What The Indianapolis Colts Are Getting With Chris Ballard
By Erik Lambert
Ryan Grigson was kicked to the curb by the Indianapolis Colts because he failed to do the simplest job for an NFL GM. Build around a franchise quarterback.
Now the team is left scrambling to find somebody who can correct all the mistakes made and re-open this organizations’ Super Bowl window while Andrew Luck is still in his physical prime. The man owner Jim Irsay decided to go with was Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard. A man who has been considered one of the top candidates available over the past two years.
The #Colts have hired GM Chris Ballard, formerly of the #Chiefs.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 29, 2017
Ballard was a finalist for the Chicago Bears GM job in 2015, losing out in the end to Ryan Pace. He declined an opportunity for the same in San Francisco. Of course he couldn’t resist the chance to inherit a franchise quarterback like Luck. It’s not surprising that the Colts chose to go with him. This is a man who has lived and breathed the football business since the dawn of the millennium.
He started out as a coach in the college ranks before joining the Bears as a scout in 2001. From there he worked his way up the ranks until he was their national scout in 2012. The arrival of former GM Phil Emery caused a shift in the organization. Ballard departed to join the Chiefs as their player personnel director. In that time he’s had a hand in drafting some impressive talents.
- Charles Tillman
- Tommie Harris
- Nathan Vasher
- Johnny Knox
- Matt Forte
- Travis Kelce
- Dee Ford
- Marcus Peters
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The fact that much of his success has come on the defensive side of the ball is welcome news for the Colts organization. Grigson has a monumental problem building that side of the ball as busts like Bjorn Werner and D’Joun Smith can attest. Ballard brings 16 years of scouting experience with him. Many prominent scouts in the business like Matt Miller and Greg Gabriel swear by his ability to find talent. Whether he can handle the big chair is of course the ultimate question.