My issue with signing top free agents is two-fold. First, they typically get paid more than they're worth because they are highly sought after. Second, you have fewer years left of them playing well. Couple those two, and it usually doesn't pan out. Occasionally, it does, but it is more like 50/50, with a much higher price tag than a draft pick. Granted, draft picks are often 50/50 and need a learning curve, but the ones you hit on could be around much longer than any free agent.

On a side note, I do not want the NFL to become a mercenary league like the NBA is now. That game is hard to watch!

The players run the league in the NBA

In the NFL the owners still have most of the control.

I agree I like the NFL system better.

Very very true!

I will say I enjoy watching the Pacers continue to win without a star. They beat Paul George and Westbrook and the Thunder last night.

Plus watching Lebron and the Lakers miss the playoffs is pretty damn funny too.

I pretty much stopped watching after the Pacers lost to the Lakers in the 2000 finals. Seen a handful of games since. Still no championship for the Pacers... almost 19 years now. Never gonna win one.

That's funny, because I'm kind of the opposite (again). While I absolutely agree that a franchise QB is the key piece, without Luck I'd probably be more in favor of looking shorter term because it doesn't seem to me that teams without a franchise QB really have long, dominant periods. So in those circumstances it might make sense to me to try and make a surge, then to allow the team to reload for a season or two (where they might have a high draft pick to get a QB).

I really don't disagree with this, nor do I think this is necessarily what the Colts are doing. They did bring in Slauson, for example. I just think that its treacherous to start signing skill position players in their late 20's/early 30's, because those skill sets need to be finely tuned and the stats suggest that they'll be on the downside of their career at that point. Plus you'll probably be paying them based upon performance while they were in their mid-to-late 20's.

When you have a franchise QB you can have a dynasty. That's what I'm looking for.

I'm not sure that there is any one best way to build a football team. To me, the most important thing is that you have A way, that you understand it and that you do not allow yourself to deviate much,if at all. Ballard/Reich (it is a great thing for this organization that they seem to work as one) have a plan and really seem to know where they want to take this team. So far it has worked about as well as I could have hoped for. One year ago everyone, and I mean everyone, thought we had the least talented team in football. Thru 6 games that seemed to hold (although you could see things, like the offensive line, start to jell if you looked beyond our record), then it started to turn. For the first time in years I find myself being comfortable watching someone who apparently knows what the hell they are doing build this team. I'm really enjoying this build.

here in LA the local sports media is in pseudo-meltdown mode over the state of the lakers. kinda funny to listen to.

Would you consider the Peyton led Colts a dynasty?

I enjoy it. Entitled fanbase. Sick of all the new Rams fans too. I was walking out of a game this year and some asshat tough guy was pissing on a tree in front of everyone. He saw me giving him a dirty look and tried to start a fight with me.

Back to Funchess for a second. I'm very pleased to see that the 'experts' hate the signing. One guy gave it a D- and another had it as the third worst signing in free agency this year. To me this bodes extremely well for us. I remember D's for Nelson and Leonard being the 'worst" pick in the entire draft. Hoping Funchess reads what a crappy signing he was for us and it motivates him. He is huge, runs nice routes and will make people eat crow (they won't) with the way he is used by our staff here. I repeat, he is a great signing because this staff knows exactly what he brings to the table and knows exactly how they are going to use his skill set. It's no guarantee but it's as close as you can get.

Of course not, we only won a single SB

Yup, unfortunately. That team should have been a dynasty.

Here is a Tweet about Funchess' contract.

https://mobile.twitter.com/JoelAEric...99654080970752

Seems to be this is a $7M contract that becomes at least a $10M contract if he isn't cut during the season, with the possibility of becoming up to a $13M contract if he hits some or all of his incentives.

I suppose that is a bit better. But realistically, he's not getting cut. So that money is likely to be earned and it is functionally still a $10 mil contract with $3 mil in incentives.

We can afford that. May be 2-3 million more than we would have liked but with the amount of cap space we have it's not a huge overpay if an overpay at all

Yeah. We can afford a lot of things.

Hes used to being pissed on so thought pissing on that tree would make him feel better... it didnt so he became pissed off.:cool:

And after Ballard came on board, he signed Sheard, Hankins, and Simon. Neither went crazy in UFA; they just filled some gaps with short-term fixes.

This is all I’m advocating. I’m not going hard against Ballard because his approach can work. And while I would have been more aggressive, I acknowledge that approach is not full proof. If you do either approach well, you’ll succeed.

That's the key point. Under Pagano's regime, this wouldn't have been a good signing. With Reich and Ballard on the same page, they know exactly how they are going to magnify his strengths.

It seems there is good communication between head coach and GM now. Obviously before that wasnt the case at all. The staff as a whole seem more in sync.

And Pagano sucks.

If not for some bad luck and a cheating franchise, they easily could have been one.

Robert Kraft pays whores.... you know hes paid the refs.
Here's 75k.... call a good game.. thanks!

Seems Frank Reich wanted Funchess per Zak Keefer:

https://twitter.com/zkeefer/status/1110565484133376001

Rapoport had a quick interview with Ballard on his podcast. Ballard said what he's been saying for a while: with every player they bring in, the Colts have a plan to get them to their ceiling.

Reich knows exactly how he's going to use Funchess and the offense will have an easier picking up tough yards against man coverage this year.

https://www.indystar.com/get-access/...F3279861002%2F

Suffice to say, Reich loves what Devin Funchess offers his offense.

Break down of routes Funchess ran and Luck threw in 18.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D2wjpDuXQAAnezq.png:large
https://twitter.com/SharpFootball/st...212600320?s=20

Saw that, but didn’t want to make too much of those rates when we’re talking about sample sizes of 10 or fewer targets.

I agree, just found it interesting.

Interesting, out routes are some of the toughest throws to make. Good to have a big receiver to throw it too. Anyone know how he is catching over his shoulder?

Why would the receiver be throwing the ball?

Are you simple? It is matching Funchess routes with the routes Luck threw to.

He is multi-talented ? :cool:

Apparently you both get confused between "to" and "too", as well. Pfffft...idiots.

Hahaha

How long have you been here?

There is a date in the top right corner.:cool:

Rhetorical. :rolleyes:

That's nice. You failed to see I was just being sarcastic again lol

You didn’t use italics :rolleyes: