Quote:
Originally Posted by Dam8610
That's called smart GMing, reading the field, and being willing to take calculated, intelligent risks.............Ballard knows he needs a top pass rusher and knows this is his spot to get one, but he's smart enough to know where he needs to be to accomplish that as well. He traded to the lowest spot he could while still being reasonably assured he'd get Chubb (Tampa will take him at 7 if he's still there) and got a lot of value out of the deal. This was smart dealmaking and smart team building by Ballard.
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Not sure if my comment came off as a criticism of Ballard, but it certainly wasn’t meant to be. I don’t at all agree with his work in free agency, but that doesn’t mean I dislike him completely or disagree with everything he is doing. The trade back was a great move IMO whether Chubb makes it to 6 or not. I’m just not nearly as convinced as you seem to be that 1) Chubb will make it to 6, or 2) that he is Ballard’s guy and ultimate target. I simply think Ballard has a top tier of 4 players and he will gladly take any of them. Or move back if someone offers enough value to do so. I don’t at all believe he is married to any specific player. Not enough for them to be considered “Ballard’s guy”. Which to me is smart - especially considering I think he is looking long term in the rebuild. I don’t believe he feels he has to have a pass rusher next year because I think he knows the roster isn’t going to contend next year anyway. He will take whomever he thinks will ultimately be the best player. Which is why I think Edmunds may very well be the mystery 4th player. And to me, whoever that mystery player is should be considered “Ballard’s guy” as it appears he’s elevated them in to the top tier along with the consensus big 3 - Barkley, Chubb, and Nelson.