Indianapolis Colts: Chris Ballard Inherits Great Bones as New GM
By Luke Sims
Ryan Grigson failed to capitalize on the talent that the Indianapolis Colts have, but those players give new general manager Chris Ballard a strong foundation.
Chris Ballard is not walking into a wholesale rebuild with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are always contenders to win the AFC South and are talented enough to threaten other playoff teams in the regular season and in January. Few new general managers have that luxury.
Having cut his teeth with the Kansas City Chiefs as the director of football operations, Ballard brings experience with a winning franchise to the table—something that is needed after the recent Colts mediocrity. The announcement that Ballard would be joining the team is not surprising as his football acumen and history are well respected around the league. His hiring brings fresh eyes to the Colts’ problems and can probably get the team over the hump.
The first thing Ballard will need to find is protection for stud quarterback Andrew Luck. Luck is the jewel of the team and Ryan Grigson’s inability to find talent for the offensive line to protect Luck was his biggest downfall. Protecting Luck is an obvious and achievable goal through the draft and free agency. 41 sacks (Luck’s 2016 number) is too high, even for a quarterback as talented as Luck.
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It looks like the draft will be the most important building block under Ballard. With some high-priced players already on the team, the Colts will need to be judicious with their draft selections to bring in cheaper talent that can still start at a high level early. Without successful drafts, the Colts could be in trouble financially in trying to keep together key players to any successful playoff run the team has in mind.
With those financial considerations in mind and the need to build through the draft prominent, Ballard’s selection makes perfect sense. The Chiefs have often hit on major contributors throughout the draft, from the first round to the seventh round. Players like Tyreek Hill (fifth round) complement Travis Kelce (third round) who are balanced on defense by Marcus Peters (first round). If Ballard can even come close to the same level of production through the draft with the Colts, the team could rise up quickly.
With a weaker division, a franchise quarterback already doing everything to win, and a top-flight general manager now on board, the Colts may again be in the playoffs every year going forward, rivaling even the dominant Peyton Manning years.