Time to look ahead to 2020
 

Players that won't be back

Ebron - Not worthy of a deal and some team will overpay for him.

Funchess -Really didn't have a chance to show what he can do but I think he moves on.

Sheard- last year of contract I believe. Maybe he will come back on a 1 year deal

Constanzo - I hope is back but I suspect some team will pay more than the Colts want to pay for a player his age.

T.Y Hilton - Colts may move on from him and go with a high pick from the draft.


Draft needs

Wide receivers and another Tight end
Right tackle as I think Braden Smith is better suited at guard and would replace Glowinski who is better off as a backup

Defensive line- Edge rusher and defensive tackle
Linebacker but not a glaring need.
Secondary. Mock drafts have the colts taking a corner and safety but I think they are ok there.
Kicker- without a doubt a need
QB - I am not sold on Brissett

You're wrong on most of that. Ebron should be back, no way they're trading Hilton unless they get a 1 from a team like the Dolphins, Costanzo should be back if the front office is smart. Funchess and Sheard I could take or leave.

Oh really, what I am so wrong on? Why would they bring Ebron back and Hilton is aging and can't stay healthy. No team will give a #1 for him. I bet you think Adam V should be brought back too

You're valuing Ebron over Sheard? I'm so glad you're not running this team.

Disagree. Next years draft is stacked with wrs. Your not getting a high draft pick for Hilton and even if you did wrs take years to develop. He is one of the only weapons we have so why trade him? When Sheard returned the defense played much better Castanzo is here to stay unless someone goes bonkers for him Left tackles are hard to come by and I don’t see Ballard breaking up the brightest spot of this offense. Ebron and Funches came here because of Luck so my guess is they move on. It will be interesting to see what Ballard

Castonzo is going nowhere. Neither is Hilton

Nor should they. Both are consummate pros who still have something left.

I’m not sure they shouldn’t resign Sheard.

o


After a relatively promising start to the season at 5-2, the Colts have lost 4 out of their last 5 games ........ subsequently, unless they run the table and finish at 10-6 overall (which is unlikely, particularly because one of their opponents is the Saints), they seem destined to miss the post-season.

That said, the Colts being 6-6 after 12 games in spite of the fact that Andrew Luck unexpectedly retired just prior to the start of the season tells me that Chris Ballard wasn't just paying lip service in regard to building a complete team that is not overly-reliant on one player (a direct reference to Andrew Luck) ........ the fact that we're all pissed about the team shitting the bed in several of their recent games is a good thing, for the fact that we had our hopes and expectations on a playoff berth more than halfway into the season is a marked difference between the last 2 times in which the Colts went an entire season without their star quarterback ........ when they went 4-12 in 2017 without Andrew Luck, and when they went 2-14 in 2011 without Peyton Manning.

So the team (and the individual players) deserve every bit of criticism that they have been getting lately ........ but just the fact that they are being criticized as though they ought to be 8-4 or 9-3 instead of 6-6 speaks volumes.

o

Ebron is done with the Colts and should be.

Wouldn’t mind Amari Cooper if the Cowboys don’t re-sign him. He’ll cost but we have the $

Replace him with Austin Hooper if Atlanta lets him go. He looked decent against the Colts.

When Sheard is out, our run defense struggles. He will be offered a good contract.

He’s soft

I think they use the draft to address QB and WR.

I hope they resign Castonzo.

Sheard has been a great signing. He is solid against the run and pass. He really improves our run D and shields our light linebackers. If they resign anyone on D I hope it’s him.

Sheard will be 31 next year, Ebron will be 27. Ebron has been an important part of the offense for most of the last two seasons and still could get better. Sheard is likely to start declining over the next season or two. I don't think either should get big money.

Ebron is gone. He drops too many passes unless he's in the red zone. Then breaking away against the team to get surgery and end your season? Gone.

Well heck what a year. Some false hope early has put us on the outside looking in as of late. This team needs a different QB to take the next step. Huge upgrade needed at WR position. I think we go QB-WR with first 2 picks. Brissett is just to methodical back there, gets caught not seeing the blitz a lot and holds the ball which never turns out well. Our offensive line as great as it is at run blocking is mediocre at pass blocking. Mack is a legit starting back but the others can go as far as I’m concerned. Williams shows some promise but why was he not on the field in second half? Ebron is not a must keep imo, but we need Sheard back along with a healthy Turay. Our secondary is legit if we could just stay healthier. Our LB’ers are top of the line. So my guess is Draft has to focus on the offense.


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Agreed. Ebron was a good signing and is a good player with more upside, but if the reports are true that he made a "business decision" and IR'ed himself in preparation for free agency, he won't be returning to Colts nor should he. I like the guy as a player, but you don't need that kind of attitude. Someone will pay him though.

My guess is that Sheard is probably gone. Another good signing, but the guy is over 30 and that means, statistically speaking, he'll be on the downside of his career. I can't imagine the Ballard will be willing to give him any sort of long term, high dollar contract unless it has lots of team escape clauses. Sheard can probably get a better deal elsewhere.

I have to think that Castonzo will be back. The guy has been rock solid and OL continuity is important. Yes, he's 31, but OL careers are longer and they peak later. I could see a franchise tag here if a contract can't get worked out.

TY Hilton is under contract for 2020 already, and I can't see why he'd be cut or moved. Yes, he's had a few injuries, but the guy performs, he's a playmaker, and we are very thin at WR already. Also, he'll be in his contract year in 2020, so he'll have further incentive to perform.

Ebron gets too high/emotional when he has good games, and then pouts and hangs his head when he has bad games.
He is too emotional, too unpredictable, inconsistent, and mentally soft. And last night without Ebron we were force to use Doyle more as a receiver, and you see what happens, he goes out and has a huge game.

Sheard is bringing production and leadership. No other team is going to offer him big money, we can afford to give him a 2 year contract.

Are you Ryan Grigson?

No I am not Ryan Grigson, why would you say that?

I believe the Colts should draft a defensive player in the first round. defensive tackle or edge rusher.


With 2 second round picks, go receiver and maybe a quarterback.

I think quarterback takes top priority and you do what you need to to get the best you can. If we wanted to draft a DT should have done it last draft, that was the draft to do it.

QB then address the other positions. Although a WR in the first three rounds would be preferable, a guy who can run routes and knows the nuances of the position instead of some athletic project.

Lots of athletic ends in the style we like in the next draft.

Depends on the QB available when we pick first round. If there is a good prospect take it. If not take DL and roll with JB again. Even if you take a QB we probably will still start JB next year anyway.


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I don’t like the “do what you need to to get the best you can” thinking. I’m guessing you don’t mean it quite the way it comes off. Trading significant draft capital for a marginal improvement over JB isn’t in the teams best interest. They need a franchise QB, not a slightly better QB. If Ballard believes a guy is a franchise guy then yeah do what it takes. But chasing the best they can get in the draft at QB is a recipe for disaster.

I agree. Early in the year, when JB had a few decent WRs, some folks here were making him a top 10 QB. He was never that good, but now with no WRs to speak of, folks are putting him at the bottom of the barrel. I think this team can win with JB, but he'll never be more than a cog in the machine. Look at the Pats, with their weak WR crew. Brady looks ordinary and we all know he's still one of the best. This team needs to get better, and to get some depth so that they can handle injuries. Sure, they can use a better QB, but very few QBs if any could have flourished in Sunday's game with that sorry group of WRs. JB didn't allow the go ahead FG to result in a 7 point deficit. That's on our vaunted OL.

Noone here said JB was top 10 ever!

Not directly, but there was a post that talked about him getting a HUGE contract in his next signing. It was in answer to my saying that one good thing about JB was that he'd never command break the bank money, which would mean not having to lose other key players in free agency.

Some had hoped he would improve I think. The guy is and always will be a career back up. A pretty good one too for a few games if needed.

I think he can be an average starter when given adequate help and weapons. He just can’t elevate those around him. You can win a SB with those kinds of guys - if your overall team is great and everything breaks right in a given year. If not for his own injury and the injuries to every other weapon on offense, the team would have a much better record and most would have a different impression of him. Fans are extremely fickle - especially when it comes to the QB position. He wasn’t as good as it appeared early and he isn’t as bad as he appears now. But it’s the most important position on the team so of course you want someone elite. Ballard should absolutely be looking for an improvement, but he can’t force it if the right guy isn’t there. He slow rolled when the team had Luck, so it would make no sense to force it now without him.

Why would you trade considerable assets to get a marginally better QB? I don’t mean make a bad deal to get a qb. Get a franchise QB, if you have to trade assets this year do it. It’s the single thing that is really holding this team back. If you don’t think there is one then that is a different matter. There are a lot of QBs in the next draft, someone will turn out. Up to them to identify who that is. This team has a good starting core and an absolute shit ton of money. They should be able to address the QB position.

I think we mostly agree. If there is a guy you believe is a franchise guy then yes get him. I just don’t agree that they should definitely take the highest rated QB they can get or that it’s a given they “should be able to address the QB position” this draft. You say someone will turn out and I agree. And a couple will end up no better than JB, possibly even worse. If they believe one or two guys are franchise QBs and they can get one then great. If they believe three or four guys are franchise guys then they probably need to re-evaluate their idea of a franchise QB. My point is it is by no means a given they can get their top guy or even 2nd choice. Once you get to your 3rd choice is it really because the guy is great? Or is it because you need him to be great? Teams make that bad calculation all the time. They need a franchise QB, but they can’t force one to be available.

Draft a QB every year until you hit on one at this point. Doesn't have to be a top pick, just keep using at least one pick on a QB until one develops into our franchise QB.

Well they have to believe that the guy can be a franchise QB, or is capable to reaching that status. I could have probably phrased that first post a little better. I agree you can't force it. QB is a bit of a crapshoot, and unfortunately, you have to keep pulling the trigger till you get one. The Broncos are kinda going through the same thing but they don't fully commit. We have gotten lucky the past 20 years but we are now in average QB hell. There is no Luck in this draft, but maybe there is a guy that will become one. I think with this line a QB could do well, just need someone with good vision and accuracy, able to get through their progressions fast. I've liked Burrow every time I've seen him, but I think he has played himself into the number one pick now.

I'm not in favor of a new guy just because he is new. However, if they think a guy is a franchise QB you have to go get him and don't get cute with it. Everyone ripped Gettleman for Daniel Jones, they could have gotten him with their second 1st round pick, too high, blah blah. I think he did the right thing, he didn't fuck around with it and just took him. Maybe some other team liked him, maybe not, but you have to go get your guy if he is your guy. I say this because the fans are already slotting these QBs and if we take one higher than they think he should go they will bitch about it. But that is the nature of taking a QB, they often go higher than they should because the need is so high. Ballard likes his value chart but QB's are a special situation. I just hope Ballard realizes that also because he does like his picks.

Agree on QBs value being higher and sort of throwing out your chart - as long as he’s your guy and not just a guy. You mentioned the fans bitching because they think a QB is taken too higher and I agree with that as well. Part of my comments come from a similar place. If Ballard doesn’t address QB early plenty of fans are going to bitch. I just think that MAY be a valid decision if it’s based on the evaluation of the QBs available and not based on faith in JB being the solution going forward.

It could be possible to acquire an aging but still productive QB in a trade with either the Lions (Stafford) or the Bengals (Dalton). It's an extremely short term fix, but you could draft a young, talented but raw QB in the draft, and give him time to come around while you have one of these two for a year or two. They both have large contracts which will end in another year, and their current teams may be ready to move on. If so, you can get them in a trade for not much, maybe a 5th or 6th rounder. Colts can afford the cap hit, especially since it's so short term. I remember when the Colts got Harbaugh and he clicked for a short time.

Initially it seems Burrow, Tua, and Herbert will be first-rounders. But a lot can change till April. There are some intriguing guys this draft Love, Mond, Eason, Fromm, the Wake forest kid. So it will be interesting how it pans out. And maybe they think a 2nd round QB is the way to go. It's not impossible to find one there, just you odds go down drastically for success once out of the first.

But yeah, fans read some draft guide and it says so-and-so should be drafted in the 45-60 ranges, then a team takes him at 20 and the fans freak out. Ultimately, if that is the guy and he pans out, doesn't matter if you took him higher than some people think he should have gotten.

Stafford would be a good fit for us. Dalton? Meh.

As to teams looking to acquire a QB in this draft, who do we see in that field?

My quick takes are: Tampa, Cheats, Carolina?, Chicago, Raiders?

Bengals, and Dolphins :cool:

I would throw the Chargers in the mix as well.

Rivers is in the final year of his contract.

There have been rumblings that the Chargers are ready to move on. The team has scouted the top QB's in the draft the last several years and haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Rivers has also discussed the possibility of retiring or playing for other teams next year. More recently, he has stated he would prefer to stay with the Chargers but previously he had named a few teams that were on his radar.