Justin Houston released
 

Finally it is official. After there were numerous rumors of the release, they held on hoping someone would trade for him instead. But if other teams know you eventually are going to release a player........

Ballard is very familiar with him I'm sure so maybe he's a fit but I don't think so. 30 years old been in the league 8 years with a lot of wear & tear on his body.

Be a nice situational pass rusher if he’s got anything left

Ballard won’t take those snaps away from Turay, Lewis, and whatever EDGE they draft early.

Nor should he. Dumb fuck Grigson would but not Ballard.

Did Turay or Lewis really show you that much to justify passing on edge rushers in free agency?

Or is this just a Justin Houston thing and not necessarily all Edge free agents? (Honest question)

Also to what Dewey5 said, bringing in an Edge defender from your former team REEKS of something that Grigson would do. In fact, it IS something that Grigson did do when he brought in Trent Cole’s rotting corpse.

That said, Justin Houston is not out of gas like Cole was when he arrived here (he was more effective in 2018 in KC than Cole was in Philly in 2014). That said, Houston COULD absolutely fall flat on his face at any given time and given the scheme difference, I’m not going to kill Ballard if he doesn’t sign him. I will trust that he knows Houston better than I do and knows his fit here better than I would and roll with whatever he decides.

@MattVerderame
A couple landing spots to watch for Justin Houston include the #Falcons, #Packers, #Jets and #Colts among others.

Falcons - Home and a need
Colts - Ballard
Packers - OLBs coach
Jets - Cap, need and fit

Can’t have too many pass rushers especially come playoff time

@JasonLaCanfora
Justin Houston is going to end up making back the $15M the Chiefs were due to pay this year and then some. So many teams with so much cap space are desperate for pass-rush. They were just waiting for him to hit the market and a half dozen or so are engaging with him now


Sounds like there’s a VERY healthy market and he’s gonna get PAID

I hate that kind of thinking. I don’t think you look past any possible solutions based on “potential”. Especially when pass rush is such a big need. Remember it was just a year ago that Basham was expected to have that 2nd year leap and be part of the solution. Now he’s a Jet. There may be legit reasons not to sign Houston, but making sure Turay gets more snaps shouldn’t be one of them.

I literally started my statement with “Ballard won’t.”

It doesn’t matter what I think. It’s what Ballard thinks that matters. And just like when he cut Simon last year, he won’t go get an aging vet who might hurt the development of the guys who he is drafting.

See above.

My personal opinion
 

No.







Oh, you want reasons?.....ok

Is he out of gas? not completely. But he is probably at that red line. When you have a team in desperate need of improving their defense because it is a liability, and they release someone who has been their #1 producer for years...that is a signal. No matter the 15 mil on his contract.

Fair, I missed that part.

Still though, perhaps after a season of seeing that Turay/Lewis weren't quite game-wreckers yet he might be more inclined to bring in a more sure thing?

I think he'll be interested in younger pass rushers like the Smiths or Barrett, but he won't go crazy on price. He wants 8 guys on the line that he can trust, so that's where the crowding comes in:

Sheard
Autry
Lewis
Turay
Hunt
#26
#34

That's 7 and that doesn't even include anyone to line up at nose (Stewart, +1 vet I would imagine) or guys like Ward. I'm just trying to set your expectations. Ballard isn't going to go crazy trying to add an EDGE like Flowers or Houston. He'll look for a good value and seek to hit in the draft.

I'm baffled/bemused as to why the Colts aren't getting mentioned on Flowers but at this point I do accept that it's not going to happen (I figure the Colts would've been mentioned by now in the rumblings). I am still holding out hope for Landon Collins though.

I will say though that with guys like Hankins/Simon getting cut that Ballard obviously isn't afraid to make vet cuts on guys that obviously still have more to contribute. Though both of those were scheme fits, I wouldn't be surprised if Sheard is a "surprise" cut this year and some of the clutter/crowding is gotten rid of that way.

Because the NE disciples will want him more and drive up the price. Also, Flowers, while a good and versatile all-around end, is not a pass rusher extraordinaire. We have some ends that can play the run for us, we need someone more reliable as a pass rusher.

I think we go after Collins and Smith. Then we slow down and look for bargains and cuts.

Za’Darius or Preston Smith? Or both?

Agreed. Though, I'm not entirely sure Ballard will be comfortable with the price tag on either of those guys.

This is supposed to be a great draft for pass rushers and it seems Houston's best days are behind him

SO I say its unlikely.

I'd be willing to bet that either one or if we get lucky both Turay/Lewis make a big jump in production their second year. It happens all the time.

Understood, but I dislike that thinking with Ballard as well. To me you give the coaching staff the talent to use and trust them to help strike a balance between winning and development. And overall I apparently see a lot more value in veterans than it appears Ballard does. The reports on Gronkowski and Mitchell’s influence on specific players and the locker room in general are the types of things I’m talking about. Or the mentoring that Reggie gave TY. There is value in that. The issue you typically see with veterans is when sentiment overrules results. I don’t like that either. But I trust the coaching staff to make the right calls. The Colts need pass rushers. Guys that can generate a pass rush shouldn’t be overlooked because they aren’t 4-8 year solutions. Competition typically makes players better.

Now with that said, I certainly can understand other reasons for possibly passing on Houston. I just have an issue with the stated reason Ballard would pass.

We can certainly debate the merits of Ballard's philosophy. I'm just translating that philosophy into a projection of what the Colts will do in free agency, which leads me to conclude that Houston isn't going to happen.

I've said this in other threads as well, but I don't find it worthwhile to fantasize about adding guys like Bell or Brown or Houston or trading up for Bosa when none of those things have a remote chance of happening. I'd rather try to figure out who might be the next Denico Autry.

Understood. And for the record I’m not pushing for Houston necessarily. I think I get pegged as someone that wants every big name free agent and wants Ballard to spend every nickel available, but that’s not the case at all. I simply want to see him adequately attempt to address team needs. I didn’t feel he did last year - particularly at WR. I hope he doesn’t do the same thing this year with pass rush. And I’d be livid if he passed on help specifically to make sure Turay gets snaps. Make him earn the snaps.

Za’darius Smith is a name the Colts are being linked to that fits the Autry mold IMO and I’d be good with that signing.

Totally fair. For the record, I think Ballard tries to add an EDGE in free agency. I think the Smiths will price themselves above Ballard's comfort zone, but I keep coming back to Shaq Barrett as an interesting option on a smaller deal.

I'm not usually one to delve into the free agency speculation. But if you could give me Collins, Mosley and a veteran WR that can be a true #2, then I would be a happy camper.

Mosley isn't happening...and I'm not sure he'll be better than Walker in 2019.

I meant to play the SAM and perhaps replace Walker in Nickel.

We need DE. Not an edge

Those are used interchangeably these days.

And that is retarded. We play a 4-3 and need DE.

Nothing like a semantics argument on the internet.

No need to argue. The colts employ defensive ends. Not edges.

Okay I’ll bite. Do you think Houston would be a poor fit, given that?

No. He could be fine as a de. Wouldn’t have to be a full time player. Just not sure how much he has left.

Mathis played DE, and by most standards, he was a little light in the pants. It depends on what they are asking them to do.

I believe the Colts are playing one gap. A fast guy can cover outside the T and get up field to rush the passer.

Now if you had said that earlier, ....... no that's not how you roll is it?