Ballard clock ticking: Opportunity or Failure

[AustexColt]

After the losing Carson Wentz season, Ballard admitted he failed. He was not held accountable like coaches and players. He was given a second chance. This season there are a number of decisions which will be either success opportunities or failures. The one most coveted by fans/sportscasters is his roster creation. Over paying Matt Gay, Lack of Secondary support and talent, no go-to TE (ala Dallas Clark,Jack Doyle), RB depth. Maybe after cut down date he plans to supplement his roster to address these needs, then again maybe not.

[Dark Superman]

* He signed Matt Ryan after Carson Wentz left.

 

*He had to fire Frank Reich and his coaching staff who he hired when he became the Colts GM in 2017.

 

* Decided to not address certain and very obvious needs that you mentioned in the original post.

 

Chris Ballard has neglected an obvious position of need not because of not having enough cap space or the ability to fill a need by signing a player but due to him being prudent and unnecessarily stubborn in his way of thinking when it comes to roster decisions. He'll admit he's wrong and tell you to blame no one but him when things go south but he's been doing the same song and dance for nearly 8 years now. He's never going to change the way he acts in terms of building a complete roster no matter what the circumstances are at the time. He rather watch a guy he invested in be a liability on the field for three years before pulling the plug and addressing the issue by bringing in a more suitable player.

 

I have no idea what the heck kind of dirt or secrets he has on Jim Irsay but for some odd reason he never seems to be on the hot seat which is a bad thing for Colts fans.

 

 

[Goatface Killah]

2 hours ago, AustexColt said:

After the losing Carson Wentz season, Ballard admitted he failed. He was not held accountable like coaches and players. He was given a second chance. This season there are a number of decisions which will be either success opportunities or failures. The one most coveted by fans/sportscasters is his roster creation. Over paying Matt Gay, Lack of Secondary support and talent, no go-to TE (ala Dallas Clark,Jack Doyle), RB depth. Maybe after cut down date he plans to supplement his roster to address these needs, then again maybe not.

What do mean he wasnt "held accountable"? 

He took accountability. I think thats far more important. 

 

You think he should be fired for making a mistake?

 

Btw the Carson Wentz season wasnt a losing season.

[Indianapolis-Colts-Fan]

The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t, and this could be the boar Irsay finds himself in. The colts are for the most part average every year. If you do find yourself fortunate enough to have a franchise level QB, the team is good enough in many ways to be perennial playoff candidates and SB contenders. 
 

if you find a new GM, you could become a bottom feeder in the league. For an NFL owner, being average is better than being a bottom feeder. At least in Irsays eyes this team has the potential and hope to become a SB contender with the staff and roster how it sits now. 
 

also if you hire a new GM you lose our head coach. Who I think can be a top 5 play caller in the league. 
 

 

[2006Coltsbestever]

2 hours ago, AustexColt said:

After the losing Carson Wentz season, Ballard admitted he failed. He was not held accountable like coaches and players. He was given a second chance. This season there are a number of decisions which will be either success opportunities or failures. The one most coveted by fans/sportscasters is his roster creation. Over paying Matt Gay, Lack of Secondary support and talent, no go-to TE (ala Dallas Clark,Jack Doyle), RB depth. Maybe after cut down date he plans to supplement his roster to address these needs, then again maybe not.

We went 9-8 with Wentz, but Wentz showed his true choking colors against the Jags. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

I enjoyed last season's 9-8 more because we didn't even have Taylor for 5 games. Minshew was just as good as Wentz, Wentz had Taylor running like Barry Sanders all season and we still missed the playoffs.

[Blueblood23]

36 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

We went 9-8 with Wentz, but Wentz showed his true choking colors against the Jags. 

There was a lack of effort by almost all the players in that game. Wentz didn’t play well along with most of the others. 

[Smonroe]

3 hours ago, AustexColt said:

After the losing Carson Wentz season, Ballard admitted he failed. He was not held accountable like coaches and players. He was given a second chance. This season there are a number of decisions which will be either success opportunities or failures. The one most coveted by fans/sportscasters is his roster creation. Over paying Matt Gay, Lack of Secondary support and talent, no go-to TE (ala Dallas Clark,Jack Doyle), RB depth. Maybe after cut down date he plans to supplement his roster to address these needs, then again maybe not.

I don’t think a few of those admitted failures were all on Ballard.  Wentz was probably on Frank.  Pryor/Pinter was as much on the Oline coach as anyone.  
 

But, and I’ve already said this so many times I’m sick of myself, If the secondary is as bad as everyone says, while Ballard had the money and players were available.  That could be the last straw.
 

 I hope not.  I think Ballard is a very good GM.  He’s mostly honest with us and sticks to his core philosophy, which is what got him hired.  
 

Is it hubris or stubbornness that makes him believe we have the best players in the D backfield, and they “just need time”?   We’ll know by the middle of the season.  Will that time needed cause us to miss the playoffs?  Maybe so.  Is that a fireable mistake?   IDK.  

[Smonroe]

44 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

We went 9-8 with Wentz, but Wentz showed his true choking colors against the Jags. 

Okay, but to play devils advocate, wasn’t it Ballards responsibility to find a decent backup knowing Wentz injury history?  I was at that Rams game when they brought in Eason.

 

Then, later in the season they had to play an injured immobile Wentz because they had no one else.  That probably accounted for at least two losses.  
 

That season wasn’t all on Wentz.

[2006Coltsbestever]

2 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

Okay, but to play devils advocate, wasn’t it Ballards responsibility to find a decent backup knowing Wentz injury history?  I was at that Rams game when they brought in Eason.

 

Then, later in the season they had to play an injured immobile Wentz because they had no one else.  That probably accounted for at least two losses.  
 

That season wasn’t all on Wentz.

It wasn't all on Wentz but any good QB wins that game with the playoffs on the line. Jags stunk that season.

[cdgacoltsfan]

4 hours ago, AustexColt said:

After the losing Carson Wentz season, Ballard admitted he failed. He was not held accountable like coaches and players. He was given a second chance. This season there are a number of decisions which will be either success opportunities or failures. The one most coveted by fans/sportscasters is his roster creation. Over paying Matt Gay, Lack of Secondary support and talent, no go-to TE (ala Dallas Clark,Jack Doyle), RB depth. Maybe after cut down date he plans to supplement his roster to address these needs, then again maybe not.

Finally, a thread with new subject matter....something that hasn't been discussed on this forum before.

[Solid84]

So, hypothetical...

 

Say the offense has a great year. AR learns on the job and shows HE'S OUR GUY - no doubts. Our WR room comes together and everything just takes off. One of our TEs step up and becomes that clear TE1 type.

 

On defense the front holds up. The pass rush turns out great and we're set there. BUT... the secondary does squat. Stays the same and we're left with the same questions. The window is effectively "open" on the offensive side and the defensive front.

 

What does Ballard do?

[KB]

What the kicker gets paid is sooooooo overblown. $5.5 mil against the cap. He counts as 2% of the overall. Oh nooooooo.

 

He isn't Viniteri and it's gonna be hard to find someone else like him. He has won us games tho with big kicks. He's just not Mr. Automatic.

[AKB]

40 minutes ago, KB said:

What the kicker gets paid is sooooooo overblown. $5.5 mil against the cap. He counts as 2% of the overall. Oh nooooooo.

 

He isn't Viniteri and it's gonna be hard to find someone else like him. He has won us games tho with big kicks. He's just not Mr. Automatic.

it's not overblown at all. 
he's paid as the best kicker, and clearly is not the best kicker. 

right?

 

I mean 1 + 1 =  2

very simple

1 hour ago, Solid84 said:

So, hypothetical...

 

Say the offense has a great year. AR learns on the job and shows HE'S OUR GUY - no doubts. Our WR room comes together and everything just takes off. One of our TEs step up and becomes that clear TE1 type.

 

On defense the front holds up. The pass rush turns out great and we're set there. BUT... the secondary does squat. Stays the same and we're left with the same questions. The window is effectively "open" on the offensive side and the defensive front.

 

What does Ballard do?

he does.... nothing. drafts some more depth 

[AKB]

3 hours ago, Goatface Killah said:

What do mean he wasnt "held accountable"? 

He took accountability. I think thats far more important. 

 

You think he should be fired for making a mistake?

 

Btw the Carson Wentz season wasnt a losing season.

probably should've been fired as most GMs would have been. 

[KB]

Just now, AKB said:

it's not overblown at all. 
he's paid as the best kicker, and clearly is not the best kicker. 

right?

 

I mean 1 + 1 =  2

very simple

Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love arnt the best players in the league, or their positions. They're paid like it though, and take up a majority of their teams salary cap. 

 

Yes, 1+1= only 2% of the cap. Let give him a raise to 3% and it still would not matter.

[AKB]

1 minute ago, KB said:

Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love arnt the best players in the league, or their positions. They're paid like it though, and take up a majority of their teams salary cap. 

 

Yes, 1+1= only 2% of the cap. Let give him a raise to 3% and it still would not matter.

and guess what, he's overpaid too. especially Tlaw, and if you need to hear their fans say it then go on one of their sites. Jordan Love from what I understand has played very well following Arod, but the point stands. 

if you're paid as the best, and you don't perform as the best, you are overpaid. end of story. 

 

and you're comparing a premium position to a kicker... 

[AKB]

just to make my point a bit more obvious:

McLaughlin - 29/31 = 93.5% (7/8 on 50+)  87.5 on 50+

 

In 2024, McLaughlin will earn a base salary of $1,500,000 and a roster bonus of $3,500,000, while carrying a cap hit of $5,000,000 and a dead cap value of $5,000,000.

 

Matt Gay 33/41 = 80.5% (8/13 50+)  = 61%

 

In 2024, Gay will earn a base salary of $3,920,000, while carrying a cap hit of $5,920,000 and a dead cap value of $9,920,000.

 

 

Out played by his predecessor, McLaughlin scored better in every single kicking category and made less. 

Do I really care? not really. but don't act like Ballard didn't make a mistake with signing Gay. Great, he kicked 4 field goals vs. the ravens hooray. 

 

 

[KB]

7 minutes ago, AKB said:

and guess what, he's overpaid too. especially Tlaw, and if you need to hear their fans say it then go on one of their sites. Jordan Love from what I understand has played very well following Arod, but the point stands. 

if you're paid as the best, and you don't perform as the best, you are overpaid. end of story. 

 

and you're comparing a premium position to a kicker... 

Making a deal of someone being overpaid and taking a large part of the salary cap vs someone not taking up hardly anything is what makes it laughable. It's brought up all the time for a player that is paid less than most of the team and scores most of the points. 

 

I'd say paying Raquan Davis (a backup NT) more should get more discussion than the kicker who scores a majority of the teams points.

 

I get that he might not be the best. I'd give that to Justin Tucker. Saying that, Gay beat Tucker in a game decided 50+ yard field goals. So he beat the best. I'm ok with giving up 2% of the cap for someone who can keep up with the best. He's just not Mr. Automatic like we're used to.

[luv_pony_express]

I’ll say this much:  Ballard is rolling the dice big time by standing pat on the secondary rooms we have.

 

If it ends up being a big problem spot on this team, it could very well end up meaning his job.  That’s especially true if we miss the playoffs again.  But it could even be true if we make the playoffs.

 

He had the resources to make an upgrade.  He had some good targets that were in our price range.  There were windows of opportunity and he declined to take them.

 

For the sake of the Colts, and as a Colts fan, I hope he turns out to have been right.  But even a single injury could land us in a really bad spot.

[richard pallo]

6 hours ago, AustexColt said:

After the losing Carson Wentz season, Ballard admitted he failed. He was not held accountable like coaches and players. He was given a second chance. This season there are a number of decisions which will be either success opportunities or failures. The one most coveted by fans/sportscasters is his roster creation. Over paying Matt Gay, Lack of Secondary support and talent, no go-to TE (ala Dallas Clark,Jack Doyle), RB depth. Maybe after cut down date he plans to supplement his roster to address these needs, then again maybe not.

Smh

[Goatface Killah]

2 hours ago, AKB said:

probably should've been fired as most GMs would have been. 

The team was in a position to win 10+ games, its not his fault they lost 2 games they shouldve won at the end of the season. Thats on the coach, who was fired the following year midseason, and fired again the following year in his first hear at a new job.

 

All teams have holes. He gave Frank a team good enough to compete that year. Frank got them off to a slow start, like he did every year, and then they couldnt close despite being in prime position. But they had the talent for sure.

 

[NewColtsFan]

4 hours ago, AKB said:

just to make my point a bit more obvious:

McLaughlin - 29/31 = 93.5% (7/8 on 50+)  87.5 on 50+

 

In 2024, McLaughlin will earn a base salary of $1,500,000 and a roster bonus of $3,500,000, while carrying a cap hit of $5,000,000 and a dead cap value of $5,000,000.

 

Matt Gay 33/41 = 80.5% (8/13 50+)  = 61%

 

In 2024, Gay will earn a base salary of $3,920,000, while carrying a cap hit of $5,920,000 and a dead cap value of $9,920,000.

 

 

Out played by his predecessor, McLaughlin scored better in every single kicking category and made less. 

Do I really care? not really. but don't act like Ballard didn't make a mistake with signing Gay. Great, he kicked 4 field goals vs. the ravens hooray. 

 

 

You’re here all the time.  You’re not someone who disappears for months at a time.   Are you not aware that Gay hurt a leg or groin last year and played thru it?  
 

This idea that Gay is overpaid because he didn’t meet your statistical analysis is poppycock when you don’t appear to know Gay played hurt.  

[GoColts8818]

Oh some Colts fans:  ugh Ballard won’t spend money to go get a free agent!  He’s cheap!  
 

Ballard signs a free agent and spends money:  what is Ballard doing he over paid them!  
 

No one loves to have it both ways like Colts fans.

 

Also being the highest paid in the NFL at a position doesn’t mean you are the best at that position, it just means you were near the  top and happened to be the latest free agent.  Contracts get beat all the time just like Gay did.  The Chiefs kicker is now the highest paid kicker in the league. 

[throwing BBZ]

Brainless thread.

Ballard doesn't make these decisions in a vacuum, if you even know what it means.

 Just like his draft decisions. He gets Sold on the right direction by other highly paid, very experienced coaches, personel staff, and his Capologist (who is planning years ahead).

[jvan1973]

6 hours ago, luv_pony_express said:

I’ll say this much:  Ballard is rolling the dice big time by standing pat on the secondary rooms we have.

 

If it ends up being a big problem spot on this team, it could very well end up meaning his job.  That’s especially true if we miss the playoffs again.  But it could even be true if we make the playoffs.

 

He had the resources to make an upgrade.  He had some good targets that were in our price range.  There were windows of opportunity and he declined to take them.

 

For the sake of the Colts, and as a Colts fan, I hope he turns out to have been right.  But even a single injury could land us in a really bad spot.

Do you really think he and Irsay haven't had conversations about every position group?  He isn't rolling the dice.   Irsay is on board 

[jvan1973]

6 hours ago, AKB said:

it's not overblown at all. 
he's paid as the best kicker, and clearly is not the best kicker. 

right?

 

I mean 1 + 1 =  2

very simple

he does.... nothing. drafts some more depth 

Your Ballard hatred is funny.    So according to you, the highest paid player at each position has been the best at that position?   Ballard is better at his job than you or I am at our jobs.    There is alot happening that we have no idea about.     Acting like you know how the process works is funny.   You aren't the only one. 

[luv_pony_express]

18 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

Do you really think he and Irsay haven't had conversations about every position group?  He isn't rolling the dice.   Irsay is on board 

OK.  So?  That wouldn’t mean he’s not sticking his neck out.

 

The Panthers fired Scott Fitterer mid-season - and it’s believed that David Tepper personally put pressure on him to draft Bryce Young at #1.

 

If our secondary struggles this year, Ballard is going to get all kinds of heat.

[GoColts8818]

30 minutes ago, luv_pony_express said:

OK.  So?  That wouldn’t mean he’s not sticking his neck out.

 

The Panthers fired Scott Fitterer mid-season - and it’s believed that David Tepper personally put pressure on him to draft Bryce Young at #1.

 

If our secondary struggles this year, Ballard is going to get all kinds of heat.

And it doesn’t matter unless it comes from Irsay.  The Panthers owner has also proven to be extremely impatient unlike Irsay who has been proven to be patient.  That’s not apples to apples.

[AKB]

7 hours ago, KB said:

Making a deal of someone being overpaid and taking a large part of the salary cap vs someone not taking up hardly anything is what makes it laughable. It's brought up all the time for a player that is paid less than most of the team and scores most of the points. 

 

I'd say paying Raquan Davis (a backup NT) more should get more discussion than the kicker who scores a majority of the teams points.

 

I get that he might not be the best. I'd give that to Justin Tucker. Saying that, Gay beat Tucker in a game decided 50+ yard field goals. So he beat the best. I'm ok with giving up 2% of the cap for someone who can keep up with the best. He's just not Mr. Automatic like we're used to.

it's still waste, and that's the point. He shouldn't be getting paid as much as he is. 

[AKB]

3 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

You’re here all the time.  You’re not someone who disappears for months at a time.   Are you not aware that Gay hurt a leg or groin last year and played thru it?  
 

This idea that Gay is overpaid because he didn’t meet your statistical analysis is poppycock when you don’t appear to know Gay played hurt.  

sure, that's a fair point he may have been hindered by health. Let's revisit it again after this season. 

[luv_pony_express]

27 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

And it doesn’t matter unless it comes from Irsay.  The Panthers owner has also proven to be extremely impatient unlike Irsay who has been proven to be patient.  That’s not apples to apples.

And he has been patient.  Again, this doesn’t mean CB’s not sticking his neck out here.

 

And It could work out!  Only time will tell.  I’m just saying that, if the defensive backfield ends up being a big problem for this team, Ballard’s decision to stick with the guys already in the room is going to (deservedly) get all kinds of scorn.

 

[GoColts8818]

16 minutes ago, luv_pony_express said:

And he has been patient.  Again, this doesn’t mean CB’s not sticking his neck out here.

 

And It could work out!  Only time will tell.  I’m just saying that, if the defensive backfield ends up being a big problem for this team, Ballard’s decision to stick with the guys already in the room is going to (deservedly) get all kinds of scorn.

 

It will.  However, some are acting like that alone will cost Ballard his job.  I think that’s highly unlikely and frankly some wishful thinking from people who want Ballard fired.  It’s going to take something like the wheels coming off like in 2022 for him to get fired and that’s going to mean problems with more than the secondary.

[Scott Pennock]

I don’t know how many times this needs mentioning…….

 

Name one quarterback that was drafted outside the top ten or available in free agency during the years that you think were wasted? I’ll wait……

 

It takes two to tango and let’s face it, free agents with 8+ years in the league are chasing a ring or the bag and Indianapolis is called Naptown for a reason. We’re a flyover state. Big time free agents didn’t even come here to play with Freeney/Mathis/Manning/Edge/Marvin/Reggie/Clark et al…..why would they now?

 

Roster building through the draft is still the most tried and true method. Period. Full stop.

 

 

[GoColts8818]

26 minutes ago, Scott Pennock said:

I don’t know how many times this needs mentioning…….

 

Name one quarterback that was drafted outside the top ten or available in free agency during the years that you think were wasted? I’ll wait……

 

It takes two to tango and let’s face it, free agents with 8+ years in the league are chasing a ring or the bag and Indianapolis is called Naptown for a reason. We’re a flyover state. Big time free agents didn’t even come here to play with Freeney/Mathis/Manning/Edge/Marvin/Reggie/Clark et al…..why would they now?

 

Roster building through the draft is still the most tried and true method. Period. Full stop.

 

 

The later is why,  Polian admitted to not using free agency because he preferred building through the draft and if you look at the Colts cap situation during the Manning era they didn’t have the money to go get big time free agents because all the cap was being spent on the guys you just listed.  
 

Before they got those guys and during the Grigson era they had no problem signing big free agents.  It’s more the NBA where you see players really control where they go because they have way more power than NFL players and because they have guaranteed contracts that are more or less slotted.  So a team like the Pacers can’t come in offer way more money to get someone like LeBron James to come to Indy.

 

The NFL model is different.  Players don’t have guaranteed contracts and they definitely aren’t set up like the NBA where you have max deals teams can offer so they generally go where they can get the most money up front regardless of market size.  Even Polian used to say the team the pays the most gets the player.  
 

Ballard has made the choice to build through the draft because like you said that’s what good teams do.  It’s the tried and proven method.  That’s why the Colts don’t sign free agents.  
 

As for your point about QBs that is almost perfectly correct.  Except they did choose Rivers over Brady.  There has been a lot of smoke to suggest Brady was interested in coming here when Rivers did and the Colts at least looked at him.  With that said, I’d agree that an exception to the rule and at that point we are talking about the one band aide QB the Colts used that worked so it’s not like Rivers was Ryan or Wentz.  Overall I agree with that part of your point though.  Wentz was the best match for Reich the year they got him and everyone and their mother thought Ryan was going to work up until it didn’t.  You could argue Stafford but look at the cost of that trade for what is looking like a short term investment for the Rams.  Plus the Rams had something to give the Lions no one else did, Goff, and he’s turned out to be their franchise QB.  

 

The first realistic chance to get a new franchise QB in the draft Ballard did.  The Packers traded up to block the Colts from taking Love and despite what some say there was no way on earth the Colts were taking Josh Allen the year they took Nelson with a healthy Luck on the roster for what they thought at the time was another decade to come at least.  I guess you could argue Hurts but I think the jury is still out on that.  

[Shepman]

10 hours ago, AKB said:

just to make my point a bit more obvious:

McLaughlin - 29/31 = 93.5% (7/8 on 50+)  87.5 on 50+

 

In 2024, McLaughlin will earn a base salary of $1,500,000 and a roster bonus of $3,500,000, while carrying a cap hit of $5,000,000 and a dead cap value of $5,000,000.

 

Matt Gay 33/41 = 80.5% (8/13 50+)  = 61%

 

In 2024, Gay will earn a base salary of $3,920,000, while carrying a cap hit of $5,920,000 and a dead cap value of $9,920,000.

 

 

Out played by his predecessor, McLaughlin scored better in every single kicking category and made less. 

Do I really care? not really. but don't act like Ballard didn't make a mistake with signing Gay. Great, he kicked 4 field goals vs. the ravens hooray. 

 

 

We will lose games because of Matt Gay.  I have low confidence every time he goes out there.  It is like seeing Vinny when he was hurt the last year.  The money is sunken cost and we should pick up someone during cuts and replace him.

[GoColts8818]

16 minutes ago, Shepman said:

We will lose games because of Matt Gay.  I have low confidence every time he goes out there.  It is like seeing Vinny when he was hurt the last year.  The money is sunken cost and we should pick up someone during cuts and replace him.

I was much more concerned about him until they said Rigo out for the birth of his daughter and someone stepped up to hold at the last second.  With that said it does deserve watching at this point.

 

Also this is worth remembering 

 

 

[AKB]

17 minutes ago, Shepman said:

We will lose games because of Matt Gay.  I have low confidence every time he goes out there.  It is like seeing Vinny when he was hurt the last year.  The money is sunken cost and we should pick up someone during cuts and replace him.

 people telling me i was wrong in this thread didn't age well, did it?

[AKB]

7 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

I was much more concerned about him until they said Rigo out for the birth of his daughter and someone stepped up to hold at the last second.  With that said it does deserve watching at this point.

 

Also this is worth remembering 

 

 

maybe we can ask shaq leonard to come and play for us again, since we only care about what players did in the past. 

[Goatface Killah]

33 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

The later is why,  Polian admitted to not using free agency because he preferred building through the draft and if you look at the Colts cap situation during the Manning era they didn’t have the money to go get big time free agents because all the cap was being spent on the guys you just listed.  
 

Before they got those guys and during the Grigson era they had no problem signing big free agents.  It’s more the NBA where you see players really control where they go because they have way more power than NFL players and because they have guaranteed contracts that are more or less slotted.  So a team like the Pacers can’t come in offer way more money to get someone like LeBron James to come to Indy.

 

The NFL model is different.  Players don’t have guaranteed contracts and they definitely aren’t set up like the NBA where you have max deals teams can offer so they generally go where they can get the most money up front regardless of market size.  Even Polian used to say the team the pays the most gets the player.  
 

Ballard has made the choice to build through the draft because like you said that’s what good teams do.  It’s the tried and proven method.  That’s why the Colts don’t sign free agents.  
 

As for your point about QBs that is almost perfectly correct.  Except they did choose Rivers over Brady.  There has been a lot of smoke to suggest Brady was interested in coming here when Rivers did and the Colts at least looked at him.  With that said, I’d agree that an exception to the rule and at that point we are talking about the one band aide QB the Colts used that worked so it’s not like Rivers was Ryan or Wentz.  Overall I agree with that part of your point though.  Wentz was the best match for Reich the year they got him and everyone and their mother thought Ryan was going to work up until it didn’t.  You could argue Stafford but look at the cost of that trade for what is looking like a short term investment for the Rams.  Plus the Rams had something to give the Lions no one else did, Goff, and he’s turned out to be their franchise QB.  

 

The first realistic chance to get a new franchise QB in the draft Ballard did.  The Packers traded up to block the Colts from taking Love and despite what some say there was no way on earth the Colts were taking Josh Allen the year they took Nelson with a healthy Luck on the roster for what they thought at the time was another decade to come at least.  I guess you could argue Hurts but I think the jury is still out on that.  

People forget that they initially got a multiyear promise from Rivers that changed after he saw the way the league handled COVID. So essentially his retirement was a surprise as well.

 

They also forget that the following year we all thought it was almost a lock we were gonna get Matthew Stafford. There was a TON of smoke on that front. 

 

And once that fell thru, they pivoted to Wentz and there were plenty of people that thought that move couldve been a sneaky good move as well. And again, they had a legit chance to win 11 games after starting off very slowly. It certainly wasnt a bad year. 

 

All 3 moves were made with long term thinking and the only older guy in that group was fantastic for us and got us in the dance. 

 

Matt Ryan was kind of a desperation move to remain relevent and looking back on it, there just werent any better options other than Mayfield, who I dont really care for. 

 

The one guy they point to that was even remotely realistic in the draft was Jalen Hurts. And hes just not a guy I want the Colts paying that kind of money for. I just dont think hes that good.