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Ballard's Conservative Approach


lollygagger8

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Here's an excellent article on Ballard's approach. It includes quite a bit of insight, and is well worth the read. 

 

Here's an excerpt below: 

 

 

The Indianapolis Colts are in dire straits this year, as they sit with a putrid 1-2-1 record through four weeks. To make matters worse, all three of the Colts' non-wins have come against divisional rivals. With the team falling apart and the road to the playoffs looking out of reach already, who is to blame for this disastrous start?

 

The common fall guy has been Head Coach Frank Reich thus far. While I am in no way trying to absolve Reich from blame, I implore you all to look at the bigger picture of the Colts' issues. Frank Reich may be worth firing after the season, and he absolutely will be the guy tossed aside if this team misses the playoffs, but the Colts' issues run much deeper than just the head coach.

The main issue with the Indianapolis Colts is the process and the conservative nature of their General Manager. Chris Ballard has been the local, and National, golden boy for GM's during his tenure, but his lack of self-scouting and his lack of overall aggression has turned this once successful franchise into the textbook definition of mediocrity.

 

The Colts aren't going to get out of purgatory under Chris Ballard. His process is simply not the way to build a team in the modern NFL (if you don't already have a legit quarterback).........

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/colts/gm-report/ballards-conservative-approach-doomed-colts

 

 

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2 hours ago, lollygagger8 said:

The Colts aren't going to get out of purgatory under Chris Ballard. His process is simply not the way to build a team in the modern NFL (if you don't already have a legit quarterback).........

If the Ryan, Nelson, Smith, Defo and Leonard cap allocations do not pay dividends, the team will be in worse shape going forward than just mediocre.

 

I'm watching what happens at MIKE.   The young guy playing there is doing okay, and I'll be wondering just how much more of an impact can Leonard have considering the wide difference in compensation.

 

Edit:  Also interesting that an SI article (national media) is starting to call out Ballard.

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4 minutes ago, DougDew said:

If the Ryan, Nelson, Smith, Defo and Leonard cap allocations do not pay dividends, the team will be in worse shape going forward than just mediocre.

 

I'm watching what happens at MIKE.   The young guy playing there is doing okay, and I'll be wondering just how much more of an impact can Leonard have considering the wide difference in compensation.

 

Edit:  Also interesting that an SI article (national media) is starting to call out Ballard.

 

Agreed.

 

I thought they would've/should've kept Walker, but that's gone and done with.

 

I'm also an Okereke fan. He hits super hard and welcomed hitting D Henry a few times. 

He's not awesome in coverage, but I think he'll get better. 

 

Leonard is great at takeaways, but the team isn't hurting at LB with him being out which is slightly concerning 

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Right now, what we have is a problem with Xs and Os, and Johnnys and Joes. You can fix the Xs and Os faster than you can fix the Johnnys and Joes, and THAT is a fact unless resources are thrown at it in one off season fast and furious, which has not been Ballard's ammo. I guess, for this season, let us see how the Xs and Os evolve with the same Johnnys and Joes, because that is where our hope lies.

 

Having said that, for the same Johnnys and Joes, when you turn around and beat a divisional team later that you lost to earlier, and have slow starts, it is impossible to ignore the impact of the HC. 

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Yes its concerning that the drop off in linebacker play has not been significant but the pay margin is wildly huge. Leonard does bring turnovers into the picture though.

 

Same with G, Reed filled in fine last year and makes 18 MIL less. Our Oline right now is bottom 5 statistically and they are the most expensive in the league. 42.2 MIL or 18.9% of our entire cap, and that is without paying the most important position a LT, also Nelsons contract doesn't come into full effect till next year. 

 

Also our best player is a RB, the least valued position in the league. Teams dont build around RB's anymore and havn't in 20 years.

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38 minutes ago, Nesjan3 said:

Yes its concerning that the drop off in linebacker play has not been significant but the pay margin is wildly huge. Leonard does bring turnovers into the picture though.

 

Same with G, Reed filled in fine last year and makes 18 MIL less. Our Oline right now is bottom 5 statistically and they are the most expensive in the league. 42.2 MIL or 18.9% of our entire cap, and that is without paying the most important position a LT, also Nelsons contract doesn't come into full effect till next year. 

 

Also our best player is a RB, the least valued position in the league. Teams dont build around RB's anymore and havn't in 20 years.

Truth we played fine when Nelson and Leonard missed games .  That is 40 million to invest in weapons and pass rushers 

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2 hours ago, Nesjan3 said:

Yup the money is allocated in all the wrong spots

It hamstrings the entire organization in the long run. I can't see any competent GM taking on the contract of a oft injured LB or 20 million a year and 60 million guaranteed for of all things a guard.  

  Competent GMs looking at the Nelson contract like...Spider Man Lol GIF

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