Free Agents Discussion

[sherck]

Originally Posted by Wyatt

@MyColtsAccount
Since March 9, Chris Ballard has signed 10 Free Agents for a total of $83.85M; about the same amount as Grigson gave Landry, RJF + Cherilus.

@MyColtsAccount 11h11 hours ago
(Apologies, should be 11 Free Agents: Schwenke, Turbin, Doyle, Hunt, Woods, Simon, Sheard, Mingo, Spence, Butler, Locke).

@MyColtsAccount 11h11 hours ago
Also worth noting that Chris Ballard has not guaranteed a single dollar to any of this year's Free Agents beyond 2017. Zero cap hit if cut.

That certainly puts things into perspective.

When none of those three "high priced" free agents of Grigson's panned out, he had nothing to show for his free agency class.

A few of the guys whom Ballard signed are going to suck or not make the final 53 man roster (my money is on Mingo and Hunt). However, he might still have a "successful" free agency class because at least a couple of those other guys are going to be starters and contribute greatly in 2017.

On one hand, I can completely understand the folks who wanted "at least ONE" splash signing of a sure-fire, clear cut superior player in free agency. Doyle, Sheard or Simon are as close as we get to that and it would not surprise me if Schwenke ends up being a 16 game starter at right OG in 2017.

However, I also think that having filled many of our glaring needs with NFL "serviceable" veteran talent and still having $14m in free cap space to spend this off-season on veteran "surprise" cuts later in free agency is pretty brilliant.

While the "surprise" cuts will not be young like most of Ballard's free agents have been, many of them are still talented, can give a couple of years of stop-gap service to develop draftees and could end up doing a lot for our team.

I see both sides of the equation. I am so very interested to see what Ballard does in the draft and with the rest of free agency.

Cheers,