Good USA Today article on Ballard about Allen Trade

[sherck]

Located here (http://ux.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2017/03/08/colts-trade-dwayne-allen-patriots/98918720/). Some high points:
This is bigger than Allen. This is a message. A loud, unmistakable message. Ballard is setting a tone and setting standards. This is him raising the bar on expectations, and not a minute too soon.

The Colts are nothing if not a mediocre football team, going 16-16 in the past two seasons. Mediocrity cannot be tolerated, Ballard seems to be saying without actually saying a word.

What the move also says, in no uncertain terms, is that the Colts think the world of Doyle and, to a lesser extent, backup Erik Swoope. Both demonstrated last season that their arrows are pointing up, which clearly was not the case with Allen. Doyle was, in effect, the No. 1 tight end in 2016, meaning he won’t experience much of a change in his role. Swoope had a coming-out party after seeing real playing time for the first time, catching 15 passes for 297 yards and making huge strides as a blocker. Seeing as how he is entering just his third season of organized football – Swoope played basketball at the University of Miami – the Colts have reason to be optimistic about the athletic Swoope.

The more that I think about this move, the more that I am seeing the logic behind it.

As long as Swoope, Dorsett or Rogers step up and become that 4th trusted receiver alongside Hilton, Doyle and Moncrief, we will be fine with Allen's departure.

FIX THE DEFENSE!

Cheers,

[ukcolt]

It will be interesting to see just how high they really were on TE Mike Miller, i recall something about a relative of Irsay's spotting him, or something like that. How he was drawing a lot of praise from the coaches during training camp. So hopefully he has learnt a few more of the intricacies of run blocking over the course of a full season, and might be able to get on the field this preseason and continue to wow the coaches. He has raw skills, and is a former receiver so his skill set is always going to be more a pass catcher than excelling at the blocking side of things.

[sherck]

It will be interesting to see just how high they really were on TE Mike Miller....
Miller is not officially a member of the 2017 Colts yet because he is an ERFA who has not yet been signed.

At Taylor (University), Miller didn't get the experience blocking like other collegiate tight ends do - mainly because he wasn't playing tight end. He saw some time at quarterback (completing 68 of 161 passes for 568 yards and five scores along with 177 yards and three scores rushing), but he was most productive at wide receiver. He caught 80 passes for 959 yards and seven touchdowns while at Taylor (playing in 27 games total), including 42 receptions for 546 yards and five scores in 2015 as a senior.

He was on and off the practice squad twice last season before going on IR in Oct 2016.

At this point, he is pretty much in the running with all the 2016 UDFA TEs the Colts might pick up. I don't know that I would think he has a leg up on them since he was a development project in his own right who then missed 1/2 the season on IR.

We will find someone. If nothing else, the development of Doyle and Swoope show that someone on the Colts coaching roster knows what they are doing with developing young TEs.

Cheers,

[Coltsalr]

It's actually an IndyStar article from Holder. Weird that it's being hosted on the USA Today website. For a second there I thought it was getting national coverage. Is there some Indystar/USA Today partnership?

[FatDT]

It's actually an IndyStar article from Holder. Weird that it's being hosted on the USA Today website. For a second there I thought it was getting national coverage. Is there some Indystar/USA Today partnership?

They're owned by Gannett. Look at the templates they use, pretty similar. Gannett owns a ton of newpapers in the US.

[OneVoice]

Bottom line. Ballard better draft an effing day-one starter in the 4th round to justify this trade.

I'm disappointed that DA wasn't living up to his contract, but he wasn't a problem IMO either ...Ballard must be seeing something we don't; maybe there was something more to the DA not-being-used properly sentiment.

Super quiet on the FA new so far that I've seen.

[Butter]

A day one starter from the end of the 4th is a pretty high bar to set.

[HoosierinFL]

Bottom line. Ballard better draft an effing day-one starter in the 4th round to justify this trade.

I'm disappointed that DA wasn't living up to his contract, but he wasn't a problem IMO either ...Ballard must be seeing something we don't; maybe there was something more to the DA not-being-used properly sentiment.

Super quiet on the FA new so far that I've seen.

I would imagine, if there's any truth behind this article, that Ballard has had a lot of conversation with the coaches. Not just Pagano, but with all the position coaches, who are the guys who work day in and day out with the players. From this he has some sense of who are the guys who come to work everyday (think of the old days of how Reggie Wayne used to show up for camp) and those who don't.

Ballard said it. You want guys who earn their contracts and earn the respect of teammates because they work for it. You don't want guys that other players resent.

[Mr. Session]

Bottom line. Ballard better draft an effing day-one starter in the 4th round to justify this trade.

I'm disappointed that DA wasn't living up to his contract, but he wasn't a problem IMO either ...Ballard must be seeing something we don't; maybe there was something more to the DA not-being-used properly sentiment.

Super quiet on the FA new so far that I've seen.

Maybe not a day one guy but he better be a role player, and a significant one at that.

I'm disgusted that even in the offseason this team finds ways to lose to New England.

[Puck]

I would imagine, if there's any truth behind this article, that Ballard has had a lot of conversation with the coaches. Not just Pagano, but with all the position coaches, who are the guys who work day in and day out with the players. From this he has some sense of who are the guys who come to work everyday (think of the old days of how Reggie Wayne used to show up for camp) and those who don't.

Ballard said it. You want guys who earn their contracts and earn the respect of teammates because they work for it. You don't want guys that other players resent.


Yep he has too... he doesn't know this team yet.

[Butter]

Maybe not a day one guy but he better be a role player, and a significant one at that.

I'm disgusted that even in the offseason this team finds ways to lose to New England.

I understand the sentiment, but it as bit early to say we lost.

[DrSpaceman]

The ironic thing about this trade is if NE was on the other end, trading an underperforming TE with a high salary who had key drops last year, money that isn't justified due to injuries and other issues while relying on the younger up and coming talent to produce instead in the future, everyone would still be talking about what a genius BB is for doing it.

Its a good move for both teams, one of the rare situations.

[Butter]

The ironic thing about this trade is if NE was on the other end, trading an underperforming TE with a high salary who had key drops last year, money that isn't justified due to injuries and other issues while relying on the younger up and coming talent to produce instead in the future, everyone would still be talking about what a genius BB is for doing it.

Its a good move for both teams, one of the rare situations.

Bill has had alot of success, so people will assume he is making a great move. When you succeed enough people forget your failures.