5 Questions with Stampede Blue: The Colts’ Rebuild is Underway

As the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8, we traded questions with Stampede Blue’s Chris Shepherd to learn more about the opposing side.

Question 1: The Colts are officially in “rebuilding” mode. Are you surprised by the firing of general manager Chris Ballard? And how long will head coach Shane Steichen be given a leash?

After losing to a very bad and previously winless Titans team, in a year when the owner made it clear the need to win has never been higher, it’s no wonder someone got fired. I am a bit this surprised Ballard. I thought there was a possibility it was offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, for some reason if nothing else to appease the bloodthirsty fans inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Instead, Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon did the right thing and fired the person most responsible for this team’s failures. It was quite a nice surprise.

The length of a leash is a fascinating question. In April, Irsay-Gordon sat down to conduct an interview with the Colts’ internal media department and gave an interesting answer to the hiring of general managers and head coaches:

I admit my initial reaction to that answer was simplistic and there was a real chance the Colts moved on from Steichen and hired both GM and head coach in the same offseason. Irsay-Gordon said hiring a GM and HC at the same time is something they would never do, but they could always hire one and then the other, though not rushing into either decision would be difficult. They also have a huge head start on the search for their next GM. The issue comes down to the end-of-season hiring window and how short it is. Even with an early start they will still need to conduct interviews and find the right fit. Then they have to move on to finding the right head coach. If I had to guess, I’d say the next GM will find himself with an immediate decision to make regarding his head coach. Does he fire Shane Steichen and quickly hire a new staff, or does he bring him back for a year with Steichen in a likely lame duck situation? I don’t think the owner will decide.

Question 2: Were you surprised by the timing of the Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner trades? One could argue that the Colts could drive an asking price with two full weeks left until the NFL trade deadline. They also don’t have their own 2027 first-round pick (sorry to remind you).

A little surprised at the timing, I thought it would happen after this weekend’s drubbing in Jacksonville but I didn’t think it would change the comeback. Buckner and Nelson are the ultimate team guys. By all accounts they both showed up every day, worked with everyone around them, led by example, were loved by their teammates and never once complained about the absolute disaster that was going on around them since they arrived in Indianapolis. They’ve worked hard, done all the right things and been loyal to the organization for years and when the time comes, all reports indicate that both Nelson and Buckner will have a say in choosing their next spot.

Given the circumstances, I’m fine. At the end of the day, football is a lot of fun and more fun if your team is good, but it’s not as important as treating people with respect, especially guys like Nelson and Buckner, instead of squeezing every last drop of value out of them. Of all the decisions made by management in Indy over the past decade, I don’t think the decisions to sell one round low in those two are the ones that will be remembered as what brought the franchise back.

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Question 3: From a team building standpoint, it would be wise to trade Jonathan Taylor as well… but he’s on pace to hang his jersey in the rafters at Lucas Oil Stadium one day. Would you like to see the Colts trade him for max value or keep him for sentimental reasons?

I think they have a different motivation than that. Right now, all serious trade talk is for players in contract years. My belief is that they are setting up the next GM to have as much agency on the roster as possible. GM changes usually come with massive roster turnover for better or worse, and if on day one the GM has a stack of re-signings to decide, there might be a player or two they’re interested in bringing back. There is a real chance that neither player will want to spend his second contract on a rebuilding franchise in the Midwest. So moving them now, instead of losing them then and getting zero return for them, makes a lot of sense.

Right now, Taylor is under contract. I think the goal is to give the next GM a chance to do with Taylor what they want, but if someone makes a ridiculous offer, kind of like the Bears giving two firsts and a fourth for Jeffery Simmons (luckily it’s the Titans so they bust the picks, but still, that’s wild), then I don’t think they’ll hesitate to move him.

Personally, I wish they had moved him. Sending JT to a place where he can compete in meaningful games, along with the fact that his value has never been higher than it is right now, is enough for me to like them. I’m just not sure they’ll get that kind of offer.

Question 4: Who are some under-the-radar players Jaguars fans should be aware of before Sunday’s kickoff?

Let’s go with the two guys who will replace Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner.

At left guard, the Colts will start rookie Jalen Farmer from Kentucky. As a run blocker Farmer is a beast at Kentucky but he has only played three offensive snaps this season so there are a lot of unknowns. OL coach Tony Soprano Jr. was famously quoted as saying, “Draft this guy and I’ll make it work,” and reportedly loved Farmer as a prospect. Soprano has earned a lot of trust within the Colts building as they have drafted and developed offensive line talent as well as anyone in the league since he took the job. I expect Farmer to have his ups and downs, but on offense I’ll be dialed in at left guard for the Colts all day.

On defense, Adetomiwa Adebawore will replace Buckner at defensive tackle. Adebawore is currently tied for the team lead in sacks with 4.0 despite playing only 36% of the team’s defensive snaps. Obviously his sack numbers won’t scale with his playing time but Ade Ade is an athletic freak of a 3-tech and I’m excited to see what he does in an expanded role- that said, he’s on a contract year and Mike Garafolo just told everyone on NFL Network’s The Insiders that Indy is shopping him as well, so who knows if he’ll be active on Sunday.

Question 5: Do you expect the Colts to cover as 8.5-point underdogs, and do you have a favorite player prop for the game?

Cover? Definitely not.

As far as a prop bet, I want to bet the Jaguars defense scores a touchdown on Sunday. I also want to replace the yards for most offensive skill position players in Jacksonville. I wouldn’t bet on any Colts player, other than Jonathan Taylor to score a touchdown. He has 8 even 7 games so far this season.

Thanks to Chris for taking the time to answer our questions.

Let us know your thoughts on the matchup in the comments below!