Chris Ballard and Dave Toub Are Exactly What Andrew Luck Needs

Chris Ballard looks like the early favorite for Indianapolis Colts GM, and it seems like he has a head coach in mind with veteran coordinator Dave Toub.

That doesn’t bode well for Chuck Pagano, who looked safe for a moment after the firing of former GM Ryan Grigson. The question of course is whether this pairing is right for the franchise. Or more specifically, is it right for quarterback Andrew Luck? That after all is the primary reason ownership chose to dump Grigson. His primary job was to do the same thing Bill Polian had done with Peyton Manning. Build a complimentary roster around a superstar quarterback.

It’s supposed to be one of the easiest things in the NFL to do. Apparently not. Even for a franchise that has done it more than most. They did it with Johnny Unitas and again with Manning. No one thought for a second they’d mess this up with a once-in-a-generation talent like Luck. Yet here they are, looking to overhaul the organization in the critical prime period of his career.

Thus the inevitable question comes up. Are Ballard and Toub the right choices to pull Luck out of this quagmire and put him and this team back on track? Indeed they are, and it is for these reasons.

Chris Ballard

Though he’s had a hand in drafting or signing several talents for the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs as a scout and executive, it’s clear where the strengths lay for Chris Ballard. He specialty centers on the defensive side of the ball. While in Chicago he was a key component to the Bears drafting future stars like Charles Tillman, Tommie Harris, and Nathan Vasher.

In Kansas City he assisted the Chiefs with pinpointing major talents like Dee Ford and Marcus Peters. To say nothing of his success at finding running backs like Matt Forte. Defense and a running game have proven to be the best friends of a franchise quarterback when it comes to winning games. Two things Ryan Grigson failed at miserably.

Next: Indianapolis Colts: Chuck Pagano Isn’t Safe From Firing Just Yet

Dave Toub

This is the other piece to the puzzle. Dave Toub is universally respected around the NFL for being the best special teams coach in the business. That means the Colts are likely to encounter a measure of success in the third phase if and when he took over. Besides that Toub is known for being a mastermind at identifying quality personnel and finding the best ways to help them succeed. That is the hallmark of what good head coaches do.

Thus Indianapolis has covered the other two phases of the game, leaving Luck to do what he does best. That’s put up yards and points. This is exactly the sort of triumvirate the team would need to become relevant again in the AFC. Time will tell if owner Jim Irsay follows through on that direction or if he balks at the last second.