I know. The season hasn’t even started and here I am talking about Chris Ballard’s replacement. We have ten years of data, so I am not sure this is exactly what you’d call putting the cart before the horse, pun intended… I get it though. This isn’t a case of me predicting that the upcoming season for the Indianapolis Colts is going to be a disaster, but if one resides in an area that experiences a lot of disasters, not having a disaster preparedness plan would be foolish. That is why the Colts need
to be thinking about Ballard’s replacement now, not later.
Getting the GM position right is crucial. In the NFL, there are three things that a franchise must nail to be successful: quarterback, GM, and coach. A good quarterback can mask the other two. I would then give the nod to GM over coach because if the car isn’t built well, it doesn’t matter who is driving. Questions can be raised whether the Colts have the right people in the right seats for any of these roles, but Ballard has more experience to draw from than any of them.
The Colts have proven their commitment to Ballard by keeping him around, even with his sordid record. This isn’t a case where riding the fence is a bad thing. This isn’t a time to be “all in” on your guy. This is a time for the Colts to hedge their bets. They aren’t married to the guy. Now is when conversations about potential replacements need to be had. Colts ownership needs to know if there are better options out there before making a move just to make one. If no one available is better than Ballard, they should hold tight; no reason to move laterally. While that doesn’t appear to be the case, it should always be considered.
Chris Ballard is getting more than a fair shake with the Colts. For what he has produced, he should be indebted to this organization for the rest of his life. That is the past, though. The Colts need to look to the future, and do it now. There is no time to waste. If this season goes sideways, they need an exit strategy. It’s been a series of disasters for ten years. Build the disaster escape plan, and use it.
