Free Agents Discussion

[Wyatt]

@MyColtsAccount
Since March 9, Chris Ballard has signed 10 Free Agents for a total of $83.85M; about the same amount as Grigson gave Landry, RJF + Cherilus.

@MyColtsAccount 11h11 hours ago
(Apologies, should be 11 Free Agents: Schwenke, Turbin, Doyle, Hunt, Woods, Simon, Sheard, Mingo, Spence, Butler, Locke).

@MyColtsAccount 11h11 hours ago
Also worth noting that Chris Ballard has not guaranteed a single dollar to any of this year's Free Agents beyond 2017. Zero cap hit if cut.

[sherck]

Originally Posted by Wyatt

@MyColtsAccount
Since March 9, Chris Ballard has signed 10 Free Agents for a total of $83.85M; about the same amount as Grigson gave Landry, RJF + Cherilus.

@MyColtsAccount 11h11 hours ago
(Apologies, should be 11 Free Agents: Schwenke, Turbin, Doyle, Hunt, Woods, Simon, Sheard, Mingo, Spence, Butler, Locke).

@MyColtsAccount 11h11 hours ago
Also worth noting that Chris Ballard has not guaranteed a single dollar to any of this year's Free Agents beyond 2017. Zero cap hit if cut.

That certainly puts things into perspective.

When none of those three "high priced" free agents of Grigson's panned out, he had nothing to show for his free agency class.

A few of the guys whom Ballard signed are going to suck or not make the final 53 man roster (my money is on Mingo and Hunt). However, he might still have a "successful" free agency class because at least a couple of those other guys are going to be starters and contribute greatly in 2017.

On one hand, I can completely understand the folks who wanted "at least ONE" splash signing of a sure-fire, clear cut superior player in free agency. Doyle, Sheard or Simon are as close as we get to that and it would not surprise me if Schwenke ends up being a 16 game starter at right OG in 2017.

However, I also think that having filled many of our glaring needs with NFL "serviceable" veteran talent and still having $14m in free cap space to spend this off-season on veteran "surprise" cuts later in free agency is pretty brilliant.

While the "surprise" cuts will not be young like most of Ballard's free agents have been, many of them are still talented, can give a couple of years of stop-gap service to develop draftees and could end up doing a lot for our team.

I see both sides of the equation. I am so very interested to see what Ballard does in the draft and with the rest of free agency.

Cheers,

[Puck]

Originally Posted by Wyatt

@MyColtsAccount
Since March 9, Chris Ballard has signed 10 Free Agents for a total of $83.85M; about the same amount as Grigson gave Landry, RJF + Cherilus.

@MyColtsAccount 11h11 hours ago
(Apologies, should be 11 Free Agents: Schwenke, Turbin, Doyle, Hunt, Woods, Simon, Sheard, Mingo, Spence, Butler, Locke).

@MyColtsAccount 11h11 hours ago
Also worth noting that Chris Ballard has not guaranteed a single dollar to any of this year's Free Agents beyond 2017. Zero cap hit if cut.

How is this possible when we only had 53 million or so available?

[Racehorse]

Originally Posted by Puck

How is this possible when we only had 53 million or so available?

I think it is referring to total dollars over the life of the contract, or guaranteed dollars. Certainly, it is not a one-year number.

[Wyatt]

@pfrumors 57s57 seconds ago
Dolphins To Host LB Zach Brown On Visit

@caplannfl
LB Zach Brown to visit with #Dolphins today, per @OmarKelly. Raider and Brown were far apart on $$, sources said.

[Wyatt]

@Colts 1m1 minute ago
We have signed TE Brandon Williams

[GoBigBlue88]

Ballard out here signing a lot of JAGs. Which is whatever. Creating competition is his thing. But not holding out hope more than half of these guys even make the roster.

[sherck]

Originally Posted by GoBigBlue88

Ballard out here signing a lot of JAGs. Which is whatever. Creating competition is his thing. But not holding out hope more than half of these guys even make the roster.

I think that is unlikely.

Hunt is competing for DE5 with McGill but otherwise, the cupboard was pretty bare at most of the spots.

I think all but Hunt will make the 53 since our talent at signed positions was terrible.

Cheers,

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[natagu23]

Originally Posted by sherck

I think that is unlikely.

Hunt is competing for DE5 with McGill but otherwise, the cupboard was pretty bare at most of the spots.

I think all but Hunt will make the 53 since our talent at signed positions was terrible.

Cheers,

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Competeing with McGill? There's no competition there.

An UDFA could probably beat out Hunt.

Ballard is just filling holes and going all in with the draft.

Most of the recent signees are not making the team except for Spence....maybe.

[ukcolt]

TE - Brandon Williams - Fighting for a roster spot as the third TE.
C/G - Brian Schwenke - Battling for the right guard spot, primary backup at C and G.
NT - Al Woods - In a competition with David Parry for the starting NT job.
DE - Margus Hunt - Will be in competition with T.Y. McGill and Arthur Jones along with any draft picks, but is renowned as a special teams ace, so probably has that as an advantage over both McGill and Jones.
OLB - Jabaal Sheard - Signed to be our starting OLB and primary pass rush specialist.
OLB - John Simon - Signed to be our starting OLB, with the hope that he will thrive given a chance of being a full time starter.
OLB - Barkevious Mingo - will be in a scrap for the 3rd, 4th or 5th OLB position with Ayers and any draft picks.
ILB - Sean Spence - will be one of our starters in the middle of our defense and should be the best coverage linebacker that we have had in possibly 10 years.
P - Jeff Locke - Almost sure fire starter.

So this free agency we have signed 3 certain defense starters, another guy who will see serious game time in a rotation at NT, and then the other guys are upgrades as backups with regards to anything that we have had in the past 5 years or so.

I like what we have done this offseason, you have to build your team through the draft, and add complimentary pieces to round out the roster.