General manager Chris Ballard has done yeomen’s work to keep the Indianapolis Colts competitive since Andrew Luck suddenly retired weeks before the 2019 season. But his inability to find a long-term solution at center has kept him outside the group of elite general managers in the NFL.
At least that’s what NFL writer Patrick Daugherty of NBC Sports wrote when he ranked the league’s general managers for an article released on July 14.
Daugherty ranked Ballard the No. 11 general manager in the NFL on his list.
“One problem with never being bad? You might lose your chance to be great,” Daugherty wrote. “That has been Chris Ballard’s riddle at quarterback, where he is never in position to draft the true heir apparent to Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.
“Instead it has been a series of veteran stopgaps, with 2021 option Carson Wentz going down in flames.”
ALL the latest Colts news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Colts newsletter here!
Ballard Upgrades Quarterback With Matt Ryan
The Colts will start a different quarterback in Week 1 for the sixth straight season this September. Since Ballard took over as general manager in 2017, Jacoby Brissett is the only signal caller who has made more than 17 starts for Indianapolis.
That’s not a recipe for success.
But Ballard has managed to find veteran quarterbacks to keep the Colts relevant. Daugherty was particularly complimentary of Ballard’s decision this offseason to move on from Carson Wentz and acquire Matt Ryan.
“This being Ballard, he still managed to put out the fire with a face-saving trade to the Commanders, who were strangely eager to surrender a pair of third-round picks for Wentz,” Daugherty wrote. “Ballard then … flipped a third-rounder for Matt Ryan.
“It’s a serious upgrade, if yet another short-term solution.”
Finding a franchise quarterback is not an easy thing to do. Replacing great signal callers is even harder, and Ballard’s situation has been especially difficult since he arrived in Indianapolis believing he’d have Luck for a decade.
Still, Daugherty won’t consider Ballard an elite general manager until he solves Indianapolis’ quarterback carousel.
“But sooner or later he will have to stop kicking his most important can down the road.”
Ballard’s Great Drafting Built Colts Back Into Contender
In six NFL drafts as Colts general manager, Ballard has never selected a quarterback before Day 3. But he’s nailed a lot of other picks, helping to build a strong all-around roster.
Ballard drafted guard Quenton Nelson and tackle Branden Smith to rebuild the Colts offensive line in 2018. He also added defensive centerpiece, linebacker Darius Leonard, along with running back Nyheim Hines, in the same draft.
He’s had a lot of success with second-round picks. Ballard selected cornerback Rock Ya-Sin early on Day 2 in 2019 and then running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. on Day 2 in 2020.
Those players make up a foundation that, if paired with the right quarterback, should give the Colts a chance to win the AFC South every season. And it’s that drafting that helped rank Ballard not too far from the elite general managers on Daugherty’s list.
The Colts roster also gives Ballard justification for trying to fill quarterback with a veteran stopgap.
“Ballard can afford to think in smaller windows with a defense, offensive line and running game designed to win now,” wrote Daughtery.
Quarterbacks in their first season with new teams won each of the last two Super Bowls. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Ryan and the Colts compete for a championship this fall, and that would likely only elevate Ballard among the ranks of the NFL general managers.
Comments
Colts’ Chris Ballard Ranked Behind 10 NFL General Managers