wabashalwaysfights

Seems like 8-10 is a narrower defeat than when it was proposed before...

Can't say I love the PBA stuff, but at this point it seems like a losing fight, so meh... My wife is the basketballer in our family and she was definitely NOT in favor of the shot clock, so bully there! Any word on the co-op proposal?

So I haven't paid attention attention to college basketball for some time: was this kid a baller?

...of course they do...

Obvious photo shop? You mean the male *ahem* reproduction organ DOESN'T show up on x-ray? Something is definitely up here. The Ravens are traditionally one of the better run organizations in the league and the Raiders have been... less than that in recent years. So either there was something beyond concerns about the knee or this is a massive and uncharacteristic panic move.

I would agree 100% on cap space: it seems like that was a big part of moving on from Pittman too, which is unfortunate.

I will grant you the above and as evidence, if you check the stats over the past 4 years, Franklin was top 5 in tackles from 2022 to 2024, the same years Stewart and Buckner we fully healthy whereas this year he was well down that list. Counterpoint: Pratt had/has more experience in Anorumo's (spell check please) system, which is perhaps more the reason Franklin's numbers dipped this year. I guess my thing is this: production is production and while a guy like Franklin may not be in perfect run fit position on every snap, I think he'll be tough to replace, especially if you're relying on the draft.

Well this has been... something. I feel like WR is razor thin as a position group now and LB isnt too far behind. Im guessing the plan is to address those in the draft. Honestly, trading Franklin hurts more than Pitt I think.

https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/indianapolis-colts/quarterback-kyler-murray-free-agent-signing/ So there's this... I was listening to a podcast earlier this week and they made a good point: given Jones' injury history, its almost like you need 2 quarterbacks. Given the price tag, I guess it would be okay?

This makes sense. My wife has tried to watch The Office with me 3 times and can't get more than 10 minutes into the pilot...

I'll bite here, but with the following caveats: I don't know that I see a bunch of teams willing to take that big a risk on a guy who likely won't even be ready come week 1. I get that Achilles injuries aren't the DEATH sentence they were once upon a time, but they're still serious. For that matter, to return briefly to Richardson in all this, his eye injury may be a potential road block to a trade that the Colts are comfortable with because you just don't know with an orbital bone injury. Secondly, I don't know what Taylor's contract situation is, so im assuming you've got him for at least the next three years. In the scenario you present, it likely differs because of Ballards feeling of relative job security, which can't be all that great. If you are a secure Ballard (or a 1st year GM) you likely consider patience. Maybe you just roll with Leonard and see what happens: he was at least competent at the end of the year and if you go 4-13, eh, you tool up somehow for next year. If you are a desperate Ballard, which I think is the reality (and honestly, the Gardiner trade seems to imply that he is indeed desperate that was VERY un-Ballard like), I think you take a big swing. I would agree on Willis being option #1, so the rest of this is pure unadulterated JUST FOR FUN... you've been warned. First, what about Derek Carr? He jas said he only would come back for a contender, and I don't think its a massive stretch to make the case that the Colts AREN'T a contender. Elite RB, elite TE, maybe not an elite WR corps, but more than serviceable (even assuming Pierce would leave with Jones), and i would say an elite offensive line with an above average defense competing in the AFC South, which is an "uneven" division at best. Plus, youre playing for Steichen, who while may not be a "QB whisperer," but is certainly well respected. Think of it this way: David Carr or Kyler Murray if I'm desperate to make the playoffs and a possible run? To me its Carr and its not particularly close. Now for the stretchiest of all stretches: what if the Texans were ready to move on from CJ Stroud? Again, I don't LOVE Stroud, but is he better than any of the guys you listed? Probably. I think the Texans still have him under contract, so you'd have to give something up, but the Colts are fairly deep on the offensive line, a place of need for the Texans. Again, this is more than a pipe dream, but if you're Ballard and youre desperate do you at least pick up the phone? Again, those two, Carr and Stroud, are purely for giggles. If its not Jones/Leonard, Willis is the most logical option and the one I would hope we'd go with. All that said, because I'm a Colts fan and I've seen this movie before, if Jones does walk watch Ballard sign Cousins and we rinse/repeat 8-9 or 9-8 and finish a game out of the playoffs and be right back at square one... Me too. Ive been told its "a show about nothing" so I guess I'm not sure what im missing?

Darnold failed in NY because... no QB has been successful in NY since what? Chad Pennington? That franchise has been so criminally mismanaged... Richardson is a product of the ability of these guys to leave school early to "maximize" their value. The downside of this is that they leave much to be desired in terms of development. Even in the current age where QB play in college doesn't necessarily translate to the NFL (disproportionate number of RPOs, under center reps, etc.), reps are reps and when you make the jump to the League that quick you leave a lot of those reps on the table. I don't blame guys for making the jump to avoid injury, and the transfer portal makes this even all the more complicated, but it seems that ultimately his inexperience has been his downfall. An amazing counterfactual to all of this: what if Richardson takes at least one more year in college? He likely is not in Indy, but his NFL career likely has a more than probable more positive trajectory. Not even: Russell, if I recall correctly, was billed as a can't miss, Richardson's potential flaws were well documented and the Colts decided it was worth the risk.

49ers seems like the best situation for Richardson. Seems like Purdy is oft-injured himself, so an opportunity to learn from Shannahan and potentially come in for a couple of starts to boost future contract value? I'd be in. Atlanta seems a little unstable yet, though Stephanski showed he can make lemonade out of lemons (to a degree) in Cleveland. Still, I think anywhere that expects Richardson to be a day one starter is no bueno for him. I'll be honest, I was super excited about his potential when he was drafted, but hindsight being 20/20, he definitely wasn't, and still likely isn't, ready yet. He's got to be closer that what he was, but still. Edit: bigger question for Colts fans - what is a team going to be willing to give up for him? Likely nothing higher than a 3rd round pick at best... and I'd think that is an ABSOLUTE best case scenario.

Riverton Parke lost a student-athlete yesterday in a single car accident. Please keep the community in your thoughts and prayers.

Yeah, I'm guessing they were the mysterious "7th team" that had hit Harbaugh's agent up...

ANYWAY..... Now that John Harbaugh is available, does this change the calculus at all concerning Steichen? Personally I don't think it will nor am I sure it should, but Harbaugh is one of those guys I mentioned would likely be considered better than Steichen and would warrant kicking the tires on.

Oh no, I got that and didnt take offense at all. At the time, in my head, I was also linking the idea of a broken record to what seems like repeated disappointments for us as Colts fans in recent years and the frustrations that come from that. In hindsight, I probably didnt need to quote your post. As far as coaches go, I'm not sure image Stephanski over Steichen, though I get he hasn't had much to work with at Cleveland, at least as far as consistency goes. That would seem like a lateral move at best. Now if a Mike Tomlin or John Harbaugh were available... now you're talking. GM-wise: I haven't the foggiest...

So a thought worth considering: I've often heard it said that when you consider "cleaning house" in the NFL, you need to consider whether or not you actually have any options that are better than what you currently have. In light of that, in this cycle, who would potential options be to replace Steichen or Ballard who would be better?

Yes, BUT you have to also balance that with cleaning up the mess that was left to you, and given the absolute dumpster fire left by Grigson and that Ballard's process is patience, patience, patience, that timeline becomes even more difficult to assess. I would agree though that the clock is nearing midnight for this pumpkin though... This, unfortunately for Steichen especially, is absolutely correct.

I agree on Ballard: I think he gets a bad rap because his approach is not super "flashy" but he has built a roster that is actually pretty solid. Now, not many believed that up until the first half of this year because he, and the rest of the organization, got absolutely blindsided by Luck's retirement, which left them with a massive, Grand Canyon sized hole at the most important position on the roster. He has started to step outside of his "normal" approach by taking a swing at a raw, physical talent like Richardson (which has been a bust to this point) and trading for Gardner (a move the Ballard of 5 years ago would have never even given an initial thought to). As to Steichen and Lou; I am not sure I agree. I listen to the "Heed the Call" podcast, and they were quick to point out (and I think we discussed this here earlier this season) that JT's success is attributable to having a legitimate threat at the quarterback position who can take advantage of your weaknesses on the back end when you load the box up. We actually saw this on display with the Rivers games: teams dared him to beat them with his arm and largely he actually did. That's not to say that I think Steichen didn't move off the running game too early is some cases (because I do) but I also don't think it's as easy as drawing a straight line correlation between JT's numbers and wins and losses. Things are more dynamic than that. As far as Lou goes, for as much attention as the injury to Jones gets, the defense is where the injury bug really bit this year. That said, injuries happen to every team, some handle them better than others. Unfortunately, we are looking at a similar song and dance this offseason: it comes down to the quarterback. Do you run it back with Indiana Jones coming off of an Achilles rupture (assuming he'll be at all ready) or blow it up and start over?

100% agree with everything except the bold. The last few weeks shows that in order to win an MVP a RB needs at least competent QB play, but to say he was never a serious contender is a bit short sighted; he was a contender, he isn't anymore, nothing more, nothing less. Has it become extremely difficult for anyone other than a QB to win an MVP? Yes. Impossible? I don't think it's impossible. DeVonta Smith won a Heisman what, 3 or 4 years ago?

This actually makes a lot of sense. Honestly you could make a good case for prying Frankfort away from the MAC, add Delphi and you've got a decent 7 team league.

Danville to Twin Lakes and Tipton seems like a heck of a drive, but travel time seems to matter less and less these days... Years ago when I was at BC (my goodness, it's been 14 years?), we talked as a coaching staff about getting out of the Hoosier and were always told that BC would never because they were a founding member. I don't know how true that is or if that attitude persists, but I've always felt that BC would be a good fit in the WRC... and not just in football. That said, look at me complaining about drives: BC to SV sounds like torture... I mean, it's a relatively straight shot down 63, but that is a BORING stretch of road...