It’s been per week because the Indianapolis Colts turned the primary and solely NFL staff not named the Baltimore Ravens to publicly present curiosity in quarterback Lamar Jackson. However most of what has occurred within the final week appears to be a part of an inside dialog on the matter with no definitive course to this point.
This all began when Jackson announced he asked to be traded from the Ravens. Hours later, Colts basic supervisor Chris Ballard opened the door on the Colts’ curiosity when requested particularly about Jackson.
“Any time a particular participant is accessible, which he’s, you’ve obtained to do the work,” Ballard mentioned on the NFL conferences. “I’m not going to get into deep discussions on the place it’s at or what we’re doing or what we would do. All I can inform you is he’s a very good participant, actually particular participant. However you by no means understand how any of this can work out.”
Colts, Ballard Face Robust QB Choices
Later the identical night, Colts proprietor Jim Irsay deftly straddled the fence between displaying curiosity within the Jackson thought and turning away from it.
He instructed reporters the cash it will require to get Jackson, who’s on a non-exclusive franchise tag by the Ravens, wasn’t a problem.
“It actually has nothing to do with precise {dollars},” Irsay mentioned. “I imply, paying a contract like that isn’t an issue. I imply, it’s not an issue for me. The problem is what’s the appropriate factor to do for the franchise when it comes to what helps us win in the long term.”
And that’s the place the conversations have centered for a while now. However it’s been sophisticated.
Irsay, you see, prefers to reach the standard approach of drafting a younger quarterback, creating him whereas he’s on his rookie contract, and constructing a winner because the staff enjoys the fruits of that development underneath the quarterback’s team-friendly contract.
“When you might have a younger quarterback, a rookie quarterback, it offers you the chance to construct the franchise for the primary three to 4 years whilst you have that decrease (wage cap) quantity,” Irsay mentioned.
Irsay’s Draft Answer Not All the time Potential
Besides that’s not at all times a sensible strategy.
Two of the final three Tremendous Bowl winners — Tampa Bay in February 2021, and Los Angeles in February 2022 — gained all of it with quarterbacks they didn’t draft nor develop.
And the Colts don’t have the primary decide of this month’s draft. So they won’t get the rookie quarterback they like most. Additionally they don’t have the second decide so additionally they won’t get the rookie QB they like second-best.
The staff is doing homework on each C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Bryce Younger of Alabama, assembly with each this week in California for personal exercises.
However that work may all be in useless if the Panthers, holding the highest decide, and the Texans, holding the second decide, scoop up the most effective two prime QB prospects earlier than Indianapolis drafts at No. 4 general and even trades as much as No. 3.
Ballard is aware of this. And he has painted the image for Irsay of getting to select a second or third selection because the franchise quarterback and hoping that fallback selection develops effectively sufficient and quick sufficient.
This isn’t a simple project for Ballard as a result of the truth is he’s been the staff’s basic supervisor since 2017 and right here it’s 2023 and he’s nonetheless trying to find his tenure’s without end quarterback.
The Colts are beginning subsequent season with the third head coach underneath Ballard. And the subsequent beginning quarterback underneath Ballard would be the eighth of his tenure since Andrew Luck retired.
So lots of people have come and gone whereas Ballard tried to unravel Indy’s quarterback riddle.
Is Chris Ballard On Sizzling Seat?
If he doesn’t resolve the riddle quickly, he is perhaps the subsequent one out. So ready three or 4 years whereas a rookie develops won’t precisely work for Ballard personally.
Ballard is just not underneath a win-now mandate however he should present some success for his work in 2023.
That may be a powerful project. The overall supervisor has to place the staff on the appropriate footing quickly. However he might need to do it by committing to a quarterback who, in need of being a prodigy, wants years to develop.
And that quarterback won’t have been Ballard’s first or second selection within the first place.
Colts Working To Remedy QB Riddle
Ballard and Irsay have spoken about how Jackson, able to succeed instantly, would match inside what the Colts can do on a way more superior timetable.
So the Colts proceed to weigh all their choices with the scenario seeming extra advanced than meets the attention.
From Irsay’s standpoint, he’s not in love with paying Jackson a completely assured contract — which is what Jackson has reportedly been asking for from the Ravens.
“As an proprietor, I don’t imagine in fully-guaranteed contracts,” he mentioned. “I feel {that a} share is one factor, however from what I’ve seen from the NBA and baseball, I don’t see it as a constructive competitively.”
However Irsay additionally expects to win. Quickly.
And so the chance to making an attempt to commerce for Jackson has not but been fully dominated out, per a league supply. (The thought of signing him to a proposal sheet is just not enticing, per the supply.)
All this leaves the chance of the Colts making an attempt to get comfy with a quarterback within the draft because the proprietor’s most well-liked possibility and thus the staff’s most well-liked possibility.
However failing to search out that teenager and that consolation earlier than the draft, the Lamar Jackson commerce possibility stays.