Colts offseason discussion / Ballard Grievances (merge)

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Every year fans yell and scream about an obvious weakness and once the season starts it turns out fans were right.  

[AKB]

2 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Every year fans yell and scream about an obvious weakness and once the season starts it turns out fans were right.  

fans? we don't know anything.

 

trust and be patient in the savior ballard 

 

 

everyone get on your knees, and praise BBB

[DougDew]

You find your stars and playmakers through the draft...and keep those playmakers on your team.  And fill holes with good stop gap vets.  Unless a Buckner thing happens once every 7 years...the exception to the rule.

 

But, if your stop gaps and draft picks both play like mid level vets because you did not find stars in the draft, you will usually finish about .500. 

 

Need more explanation that that?

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

This is probably the first offseason though where I truly don’t understand what the heck Ballard is doing or trying to accomplish with this secondary .  It makes zero sense to me. Maybe in a few weeks it will make more sense but right now it doesn’t. There is no way Bradley is ok with this secondary.

[jvan1973]

Just now, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

This is probably the first offseason though where I truly don’t understand what the heck Ballard is doing or trying to accomplish with this secondary .  It makes zero sense to me. Maybe in a few weeks it will make more sense but right now it doesn’t. There is no way Bradley is ok with this secondary.

I'm positive he is working on the secondary.  It doesn't have to be fixed in the first week of free agency.   Let it all play out

[NewColtsFan]

18 minutes ago, AKB said:

i don't entirely disagree but luck is only part of it. they got their franchise QB, and then traded up for their Franchise edge, two of the most important positions in football.. 

 

Yes….   But they got their franchise quarterback, in part, from luck.  If Chicago or Charlotte had taken Stroud, things might look very different for Houston today.  

[AKB]

7 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Yes….   But they got their franchise quarterback, in part, from luck.  If Chicago or Charlotte had taken Stroud, things might look very different for Houston today.  

luck? absolutely not. stroud was a top prospect, and got taken with a top pick, then immediately after they get their franchise QB they trade up before us.. to take their franchise edge.. ballard would never. 

 

that's the difference,. if you wanna call it luck, then ballard got lucky with Nelson and Leonard.

[richard pallo]

20 minutes ago, DougDew said:

You find your stars and playmakers through the draft...and keep those playmakers on your team.  And fill holes with good stop gap vets.  Unless a Buckner thing happens once every 7 years...the exception to the rule.

 

But, if your stop gaps and draft picks both play like mid level vets because you did not find stars in the draft, you will usually finish about .500. 

 

Need more explanation that that?

Every seven years.  That’s great.  Now we’re due for another Buckner type move.  Lol

[jvan1973]

26 minutes ago, DougDew said:

You find your stars and playmakers through the draft...and keep those playmakers on your team.  And fill holes with good stop gap vets.  Unless a Buckner thing happens once every 7 years...the exception to the rule.

 

But, if your stop gaps and draft picks both play like mid level vets because you did not find stars in the draft, you will usually finish about .500. 

 

Need more explanation that that?

Didn't this roster just go 9-8 with a backup qb for 12 weeks?  Sure seems like a good roster

[BeanDiasucci]

30 minutes ago, AKB said:

i don't entirely disagree but luck is only part of it. they got their franchise QB, and then traded up for their Franchise edge, two of the most important positions in football.. 

I think that should be a goal of every team now - let's be great, not good - at QB, DE, WR, LT, and CB, the most important positions in a passing-dominated league. The Colts are hopefully improving at most of these positions, but still have some teams ahead of them. They need AR to work out, as everybody knows, and still need to get better to be elite at DE, WR, and CB. 

 

Yes, I think almost everyone already knows all of this, but it's hard not to keep talking about it because it's the story of the Colts' offseason and 2025 season. Are they on the right track at these positions? 

[RollerColt]

1 minute ago, jvan1973 said:

Didn't this roster just go 9-8 with a backup qb for 12 weeks?  Sure seems like a good roster

Naw, everyone and everything sucks. Burn it all down. Fire everyone and sell the team. /s

[Dobbinblitz]

TOP 30 VISIT :  

The  Indianapolis Colts are adding another player to their top 30 visit list, with Northern Iowa DT  🤔 Khristian Boyd set to come to Indy. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Normally I can understand where Ballard is coming from with decisions. The one year he let Autry and Houston  go because we had so many young guys we had used high picks on and they needed to play. While that didn’t completely work and least I can understand with the high draft picks we had used. It makes zero sense to be so in on 7th round and undrafted guys. You should not be banking on a high ceiling from them. If they were projected to have a high ceiling   they would have been drafted or went higher. It rarely works your going to get a really good starter in these incidences.

[NewColtsFan]

30 minutes ago, AKB said:

luck? absolutely not. stroud was a top prospect, and got taken with a top pick, then immediately after they get their franchise QB they trade up before us.. to take their franchise edge.. ballard would never. 

 

that's the difference,. if you wanna call it luck, then ballard got lucky with Nelson and Leonard.

You keep ignoring the argument.   Stroud might not have been available.   Chicago could have taken him.  Charlotte could have taken him.   There’s the luck involved. 
 

When Ballard says you also have to get lucky, he’s including himself.   If someone takes Nelson before him or Leonard before him then things would be different for the Colts.   So yes, Ballard got lucky.  

[AKB]

23 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

You keep ignoring the argument.   Stroud might not have been available.   Chicago could have taken him.  Charlotte could have taken him.   There’s the luck involved. 
 

When Ballard says you also have to get lucky, he’s including himself.   If someone takes Nelson before him or Leonard before him then things would be different for the Colts.   So yes, Ballard got lucky.  

no, i just don't think it's an argument to have. any player could not be available, at any given spot. that's why they traded up for Anderson, after taking their QB, and then the following season beat us out for the division.  It was Young, Stroud as one and two, they got two at the time, and guess what, they hit. they also traded up for their DE and guess what. they hit. 

 

so like I said, if they got lucky, then ballard got lucky with his hits. it's not even a worthwhile point to engage

[NewColtsFan]

5 minutes ago, AKB said:

no, i just don't think it's an argument to have. any player could not be available, at any given spot. that's why they traded up for Anderson, after taking their QB, and then the following season beat us out for the division.  It was Young, Stroud as one and two, they got two at the time, and guess what, they hit. they also traded up for their DE and guess what. they hit. 

 

so like I said, if they got lucky, then ballard got lucky with his hits. it's not even a worthwhile point to engage

You keep asking me to say you’re right and I say you’re right and it’s still not enough.   
 

Yiu said if Houston was lucky then Ballard was lucky and I said yes Ballard was lucky!!    Chris Ballard was lucky!   And what do you say?    You’re wrong.   
 

We’re done for the day.   Do NOT respond.  This has been an embarrassing exchange for you.   You're winning but you’re not winning by a big enough margin.  
 

Dear God!   What a hot mess!  

[GoColts8818]

52 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

Naw, everyone and everything sucks. Burn it all down. Fire everyone and sell the team. /s

Yeah at this point it’s not even about Ballard to me.  I am not a fan of everything he’s doing so I can get on board with some of the criticism of him it’s people throwing temper tantrums because Ballard isn’t doing exactly what they want and acting like he’s never done anything right and running to every thread to say it over and over and over.  We get it some are sick of Ballard.  However, we can’t fire him and posting about it every chance you get on a message board isn’t going to make Irsay fire him.  

 

If people are fans of the Colts then why not pull for what he’s doing to work even if you disagree with it?  I just want the Colts to win I don’t care who the GM is or what he does to get the team there.  I have no clue if what Ballard is doing is going to work but what I do know is the season isn’t over in March like some are acting like it is.  
 

It is what it is though, by the same token if people want to just be angry about Ballard I can’t stop them and I am not going to try.  

[GoColts8818]

8 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

You keep asking me to say you’re right and I say you’re right and it’s still not enough.   
 

Yiu said if Houston was lucky then Ballard was lucky and I said yes Ballard was lucky!!    Chris Ballard was lucky!   And what do you say?    You’re wrong.   
 

We’re done for the day.   Do NOT respond.  This has been an embarrassing exchange for you.   You're winning but you’re not winning by a big enough margin.  
 

Dear God!   What a hot mess!  

He just wants to fight and win arguments on the internet.  

[KB]

1 hour ago, Dobbinblitz said:

TOP 30 VISIT :  

The  Indianapolis Colts are adding another player to their top 30 visit list, with Northern Iowa DT  🤔 Khristian Boyd set to come to Indy. 

I figured DT would be off the board after acquiring Davis. Boyd would be a good one to develop if he can be had in rd 5 or 6.

[AKB]

40 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

He just wants to fight and win arguments on the internet.  

im here to complain about ballard

[OLD FAN MAN]

4 hours ago, VikingsFanInChennai said:

It doesn't matter if not even 1 person would say Colts are contenders...

 

But, if that's not the goal, what is?

 

And, when would that happen? Is there any indication that Colts are going forward on right track to get there?

 

Yes, Houston isn't a contender either but they got on right track already in very few years from a dumpster fire.

 

Do you get the point? Not 20 teams can be a contender, but only few of those 20 get in right track, and many just stay around the average all the time... And, Colts - apart from having hope in QB situation now - are just average in many other position groups in the roster. 

reality is hard for many on here to face, your post tells it like it is imo

[OLD FAN MAN]

5 minutes ago, AKB said:

im here to complain about ballard

me too and his failure to build division winner

[AKB]

Just now, OLD FAN MAN said:

me too and his failure to build division winner

yeah, look at this list. can you guess what it is?

 

23 - texans

22 - jax

21 - titans

20 -  titans

19 - texans

18 - texans 

17 - jax

16 - texans 

15 - texans

14 - colts

[ShuteAt168]

2 hours ago, DougDew said:

You find your stars and playmakers through the draft...and keep those playmakers on your team.  And fill holes with good stop gap vets.  Unless a Buckner thing happens once every 7 years...the exception to the rule.

 

But, if your stop gaps and draft picks both play like mid level vets because you did not find stars in the draft, you will usually finish about .500. 

 

Need more explanation that that?

Perfectly explained. And actually, below .500 over the course of those seven years. 

[DougDew]

2 hours ago, richard pallo said:

Every seven years.  That’s great.  Now we’re due for another Buckner type move.  Lol

 

2 hours ago, jvan1973 said:

Didn't this roster just go 9-8 with a backup qb for 12 weeks?  Sure seems like a good roster

If y'all want to have a perpetual Ballard thumbs up or thumbs down convo, be my guest. 

 

But the reality is that "building through the draft" means that you have to find playmakers there.   "Not building through the draft" means to sign them off of the FA market,  Ballard has chosen to build through the draft.  Every team signs mid level vets to fill holes, so that common constant cancels out, just like any other algebraic equation.  Not that its a perfect metaphor.

 

Playoff success would be because you actually drafted players who turned into stars and playmakers.   We have had a .500 record...like forever, generally.... because those players have not emerged either because they are not good enough or other reasons...not because we have not gotten our money's worth from the stop gap vets.  That's the way its been for 7 years.

 

What happens next year with a non-backup QB is a different year than what has happened so far.   And next year's results will be only 1/8th of the total Ballard tenure.  Keeping the math metaphor.

[OLD FAN MAN]

12 minutes ago, AKB said:

yeah, look at this list. can you guess what it is?

 

23 - texans

22 - jax

21 - titans

20 -  titans

19 - texans

18 - texans 

17 - jax

16 - texans 

15 - texans

14 - colts

can that be division winners? that was a long time ago for us. this must be delayed gratification!!!

[AKB]

1 minute ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

can that be division winners? that was a long time ago for us

i made that list my about me on my profile because it's all I'm gonna talk about until we win again

[2006Coltsbestever]

11 minutes ago, AKB said:

yeah, look at this list. can you guess what it is?

 

23 - texans

22 - jax

21 - titans

20 -  titans

19 - texans

18 - texans 

17 - jax

16 - texans 

15 - texans

14 - colts

Yeah but technically, you have to go by 2002 when the South was created. That means this:

Colts 9

Texans 7

Titans 4

Jags 2

-Just can't cut it off to support a narrative. I will give the Texans credit, they have won the division 7 times, close to us but still no cigar 

 

[AKB]

3 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Yeah but technically, you have to go by 2002 when the South was created. That means this:

Colts 9

Texans 7

Titans 4

Jags 2

-Just can't cut it off to support a narrative. I will give the Texans credit, they have won the division 7 times, close to us but still no cigar 

 

lol definitely not, im here to complain about ballard. maybe we can cut off the couple years he wasn't here.  but, that's gone be my fav list to post here for a while

 

let me remind you, that's not an anti colts list, that's a ballard hasn't accomplished anything list. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

2 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Yeah but technically, you have to go by 2002 when the South was created. That means this:

Colts 9

Texans 7

Titans 4

Jags 2

-Just can't cut it off to support a narrative. I will give the Texans credit, they have won the division 7 times, close to us but still no cigar 

 

To add to this, we have won a SB (2006) and been to 2 (2009) since the 2002 season, no other team in the Division has done that. 

[AKB]

Just now, 2006Coltsbestever said:

To add to this, we have won a SB (2006) and been to 2 (2009) since the 2002 season, no other team in the Division has done that. 

ballard helped with that?

[2006Coltsbestever]

Just now, AKB said:

ballard helped with that?

I get your point. I was just saying overall history still matters, we have that at least. No Biggy.

[AKB]

Just now, 2006Coltsbestever said:

I get your point. I was just saying overall history still matters, we have that at least. No Biggy.

dont get me wrong, i love our colts. we are the best organization in the AFC south, IMO. But that's regardless of BBB

[2006Coltsbestever]

Just now, AKB said:

dont get me wrong, i love our colts. we are the best organization in the AFC south, IMO. But that's regardless of BBB

I know, since Ballard we have won 0 Division Titles. We had it last season but just didn't finish. Still a huge kick to the nuts the way that game ended. I believe we would have beat the Browns as well is what is sad.

[AKB]

Just now, 2006Coltsbestever said:

I know, since Ballard we have won 0 Division Titles. We had it last season but just didn't finish. Still a huge kick to the nuts the way that game ended. I believe we would have beat the Browns as well is what is sad.

yeah, of course im being a bit over the top about it. we probably would've made the playoffs last year but IMO we would've likely been out of the first round regardless of if we were not cheated out of the CLE game, resulting in probably the same overall sentiment.  i love how irsay went public about that with their letter to give the fans some closure on that

 

[2006Coltsbestever]

Just now, AKB said:

yeah, of course im being a bit over the top about it. we probably would've made the playoffs last year but IMO we would've likely been out of the first round regardless of if we were not cheated out of the CLE game, resulting in probably the same overall sentiment.  i love how irsay went public about that with their letter to give the fans some closure on that

 

I think we would have beat the Browns like Houston did but the Ravens would have ended our season. We beat the Ravens in the Regular Season but they had a better team. 

[AKB]

4 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

I think we would have beat the Browns like Houston did but the Ravens would have ended our season. We beat the Ravens in the Regular Season but they had a better team. 

Minshew played better than I thought he would, I'll behonest., if it were not for Flacco minshew would've been crowned best back up, which at mid season I would've said heck no. with that being said, probably still not strong enough roster wise to win in the playoffs last year, even with shane being a great rookie coach 

[Nate!]

2 hours ago, AKB said:

luck? absolutely not. stroud was a top prospect, and got taken with a top pick, then immediately after they get their franchise QB they trade up before us.. to take their franchise edge.. ballard would never. 

 

that's the difference,. if you wanna call it luck, then ballard got lucky with Nelson and Leonard.

Well, they got lucky their franchise QB turned out to be a rapist and demand a trade which netted them the god awful teams and additional draft capital to do said moves.  Would’ve been lucky for the Colts if Luck had done that instead of just quit to where the Colts got absolutely nothing for that.   
 

Texans did get lucky.  The staff of the Panthers wanted Stroud, but the owner went executive decision and overruled them.  Had that not happened, Stroud is in Carolina, Bryce likely in Houston and the situations look completely different.

 

again though, they got extremely lucky their franchise QB became a rapist, demanded a trade, and then immediately became injury prone and no longer talented as a QB

[AKB]

3 minutes ago, Nate! said:

Well, they got lucky their franchise QB turned out to be a rapist and demand a trade which netted them the god awful teams and additional draft capital to do said moves.  Would’ve been lucky for the Colts if Luck had done that instead of just quit to where the Colts got absolutely nothing for that.   
 

Texans did get lucky.  The staff of the Panthers wanted Stroud, but the owner went executive decision and overruled them.  Had that not happened, Stroud is in Carolina, Bryce likely in Houston and the situations look completely different.

 

again though, they got extremely lucky their franchise QB became a rapist, demanded a trade, and then immediately became injury prone and no longer talented as a QB

I disagree, but well thought out response. they lost their franchise QB and did something about it. We lost ours and remained in QB purgatory for half a decare+, they are clearly more aggressive, and there are multiple other teams we can point to outside of HOU. the HOU discussion really was just a rabbithole I got pulled into with NCF, but they clearly were aggressive to get their QB, plus their Edge, and also won the division. Luck is involved in every sport, not just football, however people still get judged by their outcomes. and here's ours. 

 

less than .500 in wins since ballard, and 0 division titles. 

 

so maybe, we should try and get lucky with a new GM, cause ballard's seems to have run out after he took Leonard 

[2006Coltsbestever]

8 minutes ago, AKB said:

I disagree, but well thought out response. they lost their franchise QB and did something about it. We lost ours and remained in QB purgatory for half a decare+, they are clearly more aggressive, and there are multiple other teams we can point to outside of HOU. the HOU discussion really was just a rabbithole I got pulled into with NCF, but they clearly were aggressive to get their QB, plus their Edge, and also won the division. Luck is involved in every sport, not just football, however people still get judged by their outcomes. and here's ours. 

 

less than .500 in wins since ballard, and 0 division titles. 

 

so maybe, we should try and get lucky with a new GM, cause ballard's seems to have run out after he took Leonard 

A lot of it is luck. I am sure John Lynch after screwing up bigtime with the Lance pick just knew Brock Purdy would be very good with the last pick in the draft