No, and it is a ridiculous statement.

Every year they have been searching for a QB. Apparently, they are hard to find.

Is Ryan the long term answer,….no. But he buys them time.

On this subject

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...icket-revenue/

We'll see how things play out, but if the Colts only do what they normally do in the offseason from here on out, which is the draft then try to fill holes with bargain 1 year deals, then the Colts certainly have become complacent. We have a 37 year old QB who we think (or at least hope) can get us to the SB, but the window is probably 2-3 years. There's not enough time for 2nd and 3rd day draft picks to develop into difference makers if we want to contend with Ryan at QB.

While you make an interesting point, you're comparing apples and oranges. In 2018 the top 5 WR/TEs after Hilton had a combined 720 catches and 6892 yards in their NFL careers prior to 2018. The top 5 returning WR/TEs on the current roster other than Pittman have a combined 137 catches and 1692 yards in their NFL careers, and that includes Campbell who will probably hurt himself stepping out of his car when he arrives to training camp and be IR'ed for the year.

I will say this offense has missed an element since Ebron left, and he was clearly a product of Reich play scheme

This offense is in dire need of a red zone threat TE

Ebron got open and made the red zone catches that season

Agreed. That is why I hope that there is a top TE who is good value available in the 2nd or 3rd round in the draft. We need that multi-threat weapon to help make the offense run.

2nd day picks
2018. Leonard Smith Lewis Hines

2019 Ya Sin. Okereke. Willis

2020. Pitman Taylor Pinter Blackmon

2021. TBD

I know Hines, Willis, and Pinter were Day 3 picks. Is there a reason you included them in something you labeled "2nd day picks"?

For starters Lewis did next to nothing until his 3rd year (and then was just in a supporting role his last 2), Rock wasn't any good until his 3rd year either, Pinter hasn't been a starter until presumably his 3rd year, and while Okereke and Willis had their moments they weren't ready to be full time starters until their 3rd and 2nd years respectively.

Anyway, I'm not saying Ballard won't draft good players this year. I'm certain that he will. I'm saying there's no way he's going to be able to adequately fill all of the Colts needs at LT, WR2, WR3, TE2, CB1, possibly CB2, S 2/3, and all kinds of depth through just the draft and bargain FAs. If he wants to try to make a run at a SB this year, which considering the age of our QB he should, then he's going to have to restructure some contracts and add some quality FAs. I'm not sure why that's so hard to understand.

It wouldn’t be hard for them to understand if Ballard did it. Then it would become the correct thing to do and make perfect sense. It’s the questioning that’s the issue.

The only fault in your logic is the “if he wants to try to make a run at a SB this year”. I honestly don’t think he does, at least not at the expense of future years. He wants a SB but I think he believes in the idea of being a really good team for as long as possible and good things will happen. It is certainly possible to win a SB that way, but I don’t think it’s the correct way to go about it. People consistently bring up Polian in defense of Ballard’s methods, but I personally see it as an indictment instead. Polian had, IMO, the best QB to ever play the game and won one SB. They were consistently really, really good though. They could have been less consistent and had higher peaks to go with the lower valleys. Now imagine that Ballard has / is building the same thing without that level of QB. He won’t mortgage the future for a shot now. Not unless Irsay dictates it. According to reports he was willing to miss on Ryan to give a 4th instead of a 3rd. He’ll win every transaction, but still lose (what is for me) the big picture.

Second and third round are on the second day of the draft everything else is on the third day of the draft. Either way they’re not first rounders there later in the draft and they still contribute to the team

Well said. That Ballard doesn't want to make any changes to his process to make a run at the Super Bowl is the point I was trying to make, and in all likelihood by the time he's able to adequately fill all of these gaping holes in the roster father time will have caught up with Ryan. Sad thing is he wouldn't have to "mortgage the future" to bring in some guys. I'm too lazy to look it up, but someone posted a snippet from someone who covers the Colts saying that he could free up ~$40M in cap space by converting salaries to signing bonuses on players he'll probably want to extend when they get to the final year of their contracts anyway (Buckner was one of them).

Also, I couldn't agree more with your final sentence. Ballard seems more concerned with making sure he gets his pre-determined value for every transaction than he does with making the team better, and in doing so misses on the big picture.

I’m really going to sour on Ballard if he doesn’t address wide receiver in free agency. I have this nagging fear that he thinks he can adequately fill the position in the draft.

If he does think that, he’s full of shit. This roster badly needs an experienced receiver across from MPJ.

Wow, maybe you need to send Ballard your resume.

Great response.

Thanks. Claiming someone who has spent his adult life in football has less perspective on his job than someone like me, who can only get info on the interweb is a bit silly.

I guess this explains why you simply agree with whatever Ballard does. Were you the same with Grigson? Did his title and experience put him beyond question as well?

Buffalo re-signed Diggs for 4 years/$96M/$70M guaranteed. He 'took a discount" so he could keep playing with Allen. I cannot imagine the Colts paying a WR that type of money.

Stephen Holder has put out on Twitter that agents are saying that Ballard is being "too cheap". So that's out there now.

Just FYI. Have a good day everyone.

Christian Watson RAS - 9.98

Fuck the agents, maybe their players are wanting “too dam much”

Stick to your guns Ballard, if a guy doesn’t wanna be here fuck them

If you wanna win, come play for the shoe if not go get paid and be a loser

I could see that attitude if they won. But they haven’t. Fans may think the Colts are great but it sure hasn’t been showing up on the field. They haven’t even won one of the worst divisions in the league in forever. I believe during Ballard’s tenure all three other teams have won the division, just not the Colts.

I usually judge a GM on the talent he has put on a team. I look more at the coach for record. But the fact is with out a solid solution at QB this team will not go far. I notice when they do have a solid QB their record is much better. And really we aren’t talking about multiple 4 win seasons or anything. This is a talented roster.

Grass isn’t always greener and no guarantee they will replace Ballard with something better. Lots of teams are on a losing hamster wheel. A couple bad decisions and we are right there too.

Don't let the nuance get in the way.

Fun time of the year when we are all "Armchair GM's" :cool:

I didnt question his decisions, I wasnt present when he made them. I wasnt impressed with his people skills. I hated the offense after Arians left, they seemed determined to get Luck killed. The things I could observe.

Ballard has been true to his philosophy, his plan. He has not made a secret what he values. If there was a Chris Hinton available with what cap money they have, he would take a run at him.

The Colts had to do something about the Qb first. Who is out there right now who could be a game changer and would fit under the cap? And remember, the team will need about half the $ 20 million for replacing people and staying under the cap

And we haven't even made it to the draft. Just wait until Ballard and Reich make, undoubtedly, the stupidest fucking draft choices we could imagine. I mean, they could've taken that other guy instead.

At least Irsay wants to compete and try to win things. Ballard drives me crazy sometimes, but he wants to compete, too. We could have an owner like the Lions, Reds, Pirates, etc who is just content to own a franchise and make money from TV deals and whatever fans they have left. I'll complain from time to time, but at least we aren't that. The Pacers are dangerously close to that.

I currently have the Phillip Dorsett pick as the worst in my memory. It would be hard to screw up worse than that.

I’ll bet you a Blue drink at Lucas Oil we win the division this year

cough TJ Green cough

I’ve never once called for Ballard to be replaced. I think he’s a good GM - great talent evaluator, but I believe too conservative to win big in modern league. Maybe it’s a part of our current black and white society now days, but fuck it’s annoying that the only two options are fanboy or hater. I’m neither. Look at the comment I responded too. I’m sorry that’s fanboy BS.

As far as coach or GM for wins, I see a lot more nuance. The colts are definitely a talented team. The questions for me are 1) if the talent is in the right place, and 2) how big are the deficiencies. The colts have had issues at major positions I consider conducive to winning - besides QB. If you believe in what he did last year at DE, then well…..we just disagree. If you think he’s handled LT well after knowing AC was on the verge of retirement again, we disagree. If you’ve been happy at WR, we disagree. I absolutely see the talent, but where it is matters.

That leads to the second issue which is how big are the deficiencies. Football is the ultimate game of match ups and if you have extreme weaknesses they will be exploited. Ballard has rolled with what I view as unnecessarily large deficiencies while waiting for a permanent, great solution he can draft next year. It’s cost the team in both of the last two years, IMO.

There is plenty to question with Ballard while liking him. I just keep hoping he either finishes the damn rebuild eventually, comes to the conclusion his methods are antiquated, or Irsay has enough and tells him to fucking win.

Both good (sad) answers. Bjorn Werner always jumps out to me. The #1 we traded for Trent Richardson also makes me want to hurl.

Who has said anything about a game changer? And for the record I acknowledge there is more time to shore up holes on the roster. But let’s be honest - if Ballard does it will be a change from his MO. There is now enough history to see how Ballard operates. And he has left glaring holes on the roster because there wasn’t the game changer that fell to him for bargain basement prices. Is it smart to not slightly overpay a mid level guy? Sometimes I’m sure it is. But what he put on the field last year at DE doesn’t win games. At some point that’s got to be what matters. They have a two year window (maybe 3) with Ryan at QB. We’ll see what he puts together, but I have plenty of reasons to be skeptical that Ballard will maximize the opportunity.

I hope you get to have that drink

There are still players out there; the draft, players who have not signed and players who will get cut before the season starts.

QB and pass rush were significantly upgraded

We’re already better we’ve only lost role players or special teams depth guys none of the players that signed elsewhere are game changers

Agreed, I acknowledged that. If he aggressively fills out the roster and doesn’t depend on the idea several of his draft picks will be immediate contributers, it will be a welcome departure from his normal MO.

Stephen Holder
@HolderStephen
I will say this: There are a growing number of agents out there who have told me the Colts are being way too stingy on spending. I can't speak to why that is, though some have theories. But regardless of the why, it is what it is at this point.

https://twitter.com/HolderStephen/st...00710886367234

Agents are like lawyers, you can tell when they are lying, their lips are moving. Has an agent ever said to a reporter, “ we wanted 2 million but ballard made us take 3 million?

I think folks on this board are severely underestimating the quality effect of a top notch QB on an NFL team.

Guys like to toss out that Ballard = Grigson because of their similar record. The huge difference is that Grigson had Andrew Luck to cover his weak roster and Ballard has not.

Ballard has built a roster than is in the playoff hunt even though we have been weak at QB for the past 4 years. Yes, I know Phillip Rivers was one of those years and we got to the playoffs and I think that supports my point that having a top QB helps in all things in the NFL.

Boo hoo. Waaaaahhh! Ballard has not signed MY favorite free agents. Ballard does not play that game, has not played that game in any season he has been here but yet continues to put out rosters that are fiscally responsible (which, regardless of other people's opinions, still matters), is loyal to HIS players and now has a QB that, hopefully, can make the offense hum.

Do I have confidence in Pryor at left tackle? Nope, but apparently team management does and I am good with that.

Do I wish I knew who was WR2, CB1, Safety3, OG3 and OT3 (the 5 positions I am most concerned about)? Yes, I do but team management is being patient. I sort of hate patient but I have trust in them that by week 1, we will have a quality plan and roster in place.

The question is, since you are all Colts fans and have seen how Ballard operations, why are you not being patient?