Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has been at the forefront of criticism from fans after he bypassed numerous opportunities to upgrade the roster in free agency.
At this stage in the offseason — the 2021 NFL Draft is six days away — the Colts still don’t have starters lined up for the left tackle and defensive end positions.
Outside of quarterback, you could argue those are the two most important positions on the field.
We’re fully expecting Indianapolis to address those vacancies in the draft, but the pressure to hit on those selections has increased tenfold given how much faith Ballard and Co. are putting in their ability to evaluate and identify talent.
Like he does every year leading up to the draft, Ballard held a press conference and touched on multiple pertinent subjects. To kick off the highly-anticipated presser, the four-year GM claimed the Colts medical staff has been run into the ground obtaining medical information on prospects.
After all, very few members of the 2021 class underwent medical checks following the cancellation of the NFL Combine. The importance of medical backgrounds checks often get overlooked during the ore-draft process, but Indy is expectedly on the ball in this regard.
Chris Ballard presser....
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) April 23, 2021
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Says the medical staff has had to work much harder to obtain medical information since not al prospects underwent medical checks in Indy recently.
Here’s everything you need to know about Colts general manager Chris Ballard’s pre-draft press conference.
After that, Ballard tackled the left tackle position, which has arguably been the most polarizing topic of conversation following Anthony Castonzo’s retirement.
While Ballard is aware of the need to add a starter, he showered some praise on the reserve options he signed in free agency and what they will bring to the Colts from a competition standpoint.
Regarding left tackle... "I think we've got 4 really good linemen. We've signed a couple veterans. Tevi has started a lot of games for the Chargers. Julie'n has played in the league. We will create competition at LT and get the best five on the field."
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) April 23, 2021
Don’t get those comments twisted, folks. Regardless of how highly he rates the likes of Sam Tevi and Julie’n Davenport, Ballard is just giving the media what it wants to hear in terms of proclaiming they have a realistic chance of starting at LT next season.
As expected, the Colts’ pass rusher situation was next up on the agenda. Knowing how much Ballard values his draft picks, he was quick to wax poetic on young tandem Tyquan Lewis and Kemoko Turay, who could be in line for bigger roles next campaign.
It goes without saying Turay hasn’t lived up to expectations since he was taken in the second round of the 2018 Draft and Ballard was quick to attribute his slow-moving development to the dislocated/broken right ankle he suffered as a rookie.
The 25-year-old pass rusher apparently played injured upon returning in 2020 and even underwent another surgery once the season was over, which is news to us.
Ballard describes Turay as "playing hurt" last season, which I think was obvious based on his limited action and production.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) April 23, 2021
Up next, Ballard was asked about the cornerback position, which was really bolstered following the re-signings of Xavier Rhodes and TJ Carrie in free agency. If his comments were any indication, the Colts won’t add another option unless they’re presented with a golden opportunity.
Beyond that, Ballard basically confirmed that Indianapolis is targeting an offensive lineman (hopefully one of the top tackle prospects) next week.
Ballard: "It is a really good offensive line draft, maybe as good as i've seen because of the depth of it."
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) April 23, 2021
And finally, Ballard spoke on his conservative approach to free agency, which has really been the one thing fans have taken issue with over his first four years at the helm. While the 51-year-old exec isn’t “against” adding newcomers, he noted the importance of roster continuity and developing young players.
Getting into more detail on Turay’s status, Ballard actually took responsibility for the Rutgers product’s prolonged rehab and acknowledged he might’ve been rushed back last year. In a piece of good news regarding Turay, however, he’s expected to be ready to go for training camp.
"We're excited about Tyquan. Tyquan is a good player... On Turay, I think everybody sees is...He had a severe ankle injury. He comes back and he's still struggling. I blame myslef for that.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) April 23, 2021
"This rehab is going a lot better. We think he'll be ready to go by June."
There you have it, folks. We know Ballard hasn’t covered himself in glory this offseason, but these comments did a fairly solid job of clearing everything up.
He certainly isn’t out of the woods yet, but that can all change with yet another picturesque showing in the 2021 Draft.
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