Don’t be surprised…

[BlackTiger]

Running backs are a weird quirk in the "premium position" discussion.  No one puts them in that group but we did win a lot of games because of Taylor.

 

Blocking matters but an average back wouldnt have broken off the big runs he did.

[NewColtsFan]

2 hours ago, Solid84 said:

None of those play premium positions though.

I know.    But as I just wrote to Nickster, Ballard didn’t pick those guys INSTEAD of the guys who play QB, WR, or DE.   The elite players at those positions are few and far between.   Maybe one or two at those positions in any given draft.  Sometimes zero.  And every team wants an elite QB, elite DE, and elite WR.  
 

But Leonard was premium to Ballard.   He said long before he picked Leonard that the WILL was the 2nd most important position in the defense he wanted to run behind only the 3-tech.  And Leonard’s first four years he put up numbers that no linebacker in the history of the game has ever posted.  Four years of Hall of Fame level performance.  Same with Nelson.  Hall of Fame performance.   And Taylor is a top-2/4 RB with pick 41.   Like what Tennessee has with Henry.   That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. 
 

Clearly Ballard has made mistakes,  there’s no other way to explain 4-12-1.   And frankly, it felt much worse than that to me. I said throughout this season that I thought Ballard was no better than 50/50 to keep his job.   Irsay decided to keep him — for now.   But how long will Irsay allow Ballard to keep his job is anybody's guess. 

 

 

 

[csmopar]

1 hour ago, stitches said:

I wish people would stop treating Ballard like he's some innocent bystander to his own decision. Part of the reason we don't have stability at QB is his own decisions. It's HIS JOB to secure stability and high performance at QB. 6 years into his tenure and 4 years after Luck retired, we still have no stability at QB. I get it that he didn't get dealt the best possible hand when Luck retired. I bet it sucked for him as much as if not more than it sucked for us as fans. But there are a ton of teams that didn't even have the luxury of having an Andrew Luck to begin with and have found their QB since. 

 

The Chargers didn't have their QB when Luck retired. The Jags didn't have their QB when Luck retired. The Dolphins didn't have their QB when Luck retired. The Bengals didn't have their QB when Luck retired. Philly didn't have their QB when Luck retired, the Giants didn't have their QB when Luck retired, the Bucs didn't have their QB when Luck retired, the 49ers didn't have their QB when Luck retired. That's more than half of the playoff teams in the league. 

 

Please guys stop giving more and more excuses to Ballard. It's HIS JOB.

I would ask this. Ballard definitely could and probably should have taken a shot at QB.

 

that said, we can’t change it now. We just gotta fix it going forward. 

[Nickster]

2 hours ago, Indyfan4life said:

I wAs NeVeR gOnNa SaY "bUt ThE oLiNe!"

 

I just said it's subjective, because not every single GM is going to have the exact same position in mind as premium, especially when it comes to a specific spot needed. Some of you put way too much stock into a single word.

Every single GM knows that QB, EDge, WR, and OTs are the most important position.  Every.  Single.  One of them

[Nickster]

43 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

I know.    But as I just wrote to Nickster, Ballard didn’t pick those guys INSTEAD of the guys who play QB, WR, or DE.   The elite players at those positions are few and far between.   Maybe one or two at those positions in any given draft.  Sometimes zero.  And every team wants an elite QB, elite DE, and elite WR.  
 

But Leonard was premium to Ballard.   He said long before he picked Leonard that the WILL was the 2nd most important position in the defense he wanted to run behind only the 3-tech.  And Leonard’s first four years he put up numbers that no linebacker in the history of the game has ever posted.  Four years of Hall of Fame level performance.  Same with Nelson.  Hall of Fame performance.   And Taylor is a top-2/4 RB with pick 41.   Like what Tennessee has with Henry.   That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. 
 

Clearly Ballard has made mistakes,  there’s no other way to explain 4-12-1.   And frankly, it felt much worse than that to me. I said throughout this season that I thought Ballard was no better than 50/50 to keep his job.   Irsay decided to keep him — for now.   But how long will Irsay allow Ballard to keep his job is anybody's guess. 

 

 

 

Bolded is One of the main reasons he should be let go.  That’s ludicrous.  

[2006Coltsbestever]

5 minutes ago, Nickster said:

Every single GM knows that QB, EDge, WR, and OTs are the most important position.  Every.  Single.  One of them

So does Ballard, just because he hasn't drafted a good or great one yet doesn't mean he doesn't know this. I think everyone will agree with your post, I do, but that doesn't mean Nelson, Leonard, and Taylor aren't great players either. Some in here just want to poo poo those 3 players. 

 

Also Ballard did bring in Rivers which gave us a legit shot at winning it all - we went 11-5 that season. We lost to a red hot Buffalo team by 3 points at Buffalo when Allen was playing out of his rear. He also brought in Justin Houston who had 10 sacks here in his 1st year.

[Nickster]

5 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

So does Ballard, just because he hasn't drafted a good or great one yet doesn't mean he doesn't know this. I think everyone will agree with your post, I do, but that doesn't mean Nelson, Leonard, and Taylor aren't great players either. Some in here just want to poo poo those 3 players. 

 

Also Ballard did bring in Rivers which gave us a legit shot at winning it all - we went 11-5 that season. We lost to a red hot Buffalo team by 3 points at Buffalo when Allen was playing out of his rear. He also brought in Justin Houston who had 10 sacks here in his 1st year.

I’m not saying they aren’t good they just aren’t that valuable.  
 

dude seriously ,  saying you’d take Nelson over any other oline man has got to be intentionally obtuse.  It’s literally one of the most ridiculous statements I’ve ever heard.

[Solid84]

55 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

I know.    But as I just wrote to Nickster, Ballard didn’t pick those guys INSTEAD of the guys who play QB, WR, or DE.   The elite players at those positions are few and far between.   Maybe one or two at those positions in any given draft.  Sometimes zero.  And every team wants an elite QB, elite DE, and elite WR.  
 

But Leonard was premium to Ballard.   He said long before he picked Leonard that the WILL was the 2nd most important position in the defense he wanted to run behind only the 3-tech.  And Leonard’s first four years he put up numbers that no linebacker in the history of the game has ever posted.  Four years of Hall of Fame level performance.  Same with Nelson.  Hall of Fame performance.   And Taylor is a top-2/4 RB with pick 41.   Like what Tennessee has with Henry.   That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. 
 

Clearly Ballard has made mistakes,  there’s no other way to explain 4-12-1.   And frankly, it felt much worse than that to me. I said throughout this season that I thought Ballard was no better than 50/50 to keep his job.   Irsay decided to keep him — for now.   But how long will Irsay allow Ballard to keep his job is anybody's guess. 

 

 

 

Then you manoeuvre to get what you need or failing that trade for the talent. And of course hitting in the draft is difficult, but if you don't try you DEFINITELY never get a hit.

 

I'm not saying Nelson or Leonard aren't good and I never have. But, even with Leonard's performance these last few years this defense STILL ranks as average over all. That's what I'm saying. If we had a DE or CB producing at a similar level to Leonard this defense would've been much better. That's positional value. Instead we're sinking money into non-premium positions which will never give back equivalent production to their cost.

 

How many non-premium players must we pay before this becomes a serious problem? It will eat up our cap space. JT's wanting a new contract soon, who's next?

[2006Coltsbestever]

31 minutes ago, Nickster said:

I’m not saying they aren’t good they just aren’t that valuable.  
 

dude seriously ,  saying you’d take Nelson over any other oline man has got to be intentionally obtuse.  It’s literally one of the most ridiculous statements I’ve ever heard.

I said almost over any other Lineman. Why is it your reading comprehension stinks when it comes to me. I said Almost - meaning Most. Big difference. Of course there are a few tackles I would take over him.

 

Also you and few others in here, would want Ballard's head by now had he done something like trade up and took Baker Mayfield, or Sam Darnold, or Zack Wilson. A lot of people in here were clamoring over these stinky QB's. Many wanted Jordan Love for cry an out loud, that is laughable. We would really be in no man's land if Ballard would've took one of those dude's. Many wanted Tua and he can't stay healthy. Once again, the Chargers wanted Herbert and weren't giving up that pick in 2020 to get him. 

[NewColtsFan]

25 minutes ago, Nickster said:

Bolded is One of the main reasons he should be let go.  That’s ludicrous.  

That’s ludicrous to you.   It’s not to NFL people.   No one thinks Ballard is running some weird experimental defense that no one else is running.   His defense is not outside the mainstream of the NFL. 
 

In fact his defense has been ranked in the top-10 in the first four years.  18, 19, 20, 21. 
 

The Colts performance in Ballard’s time has almost nothing to do with the defense.  It has to do with the offense and specifically at quarterback.  

What you say is reason for Ballard to be fired is one of the reasons he got hired and one of the reasons he still has a job. 
 

 

[jvan1973]

1 hour ago, Moosejawcolt said:

Huh?   Ballard had many opportunities to draft that next young gun in the 2nd round like Phill did.

How many second round qbs work out?  You like to live in hindsight.  I live in reality.   Pittman and Taylor with Rivers at qb.  Plus alot of negative stuff on hurts. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

3 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

How many second round qbs work out?  You like to live in hindsight.  I live in reality.   Pittman and Taylor with Rivers at qb.  Plus alot of negative stuff on hurts. 

Ballard put together a good team in 2020 no doubt.

[jvan1973]

43 minutes ago, Nickster said:

Every single GM knows that QB, EDge, WR, and OTs are the most important position.  Every.  Single.  One of them

Wrong.   Obviously.   Draft history says otherwise.   Some gms prefer a physical tight end.  Some prefer a versatile back.   It's neat that you think you're the smartest person in the room.   You aren't

[2006Coltsbestever]

10 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

That’s ludicrous to you.   It’s not to NFL people.   No one thinks Ballard is running some weird experimental defense that no one else is running.   His defense is not outside the mainstream of the NFL. 
 

In fact his defense has been ranked in the top-10 in the first four years.  18, 19, 20, 21. 
 

The Colts performance in Ballard’s time has almost nothing to do with the defense.  It has to do with the offense and specifically at quarterback.  

What you say is reason for Ballard to be fired is one of the reasons he got hired and one of the reasons he still has a job. 
 

 

Some just don't get it and just read what they want. The 2 years we had good-great QB we were a threat = 2018 and 2020. I am not even trying to act like Ballard is great or walks on water but this Ballard bashing in here is nutty when people say the guy stinks.

[BlackTiger]

22 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

How many non-premium players must we pay before this becomes a serious problem?

 

I think thats a really fair question. 

 

I would have done the following with Nelson-

 

Offered him less money

OR asked him to move to LT

Or tell him to test FA and give us a chance to match before leaving.

 

This might have ruffled some people but at the end of the day we gave too much to a guard that didnt live up to it.

 

Shaq's situation is even more unfortunate due to a serious back injury.  That contract could end up being a big mistake 

[NewColtsFan]

15 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

Then you manoeuvre to get what you need or failing that trade for the talent. And of course hitting in the draft is difficult, but if you don't try you DEFINITELY never get a hit.

 

I'm not saying Nelson or Leonard aren't good and I never have. But, even with Leonard's performance these last few years this defense STILL ranks as average over all. That's what I'm saying. If we had a DE or CB producing at a similar level to Leonard this defense would've been much better. That's positional value. Instead we're sinking money into non-premium positions which will never give back equivalent production to their cost.

 

How many non-premium players must we pay before this becomes a serious problem? It will eat up our cap space. JT's wanting a new contract soon, who's next?

They’re non-premium to you.  Not to Ballard.   If the Colts had a franchise level quarterback we wouldn’t be having this conversation. 
 

As Ballard said, you have to find a way to win even without a franchise level quarterback. 
 

Let me ask you a question.  You focus on the money the Colts pay Nelson and Leonard.  Not sure you and others realize that if both had given the Colts a bit of a hometown discount, the difference might be $5-10 mill.   That’s it.  If the Colts were paying them 15-17 mill instead of 19-20 the colts would only have about $5-10 mill more.   

People like Nick and Moose and others say the Colts should not have signed them to a second contract or traded them.   Who does that?   You draft two future Hall of Fame players and you either trade them or let them become free agents?    If you’re trying to build a positive culture in the locker room, what does it say if that’s how you treat the two best players on the team?  Why would players give their all for a team that treats their best players so badly? 
 

I don’t think things are as simple and obvious as people here make them out to be. 

[Solid84]

17 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

That’s ludicrous to you.   It’s not to NFL people.   No one thinks Ballard is running some weird experimental defense that no one else is running.   His defense is not outside the mainstream of the NFL. 
 

In fact his defense has been ranked in the top-10 in the first four years.  18, 19, 20, 21. 
 

The Colts performance in Ballard’s time has almost nothing to do with the defense.  It has to do with the offense and specifically at quarterback.  

What you say is reason for Ballard to be fired is one of the reasons he got hired and one of the reasons he still has a job. 
 

 

By what metric exactly? Because from I can find we're decidedly average. Some years we're top half in one metric just to be bottom half next year. Throwing that out there is waaay too easy.

[BlackTiger]

1 minute ago, NewColtsFan said:

You draft two future Hall of Fame players and you either trade them or let them become free agents?

I think a perfect storm may have lead the team into making a mistake with Q.

 

Usually i wouldn't even want to draft a guard that high in the first place but at the time protecting Luck was the #1 priority.  

 

Youre right about teams not letting someone like that go when its contract time, but teams have never paid a LG that much either.  Now he hasnt lived up to it

[NewColtsFan]

14 hours ago, ShuteAt168 said:

The GM is responsible for ending the instability. The Luck excuse is so lame. 

It’s lame to you.  
 

In any given year there are maybe 6-8 elite quarterbacks in the NFL.  10 at most.   And with 32 teams everyone else is looking for the next great QB.  
 

There might be one flute QB in any given draft.  Sometimes there are two.   That’s it. 
 

The vast majority of teams do not have an elite QB.   They’re hard to find.   Nobody thought Mahomes would be elite, he went 10th.   Nobody thought Watson would be elite, he went 12th.   Nobody thought Allen would be elite, he went 7th.  
 

The problem the Colts face is the same problem 20+ teams face every year.  

[Solid84]

14 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

They’re non-premium to you.  Not to Ballard.   If the Colts had a franchise level quarterback we wouldn’t be having this conversation. 
 

As Ballard said, you have to find a way to win even without a franchise level quarterback. 
 

Let me ask you a question.  You focus on the money the Colts pay Nelson and Leonard.  Not sure you and others realize that if both had given the Colts a bit of a hometown discount, the difference might be $5-10 mill.   That’s it.  If the Colts were paying them 15-17 mill instead of 19-20 the colts would only have about $5-10 mill more.   

People like Nick and Moose and others say the Colts should not have signed them to a second contract or traded them.   Who does that?   You draft two future Hall of Fame players and you either trade them or let them become free agents?    If you’re trying to build a positive culture in the locker room, what does it say if that’s how you treat the two best players on the team?  Why would players give their all for a team that treats their best players so badly? 
 

I don’t think things are as simple and obvious as people here make them out to be. 

They are non-premium to every GM in the league, claiming different is being obtuse. The most valuable positions get paid the most that's indisputable.

 

Sure, you need to be able to win without a QB, but no team is going to the Super Bowl (or far in the playoffs) without a great+ QB. It's just way the league is. Ballard claiming we have to be able to win without a QB is either him trying to obfuscate his intentions in the draft or a legitimate reason to fire him - you don't win without a QB.

 

$5-10 million more is easily another good player on the team. How's that not good for the team? It could also mean being able to offer another $5-10 million more than we would otherwise be able to to land a significant difference maker. $5-10 million more isn't nothing.

 

I'm not saying we shouldn't pay them. Just not top-dollar. They're never going to be worth it. Look at our defense this year. No Leonard almost all year. Ended as per usual with being decidedly average.

[Nickster]

32 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

That’s ludicrous to you.   It’s not to NFL people.   No one thinks Ballard is running some weird experimental defense that no one else is running.   His defense is not outside the mainstream of the NFL. 
 

In fact his defense has been ranked in the top-10 in the first four years.  18, 19, 20, 21. 
 

The Colts performance in Ballard’s time has almost nothing to do with the defense.  It has to do with the offense and specifically at quarterback.  

What you say is reason for Ballard to be fired is one of the reasons he got hired and one of the reasons he still has a job. 
 

 

The defenses have been meh they whole time.  Average.  Lacking what wait now here it comes an Edge player and until this year a really good CB.  Ballard didn’t think Houston was worth keeping.  Terrible decision on his part.

 

iMO Gilmore was easily the MVP of this team.  He allowed the D to do some things.  But he’s old and was will likely never play on a good INdy team. 

 

[Nickster]

25 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

They’re non-premium to you.  Not to Ballard.   If the Colts had a franchise level quarterback we wouldn’t be having this conversation. 
 

As Ballard said, you have to find a way to win even without a franchise level quarterback. 
 

Let me ask you a question.  You focus on the money the Colts pay Nelson and Leonard.  Not sure you and others realize that if both had given the Colts a bit of a hometown discount, the difference might be $5-10 mill.   That’s it.  If the Colts were paying them 15-17 mill instead of 19-20 the colts would only have about $5-10 mill more.   

People like Nick and Moose and others say the Colts should not have signed them to a second contract or traded them.   Who does that?   You draft two future Hall of Fame players and you either trade them or let them become free agents?    If you’re trying to build a positive culture in the locker room, what does it say if that’s how you treat the two best players on the team?  Why would players give their all for a team that treats their best players so badly? 
 

I don’t think things are as simple and obvious as people here make them out to be. 

That’s the problem.  Those guys on rookie contracts have good value .  When they make  200 mill between them, their value isn’t as great.  
 

not to mention outbidding yourselves on each of them and then signing one guy fresh off An average season and a couple back surgeries.  No way he have been signed before evaluating his back this year.  That was a stupid move and he was playing at just above replacement level ball all year this season.

 

DL was fine to have making 2nd round rookie money.  Less than average cover skills was why I wouldn’t have signed him.  He’s not near as valuable as a Warner IMO.

 

it’s a passing league on both sides of the ball.  And this org seems to be the only org that doesn’t know it,

[NewColtsFan]

4 hours ago, Nickster said:

If you think you know why Jim Irsay does things then you have powers of perception that are not explainable by contemporary science.

It isn’t hard to figure out if you’re willing to look at facts.   Irsay fired Grigson with a record of 49-31.   Why?   His roster got old and less skilled his last two years and was trending down fast.   He couldn’t draft well or sign decent free agents.  Plus, he didn’t get along with his hand picked head coach, or the assistants or even the players.  There were no reasons to keep him.   Grigson was fired with 3 years left on his contract.  
 

With his front office team in place in 18, Ballard’s first three years went 28-20 with three different quarterbacks.  Irsay extended him when he didn’t have to,  Ballard had two more years on his original deal.   So it’s obvious Irsay didn’t count 2017.   In 17, Ballard didn’t spend roughly $60 mill that year.  Plus he got rid of most of the players he signed for that one year. They didn’t fit the system he was going to run.   Ballard agreed to keep Pagano and his assistants while he got his coaches the next year while he built his front office.  Guys like Dodds and Decker. One year later, boom, 10-6.

 

So 2017 was always going to be a nothing year so the Colts could pick high in the draft in 18.  And it worked.   Irsay doesn’t count 2017 and neither does Ballard.

 

But 2022 is all about Ballard.  This is the team he built.  It’s the mess he created with a series of bad decisions.  He owns it.  But Irsay is letting him try to fix what Ballard screwed up. 
 

Those are the facts.   They’re not hard to figure out if you don’t process info with anger and outrage.   Step back, look at the 30,000 foot view.   The picture is more clear. 

[NewColtsFan]

26 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

By what metric exactly? Because from I can find we're decidedly average. Some years we're top half in one metric just to be bottom half next year. Throwing that out there is waaay too easy.

Im going by what PFF has ranked team defenses each year.   The Colts defense has been good enough to get Matt Eberflus a job as head coach.  And I never thought of him as HC material.  
 

Im not the first or only poster to use that stat.   It’s been out there for years.   I think one of the key metrics is points allowed, but I don’t think it’s the only metric. 

[Nickster]

53 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

Wrong.   Obviously.   Draft history says otherwise.   Some gms prefer a physical tight end.  Some prefer a versatile back.   It's neat that you think you're the smartest person in the room.   You aren't

Pass catching TE sure.  
 

I don’t think I’m the smartest person but I definitely know you are not .

 

The evidence in the tops of drafts are not kind to your posts genius.
 

it doesn’t take a brainiac to look at the tops of drafts and see they are absolutely dominated by QB, Edge, Wr, CBs, and OTs.  But you know that .  I know you do.

 

Sure you have an occasional transcendent 3 Tech, but these guys are always pass rushers.

 

 

[NewColtsFan]

26 minutes ago, BlackTiger said:

I think a perfect storm may have lead the team into making a mistake with Q.

 

Usually i wouldn't even want to draft a guard that high in the first place but at the time protecting Luck was the #1 priority.  

 

Youre right about teams not letting someone like that go when its contract time, but teams have never paid a LG that much either.  Now he hasnt lived up to it

You say now he hasn’t lived up to it.   It’s one year.   One year!   Give the guy a chance.   Everyone didn’t live up to their potential this year. 

[Solid84]

9 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

Im going by what PFF has ranked team defenses each year.   The Colts defense has been good enough to get Matt Eberflus a job as head coach.  And I never thought of him as HC material.  
 

Im not the first or only poster to use that stat.   It’s been out there for years.   I think one of the key metrics is points allowed, but I don’t think it’s the only metric. 

Well, looked it up.

 

'22 - 18th

'21 - 7th

'20 - 11th

'19 - 12th

'18 - 21st

 

That's an average defense in my book. Maybe slightly above.

[NewColtsFan]

17 minutes ago, Nickster said:

That’s the problem.  Those guys on rookie contracts have good value .  When they make  200 mill between them, their value isn’t as great.  
 

not to mention outbidding yourselves on each of them and then signing one guy fresh off An average season and a couple back surgeries.  No way he have been signed before evaluating his back this year.  That was a stupid move and he was playing at just above replacement level ball all year this season.

 

DL was fine to have making 2nd round rookie money.  Less than average cover skills was why I wouldn’t have signed him.  He’s not near as valuable as a Warner IMO.

 

it’s a passing league on both sides of the ball.  And this org seems to be the only org that doesn’t know it,

Ballard has repeatedly said it’s a passing league.   The only person here who doesn’t know that is….   Take a guess. 

[Solid84]

2 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

Ballard has repeatedly said it’s a passing league.   The only person here who doesn’t know that is….   Take a guess. 

He also wants to win without a QB... he seems mightly confused the poor guy...

[Shepman]

16 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

He also wants to win without a QB... he seems mightly confused the poor guy...

I don't think saying It can't be about one person means he thinks you can win without a QB.  I think he means we need balance and play makers across the board.

[throwing BBZ]

34 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

It isn’t hard to figure out if you’re willing to look at facts.   Irsay fired Grigson with a record of 49-31.   Why?   His roster got old and less skilled his last two years and was trending down fast.   He couldn’t draft well or sign decent free agents.  Plus, he didn’t get along with his hand picked head coach, or the assistants or even the players.  There were no reasons to keep him.   Grigson was fired with 3 years left on his contract.  
 

With his front office team in place in 18, Ballard’s first three years went 28-20 with three different quarterbacks.  Irsay extended him when he didn’t have to,  Ballard had two more years on his original deal.   So it’s obvious Irsay didn’t count 2017.   In 17, Ballard didn’t spend roughly $60 mill that year.  Plus he got rid of most of the players he signed for that one year. They didn’t fit the system he was going to run.   Ballard agreed to keep Pagano and his assistants while he got his coaches the next year while he built his front office.  Guys like Dodds and Decker. One year later, boom, 10-6.

 

So 2017 was always going to be a nothing year so the Colts could pick high in the draft in 18.  And it worked.   Irsay doesn’t count 2017 and neither does Ballard.

 

But 2022 is all about Ballard.  This is the team he built.  It’s the mess he created with a series of bad decisions.  He owns it.  But Irsay is letting him try to fix what Ballard screwed up. 
 

Those are the facts.   They’re not hard to figure out if you don’t process info with anger and outrage.   Step back, look at the 30,000 foot view.   The picture is more clear. 

 

 The facts IMHO would be that Irsay and Ballard were convinced to go in a few directions that Reich sold them on jointly that were pivotal in really hurting our direction. Thus the faith in Ballard and his team to try again at building a highly competitive roster. 

 It is actually a total restart, as they try to find a coach and rookie QB to develop for the long haul. More than half the current roster will be gone in three years when we hopefully are quality contenders again.

[Solid84]

6 minutes ago, Shepman said:

I don't think saying It can't be about one person means he thinks you can win without a QB.  I think he means we need balance and play makers across the board.

I hope so, but he hasn’t exactly spent big on WRs during his tenure. 

[throwing BBZ]

1 hour ago, Solid84 said:

They are non-premium to every GM in the league, claiming different is being obtuse. The most valuable positions get paid the most that's indisputable.

 

Sure, you need to be able to win without a QB, but no team is going to the Super Bowl (or far in the playoffs) without a great+ QB. It's just way the league is. Ballard claiming we have to be able to win without a QB is either him trying to obfuscate his intentions in the draft or a legitimate reason to fire him - you don't win without a QB.

 

$5-10 million more is easily another good player on the team. How's that not good for the team? It could also mean being able to offer another $5-10 million more than we would otherwise be able to to land a significant difference maker. $5-10 million more isn't nothing.

 

I'm not saying we shouldn't pay them. Just not top-dollar. They're never going to be worth it. Look at our defense this year. No Leonard almost all year. Ended as per usual with being decidedly average.

 

 You talk about obtuse and poorly informed. What a jokester.

 San Frand has a bad GM also huh? Leonards contract barely eclipsed WARNERS, and was just beat by R Smith. So please QUIT being full of baloney.

 Jaxs paid a one year wonder all-pro FA $16M YEARS AGO. Joe Thueney was never at Q'S level yet got a record contract to play LG for KC and WILL get his $20m next season. Oh right KC also has a buffoon for a GM. Hahaha! Don't be a joke! 

  You make up that Ballard said you can win without a good QB. What the ___

heck are you on? Hahaha! You are definitely on unsolid terra firma hater.

[Smoke317]

1 hour ago, jvan1973 said:

How many second round qbs work out?  You like to live in hindsight.  I live in reality.   Pittman and Taylor with Rivers at qb.  Plus alot of negative stuff on hurts. 

The people looking at the negative stuff on Hurts ultimately weren’t paying attention.  That dude is a straight up baller.  Leader of men.  Dad was a coach.  The way he handled the demotion at Alabama and came back to finish 2nd in Heisman at Oklahoma. 2nd round draft pick and has already made the playoffs both years as a starter and is in the NFC championship in only his 3rd year in the league. Quickly showing he belongs in the conversation with Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Jackson, and Herbert.  Wow.  
 

I get it though.  A lot of people missed on him.  I’m a Ballard fan but being honest, if Ballard hadn’t missed on AJ Brown or Metcalf we wouldn’t have needed Pittman and we could’ve taken Taylor & Hurts with our 2nd round picks and we’d be set.  Hurts, AJ Brown, & Taylor would’ve been beautiful in hindsight. 

[Indyfan4life]

2 hours ago, Nickster said:

Every single GM knows that QB, EDge, WR, and OTs are the most important position.  Every.  Single.  One of them

I'm just not going to debate or argue anything with you in this regard. You're 100% set on what you think is correct, and anything different is wrong.

[Moosejawcolt]

3 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

I know.    But as I just wrote to Nickster, Ballard didn’t pick those guys INSTEAD of the guys who play QB, WR, or DE.   The elite players at those positions are few and far between.   Maybe one or two at those positions in any given draft.  Sometimes zero.  And every team wants an elite QB, elite DE, and elite WR.  
 

But Leonard was premium to Ballard.   He said long before he picked Leonard that the WILL was the 2nd most important position in the defense he wanted to run behind only the 3-tech.  And Leonard’s first four years he put up numbers that no linebacker in the history of the game has ever posted.  Four years of Hall of Fame level performance.  Same with Nelson.  Hall of Fame performance.   And Taylor is a top-2/4 RB with pick 41.   Like what Tennessee has with Henry.   That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. 
 

Clearly Ballard has made mistakes,  there’s no other way to explain 4-12-1.   And frankly, it felt much worse than that to me. I said throughout this season that I thought Ballard was no better than 50/50 to keep his job.   Irsay decided to keep him — for now.   But how long will Irsay allow Ballard to keep his job is anybody's guess. 

 

 

 

And here is my big issue with this D and why I flet it has gone the way of the Do Do. Name me another team that would consider its D tackle and  WLL as the cornerstone of building a defence? That folks  is why this defence is flawed.

 

[Two_pound]

Tampas defense with Brooks at will and Sapp  and McFarland at dt. Those were the  cornerstones of that defense and they were good for a lot of years. Maybe the fact that Leonard couldn't play this year was the biggest reason the defense was not as good??

[compuls1v3]

8 minutes ago, Two_pound said:

Tampas defense with Brooks at will and Sapp  and McFarland at dt. Those were the  cornerstones of that defense and they were good for a lot of years. Maybe the fact that Leonard couldn't play this year was the biggest reason the defense was not as good??

But that was a long time ago.  Don’t see that much these days.  Is it still relevant?  Need a healthy Leonard to find out.

[Solid84]

30 minutes ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

 You talk about obtuse and poorly informed. What a jokester.

 San Frand has a bad GM also huh? Leonards contract barely eclipsed WARNERS, and was just beat by R Smith. So please QUIT being full of baloney.

 Jaxs paid a one year wonder all-pro FA $16M YEARS AGO. Joe Thueney was never at Q'S level yet got a record contract to play LG for KC and WILL get his $20m next season. Oh right KC also has a buffoon for a GM. Hahaha! Don't be a joke! 

  You make up that Ballard said you can win without a good QB. What the ___

heck are you on? Hahaha! You are definitely on unsolid terra firma hater.

What else would you call it when someone willfully ignores the facts?

 

Warner is a better more well-rounded player than Leonard. But no, he’s still not worth his salary over “normal” good LB at half the price. 
 

The Jags have been a joke with their cap allocation for years. They are the team spending the most on FAs and have still sucked for years. 
Kansas have enough talent elsewhere to make it a complete team. Their best player isn’t Thuney. Ballard has had 6 years and the best he’s done is a LG and a WILL. Veach has actually built a team. Don’t be a joke. 
 

Ballard has said it’s not about one player (when asked about the QB situation). And it isn’t. But it is. There’s 53 players on a team. Of course one player can’t win it alone. But a team is going nowhere without a great+ QB. 
 

You have no idea what you are talking about, rambler…

[VikingsFanInChennai]

3 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

But Leonard was premium to Ballard.   He said long before he picked Leonard that the WILL was the 2nd most important position in the defense he wanted to run behind only the 3-tech.  

 

 

 

 

I don't know how that works... 

 

As Ballard interviews Coaches now, does he tell them that in this team 3T is the most important position, and WILL is the second most important position, so on....? 

 

Do they agree to work on what Ballard builds as his Dream Team? Or do they want to build the way they know their offense or defense would work better in their system? 

 

Is it correct to say most important positions in Colts team are 3T, WILL,....?