It's Done! Frank is gone!

[Chromeburn]

Originally Posted by rm1369

So why in the world do you even acquire Rivers or Ryan? Both had very short windows. Are you really suggesting you have no problem wasting one of those years making sure they were an acceptable answer? That makes absolutely no sense. Or is it that they won’t do it until they have a young QB in place? If that’s the case why get those guys anyway? At best, without full roster support, they make you playoff competitive and lower your draft position- making it harder to acquire the guy you do identify. It makes no fucking sense. It’s the same thing the Pacers did - they tried to ride the middle of the league, keep the fan based inline and strike gold somehow. They failed. Ballard is doing the same thing and I don’t know how in the world you can say it is anything but a failure. You are either pushing to win or rebuilding. He’s trying to ride a line between those two. It has and will fail.

They were looking for their Alex Smith. A vet who could hold the positions for a few years till they found a young QB to develop. Also feasibly the vet allows you to win games if you have a solid roster around him like a Tom Brady situation. I think they would have spent more if they thought one of those vets would get them to the superbowl. NBA and NFL are very different, stop comparing the two. You only need a few guys in the NBA and the pacers can't lure top free agents because indy isn't a destination town. The pacers finally figured out they have no stars and no one even knew who was on the roster. Thats not the case with the Colts.

Its not a binary situation. Look around the league and the records. This is a parity league. Most games are decided by the kicker at the end. The line between winning and losing is razor-thin. It's not terribly complicated what they are trying to do, don't understand why you are having difficulty with it.

Originally Posted by rm1369

This is a big issue I have. He is always going to have a hard time winning titles without accepting the up and down process that even you have mentioned. Teams that manipulate the cap CAN have an advantage in a given year. Yes it’s dangerous, but always worrying about your cap situation 3-4 years from now also comes at a cost. And the down year helps you reload talent.

Saints are about to go into cap hell. He doesn't want to run his cap like that, thinks its nuts. Just the way it is. It is really a separate conversation. You want the team to run that way, fine, I don't. Neither one of us has a say. It seems subjective to me, and short-term gain you get will eventually hurt you in the future.

Originally Posted by rm1369

He didn’t think they were good enough to go all in. Or he’s never going all in. Either answer is damning IMO.

If we had two years of QB play, yeah maybe he would have in that second year. But we never got one to find out.

Originally Posted by rm1369

I understand it can get worse. I want to like Ballard. He does acquire talent. Where I disagree with you is that I believe a GMs primary job is to construct a team, not acquire talent. Acquiring talent is certainly part of that, but the NFL is the ultimate league where you can be more or less than the sum of your parts. Ballard’s teams will always be less until he prioritizes certain positions and, most importantly, understands that huge weaknesses will be exploited and diminish the strengths he built. He has to understand that average isn’t a dirty word in this league.

This is a bunch of gibberish. Talent wins games, he is good at getting it. He prioritizes the same positions everyone else does just places more emphasis on the lines. The Eagles and 49ers prioritize the same strengths and they are doing well. The difference is they have consistency at QB and some of those positions are already filled. We had a LT and a QB when he got here. He needed a better oline, a DE, and a defense. I think we found the DE if Paye continues to improve, we have a defense. Now we need to find the LT and the QB again. And I think this oline gets back to what it was with a good LT in place.

And to compare here is the Raiders picks from 2019-2021
2021 Alex Leatherwood - Cut
2020 Henry Ruggs III - Cut
2020 Damon Arnette - Cut
2019 Jonathon Abram - Cut
2019 Josh Jacobs - 5th year declined
2019 Clelin Ferrell - 5th year declined

It can be so much worse.

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

They were looking for their Alex Smith. A vet who could hold the positions for a few years till they found a young QB to develop. Also feasibly the vet allows you to win games if you have a solid roster around him like a Tom Brady situation. I think they would have spent more if they thought one of those vets would get them to the superbowl.

I don’t understand the logic of acquiring Rivers or Ryan unless they were pushing for a SB over the next two years. That’s just me. But at least we seem to agree that in Ballard’s time in Indy he has never once went into a season actively trying to win a SB. You are OK with that, I’m not. I only wish people would quit saying how great the roster is then. If the GM doesn’t even think it’s worth pushing for a SB.

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Its not a binary situation. Look around the league and the records. This is a parity league. Most games are decided by the kicker at the end. The line between winning and losing is razor-thin. It's not terribly complicated what they are trying to do, don't understand why you are having difficulty with it.

For the life of me I don’t understand how you can preach to me how small the margins are while not understanding that’s the whole damn point. If Ballard does just a little more at WR with Rivers they beat Buffalo. Shore up a couple areas and maybe they do make a SB run. Do a little more at DE with Wentz and they make the playoffs - even with things falling apart at the end. Do a little more on the line and maybe this is a playoff team. But he, and apparently you, are fine letting seasons slip away while looking for the guy to hold the spot until they can find the guy they can eventually win with.

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Saints are about to go into cap hell. He doesn't want to run his cap like that, thinks its nuts. Just the way it is. It is really a separate conversation. You want the team to run that way, fine, I don't. Neither one of us has a say. It seems subjective to me, and short-term gain you get will eventually hurt you in the future.

There is plenty room between the Saints and the Colts methods for there to be a middle ground. But honestly, so what the saints are going in to cap hell. What’s the worse that can happen? After 5 years of rebuilding they are sitting at 3-5-1 with an interim coach, players asking to be traded, and are a laughingstock? Sounds horrible.

But in all seriousness, if you understand how thin the margins are I don’t get how you can’t understand my point on cap use. In any given year there are teams rolling more dollars into that year in an attempt to win. That gives them a slight advantage in those years. With the margins as small as they are Ballard’s teams will have a harder time peaking in a window than other teams. What’s so complicated to understand? At various points you’ve indicated that when the time is right then you think Ballard will push more. If that’s true great! Then we don’t disagree on how it should work (I’m not necessarily advocating Saints level cap manipulation). Where we disagree is on when that push should come. You think it’s reasonable he’s never done it. I don’t think it is.

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

If we had two years of QB play, yeah maybe he would have in that second year. But we never got one to find out.

I don’t understand how you think it’s reasonable to acquire Rivers and Ryan and then wait a year before actually pushing to win. They both had maybe two years of adequate play left and since it was age related the first year was probably the best. Yet you want to waste that year as a prove it year before actually trying? I’m sorry man, that’s fucking retarded. Especially because you keep saying they have a good roster.

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

This is a bunch of gibberish. Talent wins games, he is good at getting it.

Shouldn’t the team be more successful then? Seems pretty simple.

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

He prioritizes the same positions everyone else does just places more emphasis on the lines. The Eagles and 49ers prioritize the same strengths and they are doing well. The difference is they have consistency at QB and some of those positions are already filled.

Kind of ironic that both those teams QBs were available to Ballard and he passed. Also ironic that he supposedly prioritizes line play but hasn’t prioritized LT. Especially considering the OL is the reason this season is trashed.

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

We had a LT and a QB when he got here. He needed a better oline, a DE, and a defense. I think we found the DE if Paye continues to improve, we have a defense. Now we need to find the LT and the QB again. And I think this oline gets back to what it was with a good LT in place.

Only a QB and LT away? Damn I bet they are the envy of the league. They’ve set the standard for rebuilds. 5 years in and all they need are 2 or the top 3 most important positions filled!

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

And to compare here is the Raiders picks from 2019-2021
2021 Alex Leatherwood - Cut
2020 Henry Ruggs III - Cut
2020 Damon Arnette - Cut
2019 Jonathon Abram - Cut
2019 Josh Jacobs - 5th year declined
2019 Clelin Ferrell - 5th year declined

It can be so much worse.

I was going to make a smart ass comment about them likely losing to the disaster of a team you chose to use as an example of the horrors of a bad GM. Then I remembered that the Raiders are coached by Ballard’s first choice as a coach and decided to hold back. Colts could honestly win this one thanks to Ballard’s first choice.

[Dewey 5]

https://deadspin.com/chris-ballard-r...1849759846/amp

[IndyNorm]

Originally Posted by Dewey 5

https://deadspin.com/chris-ballard-r...1849759846/amp

Couple of inaccuracies in the article but definitely agree with the overall statement.

[Oldcolt]

I think that all these writers are full of shit. I love the fact that they think that Irsay has lost his mind with Saturday. They all loved Reich/Ballard when that was initially happening, now not so much. Nobody, I mean nobody, has the faintest idea of how Saturday will do, if you are betting you would bet he would fail because almost all coaches fail. Rare one that is a winner, it is a crap shoot. I am starting to enjoy this, us against the NFL world. Much better than spinning our collective wheels in mediocrity.

[Hoopsdoc]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

I think that all these writers are full of shit. I love the fact that they think that Irsay has lost his mind with Saturday. They all loved Reich/Ballard when that was initially happening, now not so much. Nobody, I mean nobody, has the faintest idea of how Saturday will do, if you are betting you would bet he would fail because almost all coaches fail. Rare one that is a winner, it is a crap shoot. I am starting to enjoy this, us against the NFL world. Much better than spinning our collective wheels in mediocrity.

Almost all coaches fail, thats true. But they all also have the advantage of actually coaching in the nfl previously. Not to mention the fact that he’s being thrown into the mix halfway through the season.

There’s no realistic way he’s going to succeed in my opinion. I think it’s gonna be embarrassing, actually.

I hope I’m wrong but I doubt it.

As for Irsay, he’s firmly on the road to being Al Davis, who was the laughingstock of the league.

Nothing about this is good for the Colts or their fans.

[Oldcolt]

Originally Posted by Hoopsdoc

Almost all coaches fail, thats true. But they all also have the advantage of actually coaching in the nfl previously. Not to mention the fact that he’s being thrown into the mix halfway through the season.

There’s no realistic way he’s going to succeed in my opinion. I think it’s gonna be embarrassing, actually.

I hope I’m wrong but I doubt it.

As for Irsay, he’s firmly on the road to being Al Davis, who was the laughingstock of the league.

Nothing about this is good for the Colts or their fans.

I happen to agree about this not being good news. You talk as if there was a ‘good news’ choice. Plus 95% of ‘good news’ choices don’t work out anyway, so if this doesn’t I don’t see how that is so much different. You don’t think it can realistically work out? Not trying to be an asshole but who cares? You know as much about the future as me, meaning nothing. Of course it probably won’t work out, Parcells didn’t do shit for the Jets and I bet you and everyone else thought that was a slam dunk winner. All I am saying is nobody knows, me you sports writers or GM types. Let’s see how it plays out. Irsay has found his team mired in a shit show, climbing out won’t be easy and won’t look pretty. At least it is interesting, something poor Frank no longer was.

[rcubed]

Originally Posted by Hoopsdoc

Almost all coaches fail, thats true. But they all also have the advantage of actually coaching in the nfl previously. Not to mention the fact that he’s being thrown into the mix halfway through the season.

There’s no realistic way he’s going to succeed in my opinion. I think it’s gonna be embarrassing, actually.

I hope I’m wrong but I doubt it.

As for Irsay, he’s firmly on the road to being Al Davis, who was the laughingstock of the league.

Nothing about this is good for the Colts or their fans.

depends on how "success" in this situation is measured. and who is measuring that success.

to me irsay had seen enough to know he needed to go in another direction next season, so he made the move now in hopes of not letting the situation spiral over the next couple months.

irsay is a bit bonkers, but I would assume he doesnt expect saturday to come in and miraculously make us a contender for the rest of this season. I think he brought in saturday to just try and steer the ship straight for the rest of the season. that's the success he is looking for, not letting it turn into a further shit show.

I think he should have had ventrone do this though. I think bringing in an "unexperienced outsider" rather than someone that has been in the building and is more familiar with the players is some of what's gotten under ballard's skin. ventrone seems to be universally liked and probably would have been a good choice to just finish out the year.

i really hope that they have a good interview process and quality candidates come in. I hated the initial choice of mcdaniels and was happy when he backed out. ballard and irsay need to do better this time.

but what the hell do i know.

[Chromeburn]

Originally Posted by Dewey 5

https://deadspin.com/chris-ballard-r...1849759846/amp

I don't agree with their interpretation of what he said. I don't think he regrets taking Pierce or that he blames local media for forcing him to do that. Local media has little to do with how we draft.

I do think some of the local media are pretty arrogant towards him and think a lot of their own opinions, especially Dakich and some of the radio guys. That query yesterday was going off with schadenfreude yesterday towards Ballard and the rest just about calling him names and everything.

As for his actions, yup, Ballard's actions are where we are with the LT situation. Supposedly Darrisaw and Paye were neck and neck on the draft board and they went with pass rush bc they put a slight more positional importance on it than LT.

[rcubed]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

I don't agree with their interpretation of what he said. I don't think he regrets taking Pierce or that he blames local media for forcing him to do that. Local media has little to do with how we draft.

I do think some of the local media are pretty arrogant towards him and think a lot of their own opinions, especially Dakich and some of the radio guys. That query yesterday was going off with schadenfreude yesterday towards Ballard and the rest just about calling him names and everything.

As for his actions, yup, Ballard's actions are where we are with the LT situation. Supposedly Darrisaw and Paye were neck and neck on the draft board and they went with pass rush bc they put a slight more positional importance on it than LT.

yeah, thats a dumb interpretation probably made by someone that doesnt really follow the team that closely.

i have been hammering ballard on that quote, but for the reason that i thought it was a petty thing to say. he should be above that.

his major fuck up was not addressing LT when he had chances, namely leno and darrisaw who were there for the taking.