Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - LOCKED ON COLTS 3/13/20: Establish The Run's Evan Silva on why the Colts are the most intriguing team this offseason

Episode Date: March 14, 2020

On today's episode, Evan Silva of Establish The Run joins the show to go in-depth on the most important Colts offseason in years. What should the next steps be for the Colts' front office? Silva helps break it all down.Jacoby Brissett isn't the answer, but who could be? Rivers, Herbert, Love, maybe even going the Tannehill route with someone like Mariota? All options are on the table and Silva picks out the best-case scenario.Who are some free agents who make sense in Indy? What about Clowney, and does he fit the culture?All of this, plus so much more, on a jam-packed episode of Locked On Colts! Make sure to subscribe if you haven't already! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, everybody. Welcome back into your latest episode of Locked On Colts Party, Locked On Podcast Network. Today, as always, your host, Evan Seder, and joined by a very special guest today. So we had him on around this time last year. A lot has changed since then, Evan. You are now, I believe, the founder and CEO, co-founder and CEO of Establish the Run. It's doing very well. Congrats on your growth as well over on the site, Evan, and appreciate coming on. Yeah, thanks, man. And thanks so much for having me on as well. Yeah, no problem. We're going to hit on a lot of stuff today with you, Evan,

and the first one I want to hit on with you is about Chris Bauer and how important this offseason is going to be for him because Andrew Luck all of a sudden, that bombshell happened in August. He had no franchise quarterback now on the Colts roster currently. What do you – if you had Chris Bauer's hat on for this offseason and arguably the most important offseason you've seen for the Colts in the last two decades, could that pay Manning, Andrew Luck, and the satellite quarterback, what in the world are you doing here? Evan, what,

what would you do in Chris Bauer shoes? Well, that is a very complicated question that I am. I am you know, I feel like I can answer, but I just wanted to say first that Chris Ballard, you know, I feel like I can answer. But I just wanted to say first that Chris Ballard, you know, and I've gone to Indy for the Combine the last couple years. And, dude, I cannot tell you a GM in the NFL that is more respected than Chris Ballard among NFL types. Everyone considers him not only to be a really good leader,

but also like a really good person. And, you know, he is the guy who I think among NFL types is credited with building the Chiefs more so than, certainly more so than John Dorsey, and more so than even Brett Veach, who is their current GM and was around for all that. And, you know, and I mean, Andy Reid obviously is the main guy there, but Chris Ballard, you know, played a really big hand in that. And I think that he's been conservative with the way that he has approached building the Colts. And I think that that has frustrated some of the fan base.

But I think that he has an eye on the future that he's a long-term strategist as as opposed to a short-term game guy and um I just I really think the Colts organization is in good hands I know that this past season was pretty um it was frustrating it was frustrating even as as an outsider and a guy who was kind of rooting for the Colts because I I root for the I root for teams that are smart. You know, I at this point, like I don't really have, you know, any, you know, attachment to any NFL team from a fan base standpoint. I like to see teams that are smart. And I think that the Colts are smart, and I think that you can see that show up in what they did in 2019, but I don't think it's quite as visible as if they had a franchise quarterback.

Yeah, definitely agree there. And losing Andrew Buck was obviously a gigantic loss. Obviously, yeah. How do you think the Colts responded to that, Evan, going 7-9? I would say that 5-2 hot start, but I think once teams got more tape on Jacoby Brissett, obviously the injury hurt a little bit, but Jacoby Brissett's not a franchise quarterback. It seems like through 16-2 hot start, but I think once teams got more tape on Jacoby Brissett, obviously in the end, you heard a little bit, but Jacoby Brissett's not a franchise quarterback. It seems like through 16-game sample size,

and I think the Colts realized that too. So how do you think they responded from Lux retirement, kind of staying afloat there around 500, but also how Jacoby Brissett handled it, and what do you think his future could be? I think the Colts, from an organizational standpoint, did the best that they possibly could. I think they actually did a really good job of it. They threw some support, but not too much support behind Jacoby Brissett.

They tried to manage their offense to account for Jacoby Brissett's weaknesses and strengths. I think that from a fan base standpoint, so I've been at this some like 12 or 13 years, and I've gotten a real good feel for fan bases, I think. And I've always thought very highly of the Colts fan base. And they're very measured people. They don't typically get too up or too down. You criticize their team objectively. The Colts fans are much better than most fan bases at reacting to that criticism with their own sense of objectivity. I mean, if we were to rank fan bases, I think the Colts are easily top 10, maybe even top five. You know, I think that the fans inside the stadium

reacted extremely poorly to learning on their phones or on Twitter or whatever to Andrew Lux retirement. You remember that day that they booed him off the field. It was kind of embarrassing, but you know, they didn't have all the information and it was just an emotional reaction. So I think that that is forgivable. I think that, and I think people are just going to forget that. I think the Colts really do have a great smart fan base. And I think that that was just a bad small sample moment. And I think that the way that the Colts really do have a great, smart fan base. And I think that that was just a bad, small sample moment.

And I think that the way that the Colts organization as a whole reacted to it was about as professional as it possibly could get. When you look at Jacoby Brissett, Evan, the seven game splits before his injury, they were five and two. And of course, riding high momentum there. You look like a top 15 quarterback just based off the box scores there. You look at the advanced metrics too. But over the last nine games, he fell off a cliff.

He was a bottom five quarterback consistently in almost all advanced metrics. Chris Scott said at his post-end-of-season press conference that he was talking about Jacoby Brissett being in the middle of that as far as the first seven weeks and the last nine weeks. That's probably who he is. Who do you think Jacoby Brissett is as a starting quarterback? So I think that Jacoby Brissett, when you consider where he was drafted, the fact that a smart organization like the Patriots traded him

for a number three slash number four receiver like Phillip Dorsett, the fact that another smart organization like the Colts has gone 11-19 with Jacoby Brissett as their starter, and the way that they used him primarily as a game manager this past year, I think we know what Jacoby Brissett probably is. And that's one of the best backups in the league, but not a quality starter, not a franchise quarterback. And I think that when you watch this tape,

Jacoby Brissett doesn't throw with enough anticipation. I think he holds onto the ball too long. I think that he at times make his offensive line look worse than it actually is. I think that his aggressiveness throwing the football downfield comes and goes. I don't think the elevates teammates and he's not what I would consider a comfortable quarterback in the pocket. I think that Frank Reich really adjusted his offense to account for that.

I think that Frank Reich knows exactly what Jacoby Brissett is. But I would bet that behind closed doors that Frank Reich does not see Jacoby as a long-term solution for the Colts and for this offense. It seems like to me, I've listened to the Moodle Sticks podcast with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. They talk a lot about quarterbacks. You either are the tractor that pushed the trailer along or you need weapons around you. You're sort of the caboose on the back of the train, so to say.

I think it's fair to say if you want to build around your career for seven, you need a lot of weapons, right? Oh, yeah. I mean, I think that you need an almost perfect situation because you want him to be getting the ball out quickly and getting the ball out quickly to playmakers that can make plays because he's not necessarily going to be the playmaker. Yeah, definitely agree with you there. And we'll have to see, of course, what happens in this Colts offseason because they can go many ways in the quarterback spot. But let me ask you about the veteran options for you

and see if they do go out and maybe kick the tires. And let's say at Phillip Rivers. I know you mentioned this on your podcast before. What's your opinions on Phillip Rivers and the Colts? I know there's connections with Frank Reich there from the previous days and Nick Sirianni, the former offensive coordinator, but does it really make sense on paper for those Colts to go and do that? So I've, I've done a lot of work with Warren Sharp of Sharp football analysis.

We've written two books together. And I think that one concept that we agree upon is that teams playing with franchise quarterbacks on rookie contracts are at a distinct advantage. That's probably the single biggest competitive advantage in all of pro football. The Colts were able to experience that for, what, three years with Andrew Luck. So, and you know, at the same time, I'm, I'm still a decent supporter of the Colts going after Phillip Rivers, which has obviously been a heavily rumored connection. And, but I think that that would come on a short-term contract. I think that would be a one or two year deal where they're paying him around $25 million a year. The Colts of course can pay for all of this because they have what the second most cap space in the entire league. The Colts, of course, can pay for all of this because they have what the second most cap space in the entire league. The cap goes up every year. So cap space is not really even an obstacle here. So they can go for Rivers as their bridge quarterback and then use that 13th pick on a

quarterback or even trade up. And the Colts can definitely trade up. I mean, they did not get any compensatory picks, but they have four picks inside the top 75. They have that Redskins second-round pick, which is, I think, 34th overall, and which is a complete robbery. We knew that at the time, and it's even more evident now. So there is a realistic way, I think, for the Colts to get Phillip Rivers, draft a quality first-round quarterback. Also maintain Jacoby Brissett because he's not that expensive.

And then just wage a big competition in camp. I really believe the Colts have set themselves up to be choosers and not beggars. Yeah, that's a good point to bring up there. And I like the Rivers option, especially if you go quarterback at 13, like a Jordan Love or Justin Herbert. I know in your mock draft you did on Twitter, you had Justin Herbert over Jordan Love. Do you think either of those guys make sense,

especially if they go the veteran round free-hand team and maybe have a mentor behind Rivers for a year or two, either one of those guys? Yeah, I think either one does. I mean, you know, I think at the end of the day, like Jordan Love and Justin Herbert are both going to be first round draft picks. You know, the hit rate for first round quarterbacks over the last decade is around 30 percent or a little bit above 30 percent, under 40 percent, but between 30 and 40 percent. So, you know, there's no guarantees here but I do think that the Colts at

some point are gonna have to shoot their shot and I think um this could very well be the year I know that I feel like there's a push in Indy for them to take Jordan Love um and you know maybe that's on the assumption that or maybe that's based on mock drafts. I don't know. It could also be on the assumption that Justin Herbert is going to go, like, number six of the Chargers, which is definitely possible. But I think that the Colts definitely need to come out of this thing with, you know, a young quarterback that can challenge for playing time,

whether it be versus only Jacoby Brissett, whether it be versus Jacoby Brissett and Phillip Rivers. This is an interesting scenario. I haven't brought much on the show yet, Evan, but I might as well ask you because I feel like it's a good topic to ask you about. It's about Tua Tagovailoa. We've talked a lot about these quarterbacks. Are the Colts kind of a secret team?

Maybe if Tua does clear his medical, it seems like he's on a fast track to doing that. His proteo will be next month. Are the Colts kind of a team winging the weeds with all that draft ammo they have? Like you mentioned, three picks in the top 44, four in the top 75, all their future picks in place. The Dolphins have been mentioned with two of the chargers. Do you think the Colts make sense in that?

Maybe they're the one mystery team that could really risk it all for two. I think it makes an awful lot of sense if he clears. Yes. Yes. At the same time, think that you know the ammo that we're talking about i think it's decent it's above average across the league but it's not dominant ammo and um i think they would probably have to dip into future classes to try to get up there to get to uh and i'm not sure that that's something that Ballard would be willing to do.

I mean, look, he's been aggressive. He's also been what people would call very, very conservative. I mean, he's been very willing to move around and shake things up. And he's one of the most interesting and, I think, innovative GMs that there is in the NFL so far. but he's one of the most interesting and I think innovative GMs that, that there is an NFL so far, but I don't know. That would cost a lot, dude. That would cost a lot for him to try to get from 13 into the top five to go

get to it. Yeah. It would cost an awful lot, probably multiple picks. I imagine then one more quarterback option. I want you before we go on to our next topic about the biggest needs for this team is maybe a free agent option. We saw Titans go after Ryan Tannehill via trade, but do you think there's any way the Colts see what the Titans did this offseason? They had a guy in place behind Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill. If Mariota failed, they had someone they thought was confident

to step up and do that. Do you think the Colts could go a Titans type of route and free agency where they maybe trade for Andy Dalton or they sign a guy like Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston and say, this could be our Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Persepolis. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. You know, the, the free agent market is really like, I mean, at the quarterback position, we've never seen a free agent market like this. We've never seen a free agent market as inundated with potentially quality

starters or, you know, even guys like Marcus Mariota, who is very young on down to Phillip rivers, who is very established, but it's obviously like at the end of his NFL career. And, you know, there's like seven or eight guys like that. And the Colts are very much in the quarterback market. So yeah, there's just there's a lot of different routes that they could go. And they have so much money. And they do and they you know, they're not they're not like the Dolphins. They're not loaded with draft capital. But but they definitely are above average in terms of a draft capital.

And so they're going to be one of the most interesting. And I think they want to compete, man. I don't think they want to take another year where, you know, they're kind of just, you know, hoping to maybe sneak into the playoffs. Like, I think they want to go for it. And I think they should. I mean, they have an excellent coaching staff. They have an excellent front office.

You know, Matt Eberflus could become a head coach as soon as next year. I think it's time for them to go for it. Yeah, I think this window is now, especially if they do go after a Phillip Rivers-type quarterback, a two-year push all-in for a Super Bowl would make a lot of sense in that scenario. But I know quarterback is obviously the biggest need for this Colts team, Evan, but what else really stands out for this team that they have to address this awesome with all that money and a lot of draft capital? Yeah.

So I think that shoring up left tackle is a big deal. And that could be done as easily as just, you know, re-signing Anthony Costanzo. But his talk about retirement is worrisome. You know, that to me suggests that he is very much year to year at this stage of his career. But I really think you want to maintain that front five core because I think that offensive line is just –

over the last couple of years, it's awesome. You know, that O line is your bread and butter at this point. I think you definitely need more talent at tight end. I don't think that Ebron is coming back. I think that, you know, they've kind of severed ties with him. I think that Jack Doyle is better as a number two tight end, and they eventually could get to a number one. I think they need more talent at wide receiver.

I think that, you know, Paris Campbell has a ton of potential, but we haven't seen it yet. Devin Funches is a free agent. T.Y. Hilton is maybe on the back nine, probably on the back nine of his career. Zach Pascal stepped up and had some great games for the Colts this past season. But, you know, he's, I just, you know, I don't know. I would prefer to enter the season with him as my number four. And then I think the needs throughout the defense are obvious.

You need more pass rush. You need more pass coverage players. I love what Matt Everflew has done with the talent he's been given, but I think the defense has a lot of room for growth. Yeah, definitely agree there. I think a lot of spots on this team are going to be addressed via free agency in the draft, and Bauer's going to spend a lot of that cash, I imagine. But as far as Bauer's philosophy, Evan, he's mentioned multiple times he wants to build from the inside out as far as going in the trenches.

We've seen it often in the draft with guys like Quentin Nelson, Braden Smith early on. Do you think there's a chance – or what's your overall thoughts, I guess, Evan, on the philosophy of Chris Bauer's in place of building from the inside out? Do you think there's a chance or what's your overall thoughts, I guess, having on the philosophy of Chris Bowers in place of building from the inside out. Do you like that philosophy? Building from the inside out. So I think that this has been an ongoing conversation among uh like nfl scouting and and you know personnel types and i'm not so sure that uh i don't know i you know i don't i don't know if

if like he has really even you know put that into into place. I mean, do you think that he's really implemented that philosophy, like building inside out? I mean, I don't know. You know, he used the second-round pick on Kimiko Ture. He has, you know, I mean, he's, you they, they put a lot into T.Y. Hilton on defense, you know, they paid Pierre Desir. They, you know, they, they drafted Malik Hooker pretty early. I mean, I don't know. Like I think that they're, they're just trying to get good players. I mean,

I don't know. I mean, I obviously like the, the Darius Leonard pick has worked out exceptionally well. They have Kenny Moore, who's one of the most underrated slot corners in the NFL. I don't know. I just, I just think they've tried to just get good, good players, man. Yeah, I totally agree. Just cause I mean, I mentioned that to you because we, I mean,

you like mentioned Kimoko Ture, second round pick, Quinn Nelson, six overall, Braden Smith, Tyquan Lewis, other guys to try to draft and maybe do it in that sense. But maybe more of a general question to you to add on to that point, Evan. Would you prefer if you're a GM to surround your team with an elite playmaking group, or would you rather just invest in the offensive line pretty heavily

and have a guy sit back in the pocket for five, six seconds at a time without getting touched. Evan, like that's a really difficult question. It just depends on from team to team. If I have a young quarterback, I'll tell you this. Yeah. I would not do what the jets have done. And I think what the jets have done is put him behind a bad offensive line, uh, multiple years in a row, you know, not really, you know, invested into a lot of the skill position player or, like, invested into the wrong skill position player positions,

like Le'Veon Bell, you know, put his back up against the wall from a defensive standpoint. Like, that would be the entirely wrong way to approach uh building around a young quarterback if you have a veteran quarterback i think you could deal with that a little bit more you know um it just totally depends on it evan like i think it really comes down to the quarterback like you make your decisions based on the quarterback that you have, and the Colts don't necessarily have an established quarterback right now.

I think that Frank Reich showed you that he was going to try to limit their pass attempts. He was going to try to make it an offense that was centered around Marlon Mack, who had a bunch of awesome games and looked really good at times. And, you know, centering it around an offensive line that was, you know, one of the best in the league. And they could play two tight end sets. And, you know, they didn't have T.Y. Hillman for a lot of the years. So they were very smart about dictating the way that they were going to play offense around the personnel that they had. And that makes sense to you and I, you know, you'd be surprised around the league, like how that doesn't happen that often. I think it's like you mentioned,

I think it's a good place to go with the quarterback and like Andrew Luck, when you had him in place, good building on lead offensive line for a guy who was injury prone in the first part of his career, I think made an awful lot of sense. And without Luck in place, who knows what happens for this Colts team at that spot and how they want to build the rest of their team out. But I think an interesting topic that Chris Bauer brought up

at his Combine Press Conference, Evan, was about the locker room being ready to spin on a free agent as far as he goes to the locker room, he's ready to handle a big-name free agent. So if I had you in the GM spot, Evan, who is the first call you'd make at the first moment of free agency if you're looking for a big-fish free agent? I mentioned on the on the show Jadavion Clowney I think he makes an awful lot of sense as a guy who could be the Jabal Shearer placement be kind of like a maxed out version of

Shearer any other options you think that makes sense um see to me like Jadavion Clowney, and I'm with you, like from a, um, from a personnel standpoint, he, uh, he does make sense because, I mean, he just, he fits, you know, he, he fits on paper, but, um, I think that the Colts are very much hell bent on building like a, a culture. And I'm not sure that GD, GD van clown, who's going to cost a ton of money and is not going to get 12 sacks. He's never,

I don't think he's ever had a double digit sacks and it even in his career. I think that he wouldn't necessarily fit um for me like as far as the coolest like i think that because they they have enough talent they have enough in in in home talent they have enough talent that is just now about to hit the unrestricted free agent market just continue to re-sign those guys bring back Anthony Costanzo um you know I think that if you're looking for a pass for like I think what they did with Justin Houston last year was perfect and Justin Houston worked out perfectly for them like dude like their their deficiencies this past year were we're at the quarterback position. They need to find a franchise quarterback. And I think that that is what's going to get them, you know, potentially over the top. I don't know if Phillip Rivers is the answer. I feel like I know that Jacoby Brissett is not the answer, although I think that he could get them to eight and eight. That's not where you

want to be, man. You do not want to be at eight and eight in the nfl especially with all the talent that they've that they've assembled assembled and all the assets that they've assembled they're really a smart smartly run team and um i think you you need to be aiming higher i definitely agree quarterback is where i think they need to address this i maybe even double down evan i mean i think you brought up during the show, it's not like you're in the camp of maybe you go after Phil Burris and you draft Corbett at 13. Yes. Yes.

No, because, again, you know, and I've written books with Warren Sharpe about this, and this is one of our main features. Ideally, you want to get your end game is to get to having a franchise quarterback on a rookie deal. And you have like, you know, at least a four year window, if not a five year window. And in that four or five year window, I think you can compete for championship, multiple championships and, you know, taking Phillip rivers and, you know,

all are signing Phillip rivers and you know all or uh signing philip rivers and also which is very feasible with all the money that they have and drafting jordan love or justin herbert you know is a very very uh uh reasonable and rational uh potentiality and i think the colts are in position to do that. Again, your endgame, you want to get to a position where your franchise quarterback is on his rookie deal. You can buy anyone that you want

and you just put a ton of talent around him. Close out the show here, Evan, with the final few questions. Appreciate the time as always, man. Where would you rank the Colts as far as the most intriguing teams in the offseason this year? The Dolphins are up there, of course, with all the money and draft picks they have. The Colts are certainly up there, too.

Maybe the Chargers with their quarterback situation in flux. Who do you think are the top three, top five teams you're watching for this offseason? I mean, I think the Colts are as high on that list as you could possibly get. Because, I mean, they don't have a ton of draft capital but they have above average and they're the second most cap space so i mean look the dolphins are going to be really interesting because i think that the dolphins are kind of using a a baseball team strategy um you know kind of what you know looking at what the browns did looking at what the astros did, looking at what the Astros did, the Houston Astros, obviously without the banging on trash cans.

But, you know, trying to build from those bases and trying to, you know, gain a competitive advantage. I think the Colts, the Dolphins, what they did in their first year was awesome. I mean, they got, they have three first round picks in an incredible draft. They signed up Devontae Parker, who had an awesome year for a very reasonable deal. They got it, you know, an undrafted free agent rookie like Preston Williams, who was awesome before he got hurt. You know, they can do whatever they want in the draft they have the most cap space in the league they're in a great position to grow uh but the colts i think you know it's it's it's time to it's time to make a move man you know it's time to make a move we understand that they lost andrew luck that sucks

you know but you know they had their year where they were what where they finished like seven nine or six and ten i mean they weren't you know they weren't very good at the end of the day but you know they we know that they have talent on both sides of the ball certainly on the offensive line and they dealt with a bunch of injuries and now it's time for them to make a move and I think that the people in the front office understand that as well they just they have a lot of very smart decision makers, from Frank Reich to Chris Ballard to Matt Eberflus. I mean, it's time for them to make a move. Closing it out here with this final question, Evan,

I know you're not a health expert. I'm not either. But with the coronavirus stuff going on, the NFL has obviously been impacted with scouts going off the road and stuff with pro days and teams closing down facilities at this point. point how much is going to have an impact this coronavirus pandemic on maybe free agency itself or even the draft it seems like it's got a big impact as far as maybe in person but it might be more of a kind of thing we're doing now just like a video conferencing for free agency and stuff yeah i think at the end of the that's what it's going to be. I think that it is going to, you know,

I think that the draft is not going to be, you know, an event that a bunch of a bunch of people are attending. I think it's mostly going to be done like over the internet. You know, I think the same with free agency. I mean, we, we haven't even seen yet, you know, what it was going to be. It's, you know, we're, we're doing this on March 13th and at the, at the't even seen yet, you know, what it's going to be. You know, we're doing this on March 13th. And at the beginning, that negotiating window was supposed to start on March 16th in three days. And that's definitely not going to happen.

We are starting to see some players get franchise tagged. We saw some guys get cut. And we'll probably see some more over the weekend but um no I mean I just I think it's a very unpredictable situation and I think that um at the end of the day yeah I mean we're not going to get a lot of times on uh guys that didn't work out at the combine I think you know that's it just is what it is I mean it's for a greater good you know it's for a greater good and so I'm not here complaining about it is. I mean, it's for a greater good. You know, it's for a greater good. And so I'm not here complaining about it.

Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree with you there. And you guys can follow Evan on Twitter if you haven't already, at Evan Silva. Please go subscribe as well to Establish the Run. Awesome stuff you guys do on the podcast and on the written website. Evan, again, appreciate the time, man. Evan, listen.