FanPost

On Why Grigson Must Go: A (somewhat) Objective Look


There was a point in time that I defended Ryan Grigson. It was his first time running an NFL franchise and I wanted to give him a fair chance. I also believed that he had made some solid moves as the Colts GM. Trading for Vontae Davis, re-signing Robert Mathis, and trading up to draft T.Y. Hilton have all proved to be great moves. During his tenure with the Colts Grigson has also discovered players such as Jerrell Freeman and Jack Doyle. And he deserves credit for those moves.

However, the time has come to call out Grigson for his non-successful moves. And unfortunately, there have been quite a few of them. The current roster easily highlights this sobering fact. The ill advised trades, poor drafting, and misguided free agent signings have finally added up. And that is why it’s time for Grigson to go.

Before discussing why a pink slip is needed, it might be helpful to quickly recap the drafts that Ryan Grigson oversaw. Yes, free agency and trades are important. But the draft is where rosters are made (or not made) and is the primary mechanism for a GM to truly build his team. So let’s refresh our memory a bit.

The 2012 draft will go down as a great draft, as it should, because of Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton. Add in Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen and that is a pretty good haul. But the reality is that Grigson had 10 picks in 2012 and only three remain on the Colts roster and only four remain in the NFL. Perhaps if Josh Chapman or Vick Ballard had panned out I’d like this draft a little bit more.

The 2013 draft was nothing more than a complete, utter, and total disaster for the Colts. Grigson whiffed on Bjoern Werner in the first round and every pick after. Not a single player remains on the Colts active roster. Enough said.

The Colts only had five picks in the 2014 draft, which is marred by not having a first round pick thanks to the awful Trent Richardson trade. The next two picks however, Jack Mewhort and Donte Moncrief, are two of Grigson’s best selections. The final three picks, including Jonathan Newsome – who appeared to be a great find, did not pan out.

The 2015 draft is where Grigson shocked Colts fans and took speedy wide receiver Phillip Dorsett in the first round despite multiple glaring needs on defense. He then drafted cornerback D’John Smith who is no longer with the team. But Grigson recovered nicely, drafting Henry Anderson, Clayton Geathers, and David Parry. All three have contributed with Anderson and Geathers even flashing the potential to be special players. Grigson also deserves credit for selecting Denzelle Good in the seventh round.

And finally we have 2016. Which, in my opinion, could go down as Ryan Grigson’s best draft. He started by selecting center Ryan Kelly and adding offensive lineman Le’raven Clark, Joe Haeg, and Austin Blythe. Defensive picks included TJ Green and Hassan Ridgeway who are already contributing. Currently seven of the eight selections remain on the Colts roster and all eight players remain in the NFL.

With that review in mind, we can tally that Ryan Grigson has been at the helm for 38 total draft picks. Of those picks only 17 remain on the Colts roster, or in other words, less than half of the picks that Grigson has made have worked out. And the vast majority of them have come in the last two drafts. Out of 22 draft picks from 2012 – 2014 only five of them - or a dismal 23% - remain with the Colts. That statistic alone should be reason for termination.

The thing is I believe Grigson has shown some improvement in this department. The defensive picks in 2015 of Anderson and Geathers look like great selections. And the 2016 draft could finally be where Grigson solidifies the offensive line.

The problem, however, it is simply too little to late. The poor drafting is just too much to overcome. With the draft history fresh in mind, here are the three main reasons I believe Grigson needs to go:

3) The total cluster that was the 2013 draft. Ryan Grigson drafted Bjoern Werner as a project. And that is fine. The problem is there were other needs that could have been addressed with more NFL ready players. Defensive players such as Xavier Rhodes, Alec Ogletree, and Kawaan Short, and several others, all went in the next 20-25 picks. Neither picks of Hugh Thornton or Khaled Holmes worked out on the offensive line. And trading up to draft Montori Hughes in the fifth round, which was a bust, cost the Colts a fourth round pick in 2014. And then sixth round pick John Boyett quickly got into trouble and never played a down for the Colts. It was a nice cherry on top of a complete crap sundae. So really the 2013 draft just highlights …

2) Grigson’s inability to build an offensive line or find defensive playmakers. This is perhaps combining two reasons, but since his first day with the Colts these have been the glaring needs on each side of the ball. And Grigson has failed to properly address either one in adequate time. Luck continues to get hit more than any other quarterback in the league (And yes, let’s be clear, many of those hits are on him. But even an average or above average line would be an upgrade). While the offensive line might finally be falling into place, five years later, the defense is still atrocious. The lack of talent is appalling, and evident, as opposing offenses drop 40 points time after time. This shows how poorly the team has been built and is a major indictment on Grigson. Which truly shows his…

1) Failure to nail a 1st round pick between 2013–2015. With all things considered this is the major indictment on Ryan Grigson. Of course this includes drafting Werner, the abysmal trade that sent a first round pick for Trent Richardson, and selecting Phillip Dorsett. Not every draft pick works out, but if Grigson even hits on two of these picks there is a good chance we are not even having this conversation. Selecting one of the players mentioned above in 2013 would have had a lasting impact, on both future drafts and the current roster. So even if we somehow forget the terrible 2014 debacle and give Grigson a pass, we can’t do the same for 2015. I remember watching in confusion as Dorsett was selected. I thought that safety Landon Collins should have been the pick. Collins was selected four players later and is playing very well with the New York Giants. Even if Grigson didn’t prefer Collins, there were a wide variety of defensive players available including linebackers Benardrick McKinney and Eric Kendricks. Grigson’s rebuttal is that they selected the best player available. I’m typically ok with this approach. Except that in this scenario it only highlights how inadequate Grigson is at judging first round talent.

Ultimately, the decision belongs to one man and one many only. And that is none other than Colts owner Jim Irsay. But when you add up all of the miscues on the part of Ryan Grigson they are just too much. From the bungled trades, to bad free agent signings, to the drafting mistakes, it’s time for a change. I see it and believe many other fans see it too. Let’s hope Mr. Irsay does too, because it’s time for Grigson to go.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.