Before we discard Kelly and Smith, consider…

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by Kray007

The state of the roster.

Resigning Fries is a priority, but it’s no slam dunk. If he walks and we cut ties with Smith and Kelly, we are staring into an abyss if injury strikes. Depth would consist of Glowinski, Freeland, Pinter, Tucker, French, and Coll. Pinter, French, Coll, and Glowinski are all free agents, but…

Even if they weren’t, there isn’t a single player among the backups that I’d trust to play OL in a Saturday afternoon flag football league.

Two years ago, Ballard was virtually crucified because he left the cupboard bare of quality backups on the line. He can’t make the same mistake again. It’s that simple.

Do we really want to go into free agency needing to spend half of our cap space on the line? Do we want to spend 2nd and 3rd round draft picks filling holes we ourselves dug?

When morning breaks on free agency, do we want to face a choice between signing a cover Corner or a Right Tackle, a Linebacker who can cover or a guy who can snap the ball?

On Monday morning, after the draft, do we really want to listen while bozos like Kevin Bowen take to the airwaves complaining about how Ballard passed on an “impact” player in order to take a Guard?

Don’t get me wrong. I recognize that Kelly and Smith are nearing the end. I just think that it makes sense to wring out whatever is left of their ability for another year while we address other needs.

There's a reasonable deal to be had between the Colts and Fries, and if he absolutely won't resign for some reason, the Colts have tags available. I don't think it will get to that point, though, I would think they will work out a deal. As for Smith, is he even reliable at this point? He missed a good portion of the end of the regular season due to an undisclosed personal matter. Since we don't know what that personal matter is, it could be something that could cause him to retire. Stranger things have happened. As for Kelly, he’s on the decline and Bortolini showed enough as a rookie to think he'll be a solid replacement going forward. I think retaining Fries (who was a 7th round pick, by the way), retaining Glowinski, and drafting a couple OL for depth on Day 3 is the smart play. Having a starting OL of Raimann, Nelson, Bortolini, Fries, Goncalves with Glowinski, Freeland, and French as depth is better than most of the league. If Smith is also part of that mix, even better, but I would cut him if he doesn't agree to a pretty large pay cut.

[HoosierinFL]

I'd keep Kelly but Smith is very expensive and just not very good, I think he can be replaced easily.

[YDFL Commish]

Originally Posted by HoosierinFL

I'd keep Kelly but Smith is very expensive and just not very good, I think he can be replaced easily.

I agree with this assessment.

[ChoppedWood]

This is basically the Ballard approach. Convince yourself that those already in your keep are inherently better than anything you could get from another roster, simply based on the fact you are familiar with them.

This is the team run-it-back approach, it is a huge driver in why we can't fucking get over the hump- the players are just "good enough" to keep from being a bottom feeder but they aren't nearly to the level it takes to win on an elite NFL level. Fuck that, it is time to start trimming the fat and sending a message that the floor is now higher and if you can't meet that minimum floor expectation, you can't be a Colt.

That said, this is Ballard, his floor for anyone that has worn the blue and white, is absurdly low, so they will both be Colts, and probably starters, next year.

FUCK CHRIS BALLARD!

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by ChoppedWood

This is basically the Ballard approach. Convince yourself that those already in your keep are inherently better than anything you could get from another roster, simply based on the fact you are familiar with them.

This is the team run-it-back approach, it is a huge driver in why we can't fucking get over the hump- the players are just "good enough" to keep from being a bottom feeder but they aren't nearly to the level it takes to win on an elite NFL level. Fuck that, it is time to start trimming the fat and sending a message that the floor is now higher and if you can't meet that minimum floor expectation, you can't be a Colt.

That said, this is Ballard, his floor for anyone that has worn the blue and white, is absurdly low, so they will both be Colts, and probably starters, next year.

FUCK CHRIS BALLARD!

You always have a criticism, but how about for once you talk about what you would like to see happen as an alternative instead of just incessantly bitching, whining, moaning, and desperately wishing that Chris Ballard will finally come to your bedroom tonight?

[albany ed]

For me, both Kelly and Smith have become part time players, so they are the chief reason depth becomes more important. Keeping Smith is very costly and IMO, not worth it. This money can be used to get some serious depth. As for Kelly, first of all, thank you, you've been a great center for the Colts for years. However, the harsh truth of pro football is that it takes a toll on your body, particularly for interior linemen. If you're going to miss half the season and not be that healthy for the other half, it's time to hang it up. This money can be spent elsewhere and the Colts can have the depth they require.

[ukcolt]

I am not sure what some of you were watching last year. Braden Smith had a knee injury that he was battling through and was still playing fairly decent football, next to the turnstile that was Dalton Tucker. For what it might be worth he had a 66.2 grade with PFF, which ranked him as the 49th best tackle in the league. He had an 83.3 grade in 2023. We don't know what his personal issues are and I sincerely hope that things are not too catastrophic, he is by far our best option at RT if healthy. He is one of the top 5 RT's in the league assuming he is fully healthy. People also need to realise he is only 28 years old, 29 in March, he is in his absolute prime years as a player. Fingers crossed he, or his family are ok. If he returns to the standards of 2023 he is on a fair market price on this contract at $19.75m

The problem as fans, we are not privy to his ongoing issues so don't know how to plan going forward.......but for the love of god that isn't our job either, we are just fans.

[IndyNorm]

Originally Posted by albany ed

For me, both Kelly and Smith have become part time players, so they are the chief reason depth becomes more important. .

To me this is the biggest factor in letting them go as well. Even if both Kelly and Smith were playing at the level they were earlier in their careers you can't pay them like we have been if they're only gong to be available ~60% of the time.

It borders on insanity to let Kelly walk and at the same time lose Braden Smith to either retirement or release.

Ballard did that once and we had our worst season since 2017. Who wants to live through that again.

If Smith retires, then resign Kelly. If Smith agrees to stay and restructure, then you consider letting Kelly walk.

The big difference between now and then is that Goncalves and Bortolini are far better than Pryor and an out of position Pinter.

I agree that we have many holes to fill, which is why I would part ways with Smith. It's better to get out on a player a year early than a year late, and having Goncalves means we have a starting caliber RT at a fraction of the price, and the money saved can be reallocated to address some of those roster needs. Backup OT is also a much cheaper position to fill than starting RT. I'd be willing to draft a rookie and let he and Freeland battle it out for the swing tackle spot if it meant Jevon Holland and D.J. Reed/Charvarius Ward were shoring up the secondary.

Definitely agree with this. Of course this assumes that Ballard will take the additional salary cap space we'll get from releasing Smith and put it to good use rather than stick it in his next year(s) lock box. I know he said he is going to be more active in FA at his year end presser, but we've heard similar promises in the past where in the end he didn't do a single thing (improving the secondary in his post '23 season presser for example).

[ChoppedWood]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

You always have a criticism, but how about for once you talk about what you would like to see happen as an alternative instead of just incessantly bitching, whining, moaning, and desperately wishing that Chris Ballard will finally come to your bedroom tonight?

Inherent in my post, would be what I would do- fucking what any GM not named Chris Ballard would do- not sign these two and sign other FA's which are better than them; we HAVE to change this damn culture and create some uncomfortableness at every damn position. Telling a couple old timers that have had good careers but haven't been top level performers of late that they have to go, is a good way to start that process.

I'm not the GM, I don't have the financial modeling in front of me, I don't have access to 22 film for every player in the NFL, and those coming into the NFL, that Chris fucking lazy as fuck Ballard has. So, am I capable of doing the evaluations Chris Ballard and his TEAM are equipped to do in order to say who that means I sign, fuck no. But to answer your fucking obtuse question, I would do what I infer in my post- not bring these two back, along with probably greater than 50% of the half assed effort entitled B level players this fucking asshole has propped up as NFL all-timers.

But alas, we will continue to Ballard for another 330 days or so and be back here at this time next year wondering why we didn't sign "X", "Y", or "Z" instead... pay attention dumb ass, this is the wash rinse repeat cycle we live in under FBF and why we suck over and over.

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by ChoppedWood

Inherent in my post, would be what I would do- fucking what any GM not named Chris Ballard would do- not sign these two and sign other FA's which are better than them; we HAVE to change this damn culture and create some uncomfortableness at every damn position. Telling a couple old timers that have had good careers but haven't been top level performers of late that they have to go, is a good way to start that process.

I'm not the GM, I don't have the financial modeling in front of me, I don't have access to 22 film for every player in the NFL, and those coming into the NFL, that Chris fucking lazy as fuck Ballard has. So, am I capable of doing the evaluations Chris Ballard and his TEAM are equipped to do in order to say who that means I sign, fuck no. But to answer your fucking obtuse question, I would do what I infer in my post- not bring these two back, along with probably greater than 50% of the half assed effort entitled B level players this fucking asshole has propped up as NFL all-timers.

But alas, we will continue to Ballard for another 330 days or so and be back here at this time next year wondering why we didn't sign "X", "Y", or "Z" instead... pay attention dumb ass, this is the wash rinse repeat cycle we live in under FBF and why we suck over and over.

So you're not willing to actually express an opinion of your own, all you can do is bitch about how poorly Ballard is doing?

So those two guys you want to replace, Kelly and Smith, do you know why it's possible to replace them without spending most of the remaining cap space to do it? Because Ballard drafted a starting caliber RT and C in rounds 3 and 4 last year. I know you wouldn't do that.

If you're not actually willing to have an opinion about what should be done differently, then you should just quit your bitching, because the team certainly wouldn't be better off if they did what you want them to.