Bernhard Raimann

[DougDew]

2 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

That Nelson deserved to be the 6th pick in the draft was proven a long time ago.  There are only a small number of non-believers left.   Three historically great years.    
 

Interesting that you write positive things about Smith.   He’s now one of the more unpopular players with members of our community.  Many here want Smith moved inside to RG even though he’s still one of the top tackles in the game.   
 

One correction from me about 21….   Nelson missed four games, not five.   I just double checked and wanted to clarify.   Also, FWIW, Smith’s foot injury in 21,  (different from Nelson) forced him to miss 6 games.   

I'm certainly not going back to ancient history.  It just seems like others are still stuck back there.  I ask you to at least speculate.  Why do people want to ignore the facts presented by the player himself to tell themselves that injuries or other players caused the drop off.   What interest does a fan have in thinking that Nelson was sort of a victim of circumstances and it wasn't his own talent or attitude?

 

I like Smith.  I like him at OT.  I also like him at RG if its easier to find a highly talented new RT than a new RG.  Any switch would not be about him, it would be about the supply of OLs and how to upgrade the talent across the entire oline...since they play as one unit.

 

I don't remember the exact facts about Smith, but I do remember his slow starts were injury related and his play improved during each season as he fell off of the injury report and despite playing with rookies.  He sort of had the same circumstances as Nelson to deal with, yet he played well as the season went on. 

[NewColtsFan]

4 hours ago, DougDew said:

I'm certainly not going back to ancient history.  It just seems like others are still stuck back there.  I ask you to at least speculate.  Why do people want to ignore the facts presented by the player himself to tell themselves that injuries or other players caused the drop off.   What interest does a fan have in thinking that Nelson was sort of a victim of circumstances and it wasn't his own talent or attitude?

 

I like Smith.  I like him at OT.  I also like him at RG if its easier to find a highly talented new RT than a new RG.  Any switch would not be about him, it would be about the supply of OLs and how to upgrade the talent across the entire oline...since they play as one unit.

 

I don't remember the exact facts about Smith, but I do remember his slow starts were injury related and his play improved during each season as he fell off of the injury report and despite playing with rookies.  He sort of had the same circumstances as Nelson to deal with, yet he played well as the season went on. 

I don’t know who we are discussing?   Our fan base here?    
 

As for Nelson, he’s a team guy.   I don’t see him publicly calling out Raimann and saying HE was the cause of his falloff.   Same with Kelly and Smith who had to deal with Pinter/Fries between them.   That’s what good teammates do.   The three of them have their money, there’s no need to point fingers and assign blame. 
 

I think to the extent that he could say something publicly,  Ballard said what he could….   That the substandard play at two spots badly impacted the three good players who should have been better.   
 

Ultimately, last years disastrous OL performance is the responsibility of Ballard and Strausser.   Irsay says Ballard is safe for now.   Strausser lost his job but was quickly hired by Houston.   It’ll be interesting to see how he does there.  

[DougDew]

13 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

I don’t know who we are discussing?   Our fan base here?    
 

As for Nelson, he’s a team guy.   I don’t see him publicly calling out Raimann and saying HE was the cause of his falloff.   Same with Kelly and Smith who had to deal with Pinter/Fries between them.   That’s what good teammates do.   The three of them have their money, there’s no need to point fingers and assign blame. 
 

I think to the extent that he could say something publicly,  Ballard said what he could….   That the substandard play at two spots badly impacted the three good players who should have been better.   
 

Ultimately, last years disastrous OL performance is the responsibility of Ballard and Strausser.   Irsay says Ballard is safe for now.   Strausser lost his job but was quickly hired by Houston.   It’ll be interesting to see how he does there.  

You can fabricate the notion of him saying one thing when something else was really happening, if it helps you sustain the narrative you've told yourself.  Nelson's comments. Ballard's comments, and the injury/practice report do not support the idea that Nelson's in-season fall offs were due to injuries during the season. Yet I read comments that's what is was.  Its not my desire to judge others, in fact I hate it, but when comments seem to defy evidence time and time again, there is a natural curiosity as to why they keep getting repeated.

 

Rookie play does not cause Nelson to get pancaked one on one.  That's another topic.

 

Why can't you just take Nelson at his word when he says "I need to change my approach"?

[NewColtsFan]

7 hours ago, DougDew said:

You can fabricate the notion of him saying one thing when something else was really happening, if it helps you sustain the narrative you've told yourself.  Nelson's comments. Ballard's comments, and the injury/practice report do not support the idea that Nelson's in-season fall offs were due to injuries during the season. Yet I read comments that's what is was.  Its not my desire to judge others, in fact I hate it, but when comments seem to defy evidence time and time again, there is a natural curiosity as to why they keep getting repeated.

 

Rookie play does not cause Nelson to get pancaked one on one.  That's another topic.

 

Why can't you just take Nelson at his word when he says "I need to change my approach"?

Im not giving Nelson a free pass.   We all saw things happen to him that we hadn’t seen before.   But that doesn’t mean playing next to Raimann didn’t impact Q.   Answers to complex questions rarely are simple.   They’re often complicated.   I don’t know why anyone would doubt playing next to Raimann was difficult.   As it was the year before when he played next to Fisher who couldn’t pass block (though EF did have a very good year run blocking).  
 

You want to take Nelson at his word because it fits your narrative.  A narrative you’ve been selling since the day the Colts drafted him over 5 years ago. 
 

[jvan1973]

On 6/21/2023 at 4:15 PM, DougDew said:

I get that he had some sort of back surgery.  And yes, its difficult to be 100% if the back is nagging.

 

But when neither the player or the GM says anything, and the practice report does not seem to say DNP -back soreness...rest, I don't know why folks would assume that his back injuries lingered into the season.  Nothing credible points to it other than what folks want to assume.

 

Again, when the player says, "I need to change my approach", why go through the mental gymnastics to tell yourself there is another reason?

Probably because the player isn't trying to make excuses.   Pretty simple.   

[compuls1v3]

12 hours ago, DougDew said:

You can fabricate the notion of him saying one thing when something else was really happening, if it helps you sustain the narrative you've told yourself.  Nelson's comments. Ballard's comments, and the injury/practice report do not support the idea that Nelson's in-season fall offs were due to injuries during the season. Yet I read comments that's what is was.  Its not my desire to judge others, in fact I hate it, but when comments seem to defy evidence time and time again, there is a natural curiosity as to why they keep getting repeated.

 

Rookie play does not cause Nelson to get pancaked one on one.  That's another topic.

 

Why can't you just take Nelson at his word when he says "I need to change my approach"?

I agree about his play, meaning whether it was injury, or him being out of shape, that's a Nelson issue, not a teammate issue.  That being said, here's hoping he returns to All Pro form!   We need him back!!