Ballard and Steichen are coming back

[Dam8610]

You know, I've noticed ChoppedWood doesn't post anymore. You would think he'd be all over posting about how good things are now that the Colts are winning.

[albany ed]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

You know, I've noticed ChoppedWood doesn't post anymore. You would think he'd be all over posting about how good things are now that the Colts are winning.

He still posts, he just doesn't bitch any longer. CW is like the rest of us in his love of the Colts, he just has a tough time controlling his emotions. He's less patient for the good times to come about and will blame management, coaches and players instantly. My guess is, if he were a Jets fan, he would have slit his wrists by now.

[Oldcolt]

I was one of those who felt it was time for Ballard to go. I am not 100% behind the guy quite yet. My issue was 8 years of believing he could do everything thru the draft, not finding a QB (Honestly we have finally found what appears to be a quality QB but I feel like a blind squirrel finds a nut eventually. We got lucky in my mind and I am thrilled we did. If this guy could really evaluate QBs it wouldn't have taken 8 years) and refusing to go all in. We have a few weeks before the trade deadline. This team is close, very close. There are no super teams this year. Will Ballard pull the trigger for a pass rusher or cb and go all in this year or will he just love them draft picks to much? He showed he was able to change ways and signed us some nice dbs this past off season. I would love to see us finally go all in. I hope new ownership pushes him in that direction.

[ChaosTheory]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

My issue was 8 years of believing he could do everything thru the draft, not finding a QB (Honestly we have finally found what appears to be a quality QB but I feel like a blind squirrel finds a nut eventually. We got lucky in my mind and I am thrilled we did. If this guy could really evaluate QBs it wouldn't have taken 8 years) and refusing to go all in...

...or will he just love them draft picks to much?

This offense, which is hitting efficiency marks the league has never seen, outpacing Manning offenses and even outpacing the 2007 Patriots' record for points per drive...

is almost exclusively them picks. Jones is the only non-homegrown starter, and Abdullah may be the only other non-homegrown contributor on offense (off the top of my head). I say keep loving them picks too much.

Anarumo emphasizes the DBs in his scheme, so Ballard went after Ward and Bynum, drafted an Anarumo-style Walley.

Eberflus, on the other hand, calls the 3-tech the engine to his defense... so Ballard traded his 1st-rounder to get Buckner.

[Hoopsdoc]

The way they’re playing now, and if they continue to play that way, have completely absolved Ballard in my opinion. He really has built a complete team, at least on offense.

The only thing he hasn’t had, outside of 1 year of Luck and 1 year of Rivers, is a competent quarterback. Thats the only thing that’s held us back. I think even Reich would have been successful with a good quarterback.

That really makes it a bitter pill to swallow that Luck retired when he did. He endured guys like Samson Satele and Winston Justice thanks to that moron Grigson but Ballard was well on the way to fixing that. Look at the line we have now.

I don’t blame Luck for retiring, the timing just really sucked. I firmly believe we’d have been perrenial contenders had he stuck around.

As for finding a quarterback, I find it hard to really fault Ballard for that. It’s REALLY REALLY hard to find a franchise quarterback. Teams spend DECADES looking for one.

[Chromeburn]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

I was one of those who felt it was time for Ballard to go. I am not 100% behind the guy quite yet. My issue was 8 years of believing he could do everything thru the draft, not finding a QB (Honestly we have finally found what appears to be a quality QB but I feel like a blind squirrel finds a nut eventually. We got lucky in my mind and I am thrilled we did. If this guy could really evaluate QBs it wouldn't have taken 8 years) and refusing to go all in. We have a few weeks before the trade deadline. This team is close, very close. There are no super teams this year. Will Ballard pull the trigger for a pass rusher or cb and go all in this year or will he just love them draft picks to much? He showed he was able to change ways and signed us some nice dbs this past off season. I would love to see us finally go all in. I hope new ownership pushes him in that direction.

Finding a QB is largely luck. There is an 8% chance a QB drafted in the first round will become a Pro-Bowler. As much as guys like to talk about talent evaluation. Finding a QB is, to a large extent, luck, environment, and surrounding talent. That is why I continued to support Ballard; I liked his build strategy for teams, I knew this would be a well-built team with luck, they should have gone to the playoffs with Minshew. I think he is overall a good drafting GM, all have misses, and that is one of the most important traits a GM needs. You don't almost make the playoffs with bad to mediocre QB play and not have a good supporting cast. Yeah eventually you have to move on when a GM can't find a QB, but I have definitely seen bad GM's who stayed on simply because they got lucky finding a QB.

[Racehorse]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Finding a QB is largely luck. There is an 8% chance a QB drafted in the first round will become a Pro-Bowler. As much as guys like to talk about talent evaluation. Finding a QB is, to a large extent, luck, environment, and surrounding talent. That is why I continued to support Ballard; I liked his build strategy for teams, I knew this would be a well-built team with luck, they should have gone to the playoffs with Minshew. I think he is overall a good drafting GM, all have misses, and that is one of the most important traits a GM needs. You don't almost make the playoffs with bad to mediocre QB play and not have a good supporting cast. Yeah eventually you have to move on when a GM can't find a QB, but I have definitely seen bad GM's who stayed on simply because they got lucky finding a QB.

I saw a graphic today that said Manning was the last overall first pick who led the team that drafted him to a SB win. Given that nearly every first overall pick since him was a QB, your point about luck is valid.