Colts signing Justin Houston

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

Chaka I appreciate your concern but do not share it. Yes Houston has some red flags. I'm assuming everyone in free agency does. His are not that large and even though he is changing position he has played quite a bit with his hand in the dirt. He should be a big help on pass rush. As far as Ballard changing his approach with this I'm not so sure. Everything I've read about Houston says he is great in the locker room. It is a two year deal that does nothing to hinder the build for this team. He helps out in one of our greatest needs. He does't fix it but he helps. It seems like a good signing.

No problem Oldcolt. I really don’t mean to rain on everyone’s parade, but I’ve seen a lot of backslapping but very little commentary on the issues I’ve mentioned. I understand what you’re saying and I agree to a certain extent. I am excited to see what a great pass rusher can do in our defense. I’m just concerned about seeing us make this type of move – signing high-priced veterans who are on the downside of their careers is generally a bad practice and usually the type of thing I expect from Washington or the Raiders (sorry to keep using them as an example, but they are such easy targets).

I’ve tried to be clear that this may be an understandable exception given Ballard’s presumed “inside” knowledge of Houston and our obvious need at the position, but I certainly don’t want to see the Colts make a habit of this type of signing because I think such an approach will ultimately blow up in their face. Nobody here has been a bigger supporter of Ballard’s approach than me, but I don’t blindly follow him. What I’ve liked (and continue to like) is his very businesslike practical approach to running the Colts, and I think we can reach the goal he has set (long term dominance) if he stays the course. This move is a little different than what I was expecting, that’s all.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Are you an accountant/money manager?

No I am not.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by rm1369

I think it’s entirely possible that Ballard simply saw a guy on the market that fit an immediate short term need that he knew wouldn’t upset the locker room culture he wants. Pass rushers typically take time to develop so Houston adds some current ability with little risk. In this case, it’s not really a departure from his previous method. More like a rare exception.

What I hope is that Ballard is actually tweaking his methods to match the current team situation and make up. He made comments late last season that the team developed a lot quicker than he expected. And in a recent radio interview he mentioned the team needing to learn to win and alluded to some of the early season losses as not about talent. The optimistic side of me wants to combine those two things with the Houston signing and say Ballard realizes the team can win now and that you shouldn’t waste that always playing for tomorrow. That a more even balance between now and the long term is needed.

The reality is that it’s probably just the first one - a rare exception and not a shift in philosophy.

That's pretty much what I think (and hope) as well. Though I disagree that there's any substantial evidence to this point that Ballard needs to tweak his methods, as I think last year was about as good a year as any Colts fan could have reasonably expected. So, until the evidence suggests otherwise, I'd advocate that we stay the course that Ballard originally set.

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by FatDT

He was supposedly effective as a run defender though as recently as last year. I don't know what Ballard and Reich's plans are for him, maybe he will not start. But if he's the best overall DE on the team, and he might be, then I'd expect him to play more than just obvious passing downs. It's not like Sheard/Turay/Lewis/whoever is so great that they're guaranteed a starting spot.

I envision him starting at RE next year. No reason not to at 6'3" 260, and as you mentioned good run defense in addition to pass rush ability.

Originally Posted by Chaka

Since you asked so nicely, I’ll tell you. The terms of the contract matter because we have a salary cap, and a good general manager needs to consider cap implications no matter how much cap space is presently available. I suspect you’ll say that we have so much cap space that we shouldn’t worry about it. It’s the same logic that drives lottery winners bankrupt a few years after winning. You ALWAYS have to consider the cap when evaluating a contract. While it is nice to have lots of cap space, a few bad deals and you’re back struggling against the cap like everyone else. I’ve explained this in detail in other threads, and won’t repeat it here, but essentially, the playing field is level as everyone has the same salary cap. It’s how you spend your allotted money that makes all the difference (and please don’t tell me that it’s all about drafting well or having a good QB – those are simply the other side of the same coin).

It seems to me that Houston is a risky signing. The degree of risk is in large part a function of the contract price. The guy is past his prime, he’s been plagued by injuries over the last few years, and he’s now changing teams and being asked to change his position. Not saying that it’s not a risk worth taking, given his history, but the risk is much greater if, for instance, his contract is fully guaranteed Kirk Cousins-style contract. If the Colts have the option of exiting after the first year (like with Hankins) then the risk is reduced.

This is not the type of signing that Ballard has made in the past. While he has brought in some veterans, they’ve mostly been low cost, serviceable role players. Ballard has emphasized youth and development. So it also concerns me that this is a departure from what I thought was his gameplan. Now, I realize he has a history with Houston, and that 30 is not over-the-hill for a pass rusher, so I remain hopeful. It also might be that Ballard is not satisfied with Turay’s development progress, and doesn’t foresee getting anyone in the draft who can immediately help. I don’t know. It’s just a striking departure from Ballard’s past strategy, so I expressed some concern.

It's a 2 year deal. This has no long term cap implications and is basically a 1 year deal with an option. In the short term, it helps the Colts meet the 89% four year rolling average threshold, and gives the team an opportunity to see if they can bring him back to his peak form, which would at least temporarily solve the team's need for an elite pass rusher. There's no downside here.

[Discflinger]

I didn't know they released the terms of his contract. Still waiting to hear about Geathers'.

[omahacolt]

Originally Posted by FatDT

He was supposedly effective as a run defender though as recently as last year. I don't know what Ballard and Reich's plans are for him, maybe he will not start. But if he's the best overall DE on the team, and he might be, then I'd expect him to play more than just obvious passing downs. It's not like Sheard/Turay/Lewis/whoever is so great that they're guaranteed a starting spot.

I agree. I just have a feeling they will have Lewis starting at re and sheard at le. I could be wrong

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

It's a 2 year deal. This has no long term cap implications and is basically a 1 year deal with an option. In the short term, it helps the Colts meet the 89% four year rolling average threshold, and gives the team an opportunity to see if they can bring him back to his peak form, which would at least temporarily solve the team's need for an elite pass rusher. There's no downside here.

Do you know this, or is it just an assumption?

[VeveJones007]

Originally Posted by omahacolt

I agree. I just have a feeling they will have Lewis starting at re and sheard at le. I could be wrong

I think this it what it will end up being. They'll stack the line against the run on 1st and 10 and then mix and match from there.

They'll monitor Houston's snaps to try and keep him healthy and fresh for pass rush downs.

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by Chaka

Do you know this, or is it just an assumption?

We'll call it an educated guess based on Ballard's history. It's probably first year fully guaranteed with a second year roster bonus that can be avoided by cutting him. That's Ballard's track record, so there's no reason to believe otherwise unless something different is reported. Either way, hyperventilating over cap space when the Colts are projected to have something like $120 million next year (even with Houston) is silly.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

...hyperventilating over cap space when the Colts are projected to have something like $120 million next year (even with Houston) is silly.

Nobody is "hyperventilating" over cap space. What's silly is to adopt a free-wheeling spending attitude just because we have lots of cap space. That's a mistake, and to adopt a "I don't care whether this was money well spent because we have plenty of cap space" attitude is a short-term, poor strategy. The Colts just need to make smart moves, regardless of cap space.

I'm not even saying that this was necessarily a bad move in an of itself, merely that I was surprised by it and that I hope that it doesn't signal a change in the approach that has been working so well. However, comments like yours are troubling and all too common unfortunately.