I'm back, what did I miss?

Uh, in regards to the Colts...nothing.

Jesus Christ, he has been employed for what, a month and change?

AND. He has to....for the most part... go with what he is being told from the coaches and existing scouts

So we got a punter and a LB that sucks. Awesome.

I didn't expect anything big but I thought we would get a little help.

It's going to be another long year. My expectations are low so whatever. My expectations are high that we rid ourselves of the clapper.

Why? It's not like he wasn't doing anything while at KC.

He wasn't evaluating the Colts! He is leaning on the coaches to figure out where the upgrades need to be. I know it seems simple but we have been watching them for years.

So he's listening to the people that got us in this situation in the first place? Brilliant!! Then he's Grigson's clone.

Pagano and Grigson ruined this team.

Well in his defense he hasn't had much time to figure it all out. He doesnt even have his scouts here yet. Not saying he's going to change them but he probably will change some

I'm beginning to think that might be true!

People act like this team is on the verge of contending again or something. No. This team is far closer to rebuilding. Let the man rebuild.

Jordan Schultz of The Huffington Post reports the Seahawks are "working diligently" to sign free agent OG T.J. Lang.
Lang is reportedly scheduled to visit Seattle on Friday, and Schultz says he is Seattle's "top priority." It makes sense considering how terrible their offensive line was last season and the rapidly diminishing talent remaining on the guard market. Lang is Rotoworld's top remaining interior lineman.


Grrrrr....

I think most know it but are frustrated about it. We have a a great qb that is the highest paid being totally wasted. We also have a middle school football coach.

Hard to get happy.

The team is a defense away from competing, so sign some stopgaps, draft what you can, and do both.

Day 2 of Free Agency
 

So, what could Day Two of free agency bring us?

My guess is nothing but here is who is still out there:

OG:
T.J. Lang (rumored to be heading to SEA)
Larry Warford
Austin Pasztor

NT:
Brandon Williams
Dontari Poe

DE:
Stephen Paea

OLB:
Jabaal Sheard
John Simon
Jarivs Jones
Alex Okafor

ILB:
Dont'a Hightower
Zach Brown
Kevin Minter

CB:
Morris Claiborne
Logan Ryan
Darius Butler
Nickell Robey-Coleman
Robert Alford

Some quality folks at NT, ILB and CB.

But not much left at all at OG, DE or OLB.

He could still end up with some good guys. But waiting for the prices to drop means that the selection is a lot less.

Cheers,

williams and warford are gone

I must of missed them in my drinking.

Cheers,

Drink them up dude.

Yes but I mean, it's AN ENTIRE DEFENSE away from competing, basically. You don't get that in an offseason. You get, maybe, if you're lucky, a few good players. If you're incredibly lucky, maybe you get your DL set, or your LB corps.

Looking through the contracts, there are only a couple that I am disappointed that we did not go after:

Calais Campbell for $15m a year and A.J. Bouye for $13.5m a year is just stupid money. They may be good but they will not live up to those numbers.

Kevin Zeitler for $12m a year is also stupid money.

Brandon Williams for $10.8m a year for a NT is stupid money.

Now, we start getting into the deals that I would have been somewhat interested in:

Tony Jefferson for $9m a year is a bit high but I might have pulled the trigger on that one.

Ron Leary for $8.750m a year is also a bit high but he would have been a great right OG for us.

Hey, look. Ben Ijalana got $5.5m a year to stay with the NYJ. Good for him.

Malcom Smith for $5.3m
Chris Baker for $5.250m
Stacy McGee for $5.0m
D.J. Swearinger for $4.5m

All guys who would have helped our defense a ton and were very reasonable.

I am not terribly happy with Ballard's first day. The punter is fine; his deal is for 2 years, $3.450m or $1.725m a year.

Mingo for $2.5m? For 35 tackles in the last 32 games? That is your big first day acquisition? Really?

Cheers,

But there were folks at reasonable prices that would have helped in that process.

And we did not even appear to be looking at them.

The transition can be swifter if you use ALL the tools at your disposal.

Cheers,

That's why you sign stopgaps to fill some of the holes and draft what you can.

You dont know he didn't try. There is a reason that FA's dont want to come here.... IMO. It's either the owner or the HC

Meh, I can't complain about Mingo, it's a low risk, potentially high reward signing. I do agree about going after guys like Jefferson, though.

Not possible, no one would go to the Jaguars or 49ers if that were the case.

Irsay and Pagano are not with either of those teams

Have we gotten to the point where puffing out our chest and saying, "We have Andrew Luck! " isn't good enough anymore? It's looking that way to me. I'm not upset, but I expect mediocrity until the defense is fixed.

They are the ones paying over the top money, of course players do that.

He stated he wanted to build through the draft which will take time. However I was expecting one big signing and some filler.

Its pagano. Irsay has never been shy about paying players and provides for hiS team, new facilities, etc.

Also being Naptown does not make it as enticing as other destinations

Don't you think it's more likely we just didn't offer as much money as the other teams? Most guys are 100% money during free agency and good for them, but Ballard basically said he wasn't going to play big money FA games. He's doing what he said he would do. I don't think it has anything to do with anything other than our GM not wanting to put us in a hole financially for guys he doesn't know.

That worked pretty well for Bill Polian. It's just going to take some time.

But that's the point I was trying to make. Players follow the money. They don't particularly care who the owner or coach are.

Most of you guys are seriously overreacting about the lack of Colts action on day ONE of free agency. This is the day where silly money is thrown at players.....the best deals long term usually happen over the next few days. Ballard is doing what he said...he is not going to be frittering money away and making poor choices. I like how he is showing restraint, of course at some point he will make some additions, but i like the fact that he appears to be committed to building through the draft.

I'm just here to see if there are any Antonio Morrison/Mingo jokes yet?

@ProFootballTalk 23m23 minutes ago
Jabaal Sheard visiting the Colts

Get it done Ballard.

Thanks Grigs

Mingo Shepard and Hightower. 3 defensive players with the most recent SB rings would show leadership on the defensive side of the ball.

Thats exactly what the Giants did last year, and it totally turned their defense around! It's not like the Colt's don't have the money, so fuckin spend it, at the very least they could of made the OL the best unit on the team.