What could Ballard do …

[Kray007]

I know that a lot of people are howling for his head on a platter, but that didn’t happen. So, I’m wondering, if there is anything, any series of anythings, he could do to make you happier about keeping him?

Ultimately, he has to produce a team that competes on the highest level. I get that, and I agree. But, we won’t know if he’s pulled that rabbit out of his hat until this time next year.

In the interim, is there anything he can do to calm the waters?

[ChoppedWood]

I know that a lot of people are howling for his head on a platter, but that didn’t happen. So, I’m wondering, if there is anything, any series of anythings, he could do to make you happier about keeping him?

Ultimately, he has to produce a team that competes on the highest level. I get that, and I agree. But, we won’t know if he’s pulled that rabbit out of his hat until this time next year.

In the interim, is there anything he can do to calm the waters?

My gut feeling is, CIG knows we are basically SOL and we might as well just let him and Shane be the fall guys for 2026 in Ballard's final contract year and then start trying to build it back up.

She may think there's a lightning in a bottle chance we could come out hot like last year, not get hit with a massive injury bug, and make a run. It's possible, not likely but possible. But maybe she's willing to give that a shot because it is the last year of his contract and it doesn't set a new GM up with a shitty situation of 2 years without a 1st. Maybe...

Roster wise, we have some serious age issues and possible losses emerging. Buck, who knows, neck surgery- yikes. Grover, old. JT is not a spring chicken and at some point the carries- man there is a workload CLIFF with running backs, there just is. Abdula is old. Danny Dimes isn't old, but we've all seen the evidence, the 1st year back is generally a climb back into the saddle type of year. Smith is gone. Ward, gotta assume he isn't coming back. We probably lose Pitt in paying for Pierce. Kwitty Paye and Franklin BOTH must be replaced with better players.

It just doesn't stack up to be a solid playoff run team next year.

I don't think there's much he is going to be able to do. Get lucky a 2nd round diamond at DE and suddenly we can impact the QB? Maybe, not likely. Go out and get a vet DE- Cosby, Hendrickson- both fall into the OLD category too. If we KNOW (and I think we do / she does) that next year is gonna be a blah year, do you really go and add one of those high $$$ vets and create an even worse age vs potential issue- doesn't make sense to me.

The really shitty thing is, because of the 2027 1st given up for Sauce, there is no reason to just go full suck for Carr or whoever else is going to be there at the top of that draft. So tanking next year, really accomplishes nothing but making the Jets a better team.

I think we're looking at a 6-11 / 7-10 team next year. Both of them are getting fired, and some poor sap is going to have to come in, have a year of absolute shit with a bunch of young guys taking the place of aged out vets, and THEN try to get a QB at the top of the draft.

We are pretty well fucked. Thanks Flat Bill Fucko!

[Oldcolt]

Nope, not after a decade. I will not believe in any move he makes until the Colts become a winning franchise. I am done with him until then but I am not done with the Colts. Ive been a Colt fan for over 60 years now and will never be able to stop, some times unfortunately for me. I keep rooting for them and want the Colts to be Super Bowl champs like all of us here. Ballard isn't the Colts, neither are the Irsays. They will pass just like Rosenbloom did. Right now I am not pleased with any of them and I realize nobody cares but me.

[Brylok]

Nothing, really. The Colts are finished as a serious "want to win the Superbowl" football club. I took myself off of this forum because I got so distraught about it. I have zero expectations now, so I might as well come back. Apathy is our game, and I'll watch whenever convenient.

[ChoppedWood]

To me, what we have witnessed is two guys that have been promoted based on their past success at lower levels only to find out it was their specialization that made them successful. If you've been around long enough you've either been the person, or you've made the promotion, where it became obvious the success which garnered the promotion, was the peak for that person. Not everyone is going to succeed at the next level up just because there was great success at the preceding level. Both Ballard and Steichen to me, represent that. Neither one of them seems to be good at these bigger roles they have been promoted to.

In terms of the current team. Fuck it, ew are almost forced to take a massive boom or bust gamble. Put the entire short term future on the shoulders of Leonard. CIG should just tell both of them there is very simply one chance they can continue to be employed here after 2026, and that is making the AFC Championship game with Leonard at QB and that absolutely anything less will be termination.

If SS is this incredible QB whisperer- and he admittedly showed a lot with DJ this year, then invest every ounce of that talent into Leonard for the next 7 months and make it known he has to be the starter. If he shines, Steichen turns from turd to hero and Ballard, shit for Ballard that completely changes his legacy. For the org, it would be a massive escape of what presently looks like a hangman's noose. A promising young QB on a comical rookie salary, no need to bottom out looking for a 2028 QB hero would allow us to add a lot of pieces that could change the fortune of the team over the next 2-3 years. Absent that, man this team is headed to the shitter and if you can't see that you are fucking stupid.

If Leonard blows, well then sadly we have to accept the fate, 2026 and 2027 need to just be horrible years for us, particularly 2027 - it would have to be full on tank to give this team any hope of putting together a team that could contend by the end of the 2020's. They would need to aim for someone like Mason Heintschel at #1 and try to Drake Maye this shit out of obscurity.

We are at this junction point, because of Chris Ballard, period. This isn't because Andrew Luck retired, it isn't because Philip Rivers went away after a year, it isn't because AR was not capable of becoming an NFL QB, it is because Chris Ballard has made these moves that find us in this very precarious position.

[Brylok]

I fully expect Pierce will be leaving, too. So be ready for that.

[Hoopsdoc]

The only thing Ballard, and Steichen, need to be successful is decent quarterback play. That’s the one thing that’s been missing.

With good qb play, we’re a perennial playoff team.

I’m not convinced Daniel Jones is the guy to provide it though, last season notwithstanding. He had success early on but teams were starting to figure us out before he got hurt.

I suspect Steichen and Ballard believe Jones is that guy.

Personally, I think that if they stick with Jones we will miss the playoffs again next season.

[Mr. Session]

I fully expect Pierce will be leaving, too. So be ready for that.

If I'm Pierce I want TF out

If I'm the Colts I have that Franchise Tag ready to go and if someone wants him they can give us some draft capital.

On a personal level I hate that for Pierce, but it is what it is.

[albany ed]

I fully expect Pierce will be leaving, too. So be ready for that.

If I were Pierce, besides the money, I would consider going to a team where the QB can throw extremely deep with deadly accuracy. That might be the Chargers, Bills or Jaguars.

[Oldcolt]

Nothing, really. The Colts are finished as a serious "want to win the Superbowl" football club. I took myself off of this forum because I got so distraught about it. I have zero expectations now, so I might as well come back. Apathy is our game, and I'll watch whenever convenient.

This is exactly how I am feeling Brylok. I wonder how many others on this forum feel the same way. From top down we seem to be happy 'competing' for a playoff spot. Hard to conquer the mountaintop when you are aiming for base camp.

[Brylok]

If I'm Pierce I want TF out

If I'm the Colts I have that Franchise Tag ready to go and if someone wants him they can give us some draft capital.

On a personal level I hate that for Pierce, but it is what it is.

Pierce franchise tag is around $28M/year. It will also piss him off and pretty much guarantee he leaves when it's over. Shitty situation, like everything else.

[Brylok]

If I were Pierce, besides the money, I would consider going to a team where the QB can throw extremely deep with deadly accuracy. That might be the Chargers, Bills or Jaguars.

I've been thinking for weeks now that he'll wind up going to the Patriots. I HATE saying that, but they need WR help, have plenty of money, and imagine what he could do with Drake Maye.
If not them, he could go to any Superbowl contender with a real franchise QB. He's wasting his time here.

[Brylok]

This is exactly how I am feeling Brylok. I wonder how many others on this forum feel the same way. From top down we seem to be happy 'competing' for a playoff spot. Hard to conquer the mountaintop when you are aiming for base camp.

Yep. I'm glad to be back, because I missed y'all and I've been on this board for a while now. But losing all hope did a number on my head for a few weeks. We were 8-2! It's hard losing something you love and accepting that it's just gone. But I'll always be a Colts fan and this is the reality now.
I'm also a Cincinnati Reds fan, Chicago Blackhawks fan, and Manchester United fan. OOF
Look at what United are doing 🫨

[BCN#1]

I'm also a Manchester United fan. OOF
Look at what United are doing 🫨

Poor bastard... my son is following Chelsea (and Barca given we live here) and was amazed to see the Chelsea coach "Pep Light" tell ownership to fuck off and walk away. Crazy times for sure!

[Brylok]

Poor bastard... my son is following Chelsea (and Barca given we live here) and was amazed to see the Chelsea coach "Pep Light" tell ownership to fuck off and walk away. Crazy times for sure!

Yep, going back in time. OGS was hired in December of 2018. Frank Reich was in his first year as Colts head coach. Ballard 2nd year as GM. Luck was coming back from prolonged injury. There were still playoffs and Superbowl hopes. And now Ole's back at the wheel (oof), and the Colts are hopeless.
You live in Barcelona? I'd love to live in Spain, but that's as realistic as the Colts winning a Superbowl or United winning the Champion's League. Great for y'all though. I'm jealous. I'd move there in a heartbeat.

[BCN#1]

Yep, going back in time. OGS was hired in December of 2018. Frank Reich was in his first year as Colts head coach. Ballard 2nd year as GM. Luck was coming back from prolonged injury. There were still playoffs and Superbowl hopes. And now Ole's back at the wheel (oof), and the Colts are hopeless.
You live in Barcelona? I'd love to live in Spain, but that's as realistic as the Colts winning a Superbowl or United winning the Champion's League. Great for y'all though. I'm jealous. I'd move there in a heartbeat.


Life is good here. Retired military and would not change this move for nothing.

[Kray007]

The only thing Ballard, and Steichen, need to be successful is decent quarterback play. That’s the one thing that’s been missing.

With good qb play, we’re a perennial playoff team.

I’m not convinced Daniel Jones is the guy to provide it though, last season notwithstanding. He had success early on but teams were starting to figure us out before he got hurt.

I suspect Steichen and Ballard believe Jones is that guy.

Personally, I think that if they stick with Jones we will miss the playoffs again next season.

In the four games before he broke his leg, the Colts scored 127 points.

[Oldcolt]

Kray. I think there are actually really good arguments to be made both ways.I fall on the side of believing that was an aberration and he isn't that good (most would agree nobody could keep up that offense of the first 7-8 games). Normally I would say we will find out which side is correct next year, and I think that decisions will be made in that way. Personally I don't think that next year is a fair determination of DJs value as he will be post achilles surgery. Wondering how you think we should evaluate this upcoming year? To me it will take 2 years to actually know and I cannot stomach that if next year we don't make some noise in the postseason. I believe one and done would satisfy management (after listening to the two year end pressers-before that I actually thought we were trying to win a Super Bowl), which just pisses me off no end. Did you listen to them and if you did did you get the same feeling?

[IndyNorm]

To answer Kray's original question - one thing Ballard can do is stop blatantly ignoring position groups that are glaring weaknesses on the team. Like LB this season, CB in '23-'24, etc., etc., etc.

[YDFL Commish]

To answer Kray's original question - one thing Ballard can do is stop blatantly ignoring position groups that are glaring weaknesses on the team. Like LB this season, CB in '23-'24, etc., etc., etc.

He will not ignore LB this off-season.

[IndyNorm]

He will not ignore LB this off-season.

I hope not, but he certainly did last offseason. Guessing it'll be another position group's turn in the barrell.