As the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8, we exchanged questions with Chris Shepherd of Stampede Blue to learn more about the opposing side.
Question 1: The Colts are officially in “rebuilding” mode. Did the firing of general manager Chris Ballard catch you by surprise? And how long a leash will head coach Shane Steichen be given?
After losing to a very bad and previously winless Titans team, in a year when the owner made clear the urgency to win had never been higher,
it was no surprise someone was fired. I was a bit surprised it was Ballard. I thought there was a chance it would be offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, for several reasons if for nothing else just to appease the bloodthirsty fans inside of Lucas Oil Stadium. Instead, Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon did the right thing and fired the guy most responsible for the failures of this team. It was a bit of a good surprise.
How long of a leash is a fantastic question. Back in April, Irsay-Gordon sat down to do an interview with the Colts’ internal media department and gave an interesting answer to hiring general managers and head coaches:
I admit my initial reaction to that answer was simplistic and there is a very real chance the Colts move on from Steichen and hire both a GM and head coach in the same offseason. Irsay-Gordon said hiring the GM and HC simultaneously was something they would never do, but they can always hire one and then the other, though not rushing either decision would be difficult. They also have a massive head start in finding their next GM. The issue comes down to the end-of-season hiring window and how short it is. Even with a head start they’ll still need to conduct interviews and find the right fit. Then they would have to move on to finding the right head coach. If I had to guess, I would say the next GM will find himself with an immediate decision to make regarding his head coach. Does he fire Shane Steichen and hire a new staff quickly, or does he run it back for one more year with Steichen in a likely lame duck situation? I don’t think the owner will be the one deciding.
Question 2: Were you surprised by the timing of the Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner trades? One could argue that the Colts could have driven up the asking price with two full weeks remaining until the NFL trade deadline. They also don’t have their own 2027 first-round pick (sorry to remind you).
A bit surprised on the timing, I thought it would happen after this weekend’s drubbing in Jacksonville but I don’t think it would have changed the return. Buckner and Nelson were ultimate team guys. All accounts were that they both showed up every day, outworked everyone around them, led by example, were loved by their teammates and they never once complained about the absolute disaster that had been happening around them since they arrived in Indianapolis. They worked hard, did all of the right things and were loyal to the organization for years on end and when the time came, all reports indicate that both Nelson and Buckner had a say in choosing their next spot.
Given the circumstances, I’m okay with that. At the end of the day football is a whole lot of fun and it’s more fun if your team is good, but it’s not as important as treating people with respect, especially people like Nelson and Buckner, rather than squeezing every last drop of value out of them. Of all of the decisions that have been made by leadership in Indy in the past decade, I don’t think the decisions to sell a round low on those two are the ones that will be remembered as what set the franchise back.
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Question 3: From a team-building perspective, it would be wise to also trade Jonathan Taylor… but he’s on pace to have his jersey hanging in the rafters at Lucas Oil Stadium one day. Do you want to see the Colts trade him for maximum value or keep him for sentimental reasons?
I think their motivations are different than that. Thus far, all of the serious trade talks have been for players in contract years. My belief is they’re setting up the next GM to have as much agency over the roster as possible. GM changes usually come with massive roster turnover for better or worse, and if on day one the GM has a stack of re-signings to decide on, there may be one or two players they’re interested in bringing back. There’s a very real chance neither of those players will want to spend his second contract with a rebuilding franchise in the Midwest. So moving them now, instead of losing them then and getting zero return for them, makes a whole lot of sense.
As it stands, Taylor is under contract. I think the goal is to give the next GM the opportunity to do with Taylor what they like, but if someone makes a ridiculous offer, sort of like the Bears giving two firsts and a fourth for Jeffery Simmons (fortunately it’s the Titans so they’ll bust those picks, but still, that’s wild), then I don’t think they’ll hesitate to move him.
Personally, I hope they do move him. Sending JT somewhere he can compete in meaningful games, combined with the fact that his value will never be higher than right now, is enough for me to want them to. I’m just not sure they’ll get that kind of offer.
Question 4: Who are some under-the-radar players that Jaguars fans should know of before Sunday’s kickoff?
Let’s go with the two guys who will be replacing Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner.
At left guard, the Colts will start rookie Jalen Farmer out of Kentucky. As a run blocker Farmer was an animal at Kentucky but he’s only played three offensive snaps this season so there are a lot of unknowns. OL coach Tony Soprano Jr. was famously quoted as saying, “Draft this guy and I’ll make it work,” and reportedly loved Farmer as a prospect. Soprano has garnered a lot of trust within the Colts building as they have drafted and developed offensive line talent as well as anyone in the league since his hiring. I expect Farmer to have his ups and downs, but on offense I’ll be dialed in on the Colts’ left guard all day.
Defensively, Adetomiwa Adebawore will fill in for Buckner at defensive tackle. Adebawore is currently tied for the team lead in sacks with 4.0 despite having only played 36% of the team’s defensive snaps. Obviously his sack numbers won’t scale with his playing time but Ade Ade is an athletic freak of a 3-tech and I’m excited to see what he’ll do with an expanded role- that said, he is in a contract year and Mike Garafolo just told everyone on NFL Network’s The Insiders that Indy is shopping him as well, so who knows if he’ll be active on Sunday.
Question 5: Do you expect the Colts to cover as 8.5-point underdogs, and do you have a favorite player prop for the game?
Cover? Absolutely not.
As far as a prop bet, I’d wager the Jaguars defense scores a touchdown on Sunday. I’d also take the over on yards for most Jacksonville offensive skill position players. I would not bet on any Colts player, save for maybe Jonathan Taylor to score a touchdown. He has 8 though 7 games so far this season.
Thanks to Chris for taking the time to answer our questions.
Let us know your thoughts on the matchup in the comments below!
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