Rappaport reports Colts one of teams interested in Brown
 

Well let the offseason speculation begin

Not really clear though from the article what he is basing this on. Is it something he has heard to just based on the fact the Colts have an extra 2nd round pick and cap space? Article seems to imply the latter, but does not come right out and say it

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nfl-rum...021713510.html

I would be absolutely shocked if Ballard traded for AB.

I wouldn't be shocked. Ballard knows we're closer to being elite, than far, AB is an immediate upgrade at a position of need.

I don’t see where he is saying they have interest. He says due to salary cap So he’s just crap shooting

I think with our cap room we will be linked to every vet on the trade block. Ballard values those draft picks more than anything, have a hard time seeing him part with one.

Until he becomes a fucking clown because he was not the center of the universe.

He freaked when Smith Shuster was named captain or whatever. How would he handle being second fiddle to TY?

That is the $1,000 question.

Could he come into Indy knowing that Luck is the heart of the team and, perhaps, T.Y. the soul of the team and be okay being "one" of the playmakers rather than "the" playmaker?

If the answer is yes, then you sign him immediately, draft another young potential to add to Cain and Fountain and roll with:

WR1 = T.Y. Hilton
WR2 = Antonio Brown
WR3 = Dontrelle Inman
WR4 - 6 = Deon Cain, Maurice Fountain, mid-round rookie

and hope that one of those young kids steps up and takes Inman's position in the pecking order by no later than mid-season.

Add that to:

TE1 = Jack Doyle
TE2 = Erick Ebron
TE3 = Allie Mo Cox
TE4 = Ross Travis

RB1 = Marlon Mack
RB2 = Nyheim Hines
RB3 = Jordan Wilkins
RB4 = Lower round rookie

and you have some position groups that are deep and exciting.

But if Brown is going to need to be the center of the team, then you pass. Not worth the headache.

Walk Worthy,

Fair warning: get ready for the Colts to be linked to EVERYONE available via free agency and trade. They have the most assets.

If Ballard feels like AB isn't the problem and his relationship with TY can reassure the office he won't be an issue, I'd see if they were interested in Briskett plus a 6th or 7th

goes against everything he has preached thus far. establish a culture, build core through draft, dont over spend on FAs, etc.

grigsons teams had early success and grigs went for a bunch of FAs and failed miserably. I dont see ballard doing that, but what the hell do I know...

Mmmmm Briskett. A little barbecue sauce and you have yourself a deal!

Grigson hit on a few, missed on more. The last two hits are somewhat debatable.

Hits:
Frank Gore
Mike Adams
Darius Butler
D'Qwell Jackson
Erik Walden
Cory Redding

Misses:
Corey Simon (13 starts, paid 14M of his 5 year 30 M deal)
Arthur Jones (played in 17 games paid 20M of his 5 year $33M contract)
Laron Landry (came off a pro-bowl season with jets, injured, suspended, paid $12M of his $24M contract)
Samson Sucktele (24 starts, paid $8M on 3 year 12M contrqact
Donald Thomas (played in 2 games, paid 4.5M of his 3 year 14M deal)
Todd Herremans (lost his starting job after 2 games, appeared in 8 games total)
Andre Johnson (41 catches, 4TDs, played one season of his 3 year $21M contract)
Patrick Robinson (appeared in 7 games, cut after 1 year of his 3 year, 12M contract)
Antonio Cromartie (appeared in 4 games, was done when we got him)

Grigson primarily failed in the draft, along with being an overall douche. He didn’t have big hits in free agency, but he maintained flexibility and added some useable short term pieces. Good enough to get to an AFCCG. The issue was that there were never any youngsters contributing or taking the older free agents place. I don’t care what you add in free agency or how you build your team, when you have a three year run of: Werner, Trent Richardson, Dorsette from your first round picks the team is going to feel it. Free agency was not the reason Grigsons teams failed and Ballard certainly shouldn’t ignore it.

As far as Brown is concerned, I’d prefer him over Bell out of the two Steelers guys mainly because I see a massive hole at WR that I don’t see at RB. I wouldn’t be upset at giving a 2nd for him, but I also wouldn’t be jumping up and down at the chance to either.

Corey Simon was a Polian signing. Also, you were quite generous with "hits".

They will not want Brissett; they have their next QB in Mason Rudolph.

It will probably take a 3rd or even a 2nd round pick to secure him; someone will pay that.

Walk Worthy,

I'm less inclined to think Ballard will trade draft picks to gain a FA such as Brown after just watching his live press conference. He was asked the specific question, "are you open to trading away one of your 9 picks in a FA deal". Though his answer was "we will look at each situation on a case by case basis", before he answered his body language screamed Hell No. He immediately squinted and shook his head no, then verbally gave his noncommittal answer.

The link to the presser hasn't been posted yet. I watched it live streamed on Facebook and I'm always aggravated by the comments from some of the idiots that post. The most notable were calls to trade Ebron and AC. You just can't fix stupid so I don't even try when I see that.

Yeah, I don't see Ballard as the type that would ever WANT to trade draft picks.

The question is, where is his threshold to feeling like he HAS to trade away a draft pick for the right person?

No one know that threshold point yet; perhaps not even himself.

Walk Worthy,

This is what Ballard said concerning Brisset

Ballard: Value of Jacoby Brissett to Colts? 'I like to sleep at night.'
He told Brissett 'I'm not giving you away.'

According to Chappell

you are correct, but I was not implying FAs were the sole or main reason grigson ultimately failed.

I saw the second half of his presser. I like ballard, I like his demeanor, I like his answers. We are in good hands between him and reich. Irsay got his hires right this time and is letting them do their jobs vice what happened in the last regime.

Ballard wants to draft the next Antonio Brown, not trade assets for a 31 year old AB with team cancer written all over him.

I just can't see us signing Brown. Ballard made a special point of emphasizing during his press conference today how important the locker room culture is to him. I fully realize that it's unlikely that any of us have first hand information about Brown's character or personality, and we mostly rely upon the media for that information, but Brown is at the center of a massive locker room dispute right now. And his own teammates are coming out against him, not to mention team owner Art Rooney. Signing Brown would be hard to explain.

The fact that both Bell and Brown have issues in that locker room makes you wonder what the hell is really going on there in Pittsburgh. Is Brown a malcontent? Or is he just a symptom of a bigger problem? I’d like for Ballard to look into it, and then I’d trust his opinion on whether or not it was worth it. What I hope he doesn’t do is just turn his nose up at it and say “we do what we do” and not even consider it. Brown is to good of a player at a position of need to not at least entertain the thought and do some homework.

Agreed, but if there's anything I trust most about Ballard, it's that he and his staff will do all the due diligence necessary. They couldn't have built the locker room that they have without it.

Dorsett has done better in New England than here. Maybe Pagano screwed the kid up. Granted, he is not performing at first round level.

Its up

https://www.colts.com/video/colts-gm...on-2018-season

I think his 2nd season with the Colts is still his best year. Either way, him still being in the league 4 years later is about the best thing you can say for those 3 guys.

o


Guys Like Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell will Never Play for this Colts GM

(By Gregg Doyel)

https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...rd/2574206002/

o

Ballard is doing a great job, whatever he decides I'm fine with. Although I would like to see him go after 1 or 2 high profile free agents this offseason. Team can be built through the draft but the one year Colts won the SB, they picked up Booger McFarland in the offseason at a position of need.

Not sure if Brown's character / off-field issues are worth it, but that's why Ballard gets paid the $$$ to make those decisions.

Pretty sure McFarland was on in season trade.

Edeldick gets most of the looks. Gordon was getting the next batch. Now that Gordon is out, those looks are going to Hogan and Dorsett.

For once, I agree with Doyel