Colts offseason discussion / Ballard Grievances (merge)

[BlackTiger]

As for the draft it seems like a lot of us want offense in the first round, I do too.

 

Keep in mind we might see the top WRs and Bowers gone anyway and have all the Corners still on the board.  How far down the list of WRs do you want to go while passing on maybe the best CB in the draft?

[MikeCurtis]

4 minutes ago, cdgacoltsfan said:

Ballard .." look Jim, I have the most cap space after free agency again!"

Irsay: great job Chris!!!!

Ballard has some guts........ He is standing by his approach

 

If we have another year of no playoffs, if we go back even 2-3 wins, if this defense is bottom 5 again

 

Ballard could well be fired.......  as well as the DC

 

Many years..... no playoff wins,

 

At some point its on the GM

 

 

[NFLfan]

1 minute ago, runthepost said:

Yes. Allowed 1TD as primary coverage player. He does get penalized a lot because he’s very physical with receivers 

 

I don't like guys who get penalties.   The Colts can draft a better player.

 

A few years ago, in the Gavin Mock Draft that the forum will have again this year, I drafted Jaylon Johnson. He has not disappointed. I like him better than Sneed. Did Colts fans want him this off-season. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

3 minutes ago, coltsfan77 said:

Sneed going to Titans is the most disappointing part to this. Seems the division is getting better but believe CB has a backup plan. Would not be surprised if someone else to help may be in the works. Whether he knows possibly someone will be released or up for trade closer to draft or on draft day. Personally would rather have a difference maker on the edge.

Ballard has a MO. There is no backup plan.

[MikeCurtis]

2 minutes ago, BlackTiger said:

As for the draft it seems like a lot of us want offense in the first round, I do too.

 

Keep in mind we might see the top WRs and Bowers gone anyway and have all the Corners still on the board.  How far down the list of WRs do you want to go while passing on maybe the best CB in the draft?

I get that......

 

But at least so far we havent filled any of the top holes, before the draft

 

Which means we HAVE to hit on 2 or more players in the draft

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

1 minute ago, MikeCurtis said:

Ballard has some guts........ He is standing by his approach

 

If we have another year of no playoffs, if we go back even 2-3 wins, if this defense is bottom 5 again

 

Ballard could well be fired.......  as well as the DC

 

Many years..... no playoff wins,

 

At some point its on the GM

 

 

Then you bring in a new GM and he basically starts from scratch and probably starts to rebuild then you’re really behind the 8 ball. It’s all bad.

[MikeCurtis]

1 minute ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Then you bring in a new GM and he basically starts from scratch and probably starts to rebuild then you’re really behind the 8 ball. It’s all bad.

Yep

 

Lets hope it comes together this year, and we get some improvement...... maybe 2 more wins.....

 

A playoff entry goes a LONG way toward keeping the "band" together

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

5 minutes ago, Dingus McGirt said:

Last season the team lost DB's due to injury, and was a very young, inexperienced group.  Please dispense with the Chicken Little stuff...at least until week 6, or so.  

Does depending on a guy who has injury history clear back to college and a guy with a torn Achilles sound smart to you?

[ColtStrong2013]

11 minutes ago, BlackTiger said:

They are doing what a lot of people have been talking about here.  Waiting to see something from their qb before making moves.  They also spent on a WR

 

He is further along, it shouldn't be that hard for you to admit this.  I actually dont like WL myself, he annoys me.  Still further along

in what aspect? That he played 5 more games and didn’t have surgery? He still had injuries… he still scored 2 touchdowns more than AR with 5 extra games. He is not further along… He’s not better… 

 

they spent money on a receiver because they desperately needed to. Their former GM gave their best player away, and they were walking away from the bulk of their offense in D Henry. 

[KB]

This thread has turned into one large tantrum of adults not getting what they want.

[ColtStrong2013]

1 minute ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Does depending on a guy who has injury history clear back to college and a guy with a torn Achilles sound smart to you?

Does waiting until the draft before throwing a fit on here ever cross your mind as smart?

Just now, KB said:

This thread has turned into one large tantrum of adults not getting what they want.

yes.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Just now, ColtStrong2013 said:

Does waiting until the draft before throwing a fit on here ever cross your mind as smart?

yes.

This is a Ballard thread. If you think he is doing a good job then just don’t read this thread.

[BlackTiger]

1 minute ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

in what aspect?

He is older and has played a lot more games.  That IS being further along, its experience. 

 

He showed he can play in the league without getting hurt every game.  He is probably a better passer overall too

[ColtStrong2013]

Just now, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

This is a Ballard thread. If you think he is doing a good job then just don’t read this thread.

What are you a cop? Are you the head of the censorship bureau on this forum? This is a colts offseason/ballard grievance merger. If I want to read opposing viewpoints and comment on them, I think I am entitled to do so. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Bengals will be back this year . Steelers have improved at QB. Texans titans jags will all be improved. Colts have done not one thing to improve this defense in fact have gotten worse. 

[NFLfan]

4 minutes ago, KB said:

This thread has turned into one large tantrum of adults not getting what they want.

 

Exactly.

3 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

This is a Ballard thread. If you think he is doing a good job then just don’t read this thread.

 

It is a Colts off-season thread that has a lot of folks posting comments about Ballard. We added Ballard Grievance to the title but it is still first and foremost a Colts off-season discussion thread.

[ColtStrong2013]

1 minute ago, BlackTiger said:

He is older and has played a lot more games.  That IS being further along, its experience. 

 

He showed he can play in the league without getting hurt every game.  He is probably a better passer overall too

 

older does not equate to experience. He had one extra season than AR did in college. He didn’t prove much during it. He has a full 5 games more in the nfl. That’s hardly being an experienced qb. 

“probably”… 

[Jason_]

8 minutes ago, KB said:

This thread has turned into one large tantrum of adults not getting what they want.

 

Same crap, same "adults", different year

[Jason_]

8 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

This is a Ballard thread. If you think he is doing a good job then just don’t read this thread.

 

You completely missed the point.  I'd say I'm shocked but....

[Hoose]

13 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Ballard has a MO. There is no backup plan.

Chloe, you need to calm way down. Sneed was definitely an upgrade but there is a lot of time left in FA and some good players out there who can improve the team. 
Let’s see how the rest of the FA period plays out before going jihad on Ballard. 
 

 

[NFLfan]

12 minutes ago, BlackTiger said:

He is older and has played a lot more games.  That IS being further along, its experience. 

 

He showed he can play in the league without getting hurt every game.  He is probably a better passer overall too

 

Levis did not appear to be a better player. He had a game or two that he looked good but so did Richardson. And Richardson did not have his RB when he was playing.

[Dingus McGirt]

21 minutes ago, runthepost said:

We played 10 back ups/rookie QBs last season. The schedule isn’t like that this year

Yes, it's a new year with a new schedule.  That said, it's still only March.  I try to be the "cup is half full," while some are the "cup is half full (or completely empty)" type.  A goal for all should be "homeostasis."  Look it up, folks.

[ColtStrong2013]

Just now, Hoose said:

Chloe, you need to calm way down

[Dingus McGirt]

1 minute ago, Hoose said:

Chloe, you need to calm way down. Sneed was definitely an upgrade but there is a lot of time left in FA and some good players out there who can improve the team. 
Let’s see how the rest of the FA period plays out before going jihad on Ballard. 
 

 

We can blame the Colt's GM if we want...but, what if he didn't WANT to come here?

[BlackTiger]

3 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

 

older does not equate to experience. He had one extra season than AR did in college. He didn’t prove much during it. He has a full 5 games more in the nfl. That’s hardly being an experienced qb. 

“probably”… 

WL had a lot more games played, a lot more completions and a lot more tds in college.  I just double checked the numbers, they are not close.

 

Shouldn't be that hard for you to admit i was right over him being more experienced.

 

He showed he can play in the league without getting hurt every game, AR didnt.

[Shive]

34 minutes ago, dw49 said:

Never said that your post said "hey the Colts are going to sign Simmons."  But whatever... you're just too intelligent for me to follow , so I'll give it up.

He was commenting on the hypocrisy of some fans that are upset we didn't trade for/sign Sneed, but when someone mentions another FA, they say we can't afford them, despite the fact that Sneed would have cost 3-4x what that FA would have cost.

 

26 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Richardson on IR has nothing to do with this team being 30th in the league in points allowed.  Having blind faith in a corner who was united in college and came into the nfl injured. A guy who won’t be ready who was undrafted and a 7th round pick. Of let’s not forget Baker is still on the team.

@ColtStrong2013 summed it up pretty well already. I remember multiple games last season where the offense couldn't move the ball at all and were consistently punting from deep in our own territory, giving the other team fantastic field position. Couple that with Minshew's turnovers that gave the other team amazing field position and the fact that the defense was exhausted from the constant 3 & outs, and you get a defense that gives up a lot of points.

 

You're getting fixated on a specific statistic and completely ignoring the interconnectivity of all phases of the game.

 

I don't disagree that we should bring in vet FAs at CB and S, but I know there's still some good options out there that we could still bring in. Based on Ballard's comments, I don't expect a vet at CB like Howard or White that will expect to start from day 1, because that contradicts his approach at CB to give the young CBs time to develop.

[BlackTiger]

3 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

Levis did not appear to me to be a better player.

He showed he can stay in the game.  Richardson may not make in the league if he doesnt learn some things.  Pff ranked WL higher too 

 

Its just a fact that he is more experienced. 

[RollerColt]

1 minute ago, Shive said:

He was commenting on the hypocrisy of some fans that are upset we didn't trade for/sign Sneed, but when someone mentions another FA, they say we can't afford them, despite the fact that Sneed would have cost 3-4x what that FA would have cost.

 

@ColtStrong2013 summed it up pretty well already. I remember multiple games last season where the offense couldn't move the ball at all and were consistently punting from deep in our own territory, giving the other team fantastic field position. Couple that with Minshew's turnovers that gave the other team amazing field position and the fact that the defense was exhausted from the constant 3 & outs, and you get a defense that gives up a lot of points.

 

You're getting fixated on a specific statistic and completely ignoring the interconnectivity of all phases of the game.

 

I don't disagree that we should bring in vet FAs at CB and S, but I know there's still some good options out there that we could still bring in. Based on Ballard's comments, I don't expect a vet at CB like Howard or White that will expect to start from day 1, because that contradicts his approach at CB to give the young CBs time to develop.

Thats my problem with all of this right now. People are acting like they’re shocked at what we’re doing, when Chris very candidly explained during the combine this was exactly what he was going to do: resign our own vet free agents and add a few pieces here and there IF the situation presents itself. 

[Breeze]

33 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Richardson on IR has nothing to do with this team being 30th in the league in points allowed.  Having blind faith in a corner who was united in college and came into the nfl injured. A guy who won’t be ready who was undrafted and a 7th round pick. Of let’s not forget Baker is still on the team.

Sort of does.  A good defense in the NFL is a product of a good offense forcing teams into panic situations and not turning the ball over.  Maintaining possession, keeping the ball on the opponents end of the field, and dictating what the other team’s offense does all play into how good your own defense is.  This team managed 9 wins in spite of Minshew.  Our secondary play was partly due to injury and partly due to the opponent being gifted with a wide open playbook due to our offense not dictating the flow of the game.  We’ll see how well Sneed does in a very different situation than he had with the Chiefs.  I like him, but I think people are stuck on his flashy plays and are not taking into account his entire resume, when the other team wasn’t forced to throw, and his DL with Jones didn’t wreak havoc on opposing QB’s.

[ShuteAt168]

It’s easy to criticize CB for his sub-.500 record. I wanted to understand the Colts GM, so I did some research. This gem is from 2021 and quite revealing. 
 

“Anything negative happens, we keep rollin’,’ Ballard said. “I still go back to Barry (Alvarez) in college. It echoes in my head all the time: Don’t flinch. No matter what happens, don’t flinch.’’

 

Chris Ballard never stops never flinching. 

 

 

[ColtStrong2013]

5 minutes ago, BlackTiger said:

Shouldn't be that hard for you to admit i was right over him being more experienced.

 

He showed he can play in the league without getting hurt every game, AR didnt.

 

It is, because i don't think it's significant to say the Titans are in a better position to make big moves because he is more further along than AR. It's not that significant. 

Highlight on every game. Meaning he didn't have a season ending injury. He still was knocked out of games, just like he was in college when he hurt his big toe...

[NFLfan]

15 minutes ago, BlackTiger said:

He showed he can stay in the game.  Richardson may not make in the league if he doesnt learn some things.  Pff ranked WL higher too 

 

Its just a fact that he is more experienced. 

 

But why does it matter? He is not the Colts QB. For a young guy, Richardson showed me a lot. He had better pocket awareness than Levis. Richardson needs to protect himself better but it seems like most QBs got hurt last year, including Levis 

[RollerColt]

7 minutes ago, ShuteAt168 said:

It’s easy to criticize CB for his sub-.500 record. I wanted to understand the Colts GM, so I did some research. This gem is from 2021 and quite revealing. 
 

“Anything negative happens, we keep rollin’,’ Ballard said. “I still go back to Barry (Alvarez) in college. It echoes in my head all the time: Don’t flinch. No matter what happens, don’t flinch.’’

 

Chris Ballard never stops never flinching. 

 

 

If GMs and Owners listened to the fans coaches and players would be let go on a yearly, possibly game by game basis. 

[ColtStrong2013]

8 minutes ago, Shive said:

@ColtStrong2013 summed it up pretty well already. I remember multiple games last season where the offense couldn't move the ball at all and were consistently punting from deep in our own territory, giving the other team fantastic field position. Couple that with Minshew's turnovers that gave the other team amazing field position and the fact that the defense was exhausted from the constant 3 & outs, and you get a defense that gives up a lot of points.

 

I've been on good defenses whose offenses consistently stalled. It's disheartening. A good defense can give up a lot of points in lopsided games that make it seem like they weren't good at all. When in reality, had the offense scored even just a time or two more, the game might have changed entirely. I'm talking 40 to 7 games. A long drive or two could make that a competitive 20 to 28 game coming down stretch late in a game. In the NFL, you have to consistently put up points. 

Ballard stated we needed more explosiveness on offense and to limit explosiveness on defense. The fact that neither of those have been addressed tells me it's not that he hasn't tried or doesn't expect to at all. Just means the first few waves of free agency didn't result in it. It's still very early...

[BlackTiger]

9 minutes ago, NFLfan said:

But what does it matter

This started because sneed went to the titans...  There is a narrative here that the team and Ballard are waiting to see what we have at qb before spending big on outside free agents. 

 

I think some of you forgot what we were even talking about.  The titans have a more experienced qb who didnt get hurt every game so they are making moves.

 

I brought this up because there was a lot of talk about AR and Levis here last year.  I guess some people didnt like me bringing that up but the two were compared a lot.  ARs lack of experience is making the team wait.  

[ColtStrong2013]

Just now, RollerColt said:

If GMs and Owners listened to the fans coaches and players would be let go on a yearly, possibly game by game basis. 

 

A great deal of this board has never managed anything in their lives, and it's blatantly obvious. You don't make rash decisions on personnel in any form of business. Especially if you know you cannot easily replace their productivity. 

[NFLfan]

5 minutes ago, Breeze said:

A good defense in the NFL is a product of a good offense forcing teams into panic situations and not turning the ball over.  Maintaining possession, keeping the ball on the opponents end of the field, and dictating what the other team’s offense does all play into how good your own defense is.

 

Well said. I try to tell my fellow Vikings fans this all the time.

 

Years ago, NFL folks would say, "You can't stop Manning. You can only hope to contain him." How you "contain" him or other great QBs and offenses is by maintaining possession and limiting how often his team is on offense.

[RollerColt]

Just now, ColtStrong2013 said:

 

A great deal of this board has never managed anything in their lives, and it's blatantly obvious. You don't make rash decisions on personnel in any form of business. Especially if you know you cannot easily replace their productivity. 

It also ends up costing you a lot of money in the long run if you have high turnover.

[DougDew]

8 minutes ago, BlackTiger said:

He showed he can stay in the game.  Richardson may not make in the league if he doesnt learn some things.  Pff ranked WL higher too 

 

Its just a fact that he is more experienced. 

I'll come off like the dreaded WL-Lover, which I'm not, but I have to defend him because the negative comments towards him seem to gloss over some things, as if there is a bias going in.

 

At KY, I thought he played reckless hero ball, and figured he might be Wentz 2.0 in the NFL.  Wouldn't mind having him, because that could be the result of youthful energy and immaturity...something that Wentz never grew out of.  But he was definitely a risky prospect.

 

Regardless of stats or rank, what impressed me last season was that he was the opposite of the hero ball guy.  He stayed in the pocket, often too long, IMO, and scanned the field trying to make reads...and took a LOT of hits he should not have if he just ran the ball.  Not only did he finish games, he took way more punishment than AR.

 

He had nothing to work with outside of DHop and a one-pony Henry.  The oline was trash.  Next season he'll have Ridley, a new C, and probably a new LT after TEN pick 7.   I think he has a bright future, and I don't care that he plays for TEN.

[ADnum1]

10 hours ago, Shive said:

It's less about can you and more about should you. This is the definition of paying A money to a B player, which Ballard has said multiple times before he won't do. Sneed got $10.5M more guaranteed money than any CB in NFL history. A 27 year old CB with chronic knee issues, that wasn't the best CB on the Chiefs, wasn't a pro-bowler, and was never an all-pro. Why should that player get paid as one of the top CBs in the league with more guaranteed money than any CB has ever been paid before?

 

Jaylon Johnson's contract was expensive, but he was worth it. He was the top rated CB based on PFF, was a pro bowler, and an all-pro. He was largely considered the best CB in the league. You're saying it's a good idea to give the same contract with more guaranteed to a much lesser CB like Sneed?

I realize your trying to defend Ballard with a "sour grapes" approach but the contract given to Sneed is not bad at all especially since the salary cap has gone up.

 

I mentioned before that fans think teams will be able to sign more players with the salary cap going up.  In fact all that really happens is FA salaries go up to fit the higher cap again.  Its a natural "inflation" of salaries.

 

I realize some fans are getting "sticker shock" but keep in mind soon premier WR's will be getting 32-33M a season.

 

Also I'm not sure how many chiefs games you watched in their playoff run, but Sneed was a dominant corner in that run.  He was critical in defeating the Bills and the 49ers in the superbowl and clearly the best player in the secondary.

 

During the Bills game he shutdown an entire side of the field forcing Josh Allen to look at his 3rd or 4th option.  By that time, Chris Jones was closing in greatly limiting Allen's effectiveness in that game, forcing him out of the pocket.

 

The contract is well deserved.