Colts Salary Cap Update – Regular Season 2018

[smitty46953]

Originally Posted by rm1369

Not any, no. He also had last years draft and free agency as well. The idea Nelson was the only way to improve the line is ridiculous.

Don't forget about Smith, he may not be Nelson but he was the other All-American 1st team guard

[Racehorse]

Originally Posted by rm1369

Not any, no. He also had last years draft and free agency as well. The idea Nelson was the only way to improve the line is ridiculous.

I never said it was, but he is starting with the trenches to protect Luck, which is what everyone was clamoring for. I have a suspicion that he will go heavy on defense next year and we will have a young core to make for a successful team for quite a while. I think he may have brought in a FA and decided that the guy was not the right fit, so the only option was Nelson and Smith.

For the record, I was against Polian's draft only method. I do not think Ballard is going all in on the draft, but feel he is trying to establish a culture first and then will bring in FA players who can assimilate.

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by smitty46953

Don't forget about Smith, he may not be Nelson but he was the other All-American 1st team guard

I had no issue with the drafting of Smith.

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by Racehorse

I never said it was, but he is starting with the trenches to protect Luck, which is what everyone was clamoring for. I have a suspicion that he will go heavy on defense next year and we will have a young core to make for a successful team for quite a while. I think he may have brought in a FA and decided that the guy was not the right fit, so the only option was Nelson and Smith.

For the record, I was against Polian's draft only method. I do not think Ballard is going all in on the draft, but feel he is trying to establish a culture first and then will bring in FA players who can assimilate.

I don’t buy the build the culture reason / excuse. Ballard has brought in some free agents, just relatively low cost ones. I believe he envisions a longer term rebuild of the roster than what he will readily admit. I’m talking 3 more years. If that is accurate then it makes perfect sense on why you wouldn’t sign any mid to upper tier free agents - they likely won’t be as effective when the team is peaking and, most importantly, they will lower the quality of the draft picks you get to rebuild with by making you more competitive more quickly.

But Ballard can’t come out and say that or the fan base will see they are wasting prime Luck years. So you get the GM speak and one year contracts. You push the learning and growing aspect. You claim you have to instill a winning culture first. But you don’t instill a winning culture by losing. And you don’t install one by handing out jobs to people. A winning culture is one of true competition, accountability, and earning your spot. Quality free agents wouldn’t keep you from building that. They would help by adding experience and upping the competition level. But you’d also win to quickly to build the dynasty Ballard envisions. That’s my belief of what’s going on. Time will tell I suppose.

[Maniac]

Originally Posted by rm1369

To me it’s funny you use Jacksonville as your example considering they have been heavy users of free agency - the opposite of Ballard’s approach. They also improved their O-line this offseason by adding an all-pro guard. Didn’t even cost them a top 6 pick.

Ballard tried to get the same guy, they just lost out. Whether it was due to money or Norwell chose Jacksonville due to having more pieces or whatever, they tried and failed. It sucks, but after that, Ballard was probably set on Nelson.

[Offensive Lineman]

Originally Posted by rm1369

Through two drafts and two free agent periods (with ample cap available) are you really so naive as to believe taking a guard at 6 was the only way to address the o-line?

Seems to me that addressing it the other way hasn't worked all that well in the last 6 years or so.

[njcoltfan]

Originally Posted by Racehorse

And yet, people still think we should have drafted Chubb over Nelson. Can't have it both ways.

Sure you can, how about this hypothetical, Ballard agreesivly goes after Norwell and signs him, he trades the #6 pick to the Bills for their two #1’s and drafts McGinchley and Wynn,now your OL is fixed.

[sherck]

Last year, Ballard had about 2.1 milliseconds to consider free agency after he was signed as GM and he had Grigson's scouting staff reports upon which to do it. The fact that he signed Simon and Hankins and Woods in that short amount of time whom all played well for us last season is a minor miracle.

Also, he was working with Grigon's staff for the 2017 draft as well. Again, the fact that he found Hooker, Wilson, Mack, Stewart, Hairston and Walker out of that mess certainly bodes well for the future. Sure, Banner wa a complete bust and the court is still out on Basham (tending towards bust) but everyone else from that draft class has shown potential and is in line for lots of playing time this season (when healthy).

Honestly, to me, the big heartburn is the lack of spending on the 2018 free agency class (and the cutting of folks in the transition from 3-4 to 4-3 defense). One or two more quality free agents would have perhaps strengthened us at the right spots to feel more comfortable about where the O-Line, WR corps or defense (any level) was at right now.

But, we did not, we are playing the younsters and our season end results will rest on their growth. If a couple of our younsters rise to the challenge, then we will have a great foudation to build on. If they do not....

Current projected Free Cap Space in 2019:

01/IND/$119.5m
02/NYJ/$109.4m
03/HOU/$093.3m
04/BUF/$090.1m
05/CIN/$079.8m
06/CLE/$078.3m
07/SEA/$068.0m
08/DAL/$065.3m
09/OAK/$63.9m
10/SF../$60.1m

So, we will have roughly twice as much to spend on free agents next season as the #9 and #10 teams. Which is nice.

Other teams of note:

16/TEN/$35.6m
21/NE../$25.7m
31/JAX/$-8.9m
32/PHI/$-23.5m (a dismantling is coming...)

If Ballard sits out next year's free agency frenzy, then I will be lighting the torches and sharpening the pitchforks personally. I don't know who will be in the free agency class for sure but we will have the cash to spend big and we probably will not be spending much on our own free agency class:

Colts 2019 Unrestricted Free Agents:

WR Ryan Grant, 28 years old
PK Adam Vinatieri, 46 years old
OG Matt Slausson, 33 years old
DE Margus Hunt, 32 years old
NT Al Woods, 32 years old
CB Pierre Desir, 28 years old
RB Robert Turbin, 29 years old
RB Christian Michael, 28 years old
OT J'Marcus Webb, 31 years old
OLB Najee Goode, 30 years old
SS Clayton Geathers, 27 years old
OG Mark Glowinski, 26 years old
OT Denzell Good, 27 years old

Unless this is just a breakout year for a guy like Geathers, Good, Desir or Grant, I just don't see the Colts needed to spend big money to retain any of these guys. Vinny will be retained if he desires to play and is still effective but he will cost $4m a year. Big deal! Otherwise...

If he sits out the first phase of free agency next year, then I will be disappointed in his vision. You cannot buy championships, you need to layer good draft on top of good draft but you do need to add the few pieces here and there. Next year is the time to do so.

Walk Worthy,

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by JesusChrist

Ballard tried to get the same guy, they just lost out. Whether it was due to money or Norwell chose Jacksonville due to having more pieces or whatever, they tried and failed. It sucks, but after that, Ballard was probably set on Nelson.

I’m not specifically knocking Ballard for not getting Norwell, I’m simply arguing that it’s not “trying to have it both ways” to agree with addressing the O-line but not liking the Nelson pick. There have been other ways of addressing the OL available to Ballard. I commented on Jacksonville specifically because I found it funny they were used as an example of what Ballard is trying to do when their approach is almost a 180 from the way he is going about it.

[rm1369]

The excuses of culture, scouting staff, and lack of time don’t hold for me. Last year Ballard landed Sheard, Hankins, Simon, and Woods. That’s not a bad haul. No huge names but it’s very similar to the Grigson method of adding some mid tier free agents on flexibile contracts to bolster the roster. Although admittedly more effective than many of Grigson’s signings. Why would you do that for a known lame duck coach but not when you are completely changing defensive schemes and therefore jettisoning some of the few quality players you have?

The only reason not to do it that I can see is if you are starting a longer term rebuild. Then you can argue (although I still wouldn’t agree completely) it makes some sense to gut some of the veterans that aren’t seen as viable long term contributors, GIVE young guys jobs they haven’t earned, and not look for real solutions in free agency. It’s hard to believe after the signings he had last year that Ballard could find only one potentially meaningful contributor on D this year (Autry) after changing schemes and gutting vets. Throw in RT and WR2 and there were plenty of options available for improving the roster. Ballard punted. He did so because he views this as a longer term rebuild.

Yes, I agree he will eventually add some free agents. Although I think you will be disappointed next year. Regardless Ballard has purposely and knowingly punted on this season and I simply disagree with that. I don’t believe you build a winning culture by losing. I don’t believe you build a winning culture by gifting guys jobs. I believe there is value in veteran leadership. I believe there is value in guys competing and realizing they aren’t good enough yet. I believe the tone and culture of a team is set by the coaches AND by the veterans in a locker room. When you add in the team has a franchise QB in place who is entering his prime and I simply don’t agree with Ballard’s vision. Time will tell.