Colts offseason discussion / Ballard Grievances (merge)

[Superman]

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

Can you lay out in great detail how to run a professional sports franchise?

 

Honestly, I would LOVE to read some manifestos from Colts fans.

[KB]

1 minute ago, Superman said:

 

 

[jvan1973]

3 minutes ago, Jason_ said:

 

Exactly...flat earthers and sovereign citizens are who I point to when people say that an opinion can't be wrong. lol

Sovereign citizen videos on YouTube are my favorite 

[RollerColt]

1 minute ago, jvan1973 said:

Sovereign citizen videos on YouTube are my favorite 

As a history and geography teacher, they kill my soul…

[Solid84]

12 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

Let’s also not crown the Texans just yet. They barely made the playoffs against a Colts team with a backup QB. And honestly if the Jags had not shot themselves in the foot and Lawrence not been injured neither the Colts nor Texans would’ve been in. 
 

So much can happen each season. I think Houston is on the right track, but there are a lot of variables. And lest we forget, the Chiefs have a pretty strong chance at threepeating. 

I agree we shouldn't crown them, but they did make the playoffs with a worse team than the Colts bar their QB. The Jags are a weird team. They seem to be on the cusp of something good, but can't ever really get their poop together and make it happen.

 

I think Houston has overtaken us in the division and that's gotta rankle with Irsay. The Titans have made some moves to improve and if Levis ends up being a hit this season and they also overtake us Irsay will crap himself. Everything is on AR to pan out. I LOVED what I saw from him last season, but he still has a long way to go.

 

I think the Chiefs will be the first team to threepeat.

[jvan1973]

1 minute ago, RollerColt said:

As a history and geography teacher, they kill my soul…

They make me laugh.   They are so sure they are right.   Then the glass breaks and the crying begins

[Solid84]

17 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

"Get shoved in here"? You mean, the decision to have a Ballard complaint thread? You can PM me on that if you want. Otherwise, it's a decision made by the mod team, and that's all there is to say about it.

I don't really care where the decision was made, it doesn't change what it is.

[Jason_]

Just now, jvan1973 said:

Sovereign citizen videos on YouTube are my favorite 

 

I started watching the traffic stops (12 Taze of christmas was great) but lately i've been watching videos of them in court getting destroyed lol.  My favorite channel is Team Skeptic.  There's a video of a judge Oakley (only one of him so far that I know of) that is amazing.  

[jvan1973]

Just now, Jason_ said:

 

I started watching the traffic stops (12 Taze of christmas was great) but lately i've been watching videos of them in court getting destroyed lol.  My favorite channel is Team Skeptic.  There's a video of a judge Oakley (only one of him so far that I know of) that is amazing.  

I'll be checking that out

[Solid84]

17 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

Everyone has a right to an opinion. But for those of us who have played or worked around the game, we have a bit more insight. 
 

And again, being critical of Chris should be happening because his choices have led us to this point. But calling him an * and demanding that he gets fired? Well you’re not going to get what you want…

I can't speak for the people who call him an *, but I think he should be fired. Serious question: Do you think people calling for Ballard to get fired believe it will happen because that's what they want? Maybe it's just people giving their opinion.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Just now, Solid84 said:

I can't speak for the people who call him an *, but I think he should be fired. Serious question: Do you think people calling for Ballard to get fired believe it will happen because that's what they want? Maybe it's just people giving their opinion.

This. I don’t want Ballard fired. We need him to succeed to keep building with Richardson. A new GM creates all kinds of other issues I would rather not think about. 

[RollerColt]

3 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

I agree we shouldn't crown them, but they did make the playoffs with a worse team than the Colts bar their QB. The Jags are a weird team. They seem to be on the cusp of something good, but can't ever really get their poop together and make it happen.

 

I think Houston has overtaken us in the division and that's gotta rankle with Irsay. The Titans have made some moves to improve and if Levis ends up being a hit this season and they also overtake us Irsay will crap himself. Everything is on AR to pan out. I LOVED what I saw from him last season, but he still has a long way to go.

 

I think the Chiefs will be the first team to threepeat.

Where I think we disagree is the timing. 
 

I think Houston passed us about one year ago during the 2023 draft. Stroud is the real deal, and getting Anderson was huge. Their trio of WRs are no slouches either. Suffice to say, I think they were already a better team, so I don’t think they leapfrogged us this offseason. 

[AKB]

3 hours ago, Superman said:

 

"People" were against it... YOU were against it. So was AKB. The possibility of the Colts trading for Diggs was mostly viewed negatively, by "people" in this very thread who seem to now be criticizing Ballard for not trading for Diggs.

 

https://forums.colts.com/topic/76634-proposed-trade-for-stefon-diggs-to-colts/?do=findComment&comment=2624221

 

why you bringing me up i definitely wasnt in that thread much at all. 

[IrsaysArmy]

Guys do not worry. Ballard will draft a Reciever in the 2nd round with a really high RAS score. 

[Solid84]

21 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

Idk. I don’t think you realize the odds of getting back past your definition of mediocre after several years of sucking… it’s not great. Meaning: we could tear it all down, suck for 2-3 years, and then suck for decades. I’d rather stick to the approach we are watching, even if we just have a few winning seasons sprinkled in. I think there are better odds of building consistent competitors this way than starting over. Just my opinion. We’ve seen a change in approach to premium positions- could even further this draft. My main point is this- I just don’t want to suck… 

I hear you, I just disagree with staying with the same.

 

Also I'm not saying we should just tear it down. Think of it as a reallocation of ressources. I think we have A LOT of money tied up in positions/players that don't really move the needle for us. I mean, after signing the rookies this offseason how far are we actually from bumping the cap? A team bumping the cap needs to be READY or very close to it, in my opinion, otherwise there's a misallocation of ressources somewhere.

[AKB]

anybody who complains about Ballard on this forum gets categorized, with a file. 

[Solid84]

28 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

no- so don’t put words of which I am not saying. I have never tried to silence anyone here. If someone has the right to comment against a professional’s way of doing things, another has the right to question the comment/thought. My point is more about individuals on here thinking they are correct in their sole-way of thinking, and even going as far to state their opinions as facts. Which is hilarious.

That's fine. I don't have a problem with a healthy discussion about football.

 

So, when is a GM right? Every time they make a decision? When they win? Is it enough to just "try" and that makes them right?

 

I agree with stating opinions as facts is off by the way.

[AKB]

Just now, Solid84 said:

That's fine. I don't have a problem with a healthy discussion about football.

 

So, when is a GM right? Every time they make a decision? When they win? Is it enough to just "try" and that makes them right?

 

I agree with stating opinions as facts is off by the way.

as long as GM is almost .500 they are doing fine, according to most fans here. 

[danlhart87]

7 minutes ago, IrsaysArmy said:

Guys do not worry. Ballard will draft a Reciever in the 2nd round with a really high RAS score. 

Thats Legette 9.92

[Solid84]

26 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

Of coarse we comment,  but acting like you have any idea how the job works is nonsense.    

 

There are people that criticize scientist because they think the earth is flat.   

How am I acting like that?

 

I dislike how he treats FA. How is that in ANY way the same saying I know how the job works?

[ColtStrong2013]

1 minute ago, Solid84 said:

I hear you, I just disagree with staying with the same.

 

Also I'm not saying we should just tear it down. Think of it as a reallocation of ressources. I think we have A LOT of money tied up in positions/players that don't really move the needle for us. I mean, after signing the rookies this offseason how far are we actually from bumping the cap? A team bumping the cap needs to be READY or very close to it, in my opinion, otherwise there's a misallocation of ressources somewhere.

I get it. And I think where I disagree most is that you say we are staying the same. Yes in the sense that the concept of drafting, retaining and finding value in free agency. Disagreed in the positional focus in the draft. We’ve had some hits at key positions. I’m willing to wait for those positions to develop a little more before deciding on the fate of the guy that clearly got a reset and changed that mentality some. In terms of hitting free agency, I just don’t see it ever happening here. It never was a thing, except for a few years of trying to buy an o-line for Andrew luck that led to disaster… I don’t think that will happen regardless of who is at the helm. 

[ADnum1]

12 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

This. I don’t want Ballard fired. We need him to succeed to keep building with Richardson. A new GM creates all kinds of other issues I would rather not think about. 

In fact Ballard would hold AR back.

 

It's time to tear the bandaid off and move in a new direction. 

 

Ballards shelf life as a GM is over.

 

I'm very sorry 

[AKB]

Just now, PRnum1 said:

In fact Ballard would hold AR back.

 

It's time to tear the bandaid off and move in a new direction. 

 

Ballards shelf life as a GM is over.

 

I'm very sorry 

he shoulda been let go with reich

[Jason_]

22 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

I don't think "tank" is the right word for it. Roster reset. Rebuild. If you let go of a handful of your highest paid players chances are the team will be worse. But, sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.

 

Oh I would have been fine with that too.  I'll be honest, even before Richardson got hurt last year, I felt that the best outcome for his rookie season would be for him to stay healthy, show improvement as a passer and the team be competitive in every game, but finish with a losing record and preferably a top 5 pick.  When he got hurt, I was even more ready for that eventuality.  In the end, I'm not upset that the team fared as well as they did because it showed that the roster isn't as bad as some make it out to be and it instilled a great deal of confidence in Steichen.

 

I was just saying that the only way to make that happen is to intentionally do it.  A lot of fans would even consider what you suggested tanking...getting rid of higher paid players (which are usually going to be your best players) and not doing anything to replace them.  Is that an "evaluation year" or a "tank job".  Tomato tomahtoe I guess  

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Just now, AKB said:

he shoulda been let go with reich

We would not have Steichen or maybe even AR had that happened. So giving him a reset I was very much ok with. But he clearly has not learned a lesson.

[Mikemccoy84]

Very few teams would come off our record with a backup qb and first year head coach even thinking about firing the gm

[Yoshinator]

The bottom line is we should have traded for Sneed and paid him. Knowing we got Blackmon back and how Gus Bradley operates, Sneed would have been the missing piece. Not only to counter the Texans, but to fix the CB position and be in good shape heading into the draft. The draft capital was cheap enough. That will hurt us down the road,

[AKB]

2 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

We would not have Steichen or maybe even AR had that happened. So giving him a reset I was very much ok with. But he clearly has not learned a lesson.

hard to say , we probably still hire one of the young coaches, plus take a QB, so it really wouldn't have looked much different in that aspect

[ColtStrong2013]

5 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

That's fine. I don't have a problem with a healthy discussion about football.

 

So, when is a GM right? Every time they make a decision? When they win? Is it enough to just "try" and that makes them right?

 

I agree with stating opinions as facts is off by the way.

By most indicators of fans when they are contenders. I’ve long argued that the Irsay’s might see it differently. With Jim’s health, they might value having calm reasonable voices internally to the approach of the organization as a whole. I would argue that Ballard’s ability to keep the media toned down is a huge plus. Especially with the gravity of the news that has circulated with the boss, Andrew luck’s retirement, coaching changes, etc. Team seems to be doing well to keep the fans spending money at the games. 
 

I dont think trying makes anyone right. I think a lot of luck does. Did Houston drafting Stroud at 3 make them right, or was it more luck that the panthers who jumped them didn’t? Would they have the same success with the little man? 

[Jason_]

9 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

How am I acting like that?

 

I dislike how he treats FA. How is that in ANY way the same saying I know how the job works?

 

I don't mean to speak for jvan, but I think it's possible that, though he was responding to you, that portion was in reference to someone else.

[cdgacoltsfan]

46 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

We allowed one yard more with grove out. What does it matter if you can’t stop the pass in a passing league. Grover is durable and we won games without him.

Ha..ok. This statement answers alot. 

[DougDew]

26 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

I can't speak for the people who call him an *, but I think he should be fired. Serious question: Do you think people calling for Ballard to get fired believe it will happen because that's what they want? Maybe it's just people giving their opinion.

Do people actually call Ballard a name?  I mean. more frequently  than just a frustrated slip of the tongue in a post?

 

To elevate that into some sort of forum regularity, and then whine about it is the epitome of a butt-hurt strawman argument. 

[Mikemccoy84]

Hopefully we get aggressive in the draft so people calm down

[Jason_]

6 minutes ago, Yoshinator said:

The bottom line is we should have traded for Sneed and paid him. Knowing we got Blackmon back and how Gus Bradley operates, Sneed would have been the missing piece. Not only to counter the Texans, but to fix the CB position and be in good shape heading into the draft. The draft capital was cheap enough. That will hurt us down the road,

 

I can certainly appreciate that and can't necessarily disagree.  I was to the point I was hoping to see the news we'd made the trade. 

[Solid84]

5 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

I get it. And I think where I disagree most is that you say we are staying the same. Yes in the sense that the concept of drafting, retaining and finding value in free agency. Disagreed in the positional focus in the draft. We’ve had some hits at key positions. I’m willing to wait for those positions to develop a little more before deciding on the fate of the guy that clearly got a reset and changed that mentality some. In terms of hitting free agency, I just don’t see it ever happening here. It never was a thing, except for a few years of trying to buy an o-line for Andrew luck that led to disaster… I don’t think that will happen regardless of who is at the helm. 

Red: Isn't this the whole basis of how to build the team though? If this stay the same how will the team change for the better?

 

Green: You think we've changed focus? I still think it's trenches first and even to the point some positions get neglected. There's been loads of discussion on here about maybe drafting a CB in the 1st and I just don't see Ballard doing it. If we do acutally draft a WR in the 1st I guess it could point to a change of philosophy.

 

Blue: I hope we don't start throwing money on every big name FA on the market. I do wish Ballard would start bringing in more solid, young players in FA who we could build around. I don't think using solely the draft is ever going to get us there, because there's always going to be misses. You need to cover those misses with solid FA talent in my opinion.

[Jason_]

9 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

 

I dont think trying makes anyone right. I think a lot of luck does. Did Houston drafting Stroud at 3 make them right, or was it more luck that the panthers who jumped them didn’t? Would they have the same success with the little man? 

 

also, do they make the trade up for Anderson if they hadn't had all those extra picks from the Watson deal? 

[John Waylon]

No one is put off by the fact that we didn’t get Diggs. Most of us didn’t want him and are on the record as such when that thread was a thing. 
 

It’s the fact that, yet again, a team in the division is getting better, and in this case the price is salt in the wound. The Texans paid a very fair price for the return they should get on this investment. In all reality it’s going to be a bottom 10 2nd round pick. The other picks are so insignificant I’m not going to list them. And this is a good move for the Texans. That offense got better today. 
 

We haven’t gotten better in any way since the season ended. Today was nothing more than a jab in the wound. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

10 minutes ago, AKB said:

hard to say , we probably still hire one of the young coaches, plus take a QB, so it really wouldn't have looked much different in that aspect

It’s always a crap shoot hiring a new GM with their philosophy ect. Colds need Ballard to succeed so we don’t have to worry about the consequences of a new GM.

[1959Colts]

If the Colts finish last in the division this year, does that get Ballard fired?

[DougDew]

43 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

You know you don’t have to respond and make fun of every fans opinion you don’t agree with. This post is exactly what I am talking about. No fan on here should feel unwelcome or made fun of.  I litterly left this bowed for a week and really might leave for good with posters like this. 

I have to apologize.   I used to get a bunch of crazy push back, but I think I fought back hard enough to where they now go for easier targets.

 

I think what you've been trying to say....and I strongly suspect that most people who criticize you know exactly what you're saying despite their criticism...is that there were in fact FA DLs, LBers, Corners, and Ss, that showed more abilities in the passing game than did the players we decided to run it back with.   Grover, Franklin, Blackmon, and adding Davis.  No need to list them.  Let them do their own work.

 

So yes, you can make incremental gains towards the goal.  And you don't have to be characterized as saying you wanted to see a bunch of splashy signings.  

 

As far as not wanting to add Diggs.  That discussion in the dedicated thread was about trading our pick 15 and our 4th for Diggs.  Of course a lot of folks wouldn't want that.  But it would be disingenuous for them to still say they would not want Diggs after knowing that he could have been had for only a future 2nd and change, without recalibrating their answer by including that new information.