Originally Posted by Hoopsdoc (Post 289900)

I think Grover and Pitt are the most important to keep.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Braden Smith is released. Been nothing but hurt and they seem to like Freeland.

Originally Posted by omahacolt (Post 289986)

i would be irate if they just cut smith.

Originally Posted by CletusPyle (Post 289880)

After a good night's sleep, I still hate the way that game ended! But now the thing troubling me the most is I see the Colts as the third best team in the AFC South next season too! You know Houston is going to get a stud RB and add another quality WR next season. Jaguars are already a very good team and will only be better next year. So even if we improve and AR stays healthy, we could be a better team and still finish third again!

Originally Posted by Racehorse (Post 289889)

Last night was an exception for me. Usually, when we lose close games with that much at stake, I rerun the mistakes in my head and can't sleep. Last night, I was upset with the last offensive play, but went to bed and was able to get to sleep quickly. This team vastly overachieved, given the circumstances. AR will return, and that will be an upgrade. Taylor should be ready to pair up with him immediately, instead of having no snaps together. Downs proved he was the right pick, and will only get better. AR will be able to get the ball to Pierce, making the run game open up even more. The young guys on the Oline should get better. The young secondary now has a season of experience, and should get another piece through the draft. Have to extend Pittman Monday. Have to get another WR and Edge rusher in the draft. Maybe sign Tee Higgins.

As Ed would always say, the future is bright, so :cool::cool::cool:

Originally Posted by Indystu2 (Post 289892)

OK, I slept and...I am still mad. When the game was on the line and you HAD to have ONE yard, they got cute with the pay call. Your best offensive weapon, a RB, was not on the field on a day when the pass game was ridiculously bad and a RB who NOT been on the field for a single play was in the game, not even RB2, but RB3/4! I am sure the thinking was the other team would not expect the ball to go to RB3. Keeping the ball on the ground and out of the QBs hands was CLEARLY working. So on the most important play of the game, they left it to a QB with maybe 100 yards passing. I get it, it was a short pass, but COME ON! They got cute and outsmarted themselves. That is all.

Originally Posted by IndyNorm (Post 289893)

Possible silver lining is that Hou just barely beat us w/ our back QB, and they needed to make some great plays along w/ some really bad mistakes from us to do so. Makes me think that if AR had stayed healthy and continued to progress through the year that we very well could have beat them handily.

Hou will probably get better in the offseason as they have plenty of cap space and due to the Watson trade and another trade w/ Philly pretty much have their normal allotment of draft picks.

The Jaguars probably won't be able to add anything in FA and might have to release some guys. They don't have much cap space and have to pay Josh Allen along w/ some other players like Ridley. Also, they need to figure out what to do w/ Lawrence.

Ballard's going to have his work cut out for him this offseason. Not only do we have plenty of our own we need to re-sign (MPJ, Grover, Blackmon) and possibly extend (Defo, Franklin, Speed), but we need some serious improvement in the secondary at both CB and S, more pass rush, and more weapons for AR.

Originally Posted by IndyNorm (Post 289895)

The only way drafting Jayden Daniels makes any sense whatsoever is if either AR's rehab takes a horribly wrong turn or AR starts indicating that he's going to pull a Luck on us.

Originally Posted by omahacolt (Post 289896)

you will always question richardson. because you are more worried about being right than you are about being honest or the colts winning.

its why people don't take you seriously

Originally Posted by Dewey 5 (Post 289898)

Ballard has to change his thinking about free agency.

Originally Posted by Dewey 5 (Post 290015)

I'm not sold that we will ever win the division with Ballard manning the wheel.

Originally Posted by Brylok (Post 290035)

There has to be something to this. He's going into year eight and we haven't even won the division. Houston was a dumpster last couple of years and they win the division? Just like that? There has to be an answer somewhere.

Originally Posted by Dam8610 (Post 290034)

Don't worry about the Jaguars, they're going to fade away with their QB that still can't read a defense 3 years in. I'm worried about Houston, but I do think the Colts still have the better roster, so if the QB position is even close, the Colts will be the better team.



I sure hope you're right. Hopefully a quality edge rusher is available at whatever mid first round pick the Colts have and they take him. I could also see Ballard prioritizing DB, even after last year's draft of DBs. First thing first, though, really hoping they re-sign Pittman and Blackmon.



That is a disturbing tendency Steichen had at the end of the season, taking Taylor out for crucial plays, especially fourth down plays. Hopefully it was just a "Taylor hasn't practiced much" thing and won't be a trend going forward.



I don't think the roster is nearly as bad as you make it out to be. I think a lot of the improvement in the secondary can come internally from better health and more experience, but also would not be surprised to see Ballard draft a CB in the first round if the value isn't there at pass rusher. Also wouldn't be surprised to see a WR there, only because there are some very talented WRs beyond Marvin's son in this draft. I'd love to see Malik Nabers as a Colt, for example. Whoever the Colts add in Round 1 this year, I'm hoping for an elite talent at a premium position (WR, CB, DE), because I'm also hoping this is the last time for a long time that the Colts pick above 20.



Or if you think Daniels is better. But it appears he's already in the Top 5 conversation, so the point is probably moot.



Absolutely not. If Richardson comes out next year, stays healthy, and leads the Colts to a high seeded playoff berth, I'll wholeheartedly believe in him. The problem I have is there was a franchise QB available and the Colts didn't move heaven and earth to get him, like they said they would. I am right about Stroud (my comp was Rodgers, he led the league in TD:INT ratio as a rookie), and while I'll probably be annoyed about that until he's out of the league, there's no need to harp on it. Hopefully Houston will botch it with him like they did with their last franchise QB.



Don't know that I agree with that. Maybe slightly. If the elite edge rushers make it to free agency, I hope Ballard will move away from his traditional free agency stinginess.

Originally Posted by Dam8610 (Post 290034)

I am right about Stroud (my comp was Rodgers, he led the league in TD:INT ratio as a rookie), and while I'll probably be annoyed about that until he's out of the league, there's no need to harp on it.