think Ballard was talking about drafting a LT after taking Paye in the first round. There was a mini run on offensive tackles at the top off round 2 and we had no 3rd round pick. So pretty tough to trade up in round 2. I really don't think Ballard meant there was no LT prospects in the 2021 draft. I think he meant the way the draft fell , he had no chance to draft one that fit his criteria. This scenario included him liking Paye more than Darrisaw.

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3 minutes ago, KelownaColtsFan said:

Hindsight my dude. And it's difficult to argue that LT is/was a bigger need than pass rush.

A lot of people wanted Darrisaw. It's not hindsight. The height, weight and arm length was also available to the public before the draft as well. It's up to Ballard to know these things. He has the best available film tape available to him. He has a group of qualified scouts available to him. He has been in the business a long time. 

 

You also can't say that Ballard knows what he is doing when he gets a pick right, but then say it's hindsight when he's wrong (not saying you do it personally, but that's a common theme among sports fans with their GMs). When he does something right, he should get the credit, when he makes a bad decision, he should get the blame. Not saying Kwity is a bust as I don't believe that, but a much better solution would of been to sign a FA EDGE to a mutli-year deal last year like Trey Hendrickson, and draft Darrisaw in the 1st round. Still could of got Dayo in the 2nd. 

 

Is that all hindsight for me? Sure. However, Ballard should know more than someone like me or someone on this forum, and he takes risks on injured players all the time and it will work less times than people think.

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4 minutes ago, TaylorTheStudMuffin said:

I am taking a DE over a OT every day if they are both a need.

Not a LT. That's more important than an EDGE. Any other position on the line I agree with. You have to protect the QBs blindside though, and Eric Fisher had a torn achilles when we signed him and was a risk for the 2021 season.

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8 minutes ago, masterlock said:

I'll preface my remarks by saying I don't dislike Kwity Paye. Great kid, great story, lots of potential. Could very well blossom into a star pass rusher. That said, there's something that just BUGS me about Ballard's stated reason for not drafting a left tackle in 2021--that there was no one who fit the mold of a "prototypical" left tackle. Here's a quick comparison...

 

Measurables:

  • Christian Darrisaw: 6'5", 313 lbs., 34.25" arms
  • Anthony Castonzo: 6'7", 305 lbs., 34.25" arms
  • Eric Fisher: 6'7", 306 lbs., 34.5" arms

 

So, a 2-inch difference in height was the deal-breaker? Really? Or was it some other attribute, like lateral quickness, ability to steer defenders, etc? What glaring reason was there for why Darrisaw didn’t fit the mold of a "prototypical" LT at the NFL level? Most scouts saw him as a LT (including those at Minnesota). When the dust settled in 2021, here's how things shook out...

 

2021 Results (I don't have all the stats because I don't subscribe to PFF):

  • Darrisaw: Earned a 71.8 PFF grade, allowed 22 pressures in 11 games, and 1 sack for every 124 snaps played.
  • Fisher: Earned a 68.6 PFF grade, allowed 39 pressures in 15 games and 1 sack for every 130 snaps played.

 

And bear in mind, Darrisaw was a freakin' ROOKIE. I realize Fisher was coming off an achilles tear, which maybe affected his ability to play at 100 percent. But that's precisely the point: You take a 30-year old tackle coming off an achilles tear, in the twilight years of his career, over a promising, young prospect who had the measurables, who had only upside, and who would've addressed the second-most important position in football. It just doesn't make sense to me. But hey, what do I know? I'm just some random fan. Feel free to criticize.


I think you've completely misinterpreted Ballard’s comments about Darrisaw.   The Colts liked Darrisaw.    But Paye was selected because he was the highest graded player on their board and I think it was by a good amount.  
 

Ballard publicly said the three players under consideration at our pick were Paye, Darrisaw, and Dayo, in that order.   Ballard said the first time he graded Dayo he thought he was the 21st best player in the draft, and 21 was our pick.   So both Paye and Darrisaw were higher.   I believe Ballard said there was some concern that Paye might go somewhere around 10.   If that had happened, Darrisaw would’ve been our guy! 
 

The two inch difference was not an issue — at all.   We were ready to draft Darrisaw if Paye wasn’t there.   Ballard said nothing about height being an issue, and you’ve noted he’s got the arm length.   We liked Darrisaw.   We liked Paye even more, and I suspect much more. 

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10 minutes ago, KelownaColtsFan said:

Hindsight my dude. And it's difficult to argue that LT is/was a bigger need than pass rush.

I hear you. In my mind, pass rush versus left tackle is like 1A vs 1B. In this case, I have to ask, which prospect came closer to a no-brainer. In my mind Darrisaw was the clear no-brainer.

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5 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

A lot of people wanted Darrisaw. It's not hindsight. The height, weight and arm length was also available to the public before the draft as well. It's up to Ballard to know these things. He has the best available film tape available to him. He has a group of qualified scouts available to him. He has been in the business a long time. 

 

You also can't say that Ballard knows what he is doing when he gets a pick right, but then say it's hindsight when he's wrong (not saying you do it personally, but that's a common theme among sports fans with their GMs). When he does something right, he should get the credit, when he makes a bad decision, he should get the blame. Not saying Kwity is a bust as I don't believe that, but a much better solution would of been to sign a FA EDGE to a mutli-year deal last year like Trey Hendrickson, and draft Darrisaw in the 1st round. Still could of got Dayo in the 2nd. 

 

Is that all hindsight for me? Sure. However, Ballard should know more than someone like me or someone on this forum, and he takes risks on injured players all the time and it will work less times than people think.


@Jared Cisneros

@masterlock

 

Please look at my post.    

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6 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

 

Why? (Serious question. I like to understand one's thinking.)

 

Protecting the QB has to be top priority.

 

I think the bigger question is what does Ballard mean that "Darrisaw isn't a prototypical LT" ?

 

What is he looking for ?

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2 minutes ago, masterlock said:

I hear you. In my mind, pass rush versus left tackle is like 1A vs 1B. In this case, I have to ask, which prospect came closer to a no-brainer. In my mind Darrisaw was the clear no-brainer.

Just your opinion.  In Ballard’s mind Paye was the no brainer.  His is what counts.  Time will tell.

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1 minute ago, PRnum1 said:

Protecting the QB has to be top priority 

 

I agree! That would be my first priority for that same reason, but I believe who is selected depends on the team you have. Perhaps Ballard was going for Best Player Available (BPA) on his board. Many prefer drafting BPA over need. My philosophy is BPA at a position of need. 

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12 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

A lot of people wanted Darrisaw. It's not hindsight. The height, weight and arm length was also available to the public before the draft as well. It's up to Ballard to know these things. He has the best available film tape available to him. He has a group of qualified scouts available to him. He has been in the business a long time. 

 

You also can't say that Ballard knows what he is doing when he gets a pick right, but then say it's hindsight when he's wrong (not saying you do it personally, but that's a common theme among sports fans with their GMs). When he does something right, he should get the credit, when he makes a bad decision, he should get the blame. Not saying Kwity is a bust as I don't believe that, but a much better solution would of been to sign a FA EDGE to a mutli-year deal last year like Trey Hendrickson, and draft Darrisaw in the 1st round. Still could of got Dayo in the 2nd. 

 

Is that all hindsight for me? Sure. However, Ballard should know more than someone like me or someone on this forum, and he takes risks on injured players all the time and it will work less times than people think.

It's hindsight to do a statistical comparison between Darrisaw and Fisher.

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2 minutes ago, KelownaColtsFan said:

It's hindsight to do a statistical comparison between Darrisaw and Fisher.

I did that comparison before the draft, because it was common knowledge that we were interested in both. At that time, it was reported we had interest in Fisher and Leno (and Leno got signed), and it was also known that Darrisaw would go around our pick, and there was an article on stampedeblue that we had interest in Darrisaw. So obviously unless a 2nd round LT fell to us where we eventually picked Dayo, then the choices were Darrisaw or Fisher (if we missed out on a 1st or 2nd round LT in the draft). 

 

The statistical comparison is just to try and get a read on Ballard because he likes arm length. Since it is the same as Constanzos, it's odd that Ballard would pick Fisher with just a quarter inch longer arms. Nothing more.

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22 minutes ago, masterlock said:

I hear you. In my mind, pass rush versus left tackle is like 1A vs 1B. In this case, I have to ask, which prospect came closer to a no-brainer. In my mind Darrisaw was the clear no-brainer.


We liked Darrisaw.   We were ready to draft Darrisaw if Paye had been drafted ahead of us.   Ballard literally said so after the draft.   He said Darrisaw’s name out loud.   
 

You’ve misinterpreted any other comment he made.   Honestly, I don’t even remember him making the comment you claim he said.  

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44 minutes ago, masterlock said:

I'll preface my remarks by saying I don't dislike Kwity Paye. Great kid, great story, lots of potential. Could very well blossom into a star pass rusher. That said, there's something that just BUGS me about Ballard's stated reason for not drafting a left tackle in 2021--that there was no one who fit the mold of a "prototypical" left tackle. Here's a quick comparison...

 

Measurables:

  • Christian Darrisaw: 6'5", 313 lbs., 34.25" arms
  • Anthony Castonzo: 6'7", 305 lbs., 34.25" arms
  • Eric Fisher: 6'7", 306 lbs., 34.5" arms

 

So, a 2-inch difference in height was the deal-breaker? Really? Or was it some other attribute, like lateral quickness, ability to steer defenders, etc? What glaring reason was there for why Darrisaw didn’t fit the mold of a "prototypical" LT at the NFL level? Most scouts saw him as a LT (including those at Minnesota). When the dust settled in 2021, here's how things shook out...

 

2021 Results (I don't have all the stats because I don't subscribe to PFF):

  • Darrisaw: Earned a 71.8 PFF grade, allowed 22 pressures in 11 games, and 1 sack for every 124 snaps played.
  • Fisher: Earned a 68.6 PFF grade, allowed 39 pressures in 15 games and 1 sack for every 130 snaps played.

 

And bear in mind, Darrisaw was a freakin' ROOKIE. I realize Fisher was coming off an achilles tear, which maybe affected his ability to play at 100 percent. But that's precisely the point: You take a 30-year old tackle coming off an achilles tear, in the twilight years of his career, over a promising, young prospect who had the measurables, who had only upside, and who would've addressed the second-most important position in football. It just doesn't make sense to me. But hey, what do I know? I'm just some random fan. Feel free to criticize.

It’s a fair question in my opinion but I feel it’s a bigger problem he chose Fisher over Leno than Paye over Darrisaw. 
 

DE was a legitimate need for us (and still is) so arguing for the Paye pick isn’t difficult in my opinion. Fisher over Leno though…

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12 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:


We liked Darrisaw.   We were ready to draft Darrisaw if Paye had been drafted ahead of us.   Ballard literally said so after the draft.   He said Darrisaw’s name out loud.   
 

You’ve misinterpreted any other comment he made.   Honestly, I don’t even remember him making the comment you claim he said.  

Exactly. Everyone wants to act like Ballard didn't take specific picks because he chose not to. Every draft, I guarantee every single GM has a player or two they want to target that doesn't work out. Someone makes a trade or takes that player since he is a BPA for them, and plans are forced to change. I would love to be in the draft room, listening to and seeing everything going on as to what leads to certain picks or why a pick is altered.

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1 hour ago, masterlock said:

I'll preface my remarks by saying I don't dislike Kwity Paye. Great kid, great story, lots of potential. Could very well blossom into a star pass rusher. That said, there's something that just BUGS me about Ballard's stated reason for not drafting a left tackle in 2021--that there was no one who fit the mold of a "prototypical" left tackle. Here's a quick comparison...

 

Measurables:

  • Christian Darrisaw: 6'5", 313 lbs., 34.25" arms
  • Anthony Castonzo: 6'7", 305 lbs., 34.25" arms
  • Eric Fisher: 6'7", 306 lbs., 34.5" arms

 

So, a 2-inch difference in height was the deal-breaker? Really? Or was it some other attribute, like lateral quickness, ability to steer defenders, etc? What glaring reason was there for why Darrisaw didn’t fit the mold of a "prototypical" LT at the NFL level? Most scouts saw him as a LT (including those at Minnesota). When the dust settled in 2021, here's how things shook out...

 

2021 Results (I don't have all the stats because I don't subscribe to PFF):

  • Darrisaw: Earned a 71.8 PFF grade, allowed 22 pressures in 11 games, and 1 sack for every 124 snaps played.
  • Fisher: Earned a 68.6 PFF grade, allowed 39 pressures in 15 games and 1 sack for every 130 snaps played.

 

And bear in mind, Darrisaw was a freakin' ROOKIE. I realize Fisher was coming off an achilles tear, which maybe affected his ability to play at 100 percent. But that's precisely the point: You take a 30-year old tackle coming off an achilles tear, in the twilight years of his career, over a promising, young prospect who had the measurables, who had only upside, and who would've addressed the second-most important position in football. It just doesn't make sense to me. But hey, what do I know? I'm just some random fan. Feel free to criticize.

U know Payne made all pro rookie team right 

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26 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

It’s a fair question in my opinion but I feel it’s a bigger problem he chose Fisher over Leno than Paye over Darrisaw. 
 

DE was a legitimate need for us (and still is) so arguing for the Paye pick isn’t difficult in my opinion. Fisher over Leno though…

I agree with you , Paye was all rookie team and had flashes , Leno was the clear cut easy move never missed a game abv average starter etc… and you choose fisher who was never a top LT even when healthy and never lived up to his #1 overall selection coming off and achilles injury at his age which is known to end careers by default and his second major injury in two years 

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Just now, jbaron04 said:

I agree with you , Paye was all rookie team and had flashes , Leno was the clear cut easy move never missed a game abv average starter etc… and you choose fisher who was never a top LT even when healthy and never lived up to his #1 overall selection coming off and achilles injury at his age which is known to end careers by default and his second major injury in two years 

Ballard seemed to like players from his old team, the Chiefs, when they became available.  Houston and last year Fisher.

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6 minutes ago, richard pallo said:

Ballard seemed to like players from his old team, the Chiefs, when they became available.  Houston and last year Fisher.

 

Lots of GM's show some preference for players on their former teams. They already know those players, their habits/tendencies, etc. You see that all over the league. 

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45 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

It’s a fair question in my opinion but I feel it’s a bigger problem he chose Fisher over Leno than Paye over Darrisaw. 
 

DE was a legitimate need for us (and still is) so arguing for the Paye pick isn’t difficult in my opinion. Fisher over Leno though…

 

  This is a silly argument. Fisher has a long history of performing at a higher level than Leno.

 CASE OVER.

  Fisher was well known by Ballard.

   This look at grades in hindsight is skewed by Darrisaw having Cousins 'protect' him by thinking faster, playing smarter than our clown.

 I'm happy for LENO grading at a career level for his team. His bustout grade was about Fishers career avg.    

 Fisher definitely was having trouble with speed rushers, even after his play started improving. Yip, our staff Will be losing sleep over the LT position. ESPECIALLY if Wentz is the QB and Reich is playcalling. 

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44 minutes ago, jbaron04 said:

U know Payne made all pro rookie team right 

 

Does that invalidate his point? 

 

Here is his point (below). There is nothing there that puts down Paye. 

 

2 hours ago, masterlock said:

That said, there's something that just BUGS me about Ballard's stated reason for not drafting a left tackle in 2021--that there was no one who fit the mold of a "prototypical" left tackle. 

 

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11 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

 

Does that invalidate his point? 

 

Here is his point (below). There is nothing there that puts down Paye. 

 

 

I think I remember him talking about the foot quickness and being more run blockers than pass pro etc.. when I watched the actual video. But as they always stated they don’t draft for need but BPA paye was graded higher than darrisaw on there board which validate that pick with his all pro rookie selection. Sure the sack number wasn’t double digits but he had lots of pressures and flashes that he can rush and stop the run. 

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8 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

 

Does that invalidate his point? 

 

Here is his point (below). There is nothing there that puts down Paye. 

 

 

No.   What invalidates his point is a complete misinterpretation of whatever Ballard said. 
 

But the OP starts with a FALSE premise.  Ballard literally said Darrisaw was our choice if Paye had already been drafted.   He said Darrisaw’s name out loud. 
 

So that invalidates the OP’s position that Ballard didn’t pick Darrisaw due to being two inches shorter than AC or Fisher.  
 

When you start with an incorrect premise, you end up with a badly flawed post. 

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My criticism for Ballard's approach at LT last offseason was simply making it a bigger priority.  It just felt like there wasn't enough prioritization on that cornerstone position.  I wanted Radunz and maybe the Colts did too but he was taken in front of them by the Titans so it could be that their targeted guy got snapped up.

 

But no GM is perfect.  This time around if there's a guy they project to maybe be able to play that blind side they will probably position more aggressively to fill it.  When you are trying to recoup a damaged goods QB a good way to start that out is by ensuring he's got great protection.  That and weapons who can separate quickly in the pattern.

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52 minutes ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

  This is a silly argument. Fisher has a long history of performing at a higher level than Leno.

 CASE OVER.

  Fisher was well known by Ballard.

   This look at grades in hindsight is skewed by Darrisaw having Cousins 'protect' him by thinking faster, playing smarter than our clown.

 I'm happy for LENO grading at a career level for his team. His bustout grade was about Fishers career avg.    

 Fisher definitely was having trouble with speed rushers, even after his play started improving. Yip, our staff Will be losing sleep over the LT position. ESPECIALLY if Wentz is the QB and Reich is playcalling. 

First off, I never mentioned stats, but even if Leno had "only" performed at his normal above average level he would still have been a HUGE upgrade over what we got from our LTs this season. And that's from both an availability standpoint and performance standpoint. How many of our early games could we have won if we'd had "just" his level of performance instead of a revolving door at LT?

 

Fisher was also 30+ and coming off an achilles injury. That alone should have put him out of the running for the spot. CASE OVER. This ESPECIALLY with Leno, by all accounts, BEGGING to come here and for less money than Fisher. This is one of Ballard's biggest misses while he's been here in my book and that's without the hindsight-glasses on.

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19 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

No.   What invalidates his point is a complete misinterpretation of whatever Ballard said. 
 

But the OP starts with a FALSE premise.  Ballard literally said Darrisaw was our choice if Paye had already been drafted.   He said Darrisaw’s name out loud. 
 

So that invalidates the OP’s position that Ballard didn’t pick Darrisaw due to being two inches shorter than AC or Fisher.  
 

When you start with an incorrect premise, you end up with a badly flawed post. 

 

We don't know if it was a flawed premise. Whatever it was, he made his point and he made  a comparison.

 

I don't get why fans like to bash each other so much.

 

I don't think saying anything about Paye's successes invalidates what the OP wrote. Yes, the OP may be mistaken about what Ballard said; then say so, as you did in your first comment.

 

I encourage all to keep an open mind and proofread what you write. Ask: "Is this part of my comment necessary?." For example, someone earlier called something "silly" which was not necessary to convey his/her point. It could have been left out. 

:rantoff:

 

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12 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

 

We don't know if it was a flawed premise. Whatever it was, he made his point and he made  a comparison.

 

I don't get why fans like to bash each other so much.

 

Your earlier comment was enough.

 

I don't think saying anything about Paye's successes invalidates what the OP wrote. Yes, the OP may be mistaken about what Ballard said; then say so, as you did in your first comment.

 

I encourage all to keep an open mind and proofread what you write. Ask: "Is this part of my comment necessary?." For example, someone earlier called something "silly" which was not necessary to convey his/her point. It could have been left out. 

:rantoff:

 

What in the world?   Re-read my post. 

 

Ballard literally said the words,  that our top three choices at pick 21 were Paye, Darrisaw and Dayo.    It’s on video tape.   I’ve posted about this many times since the draft.   I’m not wrong about this. 
 

The point I made did NOT need to be left out. Facts don’t need to be left out.  Truth doesn’t need to be left out.  I don’t understand your thinking in this at all?   I’ve been a member here for nearly 10 years and no moderator has ever responded this way.  

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2 hours ago, PRnum1 said:

I think the bigger question is what does Ballard mean that "Darrisaw isn't a prototypical LT" ?

 

It sounds like many here say that Ballard never said that. 

 

I found something from pre-draft about his thinking:

 

Quote

But there's a difference between having a need and actually filling it, Ballard cautioned.

"The one thing we won't do, we won't just force the issue, especially early in the draft," Ballard said. "That's when you make your biggest mistakes, when you just force the issue. If it so happens, (someone) falls and there is a player we like at either one of those positions, sure. I think you all know our philosophy on the fronts. You need eight to 10 offensive linemen and we feel you need eight to 10 defensive linemen.

"So we'll continue to add fuel to the fire, but we are not just going to force the issue."

Link to article

I actually agree with him. Many times GM make mistakes reaching to fill a need.

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2 hours ago, NFLfan said:

 

Why? (Serious question. I like to understand one's thinking.)

 

Bill polian has said that after qb, the pass rush is most important.   After that protecting the qb comes.  
 

I think disrupting the other teams passing is nearly as important as your passing game 

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    • No.   You weren’t.   If you were the least bit sincere, we’d be having these conversations in private.  But you’ve repeatedly ignored my efforts to do that.  Your call.      Then you avoid me until I’m in an uncomfortable conversation with another poster.   You use that awkward moment as an excuse for you to come in with some sincere friendly advice.   The problem is, you’re neither sincere, nor friendly.  And you’ve been doing this for months now.  This is not new.   The pattern is clear and obvious.     And the shame of it all is that even with our different views on Ballard we have enough in common that we should be friendly.  Maybe not friends, but friendly.  You wouldn’t need to address me as “Sir.”    “Good deed going unpunished”.  You flatter yourself.     But your actions speak much louder than your words.   There’s no reason for me to trust you.  And here we are.  A real shame.      
    • In a year when the Colts were in serious need of a QB and in position to draft one, Ballard came up in front of the media 3 days before the draft and straight up said something to the effect of "That guy everybody in media is talking about(Levis), we are not taking him". I don't know why you think the Colts are trying to throw us off the scent this year specifically. They are not trying to give us away the pick(thus the vagueness), but I also don't really think they are trying to mislead anybody. This usually becomes specifically apparent in retrospect after the draft when you look back at a lot of those quotes in the videos they release pre-draft... and they were talking precisely about players we ended up drafting, which they reveal in the post-draft video by extending some of those quotes(they did that with AR last year for example).    And about why people are doing it(guessing who they are talking about) - because it is fun. Nobody has the illusion that we will be right in our guesses 100% of the time... or anywhere close really... but it's still fun. And it's part of why the Colts release those videos with those quotes - to create engagement with the fanbase... part of which, and the entirety of which that 70 pages thread and whole board is about in the offseason. is to guess who the Colts might take and how they might feel about specific prospects.
    • Sir, I was just trying to help you out. No good deed goes unpunished! 
    • Not the least bit surprised to hear from you at this moment.   You see me in an uncomfortable conversation (with a moderator no less) and you seize the moment to take a shot at me.  And you try to act like you’re giving me a sincere explanation of what you’re doing.   Like you have an ounce of credibility with me.      This is not the first time you’ve done this.  While I may not be surprised, I’m certainly disappointed.   
    • Things have now gone from bad to worse.     After I explained myself, I was kind of hoping you’d simply come back with “I’m sorry, I misunderstood you,  may bad.”  And we’d be done with this.  It would be over.      But instead, you double down on the roommate issue and follow up by questioning everything I said by breaking down some of my comments and what you think I really meant by them.     In other words, you’re telling me my motive, my meaning, as if you know my meaning better than I do.    It’s interesting to me…. I was recently told there’s an unofficial moderator policy:  don’t attack the poster, attack the argument.    Well, I don’t see that here.  You attacked me personally the first time and instead of a simple apology, you’ve double downed on a bad hand by attacking me personally AGAIN.      Why you’re comfortable telling me you know my meaning , my intention, better than I do is mystifying to me.  And frankly, I think you’re comfortable doing this because one of us is a moderator, and it certainly is NOT me.     I’ll say it again: you misunderstood my meaning, and intention,  the first time, and you’ve misunderstood me even worse the second time.   As I said before, I’m happy to withdraw and apologize for “go figure”, but the negative inference was not my intention.  Poorly phrased, I give you (in two posts now).   I don’t know what else to say…. I’m hoping this brings this very unfortunate exchange to an end.       
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