For the cost, I'd rather spend a lower pick on Eason than a higher pick on Herbert or Tua. The Colts basically have a free year coming up with minimal expectations from the QB position. Even if they absolutely strike out with the Eason pick, is he that much more of a wasted pick than an up & down 2nd round pick like Ya-Sin was this past year? /shrug, just try again next year if a mid-2nd doesn't progress fast enough.

The Colts don’t just need an improvement at QB, they need a franchise QB. There is no need to draft anyone that you don’t believe with a high degree of confidence can be that guy. You don’t draft Eason in the 2nd and then draft someone else next year. If you draft him then you are investing several years into developing him.

Ballard needs to identify the one or two guys in this draft he’s willing to stake his job on and go get one of them. Or take a DT or OT (maybe WR I guess) at 13 and look to push at least one of the 2nd rounders into the future so he has ammo to go get the guy next year. Trading this years number one for ammo next year works to I suppose. But you don’t just take a QB high and then plan to try again next year. Whoever you draft is your guy for at least 3 years IMO.

(To be clear - I’m not suggesting Ballard will or even should be fired if his QB doesn’t pan out, but it’s simply reality that how he handles the QB position will have more impact on his success or failure than any other single decision he makes)

I think if the guy is there this year that Ballard wants and can realistically get, this is the year to draft a QB. Everything is positioned perfectly for this - we still have Brissett under contract for a year, we can get rid of Hoyer without much impact on the cap, we have some additional ammo to trade up (Washington's 2nd rounder), expectations have been lowered, etc. Also, though this view may not be widely shared because we closed out the season so weakly, but I'm not confident we'll be drafting this high next year. We are still a very young and improving team.

This team certainly needs an upgrade at QB. Draft, free agency, something has to happen. I'll be disappointed if Brissett is the starter all next year.

He will probably be the starter Ed, unless we go FA. It just a matter of will they draft a young guy to maybe sit for a year behind him.

I agree that if that guy is there then this year is the perfect year to make the move. But I also don’t believe you settle and draft someone just because Brissett isn’t the guy. To me if you have more than 2 or 3 guys max rated as franchise caliber then you are probably lying to yourself based on need. At QB you can’t afford to talk yourselves into someone just because he’s obtainable and you have a need.

And I’d be very surprised if Ballard goes the FA route. I’ll be shocked if JB isn’t the opening day starter.

Yes, and what I mean by "realistically get" is that I think the stage is set for Ballard to trade up at significant expense, and I believe he would do so even though that goes against his traditional philosophy. QB is just too important to be worried about losing a few high draft picks over, and I think historical tendencies go out the window in such circumstances.

Now, the question of course is whether Ballard likes any of these QBs enough to make such a bold move. At a minimum, given that we have the security of having Brissett around for another year, I think we'll use a high draft pick on a developmental QB. I don't think we'd be committed to such a player for 2-3 years (Basham was a 3rd rounder at a position of dire need and Ballard had no hesitation getting rid of him after a year), and a year as an understudy would tell the team a lot before making that decision.

agree. its perfect time to draft a QB for the future. but as you accurately pointed out, if you dont believe one from this years crop isnt the long term solution then pass and try again next year. ballard isnt drafting QBs with a first round pick two years in a row. if someone is drafted this year he will be given several years before a change were to be made.

Me too, but if he is, we're not making the playoffs.