Chris Ballard?!?
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MopNZBis6vM&t=53s

This guy always has a good take on our Colts. Love his no nonsense reality based takes. Warning, he curses like a drunken sailor, so if you are offended by that, don't watch it. I pretty much agree with everything he says here.

Listened to nearly all of it.

You cannot overstate how bad Andrew Luck burned us. Like he mentioned... picture BUF after Josh Allen decides to quit this off-season. I disagree that three seasons since warrants criticism. I mean, goddamn. We're potentially about to have our sixth straight season with a different starting QB. He is right about Ballard's drafts. Even his worst draft, when he was stuck with Pagano, yielded Mack, Stewart, Hairston, and Walker. But his hits in the draft are part of why I disagree with his criticism.



Seems like his main (only) complaint is Ballard's frugality in signing free agents. Well, I feel like he contradicts himself a bit regarding both the QB and the success in the draft.

-First off, if Ballard treated this year as an evaluation year for Wentz like this guy claims (and which may be true)... why would he buck the trend now and break the bank for an unsure thing? Ideally, you sell out to add some cherries on top of your cake when you're ready for a run. An evaluation year doesn't sound like you're truly convinced you're ready for a run. So you can't have both expectations: an evaluation year for a QB and sell out in free agency.

-Likewise, if Ballard hits in the draft, those are the free agents he's going to want to sign. That's who I want him to sign. He believes in building through the draft similar to how Polian did. Probably because both are pretty good at it. And Polian emphasized that you had to be really be disciplined when it came to free agency. Which is how he kept guys like Wayne, Freeney, Mathis, Clark, etc.



Left to most fans, every NFL team would be the early 00's Raiders and Redskins.

I really hate the inconsistency in criticisms. One of the biggest issues with Grigson, besides just being a total asshole, was that he built a terrible offensive line that killed Andrew Luck, he couldn't draft for shit, and spent a ton of money of terrible over-priced free agents that came in with a mercenary mentality and no team culture.

And then Ballard comes in and says "we're gonna build the team from within with the draft, create a culture here, be selective in signing free agents who can be a part of that" and every says "fuck yea, that's the right way" and then all of a sudden every drops that and whines about "why won't he go all in on some of these big names??"

Fair enough. You have made some really good points here.

It's annoying for sure. It goes to show a lack of a principled approach/view.

There's also a fundamental difference in perception from fans. Look at the two Super Bowl teams. Whose situation is better? What if the Rams lose?

Some fans claim they're good with betting the farm and then letting the team burn for five years. Of course the "wager" they always make includes a guaranteed Super Bowl. In which case it ceases to be a wager.

Personally, I'm a huge Polian fan and a huge Grigson cynic. So I like Ballard's approach.

While the Bungles are in a better situation going fwd they've spent plenty in FA over the past 2 offseasons as well. Almost their entire starting defense was added as a FA and gave some big contracts to Reader, Hendrickson, and Bell. Of course Burrow and most of their top offensive players on are rookie contracts, so they were able to do this without putting themselves in a bad position capwise.

Sure. By the way, it's not like free agency is some default evil. I'm also not claiming the Bengals have it all figured out. I don't know what they'll do in the future. I'm just pointing out a convenient comparison.

I'd much rather be the Bengals with young drafted talent and nearly $60m in the bank for that talent rather than the Rams at $8m or $9m over the cap with only a 5th and 7th rounder or whatever it is they have.

My ultimate point is I'm glad our GM A.) drafts pretty well which ideally keeps us with an influx of younger, cheaper talent and B.) is relatively frugal when it comes to free agency and trades so that we have money/draft capital to resign our guys and sign difference makers when the time comes.

Sean McVay is the modern day George Allen, which seems to be working out for the Rams right now, but it's the least sustainable model of franchise building, especially in the salary cap era. As their roster ages, they'll have very little in the way of young talent to replace it.

Thoughts:

- signing your own players to extensions is a good way to work free agency. I prefer paying guys we know.

- Ballard doesnt let the market dictate how he spends money. He has a metric he sticks to, how much player X is worth to the Colts, not ESPN or draft Kings.

- He trusts his own decisions, look at the trade for Bruckner. I know he didnt get him in free agency. He didnt waste time extending him. Why get in a bidding war, pay him what he is worth.

Nothing will change until we get a franchise QB. I was WRONG on Wentz, thought he was going to turn his career around with Reich. Fuck, I hate being wrong! One thing I do know is that Ballard is much better than Griggs. So let's see what happens from here on in.