1/10 Ballard End of Season Presser

[Solid84]

Just now, rockywoj said:

JT’s “hands” looked to be just as good as most receiving RBs to me, plus he is WAY above average once the ball gets into his hands, especially in space.  Honestly, if JT is not a duel threat, then who is?

JT had multiple drops this years. 
 

JT is a dump-off RB. To be a legitimate threat in the passing game a RB has to have actual plays designed for him. Ironically, that would make Hines more of a dual threat RB… if he was actually a threat in the running game. 

JT just isn’t in my opinion. Besides the obvious RB screens JT didn’t have pass plays designed for him. We saw that from Hines from time to time, but Reich and Brady never used it consistently. 
 

I don’t think we’re going to agree on this - and we don’t have to. 

[EastStreet]

17 hours ago, Solid84 said:

I'm not saying he isn't a great runner, because he is, when he has a decent+ Oline. I think he is. But top RBs are legitimate threats in the passing game and JT just isn't. He can't pass block and he a dump-off target in the passing game.

 

JT had a great year catching the ball in 21 (and 20). Was better than Hines in 21, and was top 10 in RB pass yards most the year until our late collapse. Also and let's be honest, the OL was bad in 21 too. And then add all the "Wentz won't take the layups" talk. 

 

And he'd be obviously better with a better OL and QB. But the bigger thing IMO, is a new scheme with improved balance. With our short possession game, Ds focused on RBs and short passing. 

[Moosejawcolt]

On 1/10/2023 at 6:36 PM, joecolts said:

I’ve been very critical of Ballard throughout the season for the roster and the structure of the team.  I’ve said many times the blame rests with him as well as the performance in large part on Frank’s shoulders for being too soft and not demanding effort.  
 

Ballard has routinely over the years been smug about his position and borderline arrogant in defensive of his choices, decisions and vision.  Today, I saw a man who was humbled.  Admittedly apologize for his failures, that he openly owned.
 

I saw a different man in the presser and any man/women/child that owns their mistakes, states change will occur and admits they are largely to blame deserves a chance to fix the failures.  It’s not my team or decision but, I’m going to step back, shut up and give him a chance.  
 

 

He owns  his mistakes in another press confernce and said he knew things needed to change and here we r  4 and 12

[EastStreet]

13 hours ago, DougDew said:

 

 

I see these comments as tying together.  Ballard is charged with hiring a new HC (with Irsay making the final call).  Obviously, Ballard will tend to be attracted to a HC/OC that shares his vision for the offense.  The HC doesn't dictate scheme to Ballard.   Ballard sets the scheme for the O by hiring the coach (thereby when he gets players for the HC, he's actually getting the players HE wants because he's the one that hired the coach).  Unless Ballard is simply agnostic to scheme.

 

The presser confirms what some of us know, Ballard is not agnostic.  Ballard said that he will make adjustment to his roster thinking, but that he still believes in being solid up front.  Later, when asked the astute question of whether a team can afford to pay a RB in this League, he responded by saying that JT is a special player and that you pay special players (what he also said about Nelson and Leonard).  He had a lesser commitment to Pittman.

 

So it seems that Ballard will devote capital to the oline and RB positions on a greater percentage than another team who might say "you win with playmakers at the QB and receiver positions."  I would expect any HC to play to his roster strengths, so if Ballard believes in allocating capital to the way he implied he would, then the OC should be calling a lot of run.run.pass play sequences.   A run-first offense.  And such a HC/OC will be hired.   (Why some people think Harbaugh is a good fit with Ballard).

 

Do you need to devote pick 4 to a QB who will turn around and hand it to the expensive RB, and throw the ball to tall receivers who have a large catch radius and can make contested catches while running possession routes?  Selecting the QB high and paying the RB high seems inconsistent to me.

 

His coaching hire should tell us more about where he wants to take the offense, and what players he will then be getting for his HC.  I hope he understands how to get players for whatever scheme the HC wants (and he approves), and breaks away from getting "really good players no matter where they play".  His presser didn't give me a lot of comfort.

 

Totally disagree lol..

 

You really think Ballard would dictate scheme to tier 1 coach candidate... like Payton or Harbaugh... And you really Irsay would let that happen... giggle... 

 

Ballard will manage the search. Irsay will make the decision. And Irsay had most successful with a certain style QB/scheme. 

 

And not surprisingly, you're attempting to use very bland/expected comments from Ballard, to support your abstract view.  90+% GMs talk about the value of OL and DL. And 90+% of GMs will talk about the value of the running game. And 100ish% of GMs would say JT has been special in the past. 

 

[DougDew]

6 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

 

Totally disagree lol..

 

You really think Ballard would dictate scheme to tier 1 coach candidate... like Payton or Harbaugh... And you really Irsay would let that happen... giggle... 

 

Ballard will manage the search. Irsay will make the decision. And Irsay had most successful with a certain style QB/scheme. 

 

And not surprisingly, you're attempting to use very bland/expected comments from Ballard, to support your abstract view.  90+% GMs talk about the value of OL and DL. And 90+% of GMs will talk about the value of the running game. And 100ish% of GMs would say JT has been special in the past. 

 

Nice try.  Characterizing my comments as some sort of abstract puzzle then discarding them.

 

Never said anything about not deferring to a tier 1 coach.  But since you mentioned it.  We probably wouldn't know how much he conflicted with Harbaugh if they are both on the same page.  Most people assume that Payton would have control over the roster, and I would assume Ballard would defer in the company of a presence like Payton.

 

But in the real world now and the past 6 years, nothing about Ballard's comments suggests that he will defer to a coach when deciding on oline or paying special players, or some other things.  He's said the same things in the same way since he got here.  No reporter has asked him if he's ever deferred to his HC before or acted like Ballard is not driving the roster bus.  There is simply no question about it that he does, by anybody who is around the Colts.  There are only a few on this forum that suggest it.

[EastStreet]

1 minute ago, DougDew said:

Nice try.  Characterizing my comments as some sort of abstract puzzle then discarding them.

 

Never said anything about not deferring to a tier 1 coach.  But since you mentioned it.  We probably wouldn't know how much he conflicted with Harbaugh if they are both on the same page.  Most people assume that Payton would have control over the roster, and I would assume Ballard would defer in the company of a presence like Payton.

 

But in the real world now and the past 6 years, nothing about Ballard's comments suggests that he will defer to a coach when deciding on oline or paying special players, or some other things.  He's said the same things in the same way since he got here.  No reporter has asked him if he's ever deferred to his HC before or acted like Ballard is not driving the roster bus.  There is simply no question about it that he does, by anybody who is around the Colts.  There are only a few on this forum that suggest it.

 

I didn't say puzzle. I said abstract (definition -  existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.)

 

You characterize Ballard as one way, with little to no fact that supports your view. 

 

The last 3 QBs were certainly not dictated by Ballard. All 3 were very different. In fact, Frank's and Irsay's fingerprints are all the last 3. That kills your abstract view lol. And Ballard was GM speaking. Nothing surprising. And the points you used.... are 101 GM speak. 

 

Nice try.

[DougDew]

25 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

 

I didn't say puzzle. I said abstract (definition -  existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.)

 

You characterize Ballard as one way, with little to no fact that supports your view. 

 

The last 3 QBs were certainly not dictated by Ballard. All 3 were very different. In fact, Frank's and Irsay's fingerprints are all the last 3. That kills your abstract view lol. And Ballard was GM speaking. Nothing surprising. And the points you used.... are 101 GM speak. 

 

Nice try.

My views are based on Ballard's answers in the Presser.  What he said and how he said them.  There are no facts outside of him talking.  Its a presser.

 

My main point is that I did not hear anything in the presser to suggest that he was not expecting to drive the roster bus.  I heard no questions from Beat reporters that suggested that he wasn't ever in control.  Roster questions have gone to Ballard.  Knowing Irsay's history, I would always expect him to be involved in QB decisions or high first round picks or major trades.  Nothing new there.

 

I heard nothing to suggest that his fingerprints weren't the same as Frank's or Irsays' outside of the trade out from Wentz.  He talked his thoughts about taking a QB this draft.  He didn't say that he was going to wait until the HC got here and then they would all decide.  Not saying there won't be input, but he seems to feel its his pick to make.

 

Sure, a tier 1 HC and things change some at that point.

 

The abract-ish comments were explaining that salary cap devotions to oline and RB sort of limit the capital allocations that can be made to receivers and QB.  The GMs idea of roster building is going to influence what the offense is going to play like.   I see no evidence from Ballard that his decisions won't be cascading down to and through the HC an onto the field.  Hire the guy that agrees with his philosophy.  If he hires a new scheme coach, its because Ballard changed philosophies and not because the new HC has more influence than before. He's simply hired a different guy, but maintaining the same level of control. JMO.

[joecolts]

1 hour ago, Moosejawcolt said:

He owns  his mistakes in another press confernce and said he knew things needed to change and here we r  4 and 12

Again, I’m very comfortable with my position and comments.  You’re entitled to remain as mad as you choose to be.  I’m good with it.  

[Moosejawcolt]

6 minutes ago, joecolts said:

Again, I’m very comfortable with my position and comments.  You’re entitled to remain as mad as you choose to be.  I’m good with it.  

Absolutely its free speech

[EastStreet]

5 minutes ago, DougDew said:

My views are based on Ballard's answers in the Presser.  What he said and how he said them.  There are no facts outside of him talking.  Its a presser.

 

My main point is that I did not hear anything in the presser to suggest that he was not expecting to drive the roster bus.  I heard no questions from Beat reporters that suggested that he wasn't ever in control.  Roster questions have gone to Ballard.  Knowing Irsay's history, I would always expect him to be involved in QB decisions or high first round picks or major trades.  Nothing new there.

 

I heard nothing to suggest that his fingerprints weren't the same as Frank's or Irsays' outside of the trade out from Wentz.  He talked his thoughts about taking a QB this draft.  He didn't say that he was going to wait until the HC got here and then they would all decide.  Not saying there won't be input, but he seems to feel its his pick to make.

 

Sure, a tier 1 HC and things change some at that point.

 

The abract-ish comments were explaining that salary cap devotions to oline and RB sort of limit the capital allocations that can be made to receivers and QB.  The GMs idea of roster building is going to influence what the offense is going to play like.   I see no evidence from Ballard that his decisions won't be cascading down to and through the HC an onto the field.  Hire the guy that agrees with his philosophy.  If he hires a new scheme coach, its because Ballard changed philosophies and not because the new HC has more influence than before. He's simply hired a different guy, but maintaining the same level of control. JMO.

 

You cherry picked GM 101 speak stuff, to fit your view. Means zero. There were zero silver bullets. 

 

A HC will not be hired because fits Ballard's scheme.

 

If anything, the new HC's vision and scheme match with Irsay will be the most important. Heck, we know Irsay already went against with Ballard when he brought Saturday in. In short, Ballard might be the chauffer, but Irsay is calling plays.... 

[throwing BBZ]

31 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

 

You cherry picked GM 101 speak stuff, to fit your view. Means zero. There were zero silver bullets. 

 

A HC will not be hired because fits Ballard's scheme.

 

If anything, the new HC's vision and scheme match with Irsay will be the most important. Heck, we know Irsay already went against with Ballard when he brought Saturday in. In short, Ballard might be the chauffer, but Irsay is calling plays.... 

 

 Ballard has had full control of the D we play, and he and Irsay have been in agreement on run run pass, best explained by a big bully, expensive o-line, and Irsays encouragement to move up in the draft for a powerful between the tackles Taylor.

 I don't believe they want a Harbaugh or any other HC with great control.

 Ballard flat out said in the presser it won't take a top Elite QB to get us where we want to go. 

 It will be interesting to see where he leads Irsay and if Irsay can buy the story.

 I watched more Richardson tape and would be fine to trade back.

 

[VikingsFanInChennai]

1 hour ago, EastStreet said:

 

You cherry picked GM 101 speak stuff, to fit your view. Means zero. There were zero silver bullets. 

 

A HC will not be hired because fits Ballard's scheme.

 

If anything, the new HC's vision and scheme match with Irsay will be the most important. Heck, we know Irsay already went against with Ballard when he brought Saturday in. In short, Ballard might be the chauffer, but Irsay is calling plays.... 

I think @DougDewpointed out earlier that, for example, Ballard would look for a coach that'd have 4-3 defense and run oriented offense. Do you think a coach with different philosophy would be hired, and if it happened would it be easier to change and bring in the personnel needed to complement the scheme and say drafted QB? 

[EastStreet]

1 hour ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

 Ballard has had full control of the D we play, and he and Irsay have been in agreement on run run pass, best explained by a big bully, expensive o-line, and Irsays encouragement to move up in the draft for a powerful between the tackles Taylor.

 I don't believe they want a Harbaugh or any other HC with great control.

 Ballard flat out said in the presser it won't take a top Elite QB to get us where we want to go. 

 It will be interesting to see where he leads Irsay and if Irsay can buy the story.

 I watched more Richardson tape and would be fine to trade back.

 

 

IDK man. 

 

• D - normally a fair guess/assumption (when HC is an O guy, that GM has control over D), but the assumption was stronger before Gus. Not so much now. 
  • Gus is a 4-3, but very different in most ways from the past...
  • Went from C2 to C3
    • We added Gilmore and play more man than in past
    • Gus brought Facyson, who jumped Rodgers (who Ballard loved)
    • Played centerfield, and we didn't draft centerfield to fit C3. And Blackmon ended up playing NB and SS late in the year. 
  • DL changed
    • Went gap attack, from read react
    • Ballard drafted DE with profile, and Gus changed to a LEO scheme, and brought in Ngakoue and moved Paye to the left side (where normally he has big-DE).
  • LB - hard to tell with Leonard's injury, but we knew Gus was going to swap MIKE to WILL (Leonard and Oke).
  • In short, a ton of change. So either Ballard changed his scheme opinion, or either he simply supported his DC. Likely the later... 
• O - wouldn't say Irsay is good with RRP. We were #10 in passing % at 60%. We would have been higher had we didn't flip QBs multiple times, and went run heavy with Sam and Nick. 
• We went heavy OL in 2018 because they knew Luck was getting killed. We went cheap and rolled the dice the last 2 years. 
• I wouldn't say Ballard is "leading" Irsay at all. Ballard is managing the process, not the shot caller. I wouldn't expect Irsay research and call agents. But I do expect that Irsay gave Ballard a list, to go dig on, and set up meetings with. I'm sure Ballard will provide input, but IMO Irsay will do what he wants. If Ballard agrees, great, but not required. 
• Richardson's short game is very weak, and mechanics are poor. Great traits, but a long term project. 

[EastStreet]

14 minutes ago, VikingsFanInChennai said:

I think @DougDewpointed out earlier that, for example, Ballard would look for a coach that'd have 4-3 defense and run oriented offense. Do you think a coach with different philosophy would be hired, and if it happened would it be easier to change and bring in the personnel needed to complement the scheme and say drafted QB? 

 

I don't think we are tied to anything. We are interviewing for instance, the LA Rams DC (Morris) who runs a 3-4. While I don't see Indy going with a D HC, or changing to 3-4, but it wouldn't take much to convert to 3-4. Defo-Grover-Dayo would be a great 3 front. Paye could play the OLB/DE easy, and Ngakoue (or similar) would be fine at ROLB. 

 

And when we hired Frank, he was known for bad balance with Chargers (too much pass, too little running). So we weren't planning to make Luck a Jimmy G and become a run first team. And we were #10 in passing % this year, and would be higher had we went heavy run with Foles and Sam. 

 

Purely IMO, Irsay will hire the HC with best vision/plan. Regardless of scheme. Irsay however has most success with pass first teams (Manning and Luck). What Ballard said (we don't need an elite QB) is GM speak. Of course we'll say we'll be great regardless, but all GMs hope they find the elite QB. 

[VikingsFanInChennai]

17 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

 

I don't think we are tied to anything. We are interviewing for instance, the LA Rams DC (Morris) who runs a 3-4. While I don't see Indy going with a D HC, or changing to 3-4, but it wouldn't take much to convert to 3-4. Defo-Grover-Dayo would be a great 3 front. Paye could play the OLB/DE easy, and Ngakoue (or similar) would be fine at ROLB. 

 

And when we hired Frank, he was known for bad balance with Chargers (too much pass, too little running). So we weren't planning to make Luck a Jimmy G and become a run first team. And we were #10 in passing % this year, and would be higher had we went heavy run with Foles and Sam. 

 

Purely IMO, Irsay will hire the HC with best vision/plan. Regardless of scheme. Irsay however has most success with pass first teams (Manning and Luck). What Ballard said (we don't need an elite QB) is GM speak. Of course we'll say we'll be great regardless, but all GMs hope they find the elite QB. 

Yeah, shouldn't read too much into GM Pressers, they need to mask their plans as much as possible both inside the building and in front of the press. So, what we hear is mostly just lip service, while the true intention will only be slowly revealed through HC Hire, schematic changes, free agency and draft. It's a process, and this press conference would do little to give away any information on their plans. Also, plans would keep changing depending on who we get for HC, what players we get during draft / FA, who they target Vs who they end up getting. 

[EastStreet]

8 minutes ago, VikingsFanInChennai said:

Yeah, shouldn't read too much into GM Pressers, they need to mask their plans as much as possible both inside the building and in front of the press. So, what we hear is mostly just lip service, while the true intention will only be slowly revealed through HC Hire, schematic changes, free agency and draft. It's a process, and this press conference would do little to give away any information on their plans. Also, plans would keep changing depending on who we get for HC, what players we get during draft / FA, who they target Vs who they end up getting. 

 

Yup. Pressers are 99+% coach/gm/owner-speak lol.. 

Rarely do we get silver bullets, or anything that is not expected or not obvious. 

 

The HC search is easily priority #1.

If we get a big name, the HC will shape most of the vision/plan.

If we get a lesser name (retread, or promotion), Irsay and Ballard will help more with the vision/plan. 

Whatever happens, hope we have a stronger voice this time.

We've been fuzzy/cloudy for too long in terms of plan/vision/identity. 

[NewColtsFan]

On 1/10/2023 at 11:48 AM, adubb84 said:

What’s the main thing you were curious about?

I’m sorry, I haven’t responded yet.   I’m not ignoring you, I’m collecting a lot of thoughts and trying to organize them in my mind. 
 

I’ll try to have a good response soon. 

[DougDew]

14 hours ago, EastStreet said:

 

You cherry picked GM 101 speak stuff, to fit your view. Means zero. There were zero silver bullets. 

 

A HC will not be hired because fits Ballard's scheme.

 

If anything, the new HC's vision and scheme match with Irsay will be the most important. Heck, we know Irsay already went against with Ballard when he brought Saturday in. In short, Ballard might be the chauffer, but Irsay is calling plays.... 

 

Any reasonable person will notice that questions about roster have always gone to Ballard over Riech or Irsay, so there is an assumption that Ballard makes the call, and that assumption has never been materially challenged by the FO aside from them talking about having three headed convos around QBs.  Only a few people on this forum have questioned Ballard's authority over the general roster.  

 

Ballard will hire a HC because, in the end, it fits with his philosophy of who he wants to sign or draft.  He revealed that he prefers a stout up front and special players regardless of position.  If he settles on something different, it will be because Ballard changed his mind after listening to opposing arguments.  Nothing about the roster gets done without Ballard's approval on most things with Irsay approving more major items.  I don't even see why someone would debate that the decision chain is anything else.  And nothing in the presser suggested it would be anything different.

 

 

[Dobbinblitz]

Coltswire grades Ballard's 2022 Draft Class.

 

https://coltswire.usatoday.com/lists/indianapolis-colts-rookie-grades-2022-nfl-draft-class/

[GRUMPY OLD MAN]

i hope ballard follows the jags method who went in one season from last place to first place in the division. they did it by signing 8 free agents. that was how the rams won their super bowl. only building from the draft and low dollar free agents takes too long , 6 years now and heading down not up. i will support ballard if he quits being stubborn and changes his method of team building

[EastStreet]

On 1/12/2023 at 12:05 PM, DougDew said:

 

Any reasonable person will notice that questions about roster have always gone to Ballard over Riech or Irsay, so there is an assumption that Ballard makes the call, and that assumption has never been materially challenged by the FO aside from them talking about having three headed convos around QBs.  Only a few people on this forum have questioned Ballard's authority over the general roster.  

 

Ballard will hire a HC because, in the end, it fits with his philosophy of who he wants to sign or draft.  He revealed that he prefers a stout up front and special players regardless of position.  If he settles on something different, it will be because Ballard changed his mind after listening to opposing arguments.  Nothing about the roster gets done without Ballard's approval on most things with Irsay approving more major items.  I don't even see why someone would debate that the decision chain is anything else.  And nothing in the presser suggested it would be anything different.

 

 

It will be Irsay's decision. Simple. 

[NewColtsFan]

13 hours ago, DEFENSE said:

i hope ballard follows the jags method who went in one season from last place to first place in the division. they did it by signing 8 free agents. that was how the rams won their super bowl. only building from the draft and low dollar free agents takes too long , 6 years now and heading down not up. i will support ballard if he quits being stubborn and changes his method of team building

Interesting that you like the Jags approach.   There was a thread in 2022 about free agency over on the draft and free agency page.

 

And in the previous 10 years the Jags spent the most of any NFL team…..  $1.4 Billion dollars.  That’s BILLION with an B!  And before this year, what did they have to show for a decade of the most spending?   Almost nothing.   Even this year, all their spending got them was 9-8 to win the division. 
 

Just saying….

 

[GRUMPY OLD MAN]

how did all these gms who needed qbs wiff and not draft purdy

[NewColtsFan]

On 1/10/2023 at 11:48 AM, adubb84 said:

What’s the main thing you were curious about?

Thanks for your patience.   In no particular order, here are some questions I would’ve asked.   Heads up: it’s a very long post. 
 

1.   You say your core DNA is you win upfront with both lines.   But are there any other beliefs you’ve used that perhaps now you’re reconsidering?   A different type of defense?   A different type of wide receiver?   A different approach to free agency? 
 

2.     In September the owner is publicly saying Ryan could be the Colts QB for 3/4 more years.  Ryan was replaced in week 8 with insiders saying you wanted to do it sooner but didn’t want to replace him after he beat J’Ville so you waited till after the loss to Tenn.   That’s a very fast 180.   How did you get the Ryan eval so wrong so fast? 
 

3.   You say you thought your three good lineman would help the two weaker OL.  Turns out the opposite happened.  Are you concerned your three good OL each had their worst seasons?   Can they ever be what they once were?

 

4.   There are a number of serious issues to address this off-season.  But  is it realistic for fans to think a new head coach and staff are going to fix what is clearly broken in just one off-season?  Might this be a two-year fix? 

 

5.   Beyond ruling out drafting players due to injury, your draft board has been the smallest in the NFL every year due to concerns over character or height/weight/speed/length requirements.   Have these restrictions put your team at a competitive disadvantage?   Might your draft board ever get bigger? 
 

6.   In your first few years you said you would not sign a free agent with a hard to manage personality because the locker room wasn’t ready for that player.  But these past few years, you’ve said the locker room is finally strong enough to handle a big personality yet it doesn’t look like you’ve signed anyone who is hard to manage.   Will that ever change?

 

7.   Since you arrived you’ve said you emphasize character because the game is hard and you need players who are strong mentally to get thru tough times.  But with what has happened to your team from the last two games of last year and all the way thru this year, many fans are wondering “where is the character?”   Where have the team leaders been?   What can you say about this foundational issue? 
 

8.   You’re now heading into your 7th season.   Currently you’re without a franchise QB, you might have your LT of the future and it’s not clear that you have an effective 3-down pass rushing DE or a wide receiver that defenses would fear. These are the four most important positions in football.   How surprised are you to be where you find yourself?
 

9.   You have the highest paid guard and highest paid linebacker in football.  You’ve always said you’ll never regret paying your best players no matter what positions they play.   Does a season like the one you just suffered make you re-think that view?  
 

10.   This season you didn’t have one tight end with even an average blocking grade.   It looked like you badly missed Jack Doyle.   Do you believe you have an effective blocking tight end on the roster or could you be shopping for one this off-season? 
 

11.   For a variety of reasons, you’ve missed on drafting a number of defensive ends.   Obviously you hope that changes with Kwity and Dayo.   But have the misses forced you to re-evaluate how you judge the position?  
 

12.    Will your desire to run a certain type of offense and defense along with the roster construction that you’ve invested years in building impact who you ultimately pick for the new head coach? 
 

13.    You’ve said you believe Raimann showed enough improvement to be viewed as the LT of the future.   But what about Pinter?   Does his disappointing season change your view as possibly being the Center of the future? 
 

14.   You invested your first two picks in 21 at DE.   What’s your evaluation of Kwity and Dayo?   And could Dayo’s best position actually be inside at the 3-tech?  
 

15.   Understanding we’re all geniuses with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, do you have any regrets for how you handled the LT?   Fisher over Leno?   Not being able to resign Fisher?   Not signing another veteran like Duane Brown as insurance? 
 

16.   Almost all of your wide receivers fit a certain profile.  Tall.  Your shortest WR of your top-6 is 6 feet tall.   Would you consider adding a shorter, faster, shiftier WR that might at least give the Colts another look for defenses to consider? 
 

17.   In a season like this, anything positive has a tendency to get lost.  So, what did you see that you liked, that might have surprised you to the upside?   I’m talking about new players, older players coaches, you name it.   Who gets a shoutout from the general manager?  
 

Note:  I’m well aware that a number of these questions would likely get a GM-speak answer.  But I think you have to ask them after a disastrous season like this so you have an answer on the record.   You never know until the questions are asked. 

[Solid84]

7 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

Thanks for your patience.   In no particular order, here are some questions I would’ve asked.   Heads up: it’s a very long post. 
 

1.   You say your core DNA is you win upfront with both lines.   But are there any other beliefs you’ve used that perhaps now you’re reconsidering?   A different type of defense?   A different type of wide receiver?   A different approach to free agency? 
 

2.     In September the owner is publicly saying Ryan could be the Colts QB for 3/4 more years.  Ryan was replaced in week 8 with insiders saying you wanted to do it sooner but didn’t want to replace him after he beat J’Ville so you waited till after the loss to Tenn.   That’s a very fast 180.   How did you get the Ryan eval so wrong so fast? 
 

3.   You say you thought your three good lineman would help the two weaker OL.  Turns out the opposite happened.  Are you concerned your three good OL each had their worst seasons?   Can they ever be what they once were?

 

4.   There are a number of serious issues to address this off-season.  But it realistic for fans to think a new head coach and staff are going to fix what is clearly broken in just one off-season?

 

5.   Beyond ruling out drafting players due to injury, your draft board has been the smallest in the NFL, due to concerns over character or height/weight/speed/length requirements.   Have these restrictions put your team at a competitive disadvantage?   Might your draft board ever get bigger? 
 

6.   In your first few years you said you would not sign a free agent with a hard to manage personality because the locker room wasn’t ready for that player.  But these past few years, you’ve said the locker room is finally strong enough to handle a big personality yet it doesn’t look like you’ve signed anyone who is hard to manage.   Will that ever change?

 

7.   Since you arrived you’ve said you emphasize character because the game is hard and you need players who are strong mentally to get thru tough times.  But with what has happened to your team from the last two games of last year and all the way thru this year, many fans are wondering “where is the character?”   Where have the team leaders been?   What can you say about this foundational issue? 
 

8.   You’re now heading into your 7th season.   Currently you’re without a franchise QB, you might have your LT of the future and it’s not clear that you have an effective 3-down pass rushing DE or a wide receiver that defenses would fear. These are the four most important positions in football.   How surprised are you to be where you find yourself?
 

9.   You have the highest paid guard and highest paid linebacker in football.  You’ve always said you’ll never regret paying your best players no matter what positions they play.   Does a season like the one you just suffered make you re-think that view?  
 

10.   This season you didn’t have one tight end with even an average run blocking grade.   It looked like you badly missed Jack Doyle.   Do you believe you have an effective blocking tight end on the roster or could you be shopping for one this off-season? 
 

11.   For a variety of reasons, you’ve missed on drafting defensive ends.   Obviously you hope that changes with Kwity and Dayo.   But have the misses forced you to re-evaluate how you judge the position?  
 

12.    Will your desire to run a certain type of offense and defense along with the roster construction that you’ve invested years in building impact who you ultimately pick for the new head coach? 
 

13.    You’ve said you believe Raimann showed enough improvement to be viewed as the LT of the future.   But what about Pinter?   Does his disappointing season change your view as possibly being the Center of the future? 
 

14.   You invested your first two picks in 21 at DE.   What’s your evaluation of Kwity and Dayo?   And could Dayo’s best position actually be inside at the 3-tech?  
 

15.   Understanding we’re all geniuses with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, do you have any regrets for how you handled the LT?   Fisher over Leno?   Not being able to resign Fisher?   Not signing another veteran like Duane Brown as insurance? 
 

16.   Almost all of your wide receivers fit a certain profile.  Tall.  Your shortest WR of your top-6 is 6 feet tall.   Would you consider adding a shorter, faster, shiftier WR that might at least give the Colts another look for defenses to consider? 
 

17.   In a season like this, anything positive has a tendency to get lost.  So, what did you see that you liked, that might have surprised you to the upside?   I’m talking about new players, older players coaches, you name it.   Who gets a shoutout from the general manager?  
 

Note:  I’m well aware that a number of these questions would likely get a GM-speak answer.  But I think you have to ask them after a disastrous season like this so you have an answer on the record.   You never know until the questions are asked. 

I think you nailed it, top to bottom. I wish local media had the cojonas to ask these questions. Not to “call out” Ballard, but to actually get his opinion and to know if he’s capable of changing his approach. 

[NewColtsFan]

6 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

I think you nailed it, top to bottom. I wish local media had the cojonas to ask these questions. Not to “call out” Ballard, but to actually get his opinion and to know if he’s capable of changing his approach. 

And I thought of one more.   
 

18.   Over the years you’ve defended your approach to the quarterback position by saying the team was ready to win now and that’s why you went with veterans.  But you’d also say if you drafted a QB and he didn’t pan out that you’d be run out of town.   That comment has some fans believing you’re afraid to make the big decision for fear of losing your job.   What would you say to those fans?  

 

As for the questions, part of it is the words you use and part of it is the tone of your voice.  You have to be respectful and not accusatory….  You’re not trying to nail the person with a gotcha question designed to make the person look bad.   It’s harder than it might seem. 

 

Thanks again….   

[crazycolt1]

2 hours ago, DEFENSE said:

how did all these gms who needed qbs wiff and not draft purdy

How? It happens every year with every draft. 

It also helps when a rookie QB starts for a great team. Purdy fell into a position that rookie QBs rarely fall into.  

[NewColtsFan]

18 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

How? It happens every year with every draft. 

It also helps when a rookie QB starts for a great team. Purdy fell into a position that rookie QBs rarely fall into.  

Huh?   Every year, every draft?   What?!? 

 

The last time the NFL has seen something like Brock Purdy was 25 years ago with a guy named Tom Brady.  
 

Sure there are players taken after the first round that out perform their draft position, but we’re talking about pick 256 (Mr. Irrelevant) leading his team brilliantly into the playoffs.  That does not happen every year.  Far from it. 

[crazycolt1]

8 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

Huh?   Every year, every draft?   What?!? 

 

The last time the NFL has seen something like Brock Purdy was 25 years ago with a guy named Tom Brady.  
 

Sure there are players taken after the first round that out perform their draft position, but we’re talking about pick 256 (Mr. Irrelevant) leading his team brilliantly into the playoffs.  That does not happen every year.  Far from it. 

Nonsense.  There are players every draft that are overlooked. 

[crazycolt1]

Should have went for the points 

[NewColtsFan]

58 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

Nonsense.  There are players every draft that are overlooked. 

Of course there are.   That’s not in dispute.  
 

But not like Brock Purdy.   He’s on an entirely different level, especially at quarterback.  

[Nickster]

2 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Thanks for your patience.   In no particular order, here are some questions I would’ve asked.   Heads up: it’s a very long post. 
 

1.   You say your core DNA is you win upfront with both lines.   But are there any other beliefs you’ve used that perhaps now you’re reconsidering?   A different type of defense?   A different type of wide receiver?   A different approach to free agency? 
 

2.     In September the owner is publicly saying Ryan could be the Colts QB for 3/4 more years.  Ryan was replaced in week 8 with insiders saying you wanted to do it sooner but didn’t want to replace him after he beat J’Ville so you waited till after the loss to Tenn.   That’s a very fast 180.   How did you get the Ryan eval so wrong so fast? 
 

3.   You say you thought your three good lineman would help the two weaker OL.  Turns out the opposite happened.  Are you concerned your three good OL each had their worst seasons?   Can they ever be what they once were?

 

4.   There are a number of serious issues to address this off-season.  But  is it realistic for fans to think a new head coach and staff are going to fix what is clearly broken in just one off-season?  Might this be a two-year fix? 

 

5.   Beyond ruling out drafting players due to injury, your draft board has been the smallest in the NFL every year due to concerns over character or height/weight/speed/length requirements.   Have these restrictions put your team at a competitive disadvantage?   Might your draft board ever get bigger? 
 

6.   In your first few years you said you would not sign a free agent with a hard to manage personality because the locker room wasn’t ready for that player.  But these past few years, you’ve said the locker room is finally strong enough to handle a big personality yet it doesn’t look like you’ve signed anyone who is hard to manage.   Will that ever change?

 

7.   Since you arrived you’ve said you emphasize character because the game is hard and you need players who are strong mentally to get thru tough times.  But with what has happened to your team from the last two games of last year and all the way thru this year, many fans are wondering “where is the character?”   Where have the team leaders been?   What can you say about this foundational issue? 
 

8.   You’re now heading into your 7th season.   Currently you’re without a franchise QB, you might have your LT of the future and it’s not clear that you have an effective 3-down pass rushing DE or a wide receiver that defenses would fear. These are the four most important positions in football.   How surprised are you to be where you find yourself?
 

9.   You have the highest paid guard and highest paid linebacker in football.  You’ve always said you’ll never regret paying your best players no matter what positions they play.   Does a season like the one you just suffered make you re-think that view?  
 

10.   This season you didn’t have one tight end with even an average blocking grade.   It looked like you badly missed Jack Doyle.   Do you believe you have an effective blocking tight end on the roster or could you be shopping for one this off-season? 
 

11.   For a variety of reasons, you’ve missed on drafting a number of defensive ends.   Obviously you hope that changes with Kwity and Dayo.   But have the misses forced you to re-evaluate how you judge the position?  
 

12.    Will your desire to run a certain type of offense and defense along with the roster construction that you’ve invested years in building impact who you ultimately pick for the new head coach? 
 

13.    You’ve said you believe Raimann showed enough improvement to be viewed as the LT of the future.   But what about Pinter?   Does his disappointing season change your view as possibly being the Center of the future? 
 

14.   You invested your first two picks in 21 at DE.   What’s your evaluation of Kwity and Dayo?   And could Dayo’s best position actually be inside at the 3-tech?  
 

15.   Understanding we’re all geniuses with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, do you have any regrets for how you handled the LT?   Fisher over Leno?   Not being able to resign Fisher?   Not signing another veteran like Duane Brown as insurance? 
 

16.   Almost all of your wide receivers fit a certain profile.  Tall.  Your shortest WR of your top-6 is 6 feet tall.   Would you consider adding a shorter, faster, shiftier WR that might at least give the Colts another look for defenses to consider? 
 

17.   In a season like this, anything positive has a tendency to get lost.  So, what did you see that you liked, that might have surprised you to the upside?   I’m talking about new players, older players coaches, you name it.   Who gets a shoutout from the general manager?  
 

Note:  I’m well aware that a number of these questions would likely get a GM-speak answer.  But I think you have to ask them after a disastrous season like this so you have an answer on the record.   You never know until the questions are asked. 

Good list.  Some of us have been posing similar questions on this board for a few seasons now.

[ClaytonColt]

Here's another question....

 

"You came to the Colts at almost exactly the same time as John Lynch went to the 49ers so the comparisons are natural and obvious. How would you evaluate his more aggressive style against your passive one? How would you compare the two rosters at this point?"

 

 

[NewColtsFan]

9 minutes ago, Nickster said:

Good list.  Some of us have been posing similar questions on this board for a few seasons now.

I know.   A fair number of my questions were specifically for you and Moose and Doug and Jared and Defjamz and others.   I felt it was only fair to ask those questions.   

[Dobbinblitz]

3 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Thanks for your patience.   In no particular order, here are some questions I would’ve asked.   Heads up: it’s a very long post. 
 

1.   You say your core DNA is you win upfront with both lines.   But are there any other beliefs you’ve used that perhaps now you’re reconsidering?   A different type of defense?   A different type of wide receiver?   A different approach to free agency? 
 

2.     In September the owner is publicly saying Ryan could be the Colts QB for 3/4 more years.  Ryan was replaced in week 8 with insiders saying you wanted to do it sooner but didn’t want to replace him after he beat J’Ville so you waited till after the loss to Tenn.   That’s a very fast 180.   How did you get the Ryan eval so wrong so fast? 
 

3.   You say you thought your three good lineman would help the two weaker OL.  Turns out the opposite happened.  Are you concerned your three good OL each had their worst seasons?   Can they ever be what they once were?

 

4.   There are a number of serious issues to address this off-season.  But  is it realistic for fans to think a new head coach and staff are going to fix what is clearly broken in just one off-season?  Might this be a two-year fix? 

 

5.   Beyond ruling out drafting players due to injury, your draft board has been the smallest in the NFL every year due to concerns over character or height/weight/speed/length requirements.   Have these restrictions put your team at a competitive disadvantage?   Might your draft board ever get bigger? 
 

6.   In your first few years you said you would not sign a free agent with a hard to manage personality because the locker room wasn’t ready for that player.  But these past few years, you’ve said the locker room is finally strong enough to handle a big personality yet it doesn’t look like you’ve signed anyone who is hard to manage.   Will that ever change?

 

7.   Since you arrived you’ve said you emphasize character because the game is hard and you need players who are strong mentally to get thru tough times.  But with what has happened to your team from the last two games of last year and all the way thru this year, many fans are wondering “where is the character?”   Where have the team leaders been?   What can you say about this foundational issue? 
 

8.   You’re now heading into your 7th season.   Currently you’re without a franchise QB, you might have your LT of the future and it’s not clear that you have an effective 3-down pass rushing DE or a wide receiver that defenses would fear. These are the four most important positions in football.   How surprised are you to be where you find yourself?
 

9.   You have the highest paid guard and highest paid linebacker in football.  You’ve always said you’ll never regret paying your best players no matter what positions they play.   Does a season like the one you just suffered make you re-think that view?  
 

10.   This season you didn’t have one tight end with even an average blocking grade.   It looked like you badly missed Jack Doyle.   Do you believe you have an effective blocking tight end on the roster or could you be shopping for one this off-season? 
 

11.   For a variety of reasons, you’ve missed on drafting a number of defensive ends.   Obviously you hope that changes with Kwity and Dayo.   But have the misses forced you to re-evaluate how you judge the position?  
 

12.    Will your desire to run a certain type of offense and defense along with the roster construction that you’ve invested years in building impact who you ultimately pick for the new head coach? 
 

13.    You’ve said you believe Raimann showed enough improvement to be viewed as the LT of the future.   But what about Pinter?   Does his disappointing season change your view as possibly being the Center of the future? 
 

14.   You invested your first two picks in 21 at DE.   What’s your evaluation of Kwity and Dayo?   And could Dayo’s best position actually be inside at the 3-tech?  
 

15.   Understanding we’re all geniuses with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, do you have any regrets for how you handled the LT?   Fisher over Leno?   Not being able to resign Fisher?   Not signing another veteran like Duane Brown as insurance? 
 

16.   Almost all of your wide receivers fit a certain profile.  Tall.  Your shortest WR of your top-6 is 6 feet tall.   Would you consider adding a shorter, faster, shiftier WR that might at least give the Colts another look for defenses to consider? 
 

17.   In a season like this, anything positive has a tendency to get lost.  So, what did you see that you liked, that might have surprised you to the upside?   I’m talking about new players, older players coaches, you name it.   Who gets a shoutout from the general manager?  
 

Note:  I’m well aware that a number of these questions would likely get a GM-speak answer.  But I think you have to ask them after a disastrous season like this so you have an answer on the record.   You never know until the questions are asked. 

A good deal of thought was put into this -some excellent questions here. Would have loved to hear the responses to the questions.

[NewColtsFan]

3 hours ago, Solid84 said:

I think you nailed it, top to bottom. I wish local media had the cojonas to ask these questions. Not to “call out” Ballard, but to actually get his opinion and to know if he’s capable of changing his approach. 

Whoops!   I thought of another.   This would be #19.

 

You’ve always said you recognize that a free agent might be worth more to another team than they are to the Colts so you understand if a FA goes elsewhere.   It was reported the difference between what you offered D’nico Autry and what he signed for was very small.   Does the fact Autry has had the two best seasons of his career  for a division rival make you re-think the formula you use to determine how much you offer a player? 
 

I suspect I’m going to come up with another….   It’s only a matter of time.  

[throwing BBZ]

11 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Whoops!   I thought of another.   This would be #19.

 

You’ve always said you recognize that a free agent might be worth more to another team than they are to the Colts so you understand if a FA goes elsewhere.   It was reported the difference between what you offered D’nico Autry and what he signed for was very small.   Does the fact Autry has had the two best seasons of his career  for a division rival make you re-think the formula you use to determine how much you offer a player? 
 

I suspect I’m going to come up with another….   It’s only a matter of time.  

 

  Well that's a good question. We made what we considered to be a substantial offer to a good player.

 Mind you though, Denico had played consistenly good football for us but his sack numbers didn't reflect his overall effectiveness as a pass rusher.

 Neither he nor Houston got the level of pressures, hits-hurries that we think it requires to be an effective defense. And we had, right or wrong, belief that our younger players were showing the kinds of improvement that warranted giving them their opportunity.

 Denico has been effective for our rival, but who is to say whether he would have looked the same here, playing under our DC's coaching philosophy?

 Next question.

 Ohh, as we consider depth for 2023, i believe we should take a look at J Houston. 

[throwing BBZ]

16 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Thanks for your patience.   In no particular order, here are some questions I would’ve asked.   Heads up: it’s a very long post. 
 

1.   You say your core DNA is you win upfront with both lines.   But are there any other beliefs you’ve used that perhaps now you’re reconsidering?   A different type of defense?   A different type of wide receiver?   A different approach to free agency? 

  Defense? No, we play what most teams play. We will continue to scout and draft, sign the best players we can. And count on our coaches to develop them.

 WR? Frank had a wide variety of weapons that he told us he believed in and that gave him ample ability to attack defenses. By mid-season it became clear that Hines, MO, Strachan, and others that he had assured me they were enough over the last few years, well, he was wrong about making them work.

  FA? We are always looking. Evaluating, developing our own players, will always come first. It's important we get that right.

  
2.     In September the owner is publicly saying Ryan could be the Colts QB for 3/4 more years.  Ryan was replaced in week 8 with insiders saying you wanted to do it sooner but didn’t want to replace him after he beat J’Ville so you waited till after the loss to Tenn.   That’s a very fast 180.   How did you get the Ryan eval so wrong so fast? 

 180? There were a lot of things not going right. We started seeing it last year. We gave Frank an opportunity to lead his team, to right the ship.

  His teams usually start slow, so we were patient once again. By about game 5 when you expect a turn for the better things actually started crumbling. There were things that were seen from the inside that were very noticeable and troubling. It became clear Frank needed replaced.

 We got there when we got there. 
 

3.   You say you thought your three good lineman would help the two weaker OL.  Turns out the opposite happened.  Are you concerned your three good OL each had their worst seasons?   Can they ever be what they once were?

  three good?  To be honest - two good and one trying to hang on.

  But of course your vets should be helpfull to build the necessary cohessiveness. We have looked deep at the inner workings of why we made the decisions to count on Pryor and Pinter. Clearly there was a collective failure. Kelly had some injury issues and wasn't the LT option we counted on. Bernhard came on very quickly once Saturday came aboard. I feel very good about him going forward. We will fix RG!

  Q and Smith have a lot to prove. But they need better play around them, including from our TE's, RB's, and coaching in general.

 

4.   There are a number of serious issues to address this off-season.  But  is it realistic for fans to think a new head coach and staff are going to fix what is clearly broken in just one off-season?  Might this be a two-year fix? 

  It's a new year with new personel challenges. If we bring in a Rookie QB they typically take 3 years to figure it out. So yeah, we have a lot to get better at with a new HC. The only "fix" is to be good enough to be a worthy SB challenger. We have a lot to get better at so we will see.

 

5.   Beyond ruling out drafting players due to injury, your draft board has been the smallest in the NFL every year due to concerns over character or height/weight/speed/length requirements.   Have these restrictions put your team at a competitive disadvantage?   Might your draft board ever get bigger? 

   Character is an important part of the process. There are plenty of good prospects to choose from every time we pick. Character can separate the choice we make.

6.   In your first few years you said you would not sign a free agent with a hard to manage personality because the locker room wasn’t ready for that player.  But these past few years, you’ve said the locker room is finally strong enough to handle a big personality yet it doesn’t look like you’ve signed anyone who is hard to manage.   Will that ever change?

  I don't believe fans have an ounce of the information that we do to make any judgement regarding "hard to manage". Something that we know is that Team leaders, in a healthy work environment, don't want such distraction in their house.

 

7.   Since you arrived you’ve said you emphasize character because the game is hard and you need players who are strong mentally to get thru tough times.  But with what has happened to your team from the last two games of last year and all the way thru this year, many fans are wondering “where is the character?”   Where have the team leaders been?   What can you say about this foundational issue? 

   FRANK was fired. He and his philosophies were not working for our players. We will do our best to make this a positive change for all.
 

8.   You’re now heading into your 7th season.   Currently you’re without a franchise QB, you might have your LT of the future and it’s not clear that you have an effective 3-down pass rushing DE or a wide receiver that defenses would fear. These are the four most important positions in football.   How surprised are you to be where you find yourself?

   I came here with Luck as our QB. WE Collectively made choices on how to proceed. Looking back, we definitely let preacher Frank guide our path forward out of faith. Knowing what we know now, we should have made Sirianni HC.

  We HAVE a really good LT prospect, we really like our DE situation, and we expect to have the necessary weapons for a good OC to dismember a D. But we can always look to improve that.    
 

9.   You have the highest paid guard and highest paid linebacker in football.  You’ve always said you’ll never regret paying your best players no matter what positions they play.   Does a season like the one you just suffered make you re-think that view?  

  NOT at all. Other successful teams pay the same positions similar money. As long as you draft well and have a number of quality starters on their 1st contracts there is money to pay your best players.
 

10.   This season you didn’t have one tight end with even an average blocking grade.   It looked like you badly missed Jack Doyle.   Do you believe you have an effective blocking tight end on the roster or could you be shopping for one this off-season? 

  BLOCKING by our TE's was overall poor. Mo and Granson are overall failures under Frank. I will move them. We will keep working with our two young promising rookies and we will aggressively look to fix what was a big problem.
 

11.   For a variety of reasons, you’ve missed on drafting a number of defensive ends.   Obviously you hope that changes with Kwity and Dayo.   But have the misses forced you to re-evaluate how you judge the position?  

  YES   Turay, Banogu, and injury prone Lewis have been big setbacks to what we were trying to build. That additional draft capital could have helped fix a couple of our biggest holes. How we look at each position is always under scrutiny. We feel good about Kwity and Dayo and feel we got them right.
 

12.    Will your desire to run a certain type of offense and defense along with the roster construction that you’ve invested years in building impact who you ultimately pick for the new head coach? 

  WE  are looking at this opportunity with an open mind.
 

13.    You’ve said you believe Raimann showed enough improvement to be viewed as the LT of the future.   But what about Pinter?   Does his disappointing season change your view as possibly being the Center of the future? 

  PINTER  as the center of the future was a forum thing. Kelly is of the age that he might have been here for many more years. Today, that is under question. IF, we move on from Kelly we will do the best we can to have a worthy replacement. Pinter would compete for the job.

  
 

14.   You invested your first two picks in 21 at DE.   What’s your evaluation of Kwity and Dayo?   And could Dayo’s best position actually be inside at the 3-tech?  

   THEY   look good. We need more depth. I favor having that off side DE being able to move inside. Some tell me i got it wrong with Lewis. He is just to light.  Dayo is bigger and better suited but would be better suited inside if he weighed 10 more pounds, which would take away from his ability to rush and pursue outside. I think we should have real depth at tackle. 
 

15.   Understanding we’re all geniuses with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, do you have any regrets for how you handled the LT?   Fisher over Leno?   Not being able to resign Fisher?   Not signing another veteran like Duane Brown as insurance? 

  LENO  was average plus in Chicago. He played one year cheap in WASH and had a career year and got a big contract. We saw Fisher pretty quickly run block like i had hoped, Extremely well. Unfortunately he got dinged and it hurt our run game. His pass blocking was just not what i expected.  The way it goes sometimes.
 

16.   Almost all of your wide receivers fit a certain profile.  Tall.  Your shortest WR of your top-6 is 6 feet tall.   Would you consider adding a shorter, faster, shiftier WR that might at least give the Colts another look for defenses to consider? 

  YES  we will look at what we had been doing and at what our future HC needs to be able to execute his game plans and try to build our roster accordingly.
 

17.   In a season like this, anything positive has a tendency to get lost.  So, what did you see that you liked, that might have surprised you to the upside?   I’m talking about new players, older players coaches, you name it.   Who gets a shoutout from the general manager?  

  WE  like our young players and their upside. I have to love the effort Buck, and Grover put out week after week. Two amazing guys that are great leaders that never quit playing. They love the game and it shows.
 

Note:  I’m well aware that a number of these questions would likely get a GM-speak answer.  But I think you have to ask them after a disastrous season like this so you have an answer on the record.   You never know until the questions are asked. 

 

[AKB]

 

[throwing BBZ]

On 1/11/2023 at 1:00 PM, Solid84 said:

JT had multiple drops this years. 
 

JT is a dump-off RB. To be a legitimate threat in the passing game a RB has to have actual plays designed for him. Ironically, that would make Hines more of a dual threat RB… if he was actually a threat in the running game. 

JT just isn’t in my opinion. Besides the obvious RB screens JT didn’t have pass plays designed for him. We saw that from Hines from time to time, but Reich and Brady never used it consistently. 
 

I don’t think we’re going to agree on this - and we don’t have to. 

 

 You nailed what we have seen from him so far. He is just a dump off, sceen guy. And the ball better be right on target as he is not the kind of guy to make the difficult catch.