Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman: Extend, Tag, Walk?

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Colts have a couple of huge decisions coming up about a couple of their young offensive stars. So what should they do? Let's get to it. You are Locked On Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. All right. Thanks for tuning in and making us your first listen of the day. This is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:00:48 I am Jake Arthur, riding solo again today. Zach will be with you guys here coming up soon. I am from horseshoehuddle.com, of course. I'm the local credentialed media member of the website, trying to bring you the inside scoop from the facility, talking to the players and coaches, letting you know what's going on from there. On today's show, it's all about you guys, actually. I put out a bat signal for you guys for your questions on Twitter, and you did deliver, of course, like you always do.

Starting point is 00:01:18 We're going to start out with some of these questions that have to do with the Colts' current personnel, including the contract statuses of guys like Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman. We're then going to move on to some of the things that the Colts need to square away on the current roster, such as who is the team's starting right guard? Are they on the roster right now? And then last, some bigger picture stuff for after the season. Maybe a certain son of a Colts legend who might be in this next draft. We'll see. But starting out, this first question was from our friend, Kennan, a.k.a. Chris Ballard is my daddy on Twitter.

Starting point is 00:01:59 He said, Jonathan Taylor's contract expires after the season. One, would you re-sign, tag, or let him walk in free agency? And two, what do you think the Colts will do? Our other friend of the show, Max Houghton, asked the same thing. Tag, extend, or walk with Michael Pittman Jr., Jonathan Taylor, and Julian Blackman. So I'll go ahead and just answer about the three of those guys real quick. So for the most part, I am of team look for the replacement when it comes to running backs, unless they're really, really special.

Starting point is 00:02:34 And when it comes to Jonathan Taylor, this is a rebuilding team. I am not necessarily sure a running back is the biggest building block. However, how the Colts are building this current team, Taylor, as long as he rebounds and looks like himself from two years ago, I think it's going to be perfect for what they have now. The combination of Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor, led by Shane Steichen as head coach, gives the Colts a world of possibility as far

Starting point is 00:03:06 as how potent that run game can be. And if you take Taylor away from that, I just don't know that that offense looks as dangerous as it could. So for my money, if Taylor rebounds and looks really good again, you know, hits the ground running with Shane Stack and Anthony Richardson, I think I would extend him. So the going price for the top running backs right now, average million per year, I think it's Alvin Kamara at 15 million, and then Christian McCaffrey over 16 million. The next after that is about 12 million. So I imagine Taylor will be anywhere from 13 to 16, 17 million per year whenever he signs, whether it's with the Colts or somewhere else, including over 30 million in guarantees, I'm sure, because that's what those other guys are getting. That's a hot chunk of change to give a running back.

Starting point is 00:04:01 But again, I've always thought Taylor was a really special player and how I think this offense is going to be crafted. I think he's going to be vital to it. Again, I just don't think the potential of the offense looks the same without a player like Taylor in it. Moving on to Pittman, wide receivers are getting really, really expensive right now. So there, I think there was 14 or 15 guys that make at least 20 million per year. And on his next deal, I'm sure he'll be included right in that. So I've got to think that Pittman will be getting at least 20 million per year. And these receivers,

Starting point is 00:04:42 they're guaranteed overall is like dozens and dozens of millions for someone like Pittman it would probably be over 30 close to 40 million as well and guarantee so that's two huge extensions to give to guys in the same offseason I don't know how eager the Colts are going to be to give both but I do think they would like both players back. Now the big X factor here for Pittman that Taylor doesn't really have as, as far as we know right now is Pittman plays a position for the Colts where there's going to be more competition for touches and targets. And if you see guys like Alec Pierce just blowing up or Josh Downs looks awesome, Jelani Woods, the tight end looks awesome.

Starting point is 00:05:29 If it looks like the Colts passing game could absorb the hit of not having Pittman back, then I think that's when you start to see the Colts maybe looking elsewhere or standing firm at a lower offer that maybe they don't want to exceed. I really like Pittman as a player. I think he's a really good player. He's beyond just a possession receiver. I think he's really tough. He gets yards after the catch.

Starting point is 00:05:52 I think he's capable of making plays downfield, gets contested catches. But I think it's just going to be really, really expensive for the Colts to be able to bring both back. It could happen, but who knows? Julian Blackman factors into this as well. Him, I'm really not sure. Because you have Rodney Thomas has proven to be a really good-looking young free safety. And then if Nick Cross comes out and earns the strong safety role

Starting point is 00:06:19 and looks pretty good doing it, or at least adequate of earning the starting role in 2024 as well. And then Kenny Moore factors into that as well. If Kenny stays healthy and is the nickel all year, and Julian Blackman doesn't come down and get any of those snaps, then he kind of becomes expendable. So again, I really think Blackman is a good player. I think he's versatile.

Starting point is 00:06:44 He's smart. He's smart. He's been a really heady player back to his days at Utah. So I think he's a good player to have, but financially the Colts had a good draft in 2020, basically. So that's kind of the downside of it all. And then the last one here for this segment from Philip Schatz. Does a unique quarterback like Anthony Richardson gain a lot from watching a solid but completely different quarterback like

Starting point is 00:07:10 Gardner Minshew play? Simply put, I'll say yes. And you could say the same for Jalen Hurts last year when Hurts was injured and had to watch Minshew play a little bit. They have completely different skill sets, but Minshew's big thing is he doesn't make like critical errors. He takes the layups. He takes what the defense gives him. And, you know, he's kind of a safe quarterback. So for a player like Richardson, who has some inconsistencies in his game, watching Minshew and saying, oh, that's why he decided to do that. He threw the ball away here. He took the check down here. He's not just going for the kill shot every time. I do think that's very important. With that said, I would probably try and make Richards

Starting point is 00:07:55 in the starter by week one if he earns it. But if he has to sit and watch Minshew for a little bit, it's not the end of the world. There are worse guys to learn behind. So next, we're going to dive into some roster issues and questions that you guys brought up about that. But first, a word from our friends over at Built. If you're looking for a delicious snack, but don't want all the sugar and the calories, then you need the best tasting protein bar ever. That's right, ever. That's over at Built. If you're like me and you want to make healthier snack choices, but you don't want to compromise and just feel like you're eating cardboard, then the thing for you is Built Bars and Built Puffs. They're healthy and they taste

Starting point is 00:08:35 amazing and you really won't even know that they're good for you. What makes them so good is they're covered in 100% real dark chocolate and they come in really awesome flavors like churro, peanut butter, brownie, and even cookies and cream, which is hard to beat. Head to your nearest Walmart today, walk to the pharmacy section and grab yourself a box of Bilt Bars. You can pick up a four bar box there. You can march on over to Sam's Club if you've got one in your area and get a 13 bar box with flavors like brownie batter puff and churro puff you can thank us later and every day or like i mentioned zach will be back soon uh it's it's coming to be a really important time of the off season now kind of boring a low part before you know mandatory

Starting point is 00:09:20 minicamps and stuff hit but the colts are an exciting team because they've got a rookie quarterback like Anthony Richardson. And this week the rookies and the vets are mixing together. So Wednesday, when you guys are listening to this, we'll be out there for media availability. I'll be able to talk with, you know,

Starting point is 00:09:38 some coaches and players. We'll get you the latest scoop from what everyone's impressions of Richardson, Josh Downs, and some of these other guys are just coming up soon. So, all right, next up, we're diving into some roster construction type stuff here. First up from Colts Fan Cole and Colts for Life. They both have this pretty similar question.

Starting point is 00:10:03 Is the week one starting right guard on the current roster and then a follow-up are the Colts thinking of signing a veteran starting cornerback so starting with the right guard thing this one is interesting I really like this question because if there's still any current starting spot up in the air for For me, it's right guard. I do think they're fine with Will Fries, but I don't think that means they're going to stop kicking the tires on certain guys that could start ahead of them. You know, Trey Turner, Gabe Jackson, I think is out there. There's established veterans out there.

Starting point is 00:10:40 I think the most dangerous thing they can do is settle for what they have and not add any more competition. So even if they don't sign a right guard, that's definitely going to be the starter. I think they definitely still need some competition because last year just was not it. It left such a bad taste in everyone's mouth. We could see issues from the offensive line coming a mile away, and the Colts did nothing about it until it was too late. The season got pretty mightily screwed by the time they figured out the offensive line coming a mile away and the Colts did nothing about it until it was too late. The season got pretty mightily screwed by the time they figured out the offensive line. And then to the follow-up of are the Colts thinking of signing a veteran starting cornerback?

Starting point is 00:11:14 I think heading into the draft, they probably were. Guys like Shaquille Griffin and Rocky made a lot of sense to bring in to be that number two corner, I guess. I don't think so anymore because they went out and drafted Juju Brents, Darius Rush, and Jalen Jones. They already have Kenny Moore, who they're confident is going to bounce back. Isaiah Rogers, I think they like a lot. And then Dallas Flowers, I think they think he's going to take a jump as well. So I wouldn't count on them signing a corner. I do think they like what they've got.

Starting point is 00:11:48 Next up is from Woe O Domino. Which rookies do you see contributing week one? Who else sees significant playing time early on? So again, I mentioned I think they should try and push for Anthony Richardson to be the week one quarterback, which I think they will. I think they'll use all their resources to try and get him there. If he isn't quite ready, that's fine. I do still think they'll have a package of plays for him, even if he's not the starter.

Starting point is 00:12:19 Because one thing you can't deny is they pretty much all said, you grow by learning and playing so their plan for development of him if he's not the starter is not going to be sit there on the side by sideline and hold the clipboard they're going to have something cooked up for him so he'll contribute right away no matter what size it is um otherwise josh downs i think is going to be uh the most heavy contributor among the rookies uh just from the buzz surrounding him and from what i've seen from him on the practice field i think he'll be the starting slot receiver if not by week one within the first few weeks over isaiah mckenzie mckenzie's a nice player but downs just really just really, like, the Colts, if the Colts have a young guy and a veteran that offer the same skill set and they think the rookie has high upside, they'll eventually go with the rookie.

Starting point is 00:13:13 And it won't often take very long to do. Plus, Downs has a lot better ball security and he's got better hands than McKenzie does. So that'll be a big factor as well. Let's see. The Corners is an interesting group. Juju Brents could, of course, earn a starting role as an outside corner right away, but he is probably not going to be full go for football stuff until training camp because he has that wrist injury, so that'll be something to keep an eye on.

Starting point is 00:13:43 But that's the big three I think Blake Freeland maybe if one of the tackles gets hurt I think they might want to throw him in there over Jordan Murray or Carter O'Donnell I think that makes a lot of sense next question from Jeff Q safety depth seems like a concern are you hearing anything on Armani Watts? It seems like he'd be a Chris Ballard type resigning on a cheap one-year deal after he had a good camp before the injury last year. So, again, we kind of talked about the safety group. I think it's a really deep group, and I think they like the depth guys that they have that other people just don't really talk about.

Starting point is 00:14:21 You know, they have the kid they drafted out of Daniel Scott. They've drafted out of Cal this year that they really, really like a special teamer and they think he can play on defense. Trevor Denbo, big time special teams players, what they envision for, for them. And then Marcel Dabo, the guy that got out of Germany last spring. So they really like their safety depth. They have three guys at the top who could contribute, especially if Nick Cross can earn a starting spot again. I don't know. I don't.

Starting point is 00:14:56 Armani Watts, his thing is kind of special teams anyways. That's mostly why they signed him last year. One, it depends how his recovery from injury is even doing. And two, I don't, I just don't think it would be necessary. I think they've got enough guys there that they like by this point. You're right. It would be a Chris Ballard style signing, but that's history. That was, that was for last year. I don't think they're, they would do it again. I could be wrong, but it doesn't make a lot of sense anymore at this point.

Starting point is 00:15:30 And the last one for this segment, uh, from our guy, Wyatt law, old Colts fan, uh, any thoughts on the cutting of wide receiver, Cody crest, uh, your fandom had me in his corner. So I was surprised he was released so soon. Uh, So that was one of Zach's guys. So Cody Kress, nice player, you know, big explosive. He kind of hits the Valor types. He was an undrafted free agent. But again, the Colts just had a lot of bodies at receiver. And Cody Core is someone who was a tryout player in the rookie minicamp who had a nice weekend. He came in, they released Cody Crest as a result. That's just how it is.

Starting point is 00:16:17 Sometimes, you know, there can be an undrafted guy who comes with some fanfare. But this kid, Cody Core, who even less of us had heard about coming into the rookie minicamp, they liked what he provided. Do any of them make the roster come week one? Probably not. But it's all about competition and upside, really. That's just how it is in the NFL sometimes. Next up, there's some more big picture questions for the Colts here. And some people wondering how the season might go.

Starting point is 00:16:43 And even projecting into the next draft, even though we just got done with this one that's coming up next. Okay, so to kick off this final segment, this one is from Truett Trussler. A lot of pundits have the Colts only winning four games this year. As much of a disaster as last year was, isn't it for the foreseeable future with better coaching and better quarterback play,

Starting point is 00:17:11 even if Gardner Minshew starts some of the games that the Colts would win more than four. So yes, you have to be really bad to only win four games in the NFL and the Colts were really bad last year. It's a lot of the same cast of characters, so it's always possible. But I just don't foresee that level of terribleness for beating itself. When I looked at the schedule, I said the Colts were probably good for about seven wins.

Starting point is 00:17:45 I'm not going to give them 10 wins, but I think four is probably pretty low. I think they'll probably finish closer to 500 again if I had to guess. So, yeah, just like you said, I think the coaching will be better. Obviously, it has to be than it was over the second half of last season. The quarterback play almost can't be worse than it was. The offensive line, I think, will stabilize a bit. The defense is going to be a question mark because they were really good for the most part up until the end of last season. So they've kind of got to hold up their end of the bargain as well.

Starting point is 00:18:22 So that's kind of a big thing to look out for. Next up from Andrew Miller. If Indy underperforms this season and finishes with a top seven pick, do they package Michael Pittman Jr. in their first round pick to move up for Marvin Harrison Jr.? So with Pittman in a contract year, it's probably not. Maybe, maybe not. If he was going to get traded, it was probably going to be this off season. If I had to guess it was going to make more sense with,

Starting point is 00:18:54 with that contract kind of winding down. That is such a great question though. I think it would probably be more likely to move Pierce. He might have more ups, more upside and trade bait if, if he has a really good year this year with, with Anthony Richardson. But regardless, your point is to make some package deal to move up for Marvin Harrison jr. And so he, at this point, you've got to think he's probably the third pick, right? Cause you've got Caleb Williams and Drake May, who are likely to be the first two off the board.

Starting point is 00:19:29 Marvin Harrison Jr., probably the best wide receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson. Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, he's of that cloth. Like, he's legit. I don't, God, I don't know. That's so tough because will the Colts be close enough as a team to being playoff contenders that a receiver would make the difference. Um, if they don't have to mortgage their future, we'll see. Um, but God, I would have to think Jim or say would really want to make that

Starting point is 00:20:00 one happen, to be honest with you. Uh, last up here from Brian Haas. Now this one going to come with a little vitriol and it's probably a little late in the off season for this question, but I felt like we ought to answer it anyways. Why hasn't Chris Ballard been fired? Any GM that cannot win one AFC South title in six years is terrible at their job. That's hard to argue. He's not terrible at his job, but it's hard to argue that you should have job security after not winning your division ever during your tenure. That's, that's tough. That's a tough argument to overcome. So here's the thing with

Starting point is 00:20:38 Ballard's status with the Colts. So I think he's undeniably a really good talent evaluator. The Colts have had some really, really good drafts. If you look at the statistics of like draft picks, where they're picked and like the amount of snaps they wind up playing and this and that, like the Colts have been well above average in that regard since Ballard has been with the Colts. But I think we've talked about this a lot after this season, and really starting with the second half last season, the roster construction thing. You have to go out and get your quarterback. You have to take a swing and do it, and the Colts finally did it.

Starting point is 00:21:18 I don't think internally the Colts thought, you know, the Colts floundering and ultimately leading to a terrible product was as much on Ballard as it was potentially coaching and the quarterback situations that came up. So a lot of these quarterbacks that came up wound up getting tied to Frank Reich, and rightfully so. Carson Wentz, that was his guy. There was skepticism throughout the building, but there was faith that Frank Reich could get him back. Phillip Rivers, no one had a problem with Phillip Rivers, but it only lasted one year, and it was the last time the Colts

Starting point is 00:21:57 were really any good for any point in a postseason. And then Matt Ryan, that was an organizational thing. That wasn't Frank Reich necessarily. But yeah, I think these, I just think there are other scapegoats that have been used other than Chris Ballard. I think he deserves a lot, a lot of pressure. And I can't say that if the Colts decided to move on at GM, I would have understood it. The thing is, I understand a lot of things Ballard does, but it is very hard to defend the record. They're not winning any AFC South titles. The, you know, some of the mistakes, again, that I mentioned earlier, you could see coming from a mile away that weren't addressed.

Starting point is 00:22:51 That's just really tough. He's not going to be fired for what it's worth. I think especially having a new head coach who just got a huge contract, you get a new quarterback that's going to buy him a lot of time. So Ballard's here for at least another couple of years, I would think. But yeah, I think if you're someone who doesn't have a lot of faith in Ballard, you might as well just celebrate some of the draft picks and just try to understand why they do what they do,

Starting point is 00:23:21 because it is easy to understand a lot of the way they do things even if some of it is flawed and they need to make tweaks but I think this offseason has shown they're willing to change their ways a little bit like I think everyone had to take a long look in the mirror after the last season and a half that they've just endured and hopefully some of these changes they make in ways they adjust to how they evaluate roster construction and stuff. Hopefully that is permanent moving forward. But I think that is it for us today.

Starting point is 00:23:52 Everyone every day is remember stick with us the rest of this week. Zach will be back Colts, rookies Colts, vets mixing together. I've got you from the, the facility on Wednesday. We've got a lot of good stuff coming. I think Zach might even get a bonus episode out for you guys.

Starting point is 00:24:09 I know he's missed you guys a lot, of course. If you don't already, follow at LockedOnColts, at JakeArthurNFL, and at ZachHicks2 on Twitter. Also, be sure to subscribe to LockedOnColts on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. We would also love your ratings and reviews. And with that, we will see you guys tomorrow.

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Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman: Extend, Tag, Walk?

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