No, and it is a ridiculous statement.

Every year they have been searching for a QB. Apparently, they are hard to find.

Is Ryan the long term answer,….no. But he buys them time.

On this subject

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...icket-revenue/

We'll see how things play out, but if the Colts only do what they normally do in the offseason from here on out, which is the draft then try to fill holes with bargain 1 year deals, then the Colts certainly have become complacent. We have a 37 year old QB who we think (or at least hope) can get us to the SB, but the window is probably 2-3 years. There's not enough time for 2nd and 3rd day draft picks to develop into difference makers if we want to contend with Ryan at QB.

While you make an interesting point, you're comparing apples and oranges. In 2018 the top 5 WR/TEs after Hilton had a combined 720 catches and 6892 yards in their NFL careers prior to 2018. The top 5 returning WR/TEs on the current roster other than Pittman have a combined 137 catches and 1692 yards in their NFL careers, and that includes Campbell who will probably hurt himself stepping out of his car when he arrives to training camp and be IR'ed for the year.

I will say this offense has missed an element since Ebron left, and he was clearly a product of Reich play scheme

This offense is in dire need of a red zone threat TE

Ebron got open and made the red zone catches that season

Agreed. That is why I hope that there is a top TE who is good value available in the 2nd or 3rd round in the draft. We need that multi-threat weapon to help make the offense run.

2nd day picks
2018. Leonard Smith Lewis Hines

2019 Ya Sin. Okereke. Willis

2020. Pitman Taylor Pinter Blackmon

2021. TBD

I know Hines, Willis, and Pinter were Day 3 picks. Is there a reason you included them in something you labeled "2nd day picks"?

For starters Lewis did next to nothing until his 3rd year (and then was just in a supporting role his last 2), Rock wasn't any good until his 3rd year either, Pinter hasn't been a starter until presumably his 3rd year, and while Okereke and Willis had their moments they weren't ready to be full time starters until their 3rd and 2nd years respectively.

Anyway, I'm not saying Ballard won't draft good players this year. I'm certain that he will. I'm saying there's no way he's going to be able to adequately fill all of the Colts needs at LT, WR2, WR3, TE2, CB1, possibly CB2, S 2/3, and all kinds of depth through just the draft and bargain FAs. If he wants to try to make a run at a SB this year, which considering the age of our QB he should, then he's going to have to restructure some contracts and add some quality FAs. I'm not sure why that's so hard to understand.

It wouldn’t be hard for them to understand if Ballard did it. Then it would become the correct thing to do and make perfect sense. It’s the questioning that’s the issue.

The only fault in your logic is the “if he wants to try to make a run at a SB this year”. I honestly don’t think he does, at least not at the expense of future years. He wants a SB but I think he believes in the idea of being a really good team for as long as possible and good things will happen. It is certainly possible to win a SB that way, but I don’t think it’s the correct way to go about it. People consistently bring up Polian in defense of Ballard’s methods, but I personally see it as an indictment instead. Polian had, IMO, the best QB to ever play the game and won one SB. They were consistently really, really good though. They could have been less consistent and had higher peaks to go with the lower valleys. Now imagine that Ballard has / is building the same thing without that level of QB. He won’t mortgage the future for a shot now. Not unless Irsay dictates it. According to reports he was willing to miss on Ryan to give a 4th instead of a 3rd. He’ll win every transaction, but still lose (what is for me) the big picture.