Zach Hicks on Colts real issue

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by ChaosTheory

We act like it's easy. Just go get a franchise QB. Who should we have drafted? Who are the QB's from 2020 and 2021 that you think should've been the leader of your team?

Burrow, Tua, and Herbert went 1-2-3 in 2020 to teams that would not have traded those picks to God. You'd have the same chance of getting KC to listen to you about trading Mahomes.

Lawrence, Wilson, and Lance went 1-2-3 in 2021, also impossible to trade for. And on top of that, Wilson, Lance, and Fields (pick 11) all can't stay on the field and when they have played, it's not exactly been encouraging. So who was more realistic?...

1.) Jordan Love in 2020, who we still don't know anything about.

2.) Jalen Hurts in 2020, who's having a good start this season (we'll see), but whose skillset required a big gamble and a total revamp in scheme. Are we shitting on them for not instead going with Rivers (who played really well for us)?

3.) Mac Jones in 2021, who's... alright? I mean, would it really surprise anybody if he ends up on a path similar to Trubisky (11-3 his second year) where he gets replaced after a few years?


Who else should they have gone after? Wouldn't anybody else be a Jacob Eason- or Sam Ehlinger-caliber move?

I personally don’t blame Ballard for not solving the QB situation. What I blame him for is an overall building philosophy that keeps the team from competing. You can debate the merits of swinging for a QB vs hoping to catch a couple good years from an old guy. What you can’t do is chose the old guy and continue to build the roster as if you are 4 years from being competitive. That’s what Ballard has done and that’s what keeps killing the team. He throws a bunch of young athletes at a problem and hopes one steps up. The beginning of the season is basically fucking tryouts. Again, look at the actual experience the colts started the season with at LT, WR, and TE this year. DE last year. That’s not how you build a team to win.

[ChaosTheory]

Originally Posted by ZionsvilleColtsFan

Not drafting Hurts was huge error by Ballard. Eagles wisely picked him up in the second round while Colts signed another old timer at QB.

A huge error in what sense? First off, we're anointing Jalen Hurts a bit early. I said he's had a good start with PHI this season, but it's a long season. It's possible that we look back in hindsight and say he should've been drafted higher similar to how we look at Russell Wilson or Tom Brady or whoever... or he could come back to Earth. We'll see.

But as far as the draft... Most draft analysts had Jacob Eason and Jalen Hurts rated around the #5-#7 QB in 2020. Usually Eason was rated a spot or two above Hurts and a few analysts had it flipped.

After Hurts, we drafted Eason as the next QB taken like 70 picks later. In the meantime, we drafted Michael Pittman, Jonathan Taylor, and Julian Blackmon. And we also had Phillip Rivers.

Call that a huge error if you want.

[Brylok]

I'd trade Nelson, Leonard, and Taylor in a package deal right now for Trevor Lawrence. Or Joe Burrow. Or Josh Allen. Or Jalen Hurts. I'm also almost at the point where I want to Ehlinger start. Maybe he has something for the future. The other QBs don't.

[ChaosTheory]

Originally Posted by Brylok

I'd trade Nelson, Leonard, and Taylor in a package deal right now for Trevor Lawrence. Or Joe Burrow. Or Josh Allen. Or Jalen Hurts. I'm also almost at the point where I want to Ehlinger start. Maybe he has something for the future. The other QBs don't.

We couldn't get a top-flight QB for that trade. There might not be a team in the league that could offer 10 (non-QB) players in a trade for Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Herbert, or another top-flight QB.

Off the top of my head, I don't know if that's hyperbole. Which is the point. QB's are too valuable and too hard to come by. Our team hit the lottery twice.

[ChoppedWood]

I agree a LOT about Ballard not doing a very good job. What I cannot shake however is a team with SEVEN, SEVEN fucking pro-bowlers- not making the playoffs.

SEVEN and this turd we have at HC can't figure out how to beat the local boys JV squad with all his fucking whacked out scheming?

Nah, fuck that, the problem is with the dude wearing the headset and being the one talking to these guys about being competitors- his voice is raspy and old and they don't listen to shit that dude is saying.

Need a new voice!

[HoosierinFL]

Originally Posted by ChaosTheory

We couldn't get a top-flight QB for that trade. There might not be a team in the league that could offer 10 (non-QB) players in a trade for Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Herbert, or another top-flight QB.

Off the top of my head, I don't know if that's hyperbole. Which is the point. QB's are too valuable and too hard to come by. Our team hit the lottery twice.

Yea thats the main reason why I'm not ready to shit on Ballard for not getting a franchise QB. Getting Manning and Luck were both like winning the lottery.

Trading for a franchise QB is impossible, while trading up to the top of the 1st round is expensive.

Sure Ballard could have sold the farm to move up in recent drafts, but there really weren't any sure fire picks to be had unless he was gonna go for the #1 spot.

2022 - literally 0 QBs worth having (Maybe there's a surprise among them but it will be pure luck akin to Tom Brady in the 6th round)

2021 - Jax would have never traded the #1 to us. I'm not sold on any of the others. Maybe Zach Wilson wouldn't suck if he wasn't on the Jets.

2020 - Getting the Cincy #1 (Burrow) might have been doable but probably not. But sure, there were other good QBs in the top of that first round (Tua, Herbert, we still haven't seen Love play for real)

So really, Ballard maybe could have or should have been aggressive in the 2020 draft, which was the 1st one after Luck's retirement. But after that, it's been 2 consecutive crops of bad QBs.

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by ChoppedWood

I agree a LOT about Ballard not doing a very good job. What I cannot shake however is a team with SEVEN, SEVEN fucking pro-bowlers- not making the playoffs.

SEVEN and this turd we have at HC can't figure out how to beat the local boys JV squad with all his fucking whacked out scheming?

Nah, fuck that, the problem is with the dude wearing the headset and being the one talking to these guys about being competitors- his voice is raspy and old and they don't listen to shit that dude is saying.

Need a new voice!

Two issues:

1) the positions of the Pro Bowlers. Trade those 7 for Pro Bowlers at DE, LT, and QB and you end up with a better team.

2) the areas of weakness. The Colts need a QB, a LT, DE is a question mark and they have one total proven pass catcher. Those are the fucking money positions. When you are weak there you struggle. How the team is constructed matters. This is supposed to be a run first team that can’t run. It’s hard to coach around that.

[ChoppedWood]

Originally Posted by rm1369

Two issues:

1) the positions of the Pro Bowlers. Trade those 7 for Pro Bowlers at DE, LT, and QB and you end up with a better team.

2) the areas of weakness. The Colts need a QB, a LT, DE is a question mark and they have one total proven pass catcher. Those are the fucking money positions. When you are weak there you struggle. How the team is constructed matters. This is supposed to be a run first team that can’t run. It’s hard to coach around that.

Those 7 Pro-Bowlers just beat KC. Last year they trounced the Bills, beat them silly. They went into SF and handled them easily. Should have beaten the Bucs and were able to beat NE and ARIZ back to back.

There is enough talent to win at a consistently high level against good football teams. Is the roster loaded with all-pro's, no, but there are clearly players that can win against high end competition.

Conversely there is a fucking zombie coaching them that as far as I can tell starts Monday mornings by holding up the schedule for the guys and says something like "Jags this week, take a few days in the islands with the fam, come back and we'll do some light jogging Friday and be at my house at 7 Sunday for the kegger after the win, 1-2-3 Team".

This guy SUCKS at getting his team ready week to week- absolutely SUCKS! I just don't understand how anyone can say "I'm not ready to fire Frank yet, but I am getting close".... WHAT THE FUCK DOES IT TAKE TO SEE IT FOR WHAT IT IS? HE ADVERTISES HIS LEVEL OF SUCK EVERY DAMN SUNDAY!!!

[Brylok]

Originally Posted by ChoppedWood

Those 7 Pro-Bowlers just beat KC...

KC beat themselves literally from the opening kickoff. They bumbled around all day and the blind squirrel Colts managed to capitalize on the mistakes a few times. That's it. That's all that happened. Take away that Jones flag at the end and give them 30-60 more seconds and KC would have won.

[ChaosTheory]

Originally Posted by ChoppedWood

Frank Reich is a dickhead and I hate him.

Yes, the buck stops with the HC... or the GM... or the owner. Whichever is your perspective. But the team with 7 Pro Bowlers has to play.

There's no coaching a 37-year-old borderline HOF QB to not to turn the ball over at your own 30 twice. It's on the QB.

It's not on coaching when your All-World LG gets spanked by Autry on a 1-on-1 which leads to one of those sack-fumbles. He just got beat.

Bill Walsh couldn't have kept our All-Pro RB from getting his ankle crushed on 3rd-and-1 and instead of 1st down at the TEN 24 and you're rolling, it's another turnover.