Offseason Summary - So What Did We Do?

[John Hammonds]

After reading sports articles telling us that the Colts are one of the worst teams in the NFL, and had one of the worst offseasons in the NFL, I felt it necessary to review our offseason for myself.  What did we, in fact, DO?

 

#1 - We gave the reins back to Ballard -- The last 8 weeks of the 2022 season was such a sh_t show.  And it was, because the owner took over, desperately trying to figure out a way to save it.  Some made a little sense.  Some were pure comedy.  And some...  Well, they made me personally wonder if he still had all of his marbles.  Seriously.  And after the season, we were all on pins and needles, waiting for the final verdict.  Were we going to do things intelligently?  Or was it Bob Irsay all over again?  We gave control back to Ballard.

#2 - We hired a new coach -- And not just any coach.  We got a guy who had a track record of developing good, young quarterbacks.  He was also incredibly innovative when he got a chance to be a coordinator.  He's young.  He's energetic.  He's emotional.  A few things that the previous coach wasn't.

#3 - We finally drafted a Quarterback --  And not in the 4th round, either.  We ended the merry-go-round of veterans who were on their last leg, or ones that should have been.  We wiped the slate clean (nearly) of all of the quarterback failures of the past three years.  True, this guy is sushi raw.  He's gonna take a lot of work.  But what to work with!!

#4 - We grabbed the Very Best Kicker available -- During Vinatieri's final season (that shouldn't have been), we discovered just how much your wins and losses can be affected by poor kicking.  After that, we fumbled around with a few guys that "could" do it.  Now, we have a guy who CAN do it.  Don't underestimate how impactful this decision will be.

#5 - We drafted guys at the Impact Player Positions -- One of the biggest criticisms of the Ballard Era was that he spent high draft choices on off-brand positions.  Guard.  Off-Ball Linebacker.  Running Back.  This year, we drafted three corners, a big-play receiver, and a tackle.  All impact player positions.  I'm eager to see how these guys work out.  I expect they'll all be thrown into the fire earlier than they would normally be.

#6 - We paid a few guys, and didn't pay a few guys -- Some guys had to be let go because they were going to cost too much for what they were worth.  Others got paid to stick around.  As long as the price was right.  Regardless of how you slice it, we're getting ourselves set up for big contract decisions coming up this year and next.  Can we keep the guys we want to keep?  Will we have the wisdom to know whether to keep a guy or not?  Stay tuned!

 

I'm anxious to see how this offseason's decisions will pan out.  I'll admit, I'm feeling optimistic.  Not too optimistic.  I still think we'll miss the playoffs this year.  But I also think we'll surprise a few people.  And a few teams.  Bottom line:  the offense won't be boring anymore.

[CoachLite]

2 hours ago, John Hammonds said:

Bottom line:  the offense won't be boring anymore.

This will be the biggest difference from the previous several years. It won't be the "same ol', same ol'". Win or lose, it's gonna be fun to watch.

[crazycolt1]

There will definitely be some growing pains but I think I like the direction we are going.  It's going to be an up and down season but an exciting one. 

[DiogoSales]

Good resume! Like it!

 

I'm also feeling we're going on the right direction and if we need to trust somebody to make decisions, the best we have is Ballard & Marroco, let them evaluate and play.

 

 

[AwesomeAustin]

This was obviously a reset year and a great step in the right direction. I don’t feel we are done drafting WR, secondary and edge.  I’m all on board with throwing more draft picks at those spots until we find a couple stars. I feel Ballard is addressing all the positions needed, just not sure he is bringing in the right guys. Will wait and see if he chose correctly. 
 

Ballard just hinged his career on AR5 and Steichen.  It surprises me a bit he chose to keep the DC but I don’t know what Steichen wanted on that side of the ball. I am excited to see how this all unfolds bc this organization will be “all in” on making this work.  There will be a huge push in the next couple years to fill the roster out with the remaining pieces to try and win a SB. 

[John Hammonds]

14 minutes ago, AwesomeAustin said:

This was obviously a reset year and a great step in the right direction. I don’t feel we are done drafting WR, secondary and edge.  I’m all on board with throwing more draft picks at those spots until we find a couple stars. I feel Ballard is addressing all the positions needed, just not sure he is bringing in the right guys. Will wait and see if he chose correctly. 
 

Ballard just hinged his career on AR5 and Steichen.  It surprises me a bit he chose to keep the DC but I don’t know what Steichen wanted on that side of the ball. I am excited to see how this all unfolds bc this organization will be “all in” on making this work.  There will be a huge push in the next couple years to fill the roster out with the remaining pieces to try and win a SB. 

I'm not surprised he kept Bradley.  We just swapped over base defensive systems (from base Tampa-2 Hybrid to base Cover-3 Leo), and it takes a while to get all of the new personnel in place to run the scheme properly.  And I would assume that Steichen had to be ok with keeping Bradley in his job interviews as well.  We'll see how it goes.  I don't think we have a true, effective LEO on the team, and Bradley's gonna have to modify his scheme to be less reliant on that specific position.  We'll see.  As you say, this is an obvious Reset year.  Establishing the new foundation, and using what quality structures we already have in place to speed up the building process.  I also agree we are not done at WR, either through free agency or the draft.  This is gonna be a big year for Pittman.  Is he going to underperform (meaning maybe he should be replaced)?  Is he going to vastly overperform (meaning he'll demand QB money to continue playing with us)?  Or will he be "pretty good" (meaning we can sign him to a reasonable deal, but he didn't actually perform among the league leaders at his position)?  Gonna be an interesting year.

[AwesomeAustin]

6 hours ago, John Hammonds said:

I'm not surprised he kept Bradley.  We just swapped over base defensive systems (from base Tampa-2 Hybrid to base Cover-3 Leo), and it takes a while to get all of the new personnel in place to run the scheme properly.  And I would assume that Steichen had to be ok with keeping Bradley in his job interviews as well.  We'll see how it goes.  I don't think we have a true, effective LEO on the team, and Bradley's gonna have to modify his scheme to be less reliant on that specific position.  We'll see.  As you say, this is an obvious Reset year.  Establishing the new foundation, and using what quality structures we already have in place to speed up the building process.  I also agree we are not done at WR, either through free agency or the draft.  This is gonna be a big year for Pittman.  Is he going to underperform (meaning maybe he should be replaced)?  Is he going to vastly overperform (meaning he'll demand QB money to continue playing with us)?  Or will he be "pretty good" (meaning we can sign him to a reasonable deal, but he didn't actually perform among the league leaders at his position)?  Gonna be an interesting year.

I do see why he kept our DC.  I don’t think he deserved to be replaced bc of his results. Just surprised two coaches in a row were possibly told who their DC was going to be and what system will be used. Did they hire the best candidate overall or the best candidate willing to give up a choice in the defense?  All speculation of course and we will never know the answer to this. 
 

As far as MPJ, good but not great football player.  Seems to be a great person.  I hope he succeeds whether with us or someone else.  I feel he can improve but has a lower ceiling than what we need in a #1. I think there is definitely room for a guy like him but don’t see him as a critical piece to build this team around. He reminds me of the type of player with an impact similar to Robert Woods, Pierre Garçon and Sammy Watkins. All good receivers who had a few good years and provided decent production. Yet never developed into true #1s for different reasons and were kept around bc of potential.  

[BlackTiger]

If shane and Anthony turn out to be good then this will have been a good offseason

 

If they dont then we are still spinning our wheels

 

To me zone corners are not quite in the tier of premium positions but its arguable 

[ShuteAt168]

We have reason to be hopeful and optimistic — that’s all I wanted to get this offseason. Who knows if it all pans out  (CB’s track record indicates it won’t) but it’s fun to talk Colts football right now and imagine the possibilities. That’s been missing for a while. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

@John Hammonds, nice work. It is the dead time in here so this was needed. Camp can't get here quick enough, last week of July it all starts, that is when @Restinpeacesweetchloegives us a 1000 updates which is great for the site. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

1 hour ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

@John Hammonds, nice work. It is the dead time in here so this was needed. Camp can't get here quick enough, last week of July it all starts, that is when @Restinpeacesweetchloegives us a 1000 updates which is great for the site. 

Unfortunately I am going to need help with updates for those 9 and 10 o’clock practices. That’s my busy time.  Little disappointed they are so early.

 

Ballard finally got the coach he wants instead of the fiasco last time so going yo be interesting how this goes.

[jvan1973]

17 hours ago, AwesomeAustin said:

I do see why he kept our DC.  I don’t think he deserved to be replaced bc of his results. Just surprised two coaches in a row were possibly told who their DC was going to be and what system will be used. Did they hire the best candidate overall or the best candidate willing to give up a choice in the defense?  All speculation of course and we will never know the answer to this. 
 

As far as MPJ, good but not great football player.  Seems to be a great person.  I hope he succeeds whether with us or someone else.  I feel he can improve but has a lower ceiling than what we need in a #1. I think there is definitely room for a guy like him but don’t see him as a critical piece to build this team around. He reminds me of the type of player with an impact similar to Robert Woods, Pierre Garçon and Sammy Watkins. All good receivers who had a few good years and provided decent production. Yet never developed into true #1s for different reasons and were kept around bc of potential.  

What did you think of Reggie Wayne after his first 3 seasons?

[AwesomeAustin]

14 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

What did you think of Reggie Wayne after his first 3 seasons?

Honestly don’t remember. I know what you are getting at though. I prefer not to hope a player makes a HOF worthy jump in production to justify keeping them. Most likely won’t happen.  MPJ is a good player and there is a place for him on this team. With a rookie QB that needs time to develop, I don’t see him as a piece the team builds around and pays a fortune. This year will tell a lot so will wait and see.  For all I know they may be really close on an extension.

[DougDew]

On 7/1/2023 at 6:37 PM, John Hammonds said:

#1 - We gave the reins back to Ballard -- The last 8 weeks of the 2022 season was such a sh_t show.  And it was, because the owner took over, desperately trying to figure out a way to save it.  Some made a little sense.  Some were pure comedy.  And some...  Well, they made me personally wonder if he still had all of his marbles.  Seriously.  And after the season, we were all on pins and needles, waiting for the final verdict.  Were we going to do things intelligently?  Or was it Bob Irsay all over again?  We gave control back to Ballard.

Why is giving the reins back to Ballard a good thing?  He's the one who built the s..t show.  Do you think the Colts did badly because Irsay got involved, and the Colts would not have been 4-12 if he hadn't?

 

On 7/1/2023 at 6:37 PM, John Hammonds said:

#2 - We hired a new coach -- And not just any coach.  We got a guy who had a track record of developing good, young quarterbacks.  He was also incredibly innovative when he got a chance to be a coordinator.  He's young.  He's energetic.  He's emotional.  A few things that the previous coach wasn't.

Losing teams usually hire a new coach.  Its no different than what about 20 to 30% of the NFL does each year.

 

On 7/1/2023 at 6:37 PM, John Hammonds said:

#3 - We finally drafted a Quarterback --  And not in the 4th round, either.  We ended the merry-go-round of veterans who were on their last leg, or ones that should have been.  We wiped the slate clean (nearly) of all of the quarterback failures of the past three years.  True, this guy is sushi raw.  He's gonna take a lot of work.  But what to work with!!

We drafted a player who started 13 games on a bad Florida team and yet still projects as an NFL QB because some people think NFL QBs are supposed to be runners and athletic.

 

On 7/1/2023 at 6:37 PM, John Hammonds said:

#4 - We grabbed the Very Best Kicker available -- During Vinatieri's final season (that shouldn't have been), we discovered just how much your wins and losses can be affected by poor kicking.  After that, we fumbled around with a few guys that "could" do it.  Now, we have a guy who CAN do it.  Don't underestimate how impactful this decision will be.

What do you mean by the best available?  Is he in the top 25% of NFL kickers, or is he just the best one out of the group of unemployed kickers?

On 7/1/2023 at 6:37 PM, John Hammonds said:

#5 - We drafted guys at the Impact Player Positions -- One of the biggest criticisms of the Ballard Era was that he spent high draft choices on off-brand positions.  Guard.  Off-Ball Linebacker.  Running Back.  This year, we drafted three corners, a big-play receiver, and a tackle.  All impact player positions.  I'm eager to see how these guys work out.  I expect they'll all be thrown into the fire earlier than they would normally be.

In the mid rounds, mostly.  Not good enough.  Other teams usually prioritize them higher.  Yawn.

 

On 7/1/2023 at 6:37 PM, John Hammonds said:

#6 - We paid a few guys, and didn't pay a few guys

Like Polian used to do as the window was closing, Ballard competes against himself by signing his own players to high contracts.

 

On 7/1/2023 at 6:37 PM, John Hammonds said:

After reading sports articles telling us that the Colts are one of the worst teams in the NFL, and had one of the worst offseasons in the NFL,

I haven't paid much attention lately, but just looking at the Colts and our offseason, I'd say those articles are pretty smart.

[VikingsFanInChennai]

35 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Why is giving the reins back to Ballard a good thing?  He's the one who built the s..t show.  Do you think the Colts did badly because Irsay got involved, and the Colts would not have been 4-12 if he hadn't?

 

 

I think he was referring to coach Saturday hire and how Irsay had to give back the reins to the GM to choose the next head coach, that is, if the owner wanted the GM to continue in the position. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

I can’t believe we are a few weeks from football season starting. It’s so exciting. I hope it’s more eventful (in a good way) then OTA and mini camp,

 

Going to be interesting if Leonard, Taylor and Pittman are ready for TC. I think it’s important with the offensive guys at least.

[sb41champs]

I concur.

 

I am also optimistic about the 2023 season.  

 

It will be better than 2022.

 

We have the potential to be 2nd in the AFC South this season - because I feel the Texans have more work to do - and - the Titans are in for a tumble.

 

Lord Bless Our Colts!!

[rock8591]

If Richardson becomes good-great, I we couldn't care less on how rounds 3-7 of the draft turns out.

 

If it's vice versa where the remainder of the draft is good but not AR...our situation can be summed up by one song:

 

There was once a young girl from Havava

Who slipped on a peel of banana

She's about to swear

But her momma was there 

So she hummed the Star Spangled Banner.

[Nickster]

2 hours ago, rock8591 said:

If Richardson becomes good-great, I we couldn't care less on how rounds 3-7 of the draft turns out.

 

If it's vice versa where the remainder of the draft is good but not AR...our situation can be summed up by one song:

 

There was once a young girl from Havava

Who slipped on a peel of banana

She's about to swear

But her momma was there 

So she hummed the Star Spangled Banner.

The only thing that really matters this off season is if AR is an actual NFL caliber starter.  He’s done little to nothing in CFB games to suggest it objectively.

 

Subjectively, he’s traitsy to the nth degree.  Hits will probably be at least 2025 until we see what we have.  This season AFAIC he gets a free pass and I’ll just be looking for promise.  Next season he needs to be a legit NFL starter.  2025 he needs to show star potential or this org might slip back into the oblivion in which  it came to INdy.

 

To me there is basically only one relevant question org wide.  Can AR play in The League or not?

 

 

[John Hammonds]

14 hours ago, Nickster said:

The only thing that really matters this off season is if AR is an actual NFL caliber starter.  He’s done little to nothing in CFB games to suggest it objectively.

 

Subjectively, he’s traitsy to the nth degree.  Hits will probably be at least 2025 until we see what we have.  This season AFAIC he gets a free pass and I’ll just be looking for promise.  Next season he needs to be a legit NFL starter.  2025 he needs to show star potential or this org might slip back into the oblivion in which  it came to INdy.

 

To me there is basically only one relevant question org wide.  Can AR play in The League or not?

 

 

I'm gonna guess that Steichen will start him off in an RPO offense (much to the chagrin of Nelson).  Easy reads.  Easy throws.  Makes the most of your quarterback's athleticism.  He may look like Justin Fields for a while.

[Dingus McGirt]

On 7/3/2023 at 1:27 PM, DougDew said:

Why is giving the reins back to Ballard a good thing?  He's the one who built the s..t show.  Do you think the Colts did badly because Irsay got involved, and the Colts would not have been 4-12 if he hadn't?

 

Losing teams usually hire a new coach.  Its no different than what about 20 to 30% of the NFL does each year.

 

We drafted a player who started 13 games on a bad Florida team and yet still projects as an NFL QB because some people think NFL QBs are supposed to be runners and athletic.

 

What do you mean by the best available?  Is he in the top 25% of NFL kickers, or is he just the best one out of the group of unemployed kickers?

In the mid rounds, mostly.  Not good enough.  Other teams usually prioritize them higher.  Yawn.

 

Like Polian used to do as the window was closing, Ballard competes against himself by signing his own players to high contracts.

 

I haven't paid much attention lately, but just looking at the Colts and our offseason, I'd say those articles are pretty smart.

Should your nam change to “DougDon’t?”

[jvan1973]

On 7/3/2023 at 6:36 PM, Nickster said:

The only thing that really matters this off season is if AR is an actual NFL caliber starter.  He’s done little to nothing in CFB games to suggest it objectively.

 

Subjectively, he’s traitsy to the nth degree.  Hits will probably be at least 2025 until we see what we have.  This season AFAIC he gets a free pass and I’ll just be looking for promise.  Next season he needs to be a legit NFL starter.  2025 he needs to show star potential or this org might slip back into the oblivion in which  it came to INdy.

 

To me there is basically only one relevant question org wide.  Can AR play in The League or not?

 

 

Joke.  As usual

[NewColtsFan]

14 hours ago, John Hammonds said:

I'm gonna guess that Steichen will start him off in an RPO offense (much to the chagrin of Nelson).  Easy reads.  Easy throws.  Makes the most of your quarterback's athleticism.  He may look like Justin Fields for a while.

Honest question: 

Why would anything be to the chagrin of Nelson?    Sorry, I’m not following…..

 

[Nickster]

9 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Honest question: 

Why would anything be to the chagrin of Nelson?    Sorry, I’m not following…..

 

I assume he’s talking about RPO using zone blocking v. Gap.  Nelson would prefer gap I think he’s saying.

[NewColtsFan]

9 hours ago, Nickster said:

I assume he’s talking about RPO using zone blocking v. Gap.  Nelson would prefer gap I think he’s saying.

Ok, thanks.   Don’t think I subscribe to that view.   The Colts have run plenty of zone blocking very successfully since 2018.   I’ve seen no breakdown that shows Nelson prefers one style over the other. 
 

Appreciate the response.   Thanks again. 

[Nickster]

3 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Ok, thanks.   Don’t think I subscribe to that view.   The Colts have run plenty of zone blocking very successfully since 2018.   I’ve seen no breakdown that shows Nelson prefers one style over the other. 
 

Appreciate the response.   Thanks again. 

I agree zone has many advantages but most of it IMO is that you get very little read as a defender off the snap from the OL.  The zone steps look basically the same on straight runs and RPOs.

Gap has advantages too, the greatest of which IMO is that linemen can load up and really go after defenders and try to knock 

 

Zone is predominant in the League.  Every team runs more zone than Gap.  I didn’t look at last seasons stats but every team has run majority zone for several years now with only a handful of exceptions.

 

[John Hammonds]

On 7/4/2023 at 11:28 PM, NewColtsFan said:

Honest question: 

Why would anything be to the chagrin of Nelson?    Sorry, I’m not following…..

 

Hey there, NCF.  Sorry for the late response.

Back in 2021, we ran a lot of RPO plays, and Wentz would choose the passing option over and over, even in running situations.  Which prompted Nelson to go to the coach and say, "Please, let's just run some straight running plays."

So -- my recommendation to run RPO may not go all that well with Nelson.   

[Dark Superman]

I like the youth movement and most of the moves the Colts made this off-season. Losing Isaiah Rodgers Sr is going to sting for a very long time. I thought the defense had the potential to be a top 5 defense at some point, but a lot of their success will fall into the hands of hopefully getting a healthy 53 back. The biggest knock on this off-season is the lack of moves to bring in depth and competition at the guard and tackle spots. I still think a veteran guard and corner should be added before TC.