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Old 08-29-2025, 03:58 PM
Kray007 Kray007 is offline
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Default I come to praise Chris Ballard, not to bury him.

First of all, apologies to William Shakespeare for plagiarizing Julius Caesar.

Second, I know that there’s a lot of anger and hostility flowing in the direction of the Colts front office. Somewhere east of the White River, crowds are gathering, heating up tar and feathers, and passing out torches and pitchforks.

Most of the angst Centers around Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones, and the quarterback position. Let me be the first to say that I join you in your unhappiness. So far in his career, Anthony has disappointed. Some of the blame, of course, falls on Chris Ballard’s shoulders. He drafted the man and he entrusted Shane Steichen with the responsibility of developing the young man’s vast potential. Ultimately, we have no idea of how the Richardson experiment will play out. The Colts aren’t cutting ties anytime soon, and there is still a glimmer of hope that things will work out.

But, even if they don’t, I’m not ready to crucify the general manager. Drafting a quarterback might well be the biggest crapshoot in the NFL. The majority, no matter how talented, will fail. That’s a simple fact of life. The Colts spent the better part of a quarter century looking for a replacement for Bert Jones. In the interim between Jones and Manning, we saw a host of quarterbacks lining up under center, the likes of which included names like Don Majkowski, Chris Chandler, Marty Domres, Blair Kiel, and Dan Orlovsky. One first round draft choice was spent on Art Schlichter, another on Jeff George. If Anthony doesn’t work out, we simply have to suck it up, move on, and take a shot in a 2026 draft class that Mel Kiper says is six deep.

I’m not sure that there’s any potential GM hire I trust more than Chris Ballard to make the call. No less an eminence than Bill Polian peered out over the draft landscape in 1998 and, save for the intervention of a stiff necked Jim Irsay, would’ve gifted us with Ryan Leaf.

At the end of the day, after all the grumbling, we face the stark fact that our perception of this club is shaped by Anthony Richardson‘s struggles. Last year‘s club was on the cusp of the playoffs even though they were helmed by a quarterback who completed less than 50% of his passes. That is a testament to the kind of team that Chris Ballard puts on the field. As I see it, this is a team with at least a dozen pro bowl quality players…Pittman, Pierce, Downs, Raimann, Nelson, Warren, Taylor, Buckner, Franklin, Bynum, Ward, and Moore.

There is nothing wrong with Chris Ballard’s ability to identify talent. There’s no reason to burn the organization to the ground and start over from scratch with another GM, especially when you consider that finding another Bill Polian is almost as elusive as finding another Peyton Manning.
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  #2  
Old 08-29-2025, 04:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Kray007 View Post
Drafting a quarterback might well be the biggest crapshoot in the NFL.
Agree. Apparently, not everyone does.

When they come for you (and they will shortly), ask them who is good at finding quarterbacks.
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Old 08-29-2025, 05:24 PM
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Agree. Apparently, not everyone does.

When they come for you (and they will shortly), ask them who is good at finding quarterbacks.
My top issues do not include not finding a QB. It’s with a philosophy that was all but guaranteed to result in mediocrity. Something I’ve been saying since he had Luck and said he was going to waste years with an elite QB building slowly. I blame Ballard for signing Rivers and doing jack shit with the rest of the roster. I blame him for acquiring Ryan and then trusting a 3rd round rookie who had only played LT for 2 yrs in college, and a journeyman guard to play LT. I blame him for acquiring Wentz and then trotting out a DE group with no player with double digit sacks COMBINED for their CAREERS. And I blame him for drafting the rawest rookie QB ever, starting him game 1 and then benching him, starting him again, and benching him again - in basically two calendar years.

He is a decent talent evaluator but he has no plan besides "next year" and no idea how to construct a team to win. None. He seems to believe a journeyman QB is sufficient to win, but he has never assembled a complete team to make that possible. Every team has had a major obvious hole that he has been continent to wait to fill 1-3 yrs down the line.

It’s hard as fuck to find a QB. IMO if you don’t have a franchise guy you have two options 1) be aggressive in finding that guy or 2) build a complete team that can support a journeyman. To this point Ballard has done neither. The only reason they were in the position to draft a QB high was because of Irsay. And this is the best team he has ever put together and it is only because he is finally scared for his job. Otherwise CB and safety would have continued to wait like we’ve seen every other year under Ballard.

So combine my complete disagreement with his team building philosophy, with his gifting players spots and his belief that veterans don’t matter, and I can’t wait for Ballard to be gone. I’m not scared of finding a worse GM, because honestly what Ballard has done is worse than swinging big and losing. He’s made me and the fanbase apathetic. I’m turning in my season tickets at the end of this year regardless of the results. I’m tired of spending my money on a team that clearly has had no plan.
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Old 08-29-2025, 05:25 PM
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For all the good Ballard has done, and he’s done a lot, he’s also had some pretty egregious brain farts.

For instance, Ballard was convinced that Danny Pinter and Matt Freaking Pryor were competent starters on the offensive line.

That decision alone basically cost us an entire season and would have been enough to get him fired in most places.
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Old 08-29-2025, 05:43 PM
ChoppedWood ChoppedWood is offline
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He fucking sucks, one of the most incompetent ass clowns in the history of the NFL. Has snuck by on the grace of a very distracted and overly loyal owner.

That time is rapidly coming to an end and soon he will be gone, and that will be a great day for this franchise.
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Old 08-29-2025, 07:41 PM
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The roster is decent. Ballard has found talent in the late rounds. I think a lot of the talent on defense was wasted under Bradley, and injuries got a few.

As to the QB, and the idea that Ballard does not want a complete team, preferring a slow build, I will give my thoughts. First, I think Irsay (may he rest in peace) had a lot to do with the QB situation, both with the Ryan, Wentz, and Rivers experiments, and how the AR situation played out He was impatient to get a guy in there, and said get the vets, and then said start the rookie. He was also the catalyst for Grigson trading for Trent Richardson. Second, Ballard said he wanted a complete team that was not 100% dependent on a Manning or Mahomes type to bail them out. I think the fact Irsay's fortune was not as liquid as most played a part in free agency, ashas been mentioned in previous years. Third, I think he made it clear that he was planning to build from the lines first, and then work out from there. He has invested a lot of capital on both lines. Yes, edge rushers don't seem to have been a hit, but Bradley's scheme was a big factor in that. Glad that guy is gone. I think it was a year too late. Last year's team could have won the division despite poor QB play if the defense was not so soft in coverage, leading to death by 1000 paper cuts. There was no Maniac to create the turnovers any longer.

This is not to say Ballard is blameless, but it puts a lot into perspective. This roster is talented enough that average QB play would win the division, and possibly get us to 11-12 wins.
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Old 08-29-2025, 08:24 PM
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Originally Posted by rm1369 View Post
I blame Ballard for signing Rivers and doing jack shit with the rest of the roster.
Give me a break. He signs two FA this offseason and everyone loses their minds like he's had some awakening... But in 2020 him bringing in Rivers, Xavier Rhodes, and trading a 1st for Buckner is "jack shit."

By the way, without a first he still got Pittman, Taylor, Blackmon, Pinter, and Rodgers in that draft. Top-10 in both offense and defense that year.

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Originally Posted by rm1369 View Post
I blame him for acquiring Wentz and then trotting out a DE group with no player with double digit sacks COMBINED for their CAREERS.
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-age...on/ed/type/ufa

There you go, big dog. It's even sorted for you. Show me the move you were clamoring for Ballard to make. Was it Carl Lewis? Romeo Okwara?

I somehow doubt the difference between your criticism and acceptance is the highly fussed-over Denico fucking Autry.

Top-9 in scoring for both offense and defense that year, too.

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I blame him for acquiring Ryan and then trusting a 3rd round rookie who had only played LT for 2 yrs in college, and a journeyman guard to play LT.
Yes, bad move. But he wasn't relying on Raimann. He wasn't supposed to go in yet, although, unlike with Richardson: baptism-by-fire worked well for him.

Pryor was supposed to be the bridge, and he never looked anything like he did in 2022 prior (heh) to that. Pinter also never looked like that before or since. 2022 was fucking bizarro world.


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And I blame him for drafting the rawest rookie QB ever, starting him game 1 and then benching him, starting him again, and benching him again - in basically two calendar years.
The whole team benched him. Sorry, tapping out of a game, turns out, rubs guys the wrong way. Buckner, Nelson, and whoever else had words with him. It wasn't a small thing. That's not even considering the 47%.

AR was not benched this summer, Jones beat him out. They said it since January that they tried the baptism-by-fire route, and he was drowning. They're trying an alternate route. I'm sorry you and most others didn't believe them.


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And this is the best team he has ever put together and it is only because he is finally scared for his job. Otherwise CB and safety would have continued to wait like we’ve seen every other year under Ballard.
That's great. We haven't seen a down played, but you'll say this is the best team? I guess he did sign two FA's, which is goal. I know it doesn't occur to people... but consider that we brought in, not just a new DC, but one that is radically and fundamentally different than the previous.

This one has a particular type of DB room he wants which, maybe, factors into what the GM looks for and prioritizes.

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It’s hard as fuck to find a QB. IMO if you don’t have a franchise guy you have two options 1) be aggressive in finding that guy or 2) build a complete team that can support a journeyman. To this point Ballard has done neither.
1.) I don't see how drafting AR wasn't aggressive. If you listen to every pundit out there today, apparently everyone knew AR never should have been drafted at #4 (except that whole consensus top-3 QB label).

2.) This is outcome bias. There's no other way to put it. Ballard has kept his job for a decade precisely and ONLY because of what he puts around the QB. I mean, 9 years... He doesn't have Epstein files on the Irsays despite what Chopped will tell you. It's his rosters.
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Old 08-29-2025, 11:06 PM
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The roster is decent. Ballard has found talent in the late rounds. I think a lot of the talent on defense was wasted under Bradley, and injuries got a few.

As to the QB, and the idea that Ballard does not want a complete team, preferring a slow build, I will give my thoughts. First, I think Irsay (may he rest in peace) had a lot to do with the QB situation, both with the Ryan, Wentz, and Rivers experiments, and how the AR situation played out He was impatient to get a guy in there, and said get the vets, and then said start the rookie. He was also the catalyst for Grigson trading for Trent Richardson. Second, Ballard said he wanted a complete team that was not 100% dependent on a Manning or Mahomes type to bail them out. I think the fact Irsay's fortune was not as liquid as most played a part in free agency, ashas been mentioned in previous years. Third, I think he made it clear that he was planning to build from the lines first, and then work out from there. He has invested a lot of capital on both lines. Yes, edge rushers don't seem to have been a hit, but Bradley's scheme was a big factor in that. Glad that guy is gone. I think it was a year too late. Last year's team could have won the division despite poor QB play if the defense was not so soft in coverage, leading to death by 1000 paper cuts. There was no Maniac to create the turnovers any longer.

This is not to say Ballard is blameless, but it puts a lot into perspective. This roster is talented enough that average QB play would win the division, and possibly get us to 11-12 wins.
You Sir have put the whole situation in the proper context, that most of fandom disagrees with.

Jim became Robert, in his last few years, and was a detriment to winning. Don't get me started on Bradley though. He made Eberflus look like Belichick.
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Old 08-29-2025, 11:09 PM
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The bottom line is winning. Ballard has what, two playoff appearances and one playoff win in 9 years. We win 9 games or so a year yes, but we wouldn't if we didn't play in the worst division in football, which we cannot seem to win. How many years do you give a guy to show you who he is? None of his teams have ever won an opening game (we aren't close to the record, it's 29 straight games without a win by the Cardinals). He chose the coach and the players for these teams. He is a mediocre talent evaluator if you go by results.
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Old 08-30-2025, 07:29 AM
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The bottom line is winning. Ballard has what, two playoff appearances and one playoff win in 9 years. We win 9 games or so a year yes, but we wouldn't if we didn't play in the worst division in football, which we cannot seem to win. How many years do you give a guy to show you who he is? None of his teams have ever won an opening game (we aren't close to the record, it's 29 straight games without a win by the Cardinals). He chose the coach and the players for these teams. He is a mediocre talent evaluator if you go by results.
Well said.
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