Are we YEARS away from contention?

GRUMPY OLD MAN · December 10, 2022

On 12/9/2022 at 4:57 PM, Superman said:

Who built the OL that was top five in the league for 3 seasons?

who let glow go and didnt replace our LT with an above average talent?

King Colt · December 10, 2022

On 12/9/2022 at 3:08 PM, DEFENSE said:

they lost some elite talent

And the Colts didn't!?

GRUMPY OLD MAN · December 10, 2022

12 minutes ago, King Colt said:

And the Colts didn't!?

didnt say anything about the colts but yes ballard did not resign some good talent and replaced them with unproven below average guys

ojsglove · December 11, 2022

Until Jim has decided he has given Ballard enough of a chance to build him a competitive team, we are looking the same for seasons to come

ClaytonColt · December 11, 2022

On 12/9/2022 at 9:51 PM, throwing BBZ said:

Yet deese bums just gave Philly and Dallas a run for their money.

Contracts are written with outs after 3 years. We have a superior capologist that knows how to plan ahead. We can rebalance some every year.

So get a grip on it!

Is that a 35 point loss "run for their money" that you're claiming?

Not that it matters, sometimes bad teams run good teams close....or even beat them. It doesn't prove anything.

As for the expert capologist that did make me chuckle so thanks for that!

Two_pound · December 11, 2022

So people are still wah wahing about Ballard. For those who like to point at Ballards "losing" record his first year here he did not have an nfl caliber qb and we finished 4-12, then in 2019, again without an nfl caliber qb we were 7-9, so in retrospect he really has not done bad. And any way why do so many dump 2017 on him when he inherited a dumpster fire from Grigson? Something else I don't understand is if it is so obvious how to build a championship team-you know, pay big money for the "elite" positions that many of you on here ballyhoo about how come not all 32 teams do that??? Let's revisit the Colts of the first decade of the the 2000's. Manning, Glenn, Harrison, Wayne, Freeney, Mathis. Big money thrown at Burris and Poole also. How many Championships? Yes we won a lot of games, but one could argue that was mostly Manning. Would Drew Brees have won 9 consecutive division titles with this team? I don't know but I doubt it, Philip Rivers? Big Ben? Eli(ha,ha), Rogers? I'll stick with Ballard and hopefully Irsay will too.

LJpalmbeacher2 · December 11, 2022

16 hours ago, crazycolt1 said:

Rub some dirt on it.

I don't have to rub anything, what I said was fact lol.

I really didn't understand your post....are you saying Ballard was responsible for Constanzo & Kelly?

crazycolt1 · December 11, 2022

7 minutes ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

I don't have to rub anything, what I said was fact lol.

I really didn't understand your post....are you saying Ballard was responsible for Constanzo & Kelly?

No. Your never ending negativity that has been going on for a long time. It gets old and stale.

LJpalmbeacher2 · December 11, 2022

48 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

No. Your never ending negativity that has been going on for a long time. It gets old and stale.

What's old and stale is the consistency of ineptness of this organization.

Just telling it like it is and has been. What you say is negativity is actually stating facts and being right on the money. Its not mine or anybody else's fault here the state of the colts, That falls on ownership, management, and coaching....the very ones you always defend like a good homer.

crazycolt1 · December 11, 2022

1 hour ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

What's old and stale is the consistency of ineptness of this organization.

Just telling it like it is and has been. What you say is negativity is actually stating facts and being right on the money. Its not mine or anybody else's fault here the state of the colts, That falls on ownership, management, and coaching....the very ones you always defend like a good homer.

Your overreacting is worthy of a thumbs up. :thmup:

ScarBelly74 · December 11, 2022

NO!!

We are Pete Skornoski, Jimmy G or Carr, and a good Offensive HC away from contention. No matter who HC is, keep Gus a DC. So, next year my friends!!

Superman · December 12, 2022

On 12/9/2022 at 8:54 PM, Timeout said:

Same person to have this poor OL now? Same guy that depends on rookies and doesn't bring in depth? I see what your saying Superman but it goes both ways. These are grown men making a living playing a kids game. Making the bucks! You can't keep blaming coaches and QB when colts have a GM that never has brought in a franchise QB. Ballard just weirdly leaves some positions alone. LT and and his QB choses comes back to bite him.

I don't agree with a lot of what I read on here saying we need a tougher coach. I'm not big on coaches motivating in the NFL. If your players need the coach to yell at them at this level, GM not drafting the right players. That isn't what your saying, I read in other thread. Harbaugh is coming unless he doesn't want the job. IMO Not who I want, but Irsay wants him..

Set aside the hyperbole. There's one rookie playing on the OL right now, and it took him a few games but he's actually playing reasonably well right now. The 'doesn't bring in depth' comment is wild talk also.

The rest of your rant seems off topic.

Superman · December 12, 2022

On 12/9/2022 at 3:56 PM, Solid84 said:

PFF score I believe.

We had one leaky blocker in pass pro last season. Up until the last couple of games of the season, the other 4 were fine. The league average sacks allowed was 38.9, we gave up 32; 22 teams gave up more sacks, 19 had a higher sack percentage. And a good amount of the pressure last season was on Wentz.

And since everyone wants to rep PFF's rating, they projected the Colts to have the 10th best OL in 2022. That's with Matt Pryor at LT, who they loved in 2021. A lot of posters here liked Pryor at LT also. It's pretty revisionist to look at how bad the OL is right now and act like everyone knew better than Ballard, Reich, and everyone else on the staff over the summer.

The OL hasn't been falling apart, it hasn't been neglected, and it hasn't been patchworked. They should have done something different at LT, but everything else going on with the OL has been shocking. That includes Nelson -- three time first team All Pro -- having a rough 8-10 teams since the end of last season. That includes a pretty dominant run blocking group suddenly struggling to create lanes for the first team All Pro RB. And it includes Ryan Kelly, who has been above average for most of the last five years, dropping off dramatically.

Solid84 · December 12, 2022

9 hours ago, Superman said:

We had one leaky blocker in pass pro last season. Up until the last couple of games of the season, the other 4 were fine. The league average sacks allowed was 38.9, we gave up 32; 22 teams gave up more sacks, 19 had a higher sack percentage. And a good amount of the pressure last season was on Wentz.

And since everyone wants to rep PFF's rating, they projected the Colts to have the 10th best OL in 2022. That's with Matt Pryor at LT, who they loved in 2021. A lot of posters here liked Pryor at LT also. It's pretty revisionist to look at how bad the OL is right now and act like everyone knew better than Ballard, Reich, and everyone else on the staff over the summer.

The OL hasn't been falling apart, it hasn't been neglected, and it hasn't been patchworked. They should have done something different at LT, but everything else going on with the OL has been shocking. That includes Nelson -- three time first team All Pro -- having a rough 8-10 teams since the end of last season. That includes a pretty dominant run blocking group suddenly struggling to create lanes for the first team All Pro RB. And it includes Ryan Kelly, who has been above average for most of the last five years, dropping off dramatically.

I only know the score is what it is.

PFF, as far as I know, take out other factors and only evaluate the given position or postion group. If you watched last years Oline and thought we had a top 10 unit I don't know what to tell you. It's DEFINITELY not what I saw.

I know there's been a narrative that Wentz held on to the ball for too long and I agree he did in some situations, but his average wasn't bad at all IIRC.

And with Pryor (and Pinter at RG at least) we're in this situation because our coaches and FO haven't been good enough at evaluating our talent. We were quite a few who were questioning our decisions regarding the Oline this offseason. AND there should have been alarm bells ringing all over the place for the coaches and Ballard with how bad the Oline played during the preseason. Instead of addressing it, we took our usual wait and see approach and it ended up costing our OC, HC and possibly our GM.

This is not hindsight. People here have been saying it since last year and continuously throughout the offseason, preseason and season. Ironically how this situation has been handled completely conflicts with Ballard's and Irsay's win now approach. We've had chances to bring in other players, but haven't. Now it's consequence time.

Superman · December 12, 2022

4 hours ago, Solid84 said:

I only know the score is what it is.

PFF, as far as I know, take out other factors and only evaluate the given position or postion group. If you watched last years Oline and thought we had a top 10 unit I don't know what to tell you. It's DEFINITELY not what I saw.

I know there's been a narrative that Wentz held on to the ball for too long and I agree he did in some situations, but his average wasn't bad at all IIRC.

And with Pryor (and Pinter at RG at least) we're in this situation because our coaches and FO haven't been good enough at evaluating our talent. We were quite a few who were questioning our decisions regarding the Oline this offseason. AND there should have been alarm bells ringing all over the place for the coaches and Ballard with how bad the Oline played during the preseason. Instead of addressing it, we took our usual wait and see approach and it ended up costing our OC, HC and possibly our GM.

This is not hindsight. People here have been saying it since last year and continuously throughout the offseason, preseason and season. Ironically how this situation has been handled completely conflicts with Ballard's and Irsay's win now approach. We've had chances to bring in other players, but haven't. Now it's consequence time.

Last year's OL was top five run blocking, and average pass blocking, mostly because of Fisher. Wentz was indecisive in the pocket, often running into trouble.

This idea that the OL has been falling apart for a long time is simple fiction. (Side point: Even great OLs tend to fall apart pretty quickly. The Cowboys went through a similar situation a couple years ago. An injury, a retirement, some FA defections, and the fall off can come before you know it. Which I've been saying all along, while people were complaining about draft picks and second contracts.)

And all I'm saying is that it's reasonable to expect Ballard and his staff to be able to fix the OL. We had an average at best OL in 2017, with AC and Kelly, and by the second half of 2018 our OL was one of the best in the league, and it stayed that way for 2-3 years. They've already overseen an OL turnaround. Give them the credit they deserve.

Don't know what the Colts have done at any point to make anyone think they are in "win now" mode. I've been pushing back against that narrative all along.

Solid84 · December 12, 2022

12 minutes ago, Superman said:

Last year's OL was top five run blocking, and average pass blocking, mostly because of Fisher. Wentz was indecisive in the pocket, often running into trouble.

This idea that the OL has been falling apart for a long time is simple fiction. (Side point: Even great OLs tend to fall apart pretty quickly. The Cowboys went through a similar situation a couple years ago. An injury, a retirement, some FA defections, and the fall off can come before you know it. Which I've been saying all along, while people were complaining about draft picks and second contracts.)

And all I'm saying is that it's reasonable to expect Ballard and his staff to be able to fix the OL. We had an average at best OL in 2017, with AC and Kelly, and by the second half of 2018 our OL was one of the best in the league, and it stayed that way for 2-3 years. They've already overseen an OL turnaround. Give them the credit they deserve.

Don't know what the Colts have done at any point to make anyone think they are in "win now" mode. I've been pushing back against that narrative all along.

To be fair I do appreciate how they turned around the Oline in 2017 and if it wasn't for the boneheaded Fisher-move, I wouldn't have much of a problem with the '21 performance - injuries was an issue. But, like the with Fisher, Ballard made the call to play Pryor and Pinter. If he deserves credit for turning the Oline around in 2017, he deserves the hits for taking Fisher over Leno (or drafting Darrisaw) and starting Pryor and Pinter.

I do think the Colts have been in "win now" mode these past few years. I don't agree that we're at that stage, but Ballard's pressers and the way they've handled the QB situation says they think so.

Superman · December 12, 2022

22 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

To be fair I do appreciate how they turned around the Oline in 2017 and if it wasn't for the boneheaded Fisher-move, I wouldn't have much of a problem with the '21 performance - injuries was an issue. But, like the with Fisher, Ballard made the call to play Pryor and Pinter. If he deserves credit for turning the Oline around in 2017, he deserves the hits for taking Fisher over Leno (or drafting Darrisaw) and starting Pryor and Pinter.

I do think the Colts have been in "win now" mode these past few years. I don't agree that we're at that stage, but Ballard's pressers and the way they've handled the QB situation says they think so.

I think there are some issues with coaching and development. Even with Fisher, he struggled in pass pro, but we didn't help him as often as we should have. Same thing early this season with Pryor. I think Reich had his finger directly on the pulse of the offense in 2018, and I think he lost his touch gradually. Rivers shows up in 2020, and suddenly we run screens well, but once he retired that element of our offense was basically dysfunctional. There are some things that Reich really let get out of control, and it all came to a head over the last season and a half.

Related to that, wanting our young OL guys to replace Glowinski and Reed isn't unreasonable, that's SOP. (Same thing with the Edge players, btw; Houston and Autry weren't irreplaceable, we had a pipeline of young players that should have been able to fill their shoes.) I think we have a development issue over the last couple of years, and I think it starts with Reich, but Strausser is implicated as well. I don't agree that Ballard made the call to play Pinter and Pryor, I think that's a coaching decision all the way.

But that's not absolving Ballard of any responsibility. I said at the time that Leno was a better option, primarily because of Fisher's injury status. As it turns out, Leno got half of what we paid Fisher in 2021, and was twice as good, which is why he earned a fat contract while Fisher sat on the couch until a few days ago. And hearing Ballard question whether the LT prospects in 2021 were good enough, then watching Darrisaw become one of the best LTs in his second season, it's a negative for Ballard as well. That said, I don't agree that signing Fisher was a boneheaded move; he was excellent for several years before his Achilles. I just don't think it was the best option at the time, and it didn't work out well.

I don't know what you've heard from Ballard's pressers that makes you think they've been in "win now" mode. I can see getting that from Irsay, but his comments don't really match the decisions made by the team. And people getting all excited over Matt Ryan was always silly to me; I thought he'd be good for us, but I never felt like he was the difference maker that would make us a contender. (I also wonder whether a lot of the QB decisions were driven more by Reich and Irsay, and whether that's ultimately why Reich is gone and Ballard isn't. Just speculation on my part.)

To the point, it's my opinion that fixing the OL isn't all that difficult. It requires attention and some good decisions, but I honestly think that's a routine fix. I'm not ignoring how bad they are right now, I'm just not being a prisoner of the moment.

As it relates to being a contender again, I have the HC decision and the QB decision holding waaaay more importance than any other need this team has to address this offseason. It's not even close.

Solid84 · December 12, 2022

3 hours ago, Superman said:

I think there are some issues with coaching and development. Even with Fisher, he struggled in pass pro, but we didn't help him as often as we should have. Same thing early this season with Pryor. I think Reich had his finger directly on the pulse of the offense in 2018, and I think he lost his touch gradually. Rivers shows up in 2020, and suddenly we run screens well, but once he retired that element of our offense was basically dysfunctional. There are some things that Reich really let get out of control, and it all came to a head over the last season and a half.

Related to that, wanting our young OL guys to replace Glowinski and Reed isn't unreasonable, that's SOP. (Same thing with the Edge players, btw; Houston and Autry weren't irreplaceable, we had a pipeline of young players that should have been able to fill their shoes.) I think we have a development issue over the last couple of years, and I think it starts with Reich, but Strausser is implicated as well. I don't agree that Ballard made the call to play Pinter and Pryor, I think that's a coaching decision all the way.

But that's not absolving Ballard of any responsibility. I said at the time that Leno was a better option, primarily because of Fisher's injury status. As it turns out, Leno got half of what we paid Fisher in 2021, and was twice as good, which is why he earned a fat contract while Fisher sat on the couch until a few days ago. And hearing Ballard question whether the LT prospects in 2021 were good enough, then watching Darrisaw become one of the best LTs in his second season, it's a negative for Ballard as well. That said, I don't agree that signing Fisher was a boneheaded move; he was excellent for several years before his Achilles. I just don't think it was the best option at the time, and it didn't work out well.

I don't know what you've heard from Ballard's pressers that makes you think they've been in "win now" mode. I can see getting that from Irsay, but his comments don't really match the decisions made by the team. And people getting all excited over Matt Ryan was always silly to me; I thought he'd be good for us, but I never felt like he was the difference maker that would make us a contender. (I also wonder whether a lot of the QB decisions were driven more by Reich and Irsay, and whether that's ultimately why Reich is gone and Ballard isn't. Just speculation on my part.)

To the point, it's my opinion that fixing the OL isn't all that difficult. It requires attention and some good decisions, but I honestly think that's a routine fix. I'm not ignoring how bad they are right now, I'm just not being a prisoner of the moment.

As it relates to being a contender again, I have the HC decision and the QB decision holding waaaay more importance than any other need this team has to address this offseason. It's not even close.

I generally agree coaching has been an issue and a big reason we are where we are.

On the Pryor and Pinter thing it's definitely Reich's (or Strausser's?) call to play them, and Ballard would likely trust his (their?) judgement. But, he's definitely in the business of evaluating talent and he must have been behind this decision for him not to go looking for an LT or RG.

The reason I call it a boneheaded move was that we had no capable bridge until Fisher was ready. He'd been injured throughout the entire offseason and preseason. He would of course had to get into game shape and be football ready and then he'd have to establish chemisty with the rest of the Oline. This on top of Leno practically begging to come here and wanting less money.

Ballard has said on multiple occasions he felt we could compete. Then add Irsay's comments and that we are building through the draft (mounting contracts eventually) and we're in the ball park of "win now" in my opinion. Also, instead of actually finding our future QB we've been shuffling bandaid. It had to be shared opinion by the team brass.

I don't think we are all that close to being a contender right now. Besides the players needed we're looking at a new HC (which could be Saturday), new playbook, new OC and new assistent coaches. If Ballard is gone we could well be looking at a new DC as well. I think we're closer to 2-3 years before we're near playoff level.

Superman · December 12, 2022

6 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

I generally agree coaching has been an issue and a big reason we are where we are.

On the Pryor and Pinter thing it's definitely Reich's (or Strausser's?) call to play them, and Ballard would likely trust his (their?) judgement. But, he's definitely in the business of evaluating talent and he must have been behind this decision for him not to go looking for an LT or RG.

The reason I call it a boneheaded move was that we had no capable bridge until Fisher was ready. He'd been injured throughout the entire offseason and preseason. He would of course had to get into game shape and be football ready and then he'd have to establish chemisty with the rest of the Oline. This on top of Leno practically begging to come here and wanting less money.

Ballard has said on multiple occasions he felt we could compete. Then add Irsay's comments and that we are building through the draft (mounting contracts eventually) and we're in the ball park of "win now" in my opinion. Also, instead of actually finding our future QB we've been shuffling bandaid. It had to be shared opinion by the team brass.

I don't think we are all that close to being a contender right now. Besides the players needed we're looking at a new HC (which could be Saturday), new playbook, new OC and new assistent coaches. If Ballard is gone we could well be looking at a new DC as well. I think we're closer to 2-3 years before we're near playoff level.

I think we know what the OL strategy was this year. Pryor being terrible at LT ruined the plan. I also don't think anyone predicted Kelly and Nelson would struggle as much as they did.

I wasn't a fan of the Fisher strategy, but Davenport and Te'vi being bad and hurt wasn't part of the plan. I'm with you on Leno.

Of course the GM and the owner felt we could compete. I don't think Ballard is a "win now" type of GM or decision maker, though. On a side note, that's actually my primary concern with him, whether he'll be more aggressive to compete in a very aggressive player acquisition environment, or if he'll stick to his measured, patient approach. And I don't think he's going to change his way of doing things, which is the biggest reason I'd say I think we need a new GM.

Irsay is always going to be bullish on his team, but his recent comments were likely more about him thinking we were getting something resembling a competent and capable Matt Ryan, and that we could protect him. I don't think anyone in the building thought our roster was on par with KC, Buffalo, Chargers, Bengals, or even the Dolphins. I do think they thought we could compete for the division; I think it's a major failure that we are once again getting son'd by the very average Titans.

I don't think it has to take 3 years to get back to the playoffs. Two years, sure, assuming we have a rookie QB next year. Longer than that, and I'd say we're off track. Even with what I perceive to be an average AFC roster, we should be in the hunt for the playoffs this year. Hire a good coach, fix the OL, and have a plan at QB, and we should be pushing hard in 2024. If not, we probably didn't get the HC right.

And I've always said, it's one thing to go from bad/underperforming to being a playoff team. What's really difficult is the jump from playoff team to true SB contender. It takes having a lot of things come together on the right schedule, and a lot of players reaching their potential, and a coaching staff that's humming. The Ravens are a good team, MVP level QB, SB winning HC, and they can't get past the divisional round of the playoffs. There's no timeline on making that jump, though.

bluephantom87 · December 13, 2022

18 hours ago, Superman said:

I think we know what the OL strategy was this year. Pryor being terrible at LT ruined the plan. I also don't think anyone predicted Kelly and Nelson would struggle as much as they did.

I wasn't a fan of the Fisher strategy, but Davenport and Te'vi being bad and hurt wasn't part of the plan. I'm with you on Leno.

Of course the GM and the owner felt we could compete. I don't think Ballard is a "win now" type of GM or decision maker, though. On a side note, that's actually my primary concern with him, whether he'll be more aggressive to compete in a very aggressive player acquisition environment, or if he'll stick to his measured, patient approach. And I don't think he's going to change his way of doing things, which is the biggest reason I'd say I think we need a new GM.

Irsay is always going to be bullish on his team, but his recent comments were likely more about him thinking we were getting something resembling a competent and capable Matt Ryan, and that we could protect him. I don't think anyone in the building thought our roster was on par with KC, Buffalo, Chargers, Bengals, or even the Dolphins. I do think they thought we could compete for the division; I think it's a major failure that we are once again getting son'd by the very average Titans.

I don't think it has to take 3 years to get back to the playoffs. Two years, sure, assuming we have a rookie QB next year. Longer than that, and I'd say we're off track. Even with what I perceive to be an average AFC roster, we should be in the hunt for the playoffs this year. Hire a good coach, fix the OL, and have a plan at QB, and we should be pushing hard in 2024. If not, we probably didn't get the HC right.

And I've always said, it's one thing to go from bad/underperforming to being a playoff team. What's really difficult is the jump from playoff team to true SB contender. It takes having a lot of things come together on the right schedule, and a lot of players reaching their potential, and a coaching staff that's humming. The Ravens are a good team, MVP level QB, SB winning HC, and they can't get past the divisional round of the playoffs. There's no timeline on making that jump, though.

That's also my MAIN problem with Ballard is his slow patient approach in an aggressive landscape. I feel the Colts are falling further behind the contenders who are not standing pat while the Colts plod along. At this point I honestly believe the Jags will leapfrog the Colts in the south and be the ones challenging the Titans for future division titles. (hope I'm wrong)

Can Ballard turn this around after six years on the job and ultimately get this team to SB contention? Maybe... I have my doubts based on the team's non ascending progression thus far. WHOEVER the gm is next season priority one should be dedicated to finding the RIGHT hc/qb combo. Get that wrong and contention for anything will seem like miles away in the loaded afc.

conklincolt · December 14, 2022

better not be dam it. 59 years now I've been a colts fan and a win against %hitcago is all I have. I only have so much time left on this planet. Pick it up quick or I may have to look elsewhere.But don't want to.

Superman · December 14, 2022

6 hours ago, bluephantom87 said:

That's also my MAIN problem with Ballard is his slow patient approach in an aggressive landscape. I feel the Colts are falling further behind the contenders who are not standing pat while the Colts plod along. At this point I honestly believe the Jags will leapfrog the Colts in the south and be the ones challenging the Titans for future division titles. (hope I'm wrong)

Can Ballard turn this around after six years on the job and ultimately get this team to SB contention? Maybe... I have my doubts based on the team's non ascending progression thus far. WHOEVER the gm is next season priority one should be dedicated to finding the RIGHT hc/qb combo. Get that wrong and contention for anything will seem like miles away in the loaded afc.

Jags are on their way up. Titans probably on their way down, unless they upgrade at QB and move away from the Henry-centric offense.

A Ballard-led turnaround would require a major adjustment in his approach. There's nothing wrong with building through the draft, but unless you're perfect, you are going to have to pay some free agents. And at a certain point, you're going to need to get aggressive in contract structure for a year or two. That's just the present reality. If Ballard won't play in that sandbox, then I don't think he can build a team that will really contend in today's NFL.

There's an alternate reality in which Wentz really works out for us in 2021, and Reich's vision for the offense materializes. Then going into this season, we sign a guy like Armstead, trade for a guy like McLaurin, Nelson and Kelly play well, and now our offense looks legit. Maybe we'd be in on the Bradley Chubb trade, or something like it, and we'd have a strong defense. We'd be the best team in the division, we'd be able to hang right there with the Chiefs, Bills, Dolphins, Bengals, etc. And the question would be whether we can finish in the playoffs. (There's another alternate reality in which Luck doesn't retire, and we do this in 2020.)

That would leave us with fewer future premium draft picks, and much less cap space in 2023/24. We eventually need to get rid of some good players, and lose some guys like Pittman, JT, Okereke, etc., in free agency. And if we can't finish in the playoffs within a couple years, we basically come up empty handed. I don't see Ballard ever doing this. That said, he wouldn't be the first GM to change his style. The current poster child for this type of team management is Les "* Them Picks" Snead, but he wasn't doing this back in 2017 when he was on the hot seat, beefing with Jeff Fisher. He dramatically changed his roster building approach, and it ultimately paid off for the team.

Rhodelesstraveled · December 17, 2022

Today's game in Minnesota show you just how bad and far away we are

IinD · December 17, 2022

48 minutes ago, Rhodelesstraveled said:

Today's game in Minnesota show you just how bad and far away we are

Yeah we're not to close.. Lol

ShuteAt168 · December 17, 2022

On 12/13/2022 at 11:12 PM, Superman said:

Jags are on their way up. Titans probably on their way down, unless they upgrade at QB and move away from the Henry-centric offense.

A Ballard-led turnaround would require a major adjustment in his approach. There's nothing wrong with building through the draft, but unless you're perfect, you are going to have to pay some free agents. And at a certain point, you're going to need to get aggressive in contract structure for a year or two. That's just the present reality. If Ballard won't play in that sandbox, then I don't think he can build a team that will really contend in today's NFL.

There's an alternate reality in which Wentz really works out for us in 2021, and Reich's vision for the offense materializes. Then going into this season, we sign a guy like Armstead, trade for a guy like McLaurin, Nelson and Kelly play well, and now our offense looks legit. Maybe we'd be in on the Bradley Chubb trade, or something like it, and we'd have a strong defense. We'd be the best team in the division, we'd be able to hang right there with the Chiefs, Bills, Dolphins, Bengals, etc. And the question would be whether we can finish in the playoffs. (There's another alternate reality in which Luck doesn't retire, and we do this in 2020.)

That would leave us with fewer future premium draft picks, and much less cap space in 2023/24. We eventually need to get rid of some good players, and lose some guys like Pittman, JT, Okereke, etc., in free agency. And if we can't finish in the playoffs within a couple years, we basically come up empty handed. I don't see Ballard ever doing this. That said, he wouldn't be the first GM to change his style. The current poster child for this type of team management is Les "* Them Picks" Snead, but he wasn't doing this back in 2017 when he was on the hot seat, beefing with Jeff Fisher. He dramatically changed his roster building approach, and it ultimately paid off for the team.

Good posts in this thread, my man.

Stephen · December 17, 2022

1 hour ago, Rhodelesstraveled said:

Today's game in Minnesota show you just how bad and far away we are