Colts sign Ryan Grant
 

1 Year @ $5,000,000

:cool:

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/n...D:topheadlines

I'm a little concerned that Ballard is pretty pleased with moves like Aiken and now Grant. Not sure I trust his eye for WRs.

I'm more willing to trust Luck to develop WRs than I am to trust that talent will randomly show up on defense.

hahaha look at his wikipedia entry- the last line about his college career.

Holy crap, the dude was gonna get 4 years, $29M with $14.5 guaranteed from Baltimore? And we are signing him for $5M? I'd do that deal out of curiosity alone. Someone in Baltimore saw something.

Ballard is making stop gap signings to put bodies on the roster while he waits to fill the position permanently in the draft. In theory this signing is fine, but to me it’s just a waste and points to Ballard seeing several drafts as the only way to build the roster. If Grant plays well do you see Ballard retaining him? I don’t. He’d be a one year wonder (Melvin) and not worth the risk. I’d much rather see a 2-3 year deal that overpaid annually but with team options (see Hanskins deal). At least if he performs you can keep him and build some continuity. I don’t see the value of one year deals for rebuilding teams. You incentivize personal numbers over team growth.

Ballard is no stranger to the 3-year contract with 1st year money guaranteed so it is really a 1 year with 2 years of team options.

My guess is that Grant wanted the 1 year contract as a "prove it" contract. After BAL pulled out, he wants to bet on himself. Fine; if he does well, he will get more next season. If not.....

1 "break-out" season in 2017 with a 77% catch rate (excellent and career high), 65 targets (career high), 45 catches (career high), 573 yards (career high), 12.7 yards per catch (career high), 4 TDs (career high), 29 first downs (career high), and longest catch of 40 yards (career high). Not bad for a former 5th round draft pick.

Honestly, I would rather reward a rising young player than a 1 year wonder. No downside to this signing.

Walk Worthy,

Understood about Ballard, that’s why I referenced the Haskins contract. That makes sense for a rebuilding team. A one year prove it deal to me does not. I see few scenarios where Grant is on the roster after this year. If he doesn’t excel he’s obviously not resigned. If he does excel he is going to want to cash in and I don’t see the Colts being the highest bidder. Most likely what happens is he is a serviceable player that doesn’t break out but fits a role. And that mirrors this year where he obviously wants a bigger longer term deal than the Colts are willing to commit to him. I don’t see that changing.

I just see this as likely a lose lose scenario for the Colts. I will be extremely surprised if Grant plays at an exact level where both he and the Colts agree on his value next year. The vast majority of one year signings I can think of are always just that - one year signings. And that’s regardless of player performance. I’d have rather they over paid him to buy a couple team option years. And if they tried and he wasn’t open to it then that tells me doesn’t see a future with the team anyway. He’s a one year roster body. He knows it and so do the Colts. No real risk for the Colts, but I don’t really see much reward either. I’ll happily admit I’m wrong if he breaks out and the Colts resign him.

I’m not upset about the signing, I just see it as an extension of the long slow roster building Ballard is planning. Grant is a body to hold a spot for an eventual draft pick. That’s all.

Seems like a JAG that could compete for the WR2 spot. Don't see much to get excited about over Rogers. But whatever, it's $5 million.

Can’t be worse than Aiken can he?