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It feels like the last three years the most important conversation the Colts and people surrounding them were having is ‘what will happen at quarterback?’.
In 2017 it was will Andrew Luck play. In 2018 it was how will Andrew Luck play. And in 2019 it turned into “oh my god he’s not playing. Can Jacoby do the job?”
Now in 2020 it’s still surrounding the quarterback position and what Chris Ballard should do about the most important position in sports.
Stephen Holder of The Athletic joined The Ride with JMV for a lengthy discussion about the Colts offseason, last weekend’s Senior Bowl, Jordan Love, and if a veteran quarterback makes sense for the Colts.
First off, what are his thoughts on Jordan Love?
“This was really my first up close and personal look. So I was very interested in just taking sort of the first impressions. And it’s interesting, Frank Reich told me he doesn’t go into this preparing by watching tape or reading the scouting reports and all that. He says he wants to come in and get a complete first impression with no pre-conceived notion,” Holder told JMV.
“I had the same experience. What I’d say about Jordan Love is, definitely you can see the talent, I definitely see it. I think that he’s imperfect. That’s what he is…if you draft him, you’re going to have to coach him and develop him.”
Again, another popular topic of conversation leading up to April, and if Love is the pick beyond, will be that’s what Frank Reich was brought in for, right?
Sure, in 2018 it was to get the most out of Andrew Luck, which he did, but now in LAL (Life After Luck), one of his strongest suits as a head coach is being an offensive wizard who can be a quarterback whisperer.
The question then is are Love’s “imperfections” be too much to overcome in the eyes of Ballard and Reich?
“I don’t think that should scare anyone away – the Colts included. The question becomes do they see him as a guy that can develop as an efficient player and be trusted in game situations that really make or break you in the NFL. That’s going to be the test. I think he has the tools to do that….I thought he helped himself, and it’s going to be interesting to see how these quarterbacks play out, but certainly he’s in the mix, and he should be.”
So, what if they aren’t as high on Love as we think they are? What happens then at quarterback? Another option could be to go the veteran route. Dan Patrick claimed on his Tuesday show from Miami that his people are telling him Philip Rivers to the Colts on a two-year deal.
Would that option make sense?
“You can look at it two ways,” Holder said of the choices facing the Colts.
“You can look at it as the Colts as a team that is ready to roll and compete right now. Are they a Super Bowl contender? I don’t think so, but they are a team that can win a lot of games. I think the first half of the season last year showed us they have the potential to be a division winner right now. The other side to that coin is they’re also a team that is in the beginning stages of what they hope is a long-term period of development where they can be good for a long time. So one school of thought is if you have such a team, you need a young quarterback who can grow with that team.”
Strap up, Colts fans. It’s looking like either a young kid like Jordan Love, or the wiley vet like Rivers to hold us over until Ballard feels comfortable selecting his quarterback of the future.
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