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A thread on how it seems Jim Irsay has learned from some of Ryan Grigson's failures and how Chris Ballard does things differently:
1) IMO, things really began to unravel for Grigson in 2013. He did a good job in 2012, and Indy went 11-5 and made the playoffs! Stunning! He rightly won GM of the Year.
2012 was one of the most fun seasons for Colts fans, but also deceiving. They were 11-5, but 26th in DVOA.
2012 was one of the most fun seasons for Colts fans, but also deceiving. They were 11-5, but 26th in DVOA.
In other words: they deserved all the credit for surpassing expectations in 2012, but they weren't built the right way yet. It was a work in progress.
But my contention is that many fans/media saw them as much closer than they actually were - and I'd guess so did Grigson.
But my contention is that many fans/media saw them as much closer than they actually were - and I'd guess so did Grigson.
So what happened in 2013? He went out and spent big money on a bunch of different free agent signings. Drafted Bejoern Werner in the first round. Traded for Trent Richardson.
I actually liked some of those moves, so I'm not pretending otherwise. But they were made to "win now."
I actually liked some of those moves, so I'm not pretending otherwise. But they were made to "win now."
IMO, that's a large part of what set the Colts back moving forward. They got deceived by early success into taking some shortcuts to build the team, and that then proceeded to unravel.
2013 and 2014 were fine, but they weren't built to last. It was all Andrew Luck.
2013 and 2014 were fine, but they weren't built to last. It was all Andrew Luck.
That's my perception of things. Could be wrong. But that's why, when I read this in @zkeefer's excellent profile on Chris Ballard yesterday, it stuck out:
Irsay's charge to Ballard when he was hired: "No quick fixes. No shortcuts."
IMO, quick fixes and shortcuts was the mindset that led to things unraveling in Indy for Ryan Grigson. Chris Ballard has definitely avoided them.
IMO, quick fixes and shortcuts was the mindset that led to things unraveling in Indy for Ryan Grigson. Chris Ballard has definitely avoided them.
2) Ok, one more. We all know by now that Grigson failed spectacularly on connecting with his players. But one of the (seemingly many) ways that happened was by trying to erase the past.
Here's how Pat McAfee put it:
Here's how Pat McAfee put it:
To be fair, there probably did need to be something done right away in 2012 to help the franchise move forward from the PFM era, but the answer probably wasn't ignoring it and moving on entirely.
Chris Ballard, on the other hand, welcomes the past. I believe Irsay has said this in the past too, so it's nothing new, but again, from Keefer's profile on Ballard:
It sounds like Grigson tried to establish his own regime by moving on from the past, and that didn't fly with the franchise. Ballard, on the other hand, is comfortable enough with himself that his regime can be established *while* honoring and learning from the past.
So to be clear, I really doubt Irsay had Grigson in mind when giving that interview with Keefer. But as I read the article, I couldn't help but think that it sounds like a man who has learned from some of the mistakes, and the franchise is now better for it.
