Colts 2021 Season thread

[Basketball Fan]

Andrew Luck didn't want to play football anymore for whatever reason I would've respected it more had he just retired during that offseason instead of two weeks before the season began which is where most of the ire comes from. The fact people still don't get this is beyond me.

Otherwise its his life which he saw beyond football and made the decision that was best for him so be it. If anything it just shows how badly the decision to cut Manning has aged(and he's the only person to have benefitted from all of this go figure).

Meanwhile the Colts are going to dump Wentz(or try to) after one season and try again with another QB.

I don't hate Wentz like everyone else does and he's not the long term solution but changing QB's every year doesn't work either. One day this team has to commit to a QB for more than one season.

[Bball]

The Colts appear ready to cut bait on quarterback Carson Wentz.

Wentz will probably be traded or released by March 18, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.

The reason March 18 is significant is that Wentz’s contract calls for his full $22 million base salary to be guaranteed, and for him to receive a $6.29 million roster bonus, if he’s still on the roster on March 18. If Wentz is released before then, the Colts are still on the hook for $15 million of his base salary, but they’d be off the hook for the other $13.29 million.

Trading Wentz to a team willing to take on his full contract as-is would be the ideal choice for the Colts, but it seems unlikely that any team is going to give anything up to take on a contract that the Colts don’t want. It is possible that Wentz, the Colts and another team could all agree to a re-worked contract that makes it easier for him to be traded.

The Colts gave up their first-round pick in this year’s draft and a third-round pick last year for Wentz. Obviously they wouldn’t have done that if they had thought Wentz would be one-and-done, but given his disastrous play at the end of the season as the Colts were knocked out of playoff contention, it’s unsurprising that the team has apparently decided to move on.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-carson-wentz/

[D-BONE]

The Colts appear ready to cut bait on quarterback Carson Wentz.

Wentz will probably be traded or released by March 18, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.

The reason March 18 is significant is that Wentz’s contract calls for his full $22 million base salary to be guaranteed, and for him to receive a $6.29 million roster bonus, if he’s still on the roster on March 18. If Wentz is released before then, the Colts are still on the hook for $15 million of his base salary, but they’d be off the hook for the other $13.29 million.

Trading Wentz to a team willing to take on his full contract as-is would be the ideal choice for the Colts, but it seems unlikely that any team is going to give anything up to take on a contract that the Colts don’t want. It is possible that Wentz, the Colts and another team could all agree to a re-worked contract that makes it easier for him to be traded.

The Colts gave up their first-round pick in this year’s draft and a third-round pick last year for Wentz. Obviously they wouldn’t have done that if they had thought Wentz would be one-and-done, but given his disastrous play at the end of the season as the Colts were knocked out of playoff contention, it’s unsurprising that the team has apparently decided to move on.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-carson-wentz/

Still can't believe they had to give up a 1st and 3rd to get him. He had one excellent year truncated by injury. Otherwise, he was abismal.

[Bball]

It's still hard to believe in one way they'd cut bait after one year with what was put into getting him... But, the team was built for Luck and Luck is gone, and they can't waste years on bad QB play before everything else dissolves.
Meanwhile, whoever pushed for Wentz, or agreed enough to OK it to Irsay, has now put their jobs on the line and tied themselves to Wentz, and how they go forward (with him or without him).

It turns into a sunken costs fallacy scenario now.

That one of the available QB's from the the previous season just went to the SB, and won, can't help. Stafford didn't need a season to get acclimated. You could argue Brady was a special case, but Stafford isn't in anyone's discussion about being the GOAT, or heir apparent.
Whether the Colts had the assets and ability to make a run at Stafford, whether they tried or not, doesn't matter to the overall point. Stafford (and Brady for that matter, heck even Manning) showed you can go to a new team and pretty quickly put that team into true SB contention. Not just fighting to make the playoffs, but can be a factor right away. Even win it in year 1 is clearly possible.

Wentz, OTOH, showed that HE couldn't do that.

EDIT: Rivers worked out as far as QB play goes, except he turned out to be a 1 year rental. I didn't mean to imply his play was 'bad', just that ultimately it turned into a wasted year since it did nothing to solidify the position, though ultimately did give Buffalo a run for their money in the playoffs. But a playoff loss is still a loss versus playing in the AFCCG or SB. A 1 year rental that ends up in the SB wouldn't be so bad. A 1 year run that doesn't even make the playoffs, let alone lose to the worst team in the league with bad QB play, is just brutal though. Better QB play and the Colts aren't even in that position this season.

[Bball]

I'm really surprised to see the amount of online support Wentz is getting. Especially, with the lack of real backing from the team and the rumors that are swirling. It's really kind of a 50-50 thing... some arguing that Ballard and the receivers are the problem, not Wentz. Others arguing Wentz is 'trash'. Doesn't seem to be much middle ground.
A lot of people who are defending Wentz say "...But his stats!".

[Bball]

This is sure a different take on the Wentz situation. Not in it saying the Colts are likely to move on from Wentz, but instead, making a case that Wentz could actually have some demand.
Partially, because of the dearth of options out there, and partially because the Colts might be in a position they'd eat some of what Wentz is owned to make a trade and get something rather then nothing for Wentz. Thus, making it a little more palatable for some other team to give him a go.

Some of it also seems to be how much weight a potential suitor would put on his stats that some think were skewed to be better than they should've been (by luck more than skill).

https://www.forbes.com/sites/djsiddiqi/2022/02/21/why-the-indianapolis-colts-carson-wentz-may-emerge-as-most-coveted-qb-in-2022-offseason/?sh=1623957e122a

[PacerDude]

Frank Reich: I believe in Carson Wentz (fox59.com)

“I believe he’s going to continue to have a lot of success at quarterback. That might be here, it might not be here. That decision has yet to be made. But I still believe in the person and I still believe in the player.’’

So - not giving a clue. I get so tired of this 'coach-speak'. Same with GMs, owners - all the top folks in sports. They never say anything new or interesting or ground-breaking or ....... anything. I really stopped listening (reading) years back, but the headline just made me pucker and click.

FWTFIW - I'd prefer someone else - but who that someone else would be - I have no idea. Don't know who's available, who wants to move on -- nothing. But I don't think the future is on the roster.

[Sollozzo]

Our “luck” ran out. We had a top 3 all time QB fall into our lap. Then we followed him with one of the better young prospects in recent history. Only problem is that he is pretty much the only talented QB in history to quit out of nowhere at age 30. So now we’re trying to strike gold for the third time in 25 years. Not easy. Think of how long it took franchises like Buffalo and Cincy to get their QB’s. It could be years for us. At this point the best hope is to get someone who doesn’t completely suck.

[PacerDude]

Only problem is that he is pretty much the only talented QB in history to quit out of nowhere at age 30. .

[intervention]

We know. We really do.

Let it go man.

[/intervention]

[Sollozzo]

We might as well throw Ehlinger out there if we can’t make a good upgrade. Cant be any worse than Wentz. I still wonder what would have happened if Wentz wouldn’t have been able to play against LV. Maybe Ehlinger would have had some lightning in a bottle beginner’s luck. I doubt he misses wide open Hilton.

[Bball]

Our “luck” ran out. We had a top 3 all time QB fall into our lap. Then we followed him with one of the better young prospects in recent history. Only problem is that he is pretty much the only talented QB in history to quit out of nowhere at age 30. So now we’re trying to strike gold for the third time in 25 years. Not easy. Think of how long it took franchises like Buffalo and Cincy to get their QB’s. It could be years for us. At this point the best hope is to get someone who doesn’t completely suck.

Think how long it took the Colts (Indy) to get their QB.... In no particular order... Pagel, Schlichter, Hogeboom, Trudeau, Chandler, George, Harbaugh...

[Sollozzo]

Think how long it took the Colts (Indy) to get their QB.... In no particular order... Pagel, Schlichter, Hogeboom, Trudeau, Chandler, George, Harbaugh...

And now we are already at Brissett, Rivers, Wentz......next.....

[PacerDude]

........Wentz......next.....

As much as I hate to say it - I don't think he's going anywhere.

First - there's what - 12-13 million of dead money that it would create ?? Not sure how you can eat that and get a 'quality' QB on the roster.

Then - WHO ?? Which decent QBs are available at a reasonable price ?? Rodgers isn't coming here. Neither is Wilson. Carr ?? Garrapolo ?? Are they that much better than Wentz that you make the deal ?? Which likely would involve more high draft picks. Especially after spending a 3 and 1 on Wentz. Watson ?? PR nightmare. Not gonna happen.

Maybe a few better receivers would help things ?? I don't know. I don't have the solution. Sure TF hope Ballard does.

[Sollozzo]

As much as I hate to say it - I don't think he's going anywhere.

First - there's what - 12-13 million of dead money that it would create ?? Not sure how you can eat that and get a 'quality' QB on the roster.

Then - WHO ?? Which decent QBs are available at a reasonable price ?? Rodgers isn't coming here. Neither is Wilson. Carr ?? Garrapolo ?? Are they that much better than Wentz that you make the deal ?? Which likely would involve more high draft picks. Especially after spending a 3 and 1 on Wentz. Watson ?? PR nightmare. Not gonna happen.

Maybe a few better receivers would help things ?? I don't know. I don't have the solution. Sure TF hope Ballard does.

Like I said, if you can’t get him off the roster then you might as well play Ehlinger and see what he has. If he has NFL talent, I think Reich could coach some success into him. There is no way he could be any worse than Wentz.

I don’t see how Wentz could ever recover in Indy from that collapse. Some QB’s could but I don’t think he’s one of them. Maybe he’ll prove most of us wrong, but I highly doubt it at this point.

[PacerDude]

QB1 - 64% comp, 3113 yds, 25TDs, 6 INT

QB2 - 62% comp, 3563 yds, 27TDs, 7 INT

QB3 - 68% comp, 3810 yds, 20TDs, 12 INT

QB4 - 67% comp, 3734 yds, 21TDs, 14 INT

QB5 - 00% comp, 0000 yds, 00TDs, 0 INT

Pick one.