Taylor has requested to be traded.

[Oldcolt]

People should get what they can, I cannot blame JT for that. Me, I don't feel bad for either of these whiny pricks. One guy is a billionaire who did zilch to earn it and the other guy is complaining that 4.3 million isn't enough money for someone who also did zilch to be born with genetics that almost nobody on the planet has and thinks he 'earned' every penny. They are both here because they won the lottery when they were born (agreed Irsay won a bigger one but JT got gifts from god that people would give their left nut for). I am not pissed at them or anything-I would be doing close to the same thing if I was in their position. I just don't give a shit (I want JT on the team but won't lose any sleep either way) and think that words like 'right and wrong' have almost no place to me with this cat fight between these two (although I have honored every contract I have signed, even though I was stupid and signed some really bad ones that cost me money). My bet is after all of this crap plays out JT is running the ball for the Colts this year and into the future.

[HoosierinFL]

Originally Posted by ChoppedWood

Man there is something to be said for this- and also hearing the rumors of JT being "unhappy" about his injury...

WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THIS FRANCHISE?

The other day JMV as asking someone- think it might have been Bowen, if this is just a toxic workplace. Whoever it was responded back with the "that's a bit too strong of a word but there's definitely something not quite right on 56th Street".

Well, and yes I am a hater, without question I am, but is the problem fucking Ballard? Timeline matches up.

Peyton - Wayne era, even despite the James situation, and even in the face of the overwhelming difficulty of the Peyton neck situation- the TEAM was harmonious; seemed like everyone was on the same page. Hell even in the Grigson era it didn't seem like there was this constant level of fucking noise around the team, just bad personnel and coaching decisions.

It's always made me wonder- why did Philip just up and quit football? Had a really good season, had a team that looked like it could have made a run that next year, would have been paid a tidy sum, nope, just gonna quit. Hines, Gilmore and it appears Okereke to a lesser extent all made it apparent they wanted to leave this team. Let's not forget, Ballard is also responsible for saying they looked at like 30 minutes of film on Ryan and determined he still had it (wtf- why is he still here????).

Is it just his fixation on "his boys" that is causing a bunch of this? And is Jim's over-reaching last year and now clearly way too fucking far into this shit, a reflection on Ballard just being a stooge and Irsay having to act because Ballard is a GM in name only?

Whatever is the fuel behind this, and I am not in the camp that it is Jim just given some of the past work- with a guy like Edge asking him to do is invocation and rolling with him to the podium- man I just have a hard time believing this is Jim's doings. Whatever it is, this shit needs to be rooted out and gotten rid of. This franchise is better than this petty shit that's been going around here the last several years.

Winning makes a harmonious team. When a team wins 13-14 games a year, people shut up and appreciate what they got. Losing results in some finger pointing.

[JAFF]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

People should get what they can, I cannot blame JT for that. Me, I don't feel bad for either of these whiny pricks. One guy is a billionaire who did zilch to earn it and the other guy is complaining that 4.3 million isn't enough money for someone who also did zilch to be born with genetics that almost nobody on the planet has and thinks he 'earned' every penny. They are both here because they won the lottery when they were born (agreed Irsay won a bigger one but JT got gifts from god that people would give their left nut for). I am not pissed at them or anything-I would be doing close to the same thing if I was in their position. I just don't give a shit (I want JT on the team but won't lose any sleep either way) and think that words like 'right and wrong' have almost no place to me with this cat fight between these two (although I have honored every contract I have signed, even though I was stupid and signed some really bad ones that cost me money). My bet is after all of this crap plays out JT is running the ball for the Colts this year and into the future.

Irsay needs to respond to any questions about contracts as, “no comment”.

[Brylok]

Originally Posted by JAFF

Irsay needs to respond to any questions about contracts as, “no comment”.

Irsay needs to shut up and let the GM handle it.

[ChaosTheory]

I'll preface by saying JT's ankle might be fucked and impact his season. I also suppose JT and Co. could use his ankle as an excuse in the future so he gets his $4.3m and his UFA status without actually playing. I would think the legal fiasco that would cause between JT, the Colts, the doctors, and the union would keep even the dickheads representing JT from pursuing... of course we did just see Lamar Jackson in a dubious injury situation last year amid his contract issues.

But assume that's off the table and his ankle gets healthy. The realistic outcomes for the next few seasons as I see them are:


2023 - JT has to play for us. The only way he can leave is if the Colts trade him or place an RFA tender on him which doesn't seem likely.
If he suits up, I believe human nature, the competitiveness, and the comradery take over for everyone and it flows through the season with the contract on the backburner.

2024 - Assuming JT had a good '23, he could earn an extension offer. Knowing Ballard, it probably won't be what JT wants today. He could trade him, but the Colts probably make out better if they franchise him. They either keep a great player for a relatively cheap RB Tag... or they let him sign an offer from another team and scoop up two 1st-round picks which is more than they would've gotten in any trade.

2025 - I couldn't guess here with all the previous variables... but while a Year-2 FT would be more expensive, it still would be relatively cheap for RB's. So I could see the Colts possibly trying to use it again if JT's been healthy/productive. In which case, repeat of '24: He either signs an extension going into his age-26 season, gives us one more season under the FT, or another team signs him and we get two 1st-round picks.


Beyond that, the FT becomes retarded where the pay is based on the top 5 QB's salaries. But JT is either extended or gone long before this point anyway.

[CletusPyle]

The question to me is, if JT has a great/very good 2023, will the Colts give him an extension? If that is their intention why not sit down with him and make that clear (if they haven't already). Maybe even include some benchmarks and say if you reach these goals we will will offer you a very fair extension and negotiate in good faith!

At some point, unless the Colts don't really have long term plans for JT, they are going to have to make it clear to him that they value him greatly as a player and provided he can stay healthy and reach some agreed upon goals he will receive at least an offer of a very fair and market based extension! That is how most of us get raises or promotions in our work. If he has a great or very good 2023, I just think franchising him is unfair, they should at least make him a fair offer based on his market value....he can choose to reject it, but I believe an offer should be made!

[Oldcolt]

All 'fair' means is 'I like it' and 'unfair' just means I don't like it. Is it 'fair' to ignore a contract that you play under? It is totally 'fair' to franchise him, that is the rules he freely chose to follow when he signed his contract. I have zero sympathy for some kid who is going to make 14 million dollars over the next few years if he stays healthy. It is obscene to bitch about that kind of money when so many have next to nothing. Again fight for as much as you can, we do live in a capitalistic country, but stop whining like you are being insulted because you are underpaid. Get some perspective on life.

[CletusPyle]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

All 'fair' means is 'I like it' and 'unfair' just means I don't like it. Is it 'fair' to ignore a contract that you play under? It is totally 'fair' to franchise him, that is the rules he freely chose to follow when he signed his contract. I have zero sympathy for some kid who is going to make 14 million dollars over the next few years if he stays healthy. It is obscene to bitch about that kind of money when so many have next to nothing. Again fight for as much as you can, we do live in a capitalistic country, but stop whining like you are being insulted because you are underpaid. Get some perspective on life.

To me fair means, making an offer that is based on market value and added or subtracted intangibles. Not some bullshit low ball offer like a used car salesman! An offer that JT might reject but not be offended by...anyway, if the Colts have no intention of offering him an extension, regardless of how well he plays this season, then it doesn't even matter....and that is what I think JT believes is going to happen and he is trying to get out ahead of it!

[Brylok]

Hell, the 2023 franchise tag for the RB position pays $10.09M. I imagine it will increase a bit for the 2024 season. All Taylor needs to do is play and make it to next season and he'll make more than double his current wages by being tagged. It's $6M less than McCafferty, but Taylor isn't as good as him, so it's about the right amount. This is useless drama.

[CletusPyle]

Originally Posted by Brylok

Hell, the 2023 franchise tag for the RB position pays $10.09M. I imagine it will increase a bit for the 2024 season. All Taylor needs to do is play and make it to next season and he'll make more than double his current wages by being tagged. It's $6M less than McCafferty, but Taylor isn't as good as him, so it's about the right amount. This is useless drama.

I actually kind of agree with this, but it doesn't really matter if we think 10 million should be plenty for JT, he believes he is worth more and now the question is, how do the Colts go forward with a very unhappy player. I think there are some things they can do to at least get a productive year out of him, just saying to him that the "RB franchise money should be enough for you, so be happy", and that only if you have a great season, is probably not going to produce the maximum effort out of JT this season.