My general sentiment on Jones is that he was never as talented as Darnold or Mayfield. Could he be Geno Smith? Sure, but I'd rather AR be faster, more athletic Josh Allen.

The issue I have with Jones is the same I had with Fields - it’s likely that at this point in their careers they are marginally better than AR. So what does that give you? It seems extremely shortsighted and says you MAJORLY fucked up the #4 pick or have zero plan on development if a slightly better Jones is your answer at QB now. AR needed a true professional mentor. Someone who knows their value is in helping develop him. QB is the one place on the roster that a competition is IMO bad for the team. If AR needs competition to put in the work then he isn’t the guy.

I really wouldn't include Mayfield in the discussion since he had some pretty good years in CLE and his regression was mostly due to an injury before the Browns pulled a Browns and ran him out of town.

Obviously QBs turning around their careers can and does happen, but that's more the exception and not the rule. Also, it should be pointed out that all 3 of those guys had multiple stops and in Darnold's and Smith's cases several years before they took their big steps forward.

I'm not saying that Jones will definitely not turns things around, but history isn't on his side.

Jones had some good years as well along with a playoff win. A constant coaching carousel and losing Barkley didn’t help him at all.

His college coach who also coached both Mannings had very high praise for his intelligence and toughness.

Got the contract in New York and was put in an impossible situation as far as expectations. He can still play and will make the easy completion look routine

Okay, my best comp to Daniel Jones is Alex Smith.

No, Jones didn't have good years in NYG. He had 1 ok year in 2022. He also had Saquan in 2019, and 2021-2023, and he had Nabors and Tyron Tracy Jr. who's a good receiving back in 2024.

Of course his college coach is going to say good things about him. Unless a player was a complete shitbag his former college coach will always say good things about him.

It wasn't just expectations. Jones completely shit the bed in 2023 coming off that big payday. I know he got hurt, but his play prior to that was just plain god awful.

While being able to make easy completions will be refreshing to see after watching AR in 2024, almost all QBs in the NFL (starters and backups alike) are capable of doing this.

That's actually a pretty fair comparison since Smith sucked too before Harbaugh helped him start turning things around. Hopefully you're right in that Jones turns his career around like Smith, but I'm not going to hold me breath.

Jones and Alex Smith may have had similar situations, but Jones is way more athletic than Smith. He has rushed for 2200 yards with 15 TD's with an average of 5.5 yards per carry. That's with an offensive line that has been poor throughout his career in NY.

Is Jones on a level with, Mahomes, Hurts, Allen Jackson or Burrow, no of course he isn't. He also isn't a passer in the class of Herbert, Stafford, Love, Daniels, Stroud or Tagovailoa but i do think given the correct tools around him, he is on a par with the likes of Goff, Mayfield, Lawrence, Geno Smith, Wilson, Purdy, Darnold, Murray, Young or Carr for developing as a franchise QB going forward. Caleb Williams is someone who could end up lighting up the field this year, with an improved offensive line and could join the elite guys listed at the beginning.

Richardson is the outlier as he has the raw ability to be better than anyone in the second or third group, but hasn't shown that he belongs here yet.

You seriously listed Tyrone Tracy as a weapon?

His offensive line was shit the entire time he was there, and had to play 4 games a year vs 2 of the best dlines in the NFL (eagles and cowboys)

Cutcliffe isn’t just gonna compliment him just because he played for him. Even Giants teammates compliment the guys work ethic and toughness, that’s more than we can say for Richardson.

The Alex Smith comp is pretty good

Believe me I wasn’t happy about signing the guy I wanted a cheaper option like Ridder, but after diving into it more he was the best option and he still has some good football in him.

I’m more confident that he’ll have a bounce back and revitalize his career like Baker or Darnold than I’m confident Richardson will magically work with some QB coach and turn into Josh Allen overnight

Why wouldn't I? In 12 starts this year he had over 1,100 combined yards as a rookie, which included 38 catches for 284 yds. He's obviously no Saquan, but he proved that he is a good receiver out of the backfield (for comparison Saquan had 41 catches for 280 yds his final year at NYG).

Yet when given the chance guys like Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito outplayed Jones w/ the same talent around them.

Jones was a good player for Cutcliffe in college and seems to be a decent guy, so of course Cutcliffe is going to have good things to say about him. Fair point on his teammates although that really doesn't mean anything if Jones doesn't start producing.

Fair points. Although I do believe that AR working w/ Allen's QB coach should lead to improvement. And while I've been critical of the signing I do realize that this isn't that bad of a deal since if Jones doesn't turn things around then we just let him walk w/ no long term harm done. I just don't understand all of the love he's getting on here.

I hope I’m dead wrong

But this dude has been hurt at every level, never completed a season anywhere or anytime.

Biggest strength is his running ability yet he can’t take a hit and flat out refuses to play smart.

He made some highlight reel throws and could only beat teams that weren’t worth a shit last year.

I have no idea how anyone can have faith in him.

All Colts fans are in the same boat… we want a QB so bad we’re looking for any reason to cling on to some kinda hope.

I’ll go with the tougher guy that plays no matter what even if his athleticism isn’t as good or he can’t throw it as far. Give me the guy that shows up and clocks in every day, takes the hits and keeps coming, I’ll cheer for that guy no matter what

Yet when given the chance guys like Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito outplayed Jones w/ the same talent around them.



Jones was a good player for Cutcliffe in college and seems to be a decent guy, so of course Cutcliffe is going to have good things to say about him. Fair point on his teammates although that really doesn't mean anything if Jones doesn't start producing.



Fair points. Although I do believe that AR working w/ Allen's QB coach should lead to improvement. And while I've been critical of the signing I do realize that this isn't that bad of a deal since if Jones doesn't turn things around then we just let him walk w/ no long term harm done. I just don't understand all of the love he's getting on here.[/QUOTE]

Devito and Taylor had very small sample sizes and had not played enough to be shell shocked by pummeling, as Jones had.

I don't feel there is that much love for Jones on here. Fields had more love. He was the best choice from a financial and competitive prospective.

Devito and Taylor had very small sample sizes and had not played enough to be shell shocked by pummeling, as Jones had.

I don't feel there is that much love for Jones on here. Fields had more love. He was the best choice from a financial and competitive prospective.[/QUOTE]

I was saying Fields from the beginning also… based off athleticism and the college resume, but the more I think about it Fields has become a run first guy scared to throw into traffic. He hasn’t won anything or played in any big games, unless you count division games in which he couldn’t beat the Packers at all.

Throw into there Fields and AR are buddies jerseys swapped after practice so I highly doubt he was ever an option.

Jones wants to be a starter and is willing to do whatever he has to do.

AR says all the right things but I’m frankly over the off field stories, he’s a great kid that stays and cleans tables for staff members, he’s hungry he’s ready to get to work, he’s involved on the sideline listening to the play calls when he’s injured, he’s working with Josh Allen… blah blah fuckin blah.

Fuck all the charades produce on the field and stay on the field I could care less how many tires you change on the highway

o


(5 MONTHS LATER)


This is JUST A RUMOR from Twitter ...... it asserts that the Colts are very close to naming who their starting QB will be to open the 2025 season ...... we'll find out soon enough who it is.



https://x.com/nflrums/status/1957160...7Ctwgr%5Etweet

o

Not a rumor at all, Steichen said at the post-game presser that he was very close to naming a starter.

I hope I’m wrong but I have a feeling it will be Jones.

I feel like AR’s disastrous year last year burned his chance with Steichen. And his performance in the preseason so far hasn’t exactly been encouraging.

At least with Jones, Steichen basically knows what he’s going to get. He doesn’t have to worry about Jones blowing basic things like knowing where his hot read is. Or tapping out of the game.

I think a guy like Steichen believes he can game plan around Jones limitations.

And honestly, if you’re like me and you don’t believe AR will ever be a good quarterback, starting Jones might be the best course of action.

Rip off the band aid right now.

It’ll be another lost year but at least the AR era will be over.

Could very well be the case, Jones may be safer play but he makes everyone’s job easier.

Simple things that are in the QBs control AR still struggles with, getting the play called, getting them lined up, reading the defense, and that swing pass to the RB was terrible. His passes definitely have more zip and he’s definitely more explosive but is it worth it?

I have no idea who they’re gonna start but I’m sure the input from guys like Nelson, Taylor, and Pittman may be the final call

At this point, I don't see either being what the Colts need for the future. That said, I don't think Jones could make me rethink that statement, but AR just might. Bottom line, I'd go with AR and if he fails, you're done with him. Jones plays if AR gets hurt. Next year, find a way to draft near the top and get a blue chip prospect for your next QB.

I think you can use this board, as a great reflection on where everyone is with this team and what SHOULD be a huge QB decision- everyone is sort of like- "aye, we're going to suck so what does it even matter". This is deep apathy, and it really sucks.

We went for like 5 days without a single post. Even with joint practices and a pivotal pre-season tilt, really quiet on here. There has been very little energy this offseason and now deep into camp, and to me, that says a ton as without question we are the most engrossed group of fans there is and even we seemingly don't really fucking care.

To me, it says that no one is going to be excited to watch a Daniel Jones led Colts team if that is the route they go. It also says that very few people are real excited to watch AR do things that AR does, despite his occasional super human plays- because they are just sugar highs.

I think Steichen and Ballard go with Jones simply as a desperate move to try to keep a paycheck coming. They both know this year, minus at least one playoff win, maybe 2, they are getting axed. Jones definitely would seem to give them the greatest odds at making that happen- Jones probably has a 40% chance of doing that and AR probably 30%. They both know there is no SB this year, they just need to get to the PO's and try to get a W. AR, he gives them the better shot at a SB at SOME point because with enough time he could have a season or two of sufficient play to do that, whereas Jones I don't think will ever provide that top side, but neither of them have the window available to sink another year into AR's intensive development.

I concur with the statement that when you have two QB's, you have none. I don't think we have a QB. I further don't really believe we have a coach, and I sure as hell don't believe we have a GM. If it's me, I start Leonard and try to win 2 games max. I aim for the # 1 pick and get this shit rebuilt from the bottom floor.

Kinda hard to refute any of this but I remain a fan in any case. I have not forgot the doormat years and will of course support my Colts regardless of which QB starts.

That said, if I had to make the choice, I would stick with AR who was drafted by this current crew and root for him to take the next step up. At least he can launch those occasional deep ball to the likes of Pierce whereas I think Jones will be very predictable as his lack of stretching the field. "Daniel dink & dunk" seems to be a safer and overpriced (IMHO) choice for a sure bet on mediocrity whereas AR is the wild card yet in my view.

Put all the chips on AR and hope he steps up. Jones as the back up will still be there to step in if no other choice... As for number 3 - still like "Mr. Bean" but Leonard may have the upside here.

Go give em hell Colts!!!

I still root for the Colts no matter what, I agree it’s disappointing to get on here and see nobody posting anything I thought the site was having issues again or something.

This team can win with Daniel Jones, similar to the 49ers with Purdy. He’s not gonna wow you with arm strength and big throws but he gets the ball to the playmakers and they leaned on CMC. Colts can take that same approach.

Regardless who they start I’m hoping for the best but everything with AR just seems chaotic and backyard ball type stuff.

We still have Jonathan Taylor, that’s all I need to know

It’s the Ballard effect. This is exactly what his method of “team building” brings. The QB situation is a symptom but not the cause of the apathy. Year after year of watching major unfilled holes, positions gifted to players and just hoping they can squeak into the playoffs. I wanted to give up my season tickets this year but renewal starts before the season ends.i won’t make that mistake again and I won’t renew this year. It’s the only way as a fan I can express my disgust in what the team has allowed and become. I’m sure I’ll watch every game, but I won’t give them my money until I believe they care about winning again.

I can’t remember when I’ve been less enthusiastic about a season.

My glass is half full. I think this team can make a push this year to be a solid playoff team. Could even win this division, as it is weak. That said, all the injuries at CB have made me feel a lot less confident in the defense. Before we lost those guys, I felt like we had a solid chance to be a top ten defense. Not so sure now.

As to the low traffic, that has been trending down for a while. A lot of posters left for various reasons a while back. Social media platforms have impacted it some, as people can engage others on fan/team sites. I lurk at other message boards, and traffic on those has been down for them, too.

Yeah, I agree that the decline has been across the board with a lot of sports message boards.

The Pacers made a Finals run and Pacersdigest wasn't all that busy.

The MLB team that I follow used to have 3 very active boards - all 3 are now gone.

I, too, will lurk on other NFL team boards and they aren't as active right now either.

The thread bump made me think Jones was given the job, lol.

I am a little apathetic too. I think it's insane at this point to come into this expecting an exciting year

I also think there is a lot more uncertainty for this organization with Carlie taking over that people seem to be scared to vocalize or something, for whatever reason. (If Jim was walking around the sideline wearing a head set, the world would be throwing a fit).

I hope AR gets the nod so we can run it and if it doesn't work out, be done with it. I'm pretty sure the only thing that could create real optimism at this point is a regime change.

A division title with a deep playoff run and a Pro Bowl appearance for AR wouldn't create optimism for you?

I'm not saying it's likely to happen, but it would definitely be a reason for optimism.

Sure. It definitely would, but do you really think that's going to happen?

Again, we've watched this show for about a decade now. Why are we expecting something different at this point?

o


White Sox fans waited a lot longer than that, and then they won it all in 2005.

Long-suffering Colts fans can hang in there for a least a few more years while simultaneously keeping their hopes up for a solid, Philip Rivers-like 2020 season.

o

I think the lack of depth at linebacker will hurt us more than the injuries at cornerback. They have Franklin and a bunch of spare parts, and that’s it. They don’t have a single guy with experience other than Zaire. That’s incredible to me.

Should have resigned Speed at the very least.

Are there any other colts message boards of note other than colts.com?

There have been much worse seasons than this one in terms of excitement.

Remember the 2017 season? With Scott Tolzien as the QB? Or the post Luck retirement season in 2019? Those were some dark days, and they are pretty recent. Let's not get into some of dark seasons in the late 80s and early 90s, where Colts really meant Count on Losing This Sunday.

I'm a bit excited for this season because I still have unrealistic optimism in Richardson, and I want to see how Warren does and to see if Latu will amount to being a great defender. Still, I'm not optimistic to think they'll win a Superbowl or anything, or even win a playoff game (just making the playoffs would be a bit miraculous), but this season is interesting to me as it does feel like this is the make or break year for a lot of critical positions/jobs, like Richardson's, Ballard's, and possibly Steichan's.

Scott Tolzien. :shudder:

I see Richardson as progressing from last year. I think there is still a chance we get to root for and watch something special in this man. I'll admit to looking through rose colored glasses as far as Richardson and the Colts go but WTF its August. I have tons of time to get pissed and depressed if this goes south.

Not that I know of. Facebook has a lot of Colts fan pages. I would guess other platforms have them, too.

I can see a few things to enthusiastic about.

1. Tyler Warren: Everything that I've seen, makes me believe that he will be special and perhaps become the face of the franchise.
2. Laiatu Latu: Similar vibe as Warren.
3. I don't have to ever watch a Gus Bradley led defense again.

The win total may not be there for a playoff run, but if a see overall team improvement along with a couple of exciting play makers, then I can see hope for the future.

Only being a franchise QB away from greatness does suck though, because we may never find that guy.

Reddit r/colts, it kind of sucks

Ballard gonna Ballard.

Worthless fucking stooge.

On one of the afternoon shows today I think it was Agnes maybe, anyway, someone that has been connected to the Colts for quite a while, and I think it was on JMV's show. In any event, he was talking about how this team might have a completely different vibe to it right now if we went on to beat Houston in the opener last year. He reminded of how AR actually played well and we seemed to have the game in the bag. He then said something that REALLY pissed me off. He completely trashed Bradley and said something like "but then on 3rd and 4 we went with that incredibly stupid Bradley 7 yard cushion, easy 1st down, and a completely changed outlook for this team".

What pisses me off, is that he is 100% right- that stupid fucking Bradley cushion was a laughingstock of the NFL. Yet, this administration decided to trott his fucking ass out there every fucking week and do the same pathetic ass bullshit every fucking game. We could all see it, we were all calling for it to stop, and yet it did not. Just an indictment of the organization IMO- and a massive black mark on my perception of Steichen. Retaining Bradley through the end of last year has caused me to really think poorly of Steichen as a football guy.

It pisses me off that now, now that Gus is gone, you are willing to come out and blast it and calling it incredibly stupid. Why in the FUCK wasn't that level of revulsion expressed when it was actually happening?