I’m in the minority, but I see Ballard as a bigger issue than Reich. The team lacks a QB, LT, pass rush, and has only one viable WR. Those are priority positions in the modern NFL. And they have all been issues for multiple seasons. Tell me a coach has a new starting QB every season, no LT, no pass rush and his second best pass catcher is his backup RB and I wouldn’t exactly expect good things.
I’ve said since his second season that his team building philosophy is outdated. Teams win big in small windows, not decades. Have an elite QB and you can be competitive in the down years. Don’t and the bottom will fall out. But either way, to compete you have to put resources in the now. Ballard is so focused on 3-4 years from now that he hamstrings the team in the current 1-2 year window. 4 years is an eternity in the NFL. The Colts have a good cap situation. So fucking what if it never allows them to make a push. If it’s always for tomorrow you aren’t going to consistently beat teams today. He consistently turns his nose up at avg level NFL vets and instead hopes someone from his collection of projects steps up. Leaving Reich and the coaches to essentially use the early season as an open audition. How many good teams rotate their LT?
I like Reich more than most, but fire him - I don’t care. However, the teams primary issue is a team building philosophy that never prioritizes winning now. That’s on Ballard.
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