Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - LOCKED ON COLTS -1/17- Former Raiders CEO Amy Trask (@AmyTrask) Joins LOC Talking Colts Current Situation

Episode Date: January 17, 2017

Current CBS #NFL Analyst, and former Oakland Raiders CEO Amy Trask joins Matt to talk about the current situation surrounding the Indianapolis #Colts. Amy speaks about how she would address some of the past reported issues, as well as what approach she would take going forward with the organization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No, I'm not for sale. You are Locked On Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome back to Locked On Colts, ladies and gentlemen. I'm your host, Matt Dainley. And as promised, tonight we have a special guest. It's Amy Trask, former CEO of the Oakland Raiders. Amy, how are you tonight?

I'm doing well. Thanks for having me. Thank you for coming on. Really appreciate it. My pleasure. Amy's also an analyst for CBS, and she's also an author. And what was the name of your book, Amy? You Negotiate Like a Girl, which someone said that to me during my career,

and I explained the context and the circumstances and how I reacted to that, and just a lot of fun to write a book. I enjoy writing very, very much. I read a bunch of excerpts from it not too long ago, and it's very entertaining for sure. Definitely a fantastic point of view, if for no other reason, just to hear kind of how the situation was with Al Davis back in your tenure with the Raiders. Very, very interesting stuff, and I implore anybody that's interested in that kind of stuff to go check that out. Definitely worth reading.

But tonight, Amy is with us because I wanted to get her point of view on our circus act that we have going on in Indianapolis right now between Jimmer, say, Ryan Griggs, and Chuck Pagano of sorts. And with all these rumors and situations that have been popping up over the past few weeks wanting to go after Peyton Manning apparently meeting with Peyton Manning and then vice versa with our similar situation with John Gruden and being kind of you know left out of that so now a lot of people are left wondering you know what's the situation that you know is he still looking is it a GM replacement or a GM and a coach replacement, just a coach?

You know, a lot still left to be determined. So, Amy, if you don't mind, I'm going to give you a case for each guy, or not necessarily a case, but kind of run through some of their stats. And I would like your personal opinion on the professional circumstances and kind of to see what you would choose were you Mr. Ursae, if you don't mind. Sure. Okay. Well, let's start with Gregson, of course.

He's the easy one to batter, that's for sure. Well, let me just jump in and say I think we can have a nice dialogue and discussion without battering anyone on a personal level. And I hope that that's, that's something that you will embrace as well. Oh, for sure. Yes. And I just mean in general through, uh, Colts fans, that's, he seems to be the one that takes the brunt of the issues. And, uh, as much as I understand that point of view, I really, uh, it, it, both sides of it really are somewhat at fault and leaving a lot left to be desired. So I guess that's what I meant more or less.

So through 2012, 2013, and 2014, Grigson drafted 22 guys. 45% of those guys are still in the league, and only 22% of those are with the team. Now, the last two years, six of those guys are still in the league, five with the team of the 16 that he's drafted over 2015-2016. All eight of the guys that he drafted last year are still in the league, and he did a lot of things, pulling in a ton of offensive linemen that really looked like some of them are going to work out. It looks like he learned from his past situations, I guess is what I'm getting at. His first three

years were a definite issue. In his last two years, it looks like some of those guys might be working out a little more than others. And so when you look at his draft history, as in what happened most recently. I'm of the thought process that I want to know what you've learned over the process. I understand Ryan Grigson was a first-time GM, and I can't imagine that that's an easy situation to be in. But it looks like over the past couple years he's pulled in some really good talent. Clayton Gethers, David Perry, Henry Anderson.

I think the jury's still out on Philip Dorsett, mainly just because he was selected in the first round. But a lot of good positive things in this last one. Ryan Kelly, who's going to be Andrew Luck's right-hand man, so to speak, probably for the next several years. A couple good offensive linemen. Hassan Ridgway looks like he's a big deal. Antonio Morrison is kind of iffy, but what would be, if you're looking at just the GM in general, what would be the most important

aspects of his tenure that you would be looking at? Well, let me back up to something that Jim Ursae did last year that I think it was tremendous on his part. And then I will address your question. Were I an owner with a GM and a head coach who either were seemingly or it was suggested to me that the two could not work together and that I had to make a choice as between a head coach or a general manager or, frankly, as between any two senior executives within my organization, I would call them into the room and I would say, don't ask me to choose between you. Because if you ask me to make a choice,

I will choose neither of you. I just feel strongly that, that behavior that we wouldn't accept from six year olds is not behavior we should accept in a business context. And I'm not suggesting that Chuck Pagano did this. I'm not suggesting that the GM did this. Um, but it certainly was swirling in the media that a choice had to be made. I don't think that a choice need ever be made. I think adults can learn to work together. They certainly should. That said, I think the team is lacking talent in a number of areas,

but we can't tell from the outside looking in why that's the case. Certainly the GM and the head coach have ultimate responsibility for stocking the team with talent, in the case of the GM, and then maximizing that talent, putting it in the best position to win. That's the role of the head coach. But as to why particular players are chosen or not chosen, we don't know the dynamic within the organization as to who has input in those decisions. I do feel strongly that Andrew Luck is a sensational, sensational talent. And the team, look, there's only a window of time that you may have a quarterback of that caliber. Now, I know that's tough to suggest to Colts fans

because you all went directly from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck, and you are the envy of so many teams in that regard. But you do have Andrew Luck now, and you've got to build around him. I would, where I'm advocating where to stock the team, advocate get him past protection. Pay attention to that offensive line first and foremost. And then we can talk about the areas of need in the defense the secondary other areas of need but maximize Andrew Luck's talent while you have it what am I looking for if I'm the

owner are you improving my organization are you the general manager are you the head coach improving my organization and do I think you have us on an upward trajectory? There was, you know, so much negative that came out of the first few drafts, like I said, and then, but they were still 11 and five those first three years. So it was kind of like, well, a lot of people kind of pushed, you know, pushed it off down, kind of kicked it down the road a little bit. But I guess my argument for Ryan would be the fact that he did bring in some offensive line, but would, I guess more specific, would maximizing that offensive line, even though he got a lot of depth and introduced a few more starting caliber guys in the past year

or so, would that still be, if there's any holes in there, is that the one that you would try to fill first as opposed to the defense? You think that would be more important? Well, as I just said, I would put a lot of emphasis on the offensive line. I feel strongly about that. But there are holes on defense as well, and you don't want to reach for a player simply to, you know. The draft is one tool by which to build a team. Free agency is another, and some people say draft, draft, draft, draft, draft. Well, John Elway's done a pretty spectacular job down in Denver of both drafting well and incorporating some really terrific talent

through free agency. The draft is not a science. There is no Rosetta Stone. There is no Enigma Code. The draft is a science. Look, if the draft is not a science, if it were, Aaron Rodgers doesn't go at number 24. And I was with one of the two Bay Area teams that drafted before number 24,

and neither of us took him. The 49ers had the first pick in the draft. We had the 23rd. You know, he went 24th. And if there's, you know, NFL history is replete with examples proving that the draft is not a science. Willie Brown, the pro football Hall of Famer Raider Willie Brown was undrafted.

So, you know, there's a zillion examples. Aaron Rodgers right now, one of the most recent of the draft just isn't a pure science. And to suggest it is, is crazy. So if I'm an owner, I'm looking at my GM and I'm looking at my head coach and I'm saying, number one, you are both my employees and you need to find a way to work together cooperatively, collaboratively. You all need to communicate with one another. And then I'm looking and saying, are they getting the most that they can get for and from my organization, whether through the draft, through free agency, through trades, and then the coach by best positioning that talent on the field to win.

Right. As far as Pagano goes, his defenses, you know, as a guy who come in as a defensive guy, his defenses have slightly progressed in the first couple years of his tenure and then have gone kind of right back down the list you know all the way to near the bottom of the league that that has to be a question of concern like you said you know if you're told to pick between one or the other you just say you know start over completely and i get that or wait wait wait i didn't say start over completely i said if i'm being asked to pick my message is don't you ask me to pick, because I might want to keep both of them.

And I apologize for interrupting you. Oh, that's okay. And if I may just say one more thing on that, and then I'll be quiet and let you talk, because after all, this is your show. Whenever anybody says to me of any team, they should fire the coach or they should fire the GM. My response is and do what? Because it's easy for fans or media or others to say, fire the coach, fire the GM.

But until you ask yourself and do what? And know that you have an answer that is better than the status quo, you better be careful. Right. And that's exactly, I think a lot of people have thrown that caution out there for people that just want to, you know, blow it up, so to speak, and kind of start anew. But there is that, I mean, continuity is important, but chemistry is as or more important, in my opinion, than continuity. And when you don't have those home run prospects out there for a head coaching gig and or a GM, you know, you really need to stay packed because you could really send your organization down the wrong road even further with just jumping the gun on, you know, making a quick decision in that regard. One of the things I wanted to ask you about also was, being that Ursae has been known to be out window shopping for Peyton Manning and John Gruden, what would, I don't even know how to ask

this, but what would your, if you were Chuck Pagano, what would be the first thing that you would be doing if you were hearing all of this? Well, I want to note that I certainly have heard the rumors that he is doing that. To my knowledge, it has not been confirmed by Jim Irsay or anyone in the organization. So I will answer your question. Yeah, I'll answer it as a hypothetical, but I don't like to assume that which we're hearing in the ether Perhaps he's talking, if the rumors are true, talking to Peyton Manning and looking to bring him in a role that supplements what Ryan Grigson is doing or supplements what Chuck Pagano is doing. Well, you know what? That's something that should be considered. If someone's looking to replace you while you're currently employed,

you know, you have one of two choices. You sort of let things play out and see where they land, or you go in and you confront the issue directly with the owner. And to thine own self be true, everybody's going to handle that situation differently. But, you know, until someone with yours, until I know that that's, you know, absolutely what's going on, I don't want to assume that it is. Sure. And, you know, I hope that I had a show yesterday that kind of allowed people to understand that they shouldn't be believing every single thing that they hear. There had been so many rumors going around and so much of the Twitterverse, so to

speak, having air quote sources. And I did a show yesterday that kind of, you know, I even put a bit of a spoof in the show notes and people still didn't pay attention. And I was trying to basically teach them not to be naive about every person who says they know what's going on in the organization, because all the rumors are only substantiated by those who believe them and share them. You know what I mean? Well, and they may be true or they may not. I just, you know, my only, I want to be very clear. I don't know whether they're true or not. If credible reporters have credible sources and if it's true,

well, then the question is that you posed depends on in what manner he's looking at these other individuals and how the people currently in place choose to embrace that or not. Exactly. And that was kind of what I was getting at, is the lack of credible sources that have been going around. And like you said, nothing has been said from Ursae. And I think that's something that has allowed this to fester a little bit is that Ursae has been so quiet, which is more or less very unlike him. And with such a vocal owner for the Indianapolis Colts, so many of the fans almost feel like they just don't know what to do or where to go because the owner is not telling them what's going on.

And so with all the rumors mixed in there and the plane and all this, that, and the other, you know, it's left, needless to say, it's left Colts Twitter and a lot of other Colts fans in a bit of an uproar and searching for answers. Well, I would simply say to the, and I'll say, I'm saying this with a very big smile on my face, but okay, you know I worked for Al Davis for almost 30 years, right? Right, right. Because there are umpteen times I would say to him, we really ought to address this publicly, whatever this was.

We really ought to tackle this publicly, whatever this was. And he chose not to. So I will tell you, and Colt fans this, you have a team owner who is far, far, far more communicative with the fan base than the owner for whom I worked. That's very true. And like I said, I think once you get used to something like that, it just, you know, the status quo or the typical reactions or lack of reactions from that person is what people tend to expect from that point forward. I guess, you know, in all assumptions aside, just the current situation seems to be at a high level. Where would you go if you were Jim Mercer and the Colts were in a situation where they had been 500 the past two years,

2015 without Andrew Luck but you had Andrew Luck this year and is it time for I mean would it be time to consider a change at least I'll ask you that way or would it be more of let's just hold the fort down and let's just relax a little bit and see where we go next year. No reason to make any snap judgments. That's a lot all in one. I'm not sure how you want me to parse that, but you've got a very, very, very exciting quarterback. You do need additional pieces and parts around him.

You need to build that roster out. Again, I would focus on making sure that you get him the appropriate pass protection and some weapons and you need to address the defense. You know, if I'm an owner, I want to be doing all I can to maximize his talent while he's my quarterback. I absolutely agree. Amy, I know you've got to run and I know you're busy and thank you for stopping by and talking with us today. I really appreciate it. Well, number one, thank you for having me. It was a terrific conversation. You raised great, great questions and I'm sorry that I do have a back end on our conversation. That's quite all right. I really appreciate you coming on. It was great to hear from you. Thank you very much. Absolutely. And we'll talk to you soon. Sounds good. Bye-bye. I'll tell you guys what,

that is exactly why she was the CEO of the Oakland Raiders because she is thoughtful. She comes with everything in her head all at one time and tries to make sure that she can push the noise aside and do her job. And she has been a fantastic voice for fan bases to lend an ear to, to listen to what she has to say. She was very successful. She absolutely was a trailblazer. She came up in one of the most fanatical fan bases in the league. And that is a very wise woman that you guys all got a chance to hear from. Thank you very much for tuning in tonight. I appreciate you guys listening. And as far as yesterday's episode goes, that is exactly why I tried to teach you guys a

little lesson. Uh, read the show notes, had a little bit of an asterisk there with a spoof, but I hope I'm glad that you guys enjoyed it. It sounds like a lot of you did and understood. And it also sounds like some of you were just kind of taking for granted what was being said. I hoped that the donut shop and so on and so forth were major red flags for some of you. But thank you guys again. Always go rate and review the podcast.

I appreciate your time. And I'll talk to you guys again tomorrow right here on Locked on Colts. You are locked on Colts, your daily podcast on the Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. We'll see you next time.