Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - LOCKED ON COLTS 4/20/20: Recapping Chris Ballard's pre-draft press conference with Kevin Bowen

Episode Date: April 20, 2020

On today's episode, 1070 The Fan's Kevin Bowen joins the show to help recap Colts GM Chris Ballard's pre-draft press conference plus much more.Is Indy content with their QB situation right now? Will a QB early still be on the radar or no?Ballard's non-commitment to Malik Hooker raised some eyebrows. Is a safety possibly in play? Also, what about Quincy Wilson? Will he meet the same fate as Henry Anderson and Hassan Ridegway?Bowen also hits on the prototype Indy wants in prospects, with a deeper dive into the wideout group. Will the Colts move up, down, or stay put at No. 34? All of these questions are broken down with a lot of in-depth analysis.It's draft week, Colts fans! This is a must-listen LOC x Kevin's Corner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, everybody. Welcome back into your latest episode of Locked On Colts, probably Locked On Podcast Network. Today's guest is Evan Sutter, a very special guest on today's show. Kevin Bowen, 107.5 The Fan. He also has his own podcast, Kevin's Corner. If you guys have not already checked it out, go and check out Kevin's virtual meetup that he had with Joe Molinaro of Barstool. They had an awesome thing over there on YouTube. Go check it out. I had a chance to watch it live, Kevin. Awesome work you guys did last week. Thanks, man. Yeah, it was fun. I've missed Joey for sure, as I've missed most human interaction, to be honest with you, over the past month. But he definitely did not need to do that,

but he held good to his word and had a blast. So that was kind of our last pre-draft meetup that we usually do. And I just recorded one more podcast and before you know it Christmas day will begin on Thursday and continue into Friday and Saturday so I can't wait to get it started yeah just like you mentioned Kevin the fireworks are finally becoming here soon starting Thursday night with round one the Colts don't have a first round pick but what are your thoughts overall on the situation revolving around what Chris Scott said about that quarterback position during his pre-draft press conference with you guys over teleconference zoom like we're using right now it seems like Bauer is I don't know if I'm reading the TV too much for Kevin but he seems very content

that they don't have to take a quarterback this year they don't feel rushed he's mentioned that multiple times since even January that they don't they're not gonna be forced into taking a quarterback the closer we get Kevin the more I feel like the colts seem very very comfortable with their current situation right now yeah i i think you know how i look at what he said on friday certainly is similar to what we heard even earlier in the offseason and they are content i think with their current quarterback situation they felt like they needed to upgrade and even though you know in january they said hey we like jacoby we like jacoby we like Jacoby, they always threw in the caveat of, well, we still need better quarterback play, and Jacoby knows that.

And what I heard on Friday is we like our quarterback situation, we still like Jacoby, this and that. And then they still threw in the caveat of it is a unique position, and hence why they made the move for Phillip Rivers. And that's something that Ballard is not necessarily kind of out of his, you know, core book of this is how I go about the offseason this and that so I think if they came out of the draft and they didn't have a quarterback it wouldn't be the end of the world by any means but I'm still not sitting here and just because what I heard from Chris Bauer on Friday all of a

sudden means that they've taken quarterback off the board I think they're still you know aware of if the right opportunity is there, they'd still be willing to spend a pick. Now, where does that guy fit on the 2020 roster? There's not really a clear fit, obviously, but I think they know that the long-term plans still aren't even close to being set in stone at that position. So when I heard the word force a quarterback to me, that meant that's why part of the reason I traded out of 13, and that's part of the reason why we might not see a quarterback happen in pick 34 or 44.

But I think once you get after the second round, you don't really know if you're forcing anything. You know, if you can find a fifth or sixth round quarterback that has some developmental traits that you want Frank Gregg to get his hands on, why not take a crack at the most important position in sports? Yeah, definitely agree with you on that stance. And I don't get a chance to read Peter King's Monday morning quarterback

this morning, Kevin, but he mentioned some quarterbacks and where they could land. And what caught me off guard was Jordan Love, his stock, according to Peter King, might be second round now pretty firmly. He mentioned 62 with the Packers, 49 at the Steelers, could be the earliest he's taken, which really threw me off guard. But I don't know if that just smokescreened or not. But what do you think the ideal situation is?

I know Ballard sets a unique opportunity here. If a guy Jordan loves on the board at 34 or 44 even, or even some other player, even the Colts would still be in a position where I know Ballard would say he doesn't want to force it. But if the right opportunity arises, I think you have to take the crack at it. Yeah, I think you have to. And honestly, if the right quarterback is there at like 27 or 28, I'm trading back into the first round. I mean, if you really like a guy and you're

willing to take him at 34, well, you might as well just go ahead and take him at 31 or 30 and trade up. So you get that fifth year rookie option on them. But to me, that's a no brainer. Would it cost you a whatever, a fourth round pick moving up to let's say San Francisco at 31. Yeah, I probably would. But again, that fifth year team option means too, too much. And plus then you would get into Friday and you have that whole day on Friday. Cause remember the Colts picked at 34 last year. You know, that's where Rocky scene was. And Chris Ballard fielded a lot of trade calls that day. Cause you have all this lead up, everybody wakes up, you know,

late on Friday morning and then you have six or seven hours of you know constant calls of okay what is number 33 cost what is number 34 cost well if Jordan Love's on the board I wouldn't want some team potentially jumping me at 33 so if you really like him for example or you know if there's another quarterback who knows, but I guess loves the most popular name. If, if it got to 26, seven, eight, I mean, I'm probably moving up into the first round. And I know that eliminates one of your draft picks and, and, you know, Ballard said he wanted more draft picks, but that fifth year option and that team security, that would mean too much. We saw it a few years ago, you know, Baltimore did it with Lamar Jackson,

even though Lamar Jackson wasn't a slam dunk you know to be their franchise quarterback but obviously that worked out really were really really well so that that's that's something I would explore yeah I would definitely agree with you there if a player is sliding on the board I would not be shocked at all but Colts didn't move up with the right person but another context clue that I'm kind of picking up on I know Bauer loves his picks mentioned plenty of times to us before Kevin but he mentioned like you mentioned he wants to move back and get more picks if possible that's his plan and if it happens it happens but it seems sounds like to me we've seen the Colts do this back-to-back years Kevin in 2018 they moved back in a future second round play with the Jets 2019 do the same thing the Redskins get a future pick I kind of

feel like this is Bauer's MO here as far as moving back and getting future draft capital I would not shock me at all if the player they don't want is there or that multiple players on the board at 34 they like. I would not be shocked at all if they decide to move down and maybe get some future draft capital or more picks in this draft. Couldn't agree more. And, you know, that's probably the biggest takeaway from Friday. It's, you know, you get 15 minutes into the presser

and he isn't even asked the question about trades. And all of a sudden he just kind of blurts out man I'd like to get some more picks and I I guess I see that for sure um in the fact that you know he had 10 you know made 10 draft selections last year made 11 the year before um you know do you part ways with a Quincy Wilson and add another draft pick if possible who knows I also look at it and think to myself okay you know you want to have more you know bullets per se and obviously if you trade back I don't all of a sudden think that's for a 2020 draft pick I think it could be for a 2021 draft pick because then you're starting to think back to okay hopefully for the Colts sake they're not drafting 13 overall next year and they don't have that extra second

round pick from Washington waiting there. Like you got to start building some draft capital next year. If you do decide that that's the time to go ahead and move up for a, you know, long-term franchise quarterback. So without a doubt, that's something I think to keep, keep an eye on as well. I also want to acknowledge that I hear people out and I tend to side with them and being like you know what about kind of quality over quantity now with the draft I mean think back to last year your sixth round pick Gary Green didn't have a prayer

of making the football team and same thing with your seventh round picks Jackson Barton and even Javon Patterson you know I obviously towards ACL but you know you traded away Evan Bain it's not like you had you know gobs of open spots on your offensive line so what I'm getting at is this roster has greatly improved there was really nice depth had a lot of spots particularly on the defensive side of the ball um is there a few depth spots that can be filled offensively without a doubt but I think you're getting into the point now where it's like, okay, you know, how many fourth, fifth, sixth round picks, I guess mainly fifth, sixth, and seventh round picks, you know,

will make the team or will be kind of impactful players for you, you know? It's just something I think you just got to be honest with and say, all right, yeah, seven picks is not a lot for Chris Ballard. And it's a little bit below average, honestly, in the NFL. But unless you're trading back for 2021 pick, I tend to, you know, ask the question, is that guy even going to make your roster? Because you got to trade pretty far back, you know, at 34 overall. I mean, if you go back, you got to probably go at least 10 spots back to get a pick that's going to be you know what in the top four rounds something like that um so i think that's something to keep an eye on

as well yeah i really think something the wrong scenario i've been thinking of this kevin maybe you move back with a team like miami who has a lot of future picks they have the 56 overall picks on like 34 for 56 at 20 21 second round pick something like that i think makes a lot of sense that we're gonna to get back here, but what are the needs? We talk about quarterbacks, of course, throughout today's show, but who are some whiteouts here? You're kind of zoning in on as we get closer and closer to Thursday and Friday night. Some, some whiteouts. Yeah.

Well, I mean, I kind of have the feeling of the big three will go in round one and I would throw Justin Jefferson into that group as well so I guess that's four and throw a name at me if I'm forgetting somebody but I feel like four you know Judy, Ruggs, Lamp and then Jefferson would probably all go in round one so then you sit there at 34 and I just recorded my my final podcast I'll come out with a mock draft on Tuesday and I'm gonna have Michael Pittman there at pick 34 you know I think he's just a slightly more polished wide out than Chase Claypool you know fans will know full well and even Denzel Mims the fans know full well I'm a

huge Notre Dame guy and I've watched Claypool throughout his career and really blossomed you know into a tremendous player this past season but I feel like when you look at um just where they are at as receivers Pittman to me again just slightly more polished you know a thousand yards you know at at a place like USC is no joke um and the quarterback situation was a little bit confusing for them at various times last season as well you know he's a bigger body guy great hands there's just a lot of boxes that check off did really well against Utah last year the last two years really one of the better defenses that we saw in all of college football and a lot of division one or excuse me a lot of draftable talent especially in the secondary as well. So those things stand out to me.

So, yeah, he would be the wideout that kind of jumps off the page at me out of that bigger body group. Play pool and mems again, I would still, you know, put into that range. I like LaVisca Chenault, a little bit worrisome about the medicals with him and just – and Brandon Aiyuk, just, you know, okay, where are they at exactly? Can they provide the big yak element that I think this team would love to tap into as well? So, yeah, those are some of the wideouts kind of in that second, maybe even third-round range that I'd be looking at.

I need to mention this on your show with Joey, and also on your other podcasts over the last month or so, but I'm warming up a lot to the idea of if they really are content with the quarterback position, you just load up on skill position this year. And early in the draft, maybe you do go Pittman at 34. Then you go chase Claypool at 44, 75 to be that Ebron type of guy. It seems like just going with those big body targets is something that Phillip Rivers loves, but it's also a dynamic.

I feel like this Colts team hasn't had in years, Kevin. I know they tried to do with Devin Pontius last year, but that element I feel like has been this Colts offense. Even in the Reggie Marvin days, those guys were possession receivers, speedy types. I feel like they haven't seen a bigger body wide out here in a very long time. Oh, spot on. It's absolutely spot on.

And I feel like this is the misconception that I posted an article last week on 107.5thefan.com, and I detailed Phillip Rivers' history in the league in that he is not really – and I guess we'll get technical on here because I know your listeners are pretty diehard. Of looking back in the last 10 years of the top 20 wideouts, so the top two wideouts for rivers each season of those 20 receivers, 17 of the 20 were at least six, two, nine of the 20 were at least six, four, six, four is a big dude.

I mean, there haven't been many six, four wideouts on the Colts roster period, let alone, you know, number one or two options in the franchise history, really. So that's something that I feel like it's not just a Rivers thing does it help him yes do I think you should help him I do because you're paying him a whole lot of money and you made a pretty significant move a quarterback and you and you need a win like that's kind of where you're at right now so I think you should try and help him but I also am not sitting here being like oh a big body wide is just going to wash away down the White River

once Phillip Rivers leaves. No, like I think big-body receivers can play well in this league. I think separation and how wideouts separate, that's the number one skill that you're looking for. But making the 50-50 plays, high balls, back shoulder throw, all of that can come as well and honestly it allows for a wide out to have a pretty high floor if they can do that you can still find a role for them on game days as well um so again i i i'm a fan of it that body type and i'm a fan of it even after the philip

rivers 10 year comes and goes here i think I think that is something that this staff from the scouting department should keep at high priority. Kevin, one thing I've done on this show, and really just hammered this point home throughout the last month or so, I don't know if it's naive of me or not, but I feel like just the way we've seen Chris Bauer drafts go over the last three years, entering into year four for him, he really does love his high characters, senior bowl players, team team captains those are kind of the only players I've been

focusing on throughout this draft process I might be a little naive of me but I just feel like Chris Ballard has a type and like I have like a list of 40 50 guys I feel like there's a good chance a lot of them will be cold because it feels like character more so than anything else is the most important thing in this team yeah and now that we're what this is the fourth draft to Chris Ballard there is there is kind of a blueprint if you will senior bowl high character team captain that that is part of it and I also really try to stress this because I feel like some of honestly some of my my colleagues and I just think in general there's this like negative look on the combine of like who cares about the testing and while to a lot of people it might not matter to the cult it really

really matters yes the medical element is huge and in-person interviews is big but I don't want to lose sight of what the testing process means to the cults they are specific prerequisites that they have from a measurable and again drill standpoint that if you don't meet that you better be a dominant trait somewhere else for you to still be on the Colts board it's why Kenny Moore was never really thought of you know for the Colts until they were in a desperate need and and to have that longer wingspan which made his lack of height so um I think that is kind of the blueprint it's a guy that athletically tests really well has a high football character and football character doesn't mean like you know Rhodes Scholar or something like that no it means

a very coachable player that you feel like you feel like you can get something out of and then like you said the team captain locker room element as well, senior bowl, when you can compare apples to apples, that always helps for sure. So I think those are like the five or six sort of check marks that we have seen with, with Chris Fowler. That if you look throughout a draft, you know, the vast majority of the guys that he takes, checks multiple boxes of that sort of whatever, six-bullet-point criteria, if you will.

Yeah, I'm glad you brought the athletic testing too, Kevin, because players like Paris Campbell, Reese Fountain, for example, looking at their spider web charts here, they're over 90th percentile in all the explosive drills, like vertical jump, 40-yard dash, broad jump. So that definitely does play a huge factor for this Colts team. But I want to also hit on with you just the importance, I feel like Chris Dyer has mentioned over and over again about the trenches and building that I know they have a fourth offensive line they just acquired a fourth

spot number 13th overall pick but I do feel like the closer we get to this draft and the more I feel like quarterback might not be a top priority for this team it would not shock me at all kind of they went off to tackle 34 into your lineman at 75 or 122. It feels like Bauer, and you look at the depth behind them, LaRaven Clark, Javon Patterson, there's really Jake Eldredge camp. There's no one that took any snaps last year for this team. I feel like Bauer knows if something happens there, they're in big trouble. Oh, boy, I'd love to see their reaction if they went two offensive linemen in the first three picks.

And trust me, I'm not laughing at your comment because you know Chris Ballard well and I I feel like I do as well um that is a huge position for him and it's gotten zero attention here this offseason outside of zero outside attention I should say um Anthony Casanza re-signing was massive and even though Raven Clark is a body. But, yeah, I don't rule out an offensive lineman at all at any point in this draft. I tend to think tackle more than interior because I just think that position group needs more premium talent. If you look at the roster, I think they like a couple of their interior guys,

Jake Eldrenkamp and Javon Patterson, even Chaz Green, who they signed earlier in the offseason, has started some games in the NFL. But tackle-wise, it's really just a barren group. And, you know, if you take it a step further, none of their backups played a single offensive snap in the NFL last year, not one offensive snap from any reserve offensive lineman on their roster right now.

So that is certainly something that you have to keep an eye on. And I look to myself and I don't sit here and say, oh, you need a tackle because Anthony Costanzo's, you know, next replacement needs to come out of this draft. No, I mean, I'll take Costanzo at his word and think there's a legit chance he plays two years for sure. But I mean, that would be on the back of my mind. I just think, frankly, you need a sixth or seventh offensive lineman. I mean, I've detailed it and mentioned it on Beers with Bowen last Thursday. I mean, normal offensive line health means you're going to need your backup offensive linemen to start probably combined 15 to 20 games,

somewhere around there over the course of a season. That's a whole lot of football. And the Colts didn't need any of it last year. You know, their offensive line obviously started every single game. So that's why I do listen to you say two out of the first three picks. And I don't laugh too, too hard at it. But at the same time, when you don't have an open starting job that's right there, I still think, okay, can you get by with maybe an offensive tackle

in the first three to four picks and then take some of the skill group around that? Yeah, definitely that plan makes a lot of sense to me. I feel like a couple more I had for you, Kevin. It's about the defensive backs here. And an interesting thought that Chris Ballard said, I know he was kind of noncommittal about Ryan Kelly before the draft last year, then right after the draft happened, he said he's going to pick the fifth-year option. But it wasn't interesting to me that Ballard just seemed noncommittal about Malik Hooker.

He did the same thing in January when asked about him. It seems like they're kind of hot and cold on Hooker. He was so inconsistent last year. He just had the injury bug throughout his career. Obviously a big year for Hooker, but I kind of feel like they might take a safety early if they don't feel comfortable with Hooker's long-term security. Yeah, you know, it's a question that I've gotten a lot, and, you know, it's something that I wanted to ask him on Friday,

and I was fortunate to get it in there on that last question about Hooker and the fifth-year option, which must be exercised by May 4th. I know there's been a little bit of debate on the May 4th date, but that is when the fifth-year option has to be used. You know, obviously if they tip their hand at the safety early, it'll tell you a whole lot of what they think about Malik Hooker. Now, there's only four safeties on the roster. You know, Kari Willis, Malik Hooker, George Odom, and Roland Milligan.

And all four of them have played various snaps for them. So I think it's four guys that they like. But, you know, as you said, if they take a safety high, I mean, all of a sudden Hooker is a free agent come March if they don't exercise that option. Now, I still think that they like him to a degree, but I think they might want to say, all right, man, we need you to play with kind of like your hair's on fire this season.

And maybe that's what they're trying to do with Marlon Mack to a degree, not extend him and have him in a contract year play really, really motivated. But I wasn't stunned by Ballard's lack of committal one way or the other. You know, I remember back when the season ended, he clonely praised Ryan Kelly when asked about guys that could get contract extensions. And then Malik Hooker comment was just kind of, eh, he was solid. You know, it wasn't great.

Tailed off at the end of the year. So I wasn't stunned by it. I kind of expected that would be the answer. But that answer tells a lot. That answer says, all right, they don't look at Malik Cooker as slam dunk, lock and stone, you know, fifth-year option, 100%, and the mega second contract is definitely going to be coming. No, he still needs to prove himself a little bit more

before those decisions are made. Another defensive back here I feel like is in very hot water for his future here. It's Quincy Willis. You hinted at it at the top of the show, Kevin, talking about maybe getting more draft picks in this kind of scenario. But I've been thinking this since October, November, since Quincy Willis was inactive a lot,

that I feel like he's going to be like the new Hassan Ridgeway. He gets traded for a sixth-round pick on draft day on day three. Nothing to really talk about that much. But seeing Quincy Willis' Twitter and Instagram activity, Kevin, really intrigues me because he's deleted all of his Colts stuff. He's liking tweets about wanting to leave, getting traded or cut. It just seems that that relationship is really sour between Wilson and the Colts. It's just me looking on the outside looking in, of course.

But I would be actually surprised at this point if Quincy Wilson isn't traded on day three of the draft. Yeah, it would not stop me at all if, you know, we get to Saturday at 3 o'clock or something at all you know we get to saturday at three o'clock or something and you know there is a move made you know we even saw with henry and anderson a few years ago a pretty good football player um and then like you said it's on ridgeway last year that turned into jevon patterson uh draft pick there in round seven so um when chris powers says he wants to acquire more picks and you look at where quincy wilson is at um it would not stun me now when you look at the corner group it's not and it's

specifically i guess outside corner it still isn't like the deepest thing in the world um you know what do you got kenny more more of a slot. Definitely can play outside, but obviously when you want him at his best, it is just that slot corner. So then outside, it's going to be Rock, you know, Marvell Tell, Xavier Rhodes, you know, TJ Carey maybe in a pinch over there. But, you know, what I'm getting at is there's just not a lot of, okay, you really need Xavier Rhodes to look like the guy he was, you know, not last season for you to feel really really good about it which could mean that corner safety is a draft pick that could be a little bit higher than maybe you would look at their positional needs right now one of the scenarios I did last week

on the on the beers of Bowen I think I had them taking Ashton Davis out of Cal in round three again that might be a little bit high for some people's liking, but when you look at the depth chart, you start to think about ages. You start thinking about outside corners versus inside corners. It's just, there's just not a lot of, you know, tremendous, tremendous depth within that group. I think you can get by, but you're an injury or two away from kind of looking over your shoulder and being like, okay, who do we have there? So again, that's where I,

I do look at, I don't think we've gotten to like Eric Ebron status with Quincy, but you know, if you told me that this is the final six days of Quincy Wilson's tenure on the Colts roster, I wouldn't be stunned. Final few questions for you, Ken. Appreciate your time as always. I wanted to hit on with you really quickly just this NFL draft and what it's going to be like. It's a virtual setting.

They had their mock run today with all 32 GMs. But how intriguing is it to flip on ESPN here in a couple of days and just see Roger Goodell in his basement announcing picks? You have all these – maybe Chris Bauer, the dog, you'll see on day two of the draft walking around with a camera. It just seems like it's going to be one of the – not only weirdest, but also one of the more interesting drafts we've ever seen. Chris Bowen said to Peter King a couple weeks ago

that there will be a 30-for-30 on this draft one day. And there's already reports of their simulation today didn't go well and whatnot. And I guess the good news is all 32 teams are at some level playing ground to a degree. And at the end of the day, if know if panic happens simply these GMs just call Roger Goodell and be like hey here's my pick go ahead and announce it or obviously there's some you know NFL person you need to loop in there and I think the Colts obviously have an advantage because Chris

believes so much in his area scouts they are going to be very key in this process. The coaches will have not had hardly any interaction with some of these players. I also agree with the Colts, you know, sending their coaches, which obviously they would, but they do, to the combine. You know, you saw Sean McVay, I'm pretty sure, kept the Rams coordinators, you know, back in L.A. Belichick, I don't know if he was even at the Combine or at least wasn't there the whole time. I mean, there's just some face-to-face interaction

that some of these assistants and coordinators missed out on potentially back in the February Combine. So I think the Colts are going to be just fine compared to other teams. I hope there's not anything crazy from a hacking standpoint or the malfunction just because I don't want this draft to drag on any later than it already does. So hopefully it'll be pretty smooth and we can get, you know, it's a Saturday at seven o'clock, six, I got, hopefully it's earlier than that, five o'clock or so, and we can, we can call it a day,

but it will be interesting to see how this goes and, you know, full well one team that starts complaining you'll hear it from Adam Schefter because he seems to be kind of the team mouthpiece right now. Putting you on the spot you're close to the show Kevin but as we get close to the draft it's Monday afternoon as we're recording this what would be your prediction you're getting the Colts move up into round one they're going to pick on Thursday night you think they stay put or trade back of those three options? Yeah, that's a good question. I'll say stay put. You know, if you're going to say trade up, I'd say probably 20%, you know, trade back or probably be a lot closer to 50%, you know, I don't know,

maybe 35 ish, something like that. So, and so then if they stay, they stood pat, pat you know that's 45 if my math off top my head is is right if i was making a pie chart maybe the trade-ups a little bit too high but again you're only moving up two spots and that fifth year option is pretty pretty advantageous to to a lot of teams and you have teams that are late in the first round new orleans san francisco that only have five total picks so i think they would be inclined to maybe move back as well. So, again, I will say that they stand pat, but I don't look at it as slam dunk by any means.

It's always fun having you on here, Kevin. You can follow him over on Twitter at KBowen1070 and go listen to his newest podcast on Kevin's Corner just released here as we're recording. So go ahead and check out his latest predictions for the Colts and his mock draft. Appreciate the time, Kevin. Yep.

Have a great draft week, Evan.