Fire Pagano, hire Toub, keep the rest of the staff on offense, get a new DC. Continuity on offense, but a change in culture and on defense. Problem solved. Is anyone on the offensive side really going to leave in protest because Pagano is fired?

This is just so weird.

Did Irsay insist on Pagano and Ballard just decided that the job with the Colt sis so great that he'll live with such a ridiculous demand? I mean, this guy turned down an interview with the 49ers, so he seems like he was picky about his job.

Did Ballard just decide that Pagano is a worthy candidate for hire? I guess if there's one thing Pagano does do well, it's interview for his own job. He apparently sold Irsay quite well in 2012, he got him to extend him after the 2015 season and he apparently duped Ballard as well? The Chiefs whooped our asses 30-14 at home this year, it's not like Ballard would have come away from them game impressed by what he saw from the opposing sideline.

Is this just them making nice before he's evaluated/possibly fired? I mean, okay fine, but they could have toned the rhetoric a bit. Jim Caldwell thought he was staying in 2012, but if there's one thing that Irsay/Grigson did right, they weren't talking about him publicly being back. If Pagano is canned, this will be an abrupt about-face and the Colts will likely face come PR backlash for it (which I would argue would be certainly worth it).

Like I said, this is just...weird...

It really can't be that he feels he owes Pagano anything, he'll have to pay him for the next three years!! Could it be that he thinks Pagano is a good coach?? That's a scary thought!!

who knows what happened in their therapy sessions.

I read he wants to stay in a smaller market in the midwest. Besides, who would really want to go to the dumpster fire that is the 49ers? (besides lynch)

Irsay can still say that at the time, pagano was the coach, thus his statement. however, in talking with the new GM they felt it was best to make a change now blah blah blah... the question is, will they do it?!

That first part is my theory. And honestly, this team isn't winning the Super Bowl next year even if they had Bill Walsh on the sideline. This offseason is about bringing in talent to get back to the postseason. 2018 is the first realistic year for a new title window.

Do I wish a change were made? Yes. Do I think it'll make much of a difference on the 2017 result? Not really.

Why not plow through some of the growing pains of a new coaching staff this year then?

Absolutely on point, why waste TWO more years!!

Same here but anyone that would think that Pagano is a capable NFL coach leads me to question if he knows what he is even looking at.

The first move Ballard should make is dumping the clapper. It's not like Pagano is Tom Landry & Jerry Jones waited abut 10 seconds before he replaced him.

Stroking?