Stampede Blue - Tracking any potential changes the Indianapolis Colts makeAn Indianapolis Colts bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/29818/stampedeblue_fave.png2017-01-02T14:25:44-05:00http://www.stampedeblue.com/rss/stream/139035132017-01-02T14:25:44-05:002017-01-02T14:25:44-05:00Chuck Pagano plans to be back with Colts but hasn’t met with Jim Irsay yet
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<figcaption>Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="5AloOH">This afternoon, Colts head coach Chuck Pagano held a press conference like usual on Monday, but this press conference was anything but the usual.</p>
<p id="Cb9a3k">Pagano filibustered for well over ten minutes with his opening statement, which I have to imagine is unofficially the longest opening statement he’s ever had in a press conference. It was a media session filled with a lot of optimistic words, but not with an optimistic tone. Colts PR cut off a question near the end and instead had someone ask a different question, and the whole thing was just entirely strange.</p>
<p id="I7PW2E">The biggest takeaway from it: Pagano still doesn’t know his future with the team.</p>
<p id="igIrzq">That’s right: Pagano said that he has yet to meet with owner Jim Irsay and that the meeting will come later in the day today like they do after every season. But he did say “that’s the plan” when asked if he expects to be back, and he said that he has no reason to doubt that he’ll be back. When asked if that’s because he knows something we don’t, Pagano said, “I just look at things and it’s always half full. Yeah, I don’t have any reason to believe why I would be.”</p>
<p id="xA8jIp">Pagano’s words indicated that he plans to be back, and he kept talking about how they need to be better - but it didn’t <em>sound</em> optimistic. Again, it was just a strange situation.</p>
<p id="HLPmK7">He was also asked whether he’s prepared to ‘fight like hell’ for his job again this year like he was last year, and Pagano talked a little bit about his coming meeting with Jim Irsay. “Yeah, I think just like everybody else wants answers, the fans, my kids, my wife, the owner,” Pagano said, “I mean, yeah, we’re going to have a discussion on where we’re at, what do we need to do, where we’re going, and how we’re going to get there. We understand where we want to go. And so yeah, we’ll have that conversation.”</p>
<p id="46VFuc">So in short: Pagano expects to be back with the Colts, but he hasn’t yet met with Jim Irsay. That seems backwards to me (meet with the coach first, then send him in front of the media), but I guess that shouldn’t be surprising for this franchise nowadays.</p>
https://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/2/14147186/chuck-pagano-plans-to-be-back-with-colts-but-hasnt-met-with-jim-irsay-yetJosh Wilson2017-01-02T11:53:45-05:002017-01-02T11:53:45-05:00Chuck Pagano to meet with the media at 1:30<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/JoshWilsonSB/status/815959524188311556">Chuck Pagano to meet with the media at&nbsp;1:30</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>The Colts just announced that Chuck Pagano will be made available to the media at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon. Which probably means that he still has a job.</p></p></div>
https://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/2/14145966/chuck-pagano-to-meet-with-the-media-at-1-30Josh Wilson2017-01-01T17:33:00-05:002017-01-01T17:33:00-05:00Chuck Pagano dodges question about his future, then walks out of press conference
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<p id="MHGp3c">The Colts today won a game in which they were already out of the playoff race and trailing the 3-12 Jaguars big early on but managed to pull it out to improve to .500 on the season.</p>
<p id="wPOZFx">That’s not exactly a great resume, but it was still an exciting win. And though all the talk around the team is about the future of general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano, it’s pretty clear that Pagano doesn’t want any part of that talk.</p>
<p id="5pYW6R">In his post-game press conference, the second question that Pagano was asked was about his future. He side-stepped the question and then walked out.</p>
<p id="VXzw2o">“Happy New Year,” Pagano said in response to the question about his future, <a href="https://twitter.com/zkeefer/status/815681413924143104">according to the Indianapolis Star’s Zak Keefer</a>. “It was a great win. Like I said, really proud of this team and can’t wait to see my wife and my kids. Daughters are here. Got my three granddaughters here. Baby Zoe, she’s 3 or 4 years old. She don’t give a damn about no football right now. I’m she came to the game. I remember when my daughters were young, they didn’t wanna go to the game. They asked if they could stay home with the sitter, until they figured out what it was all about, moments like this. This is why we do this, for moments [like this]. And we had a great moment there. And obviously I’ll celebrate what [Robert Mathis] has done. And with that, Happy New Year to you guys.”</p>
<p id="WWleAX"> And that was that. No follow-up questions. With that, Pagano walked out of what might have been his final press conference as the head coach of the Colts. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pagano clearly did not want to talk about his future. Wished the media a "Happy New Year" and walked out...</p>— Dave Furst (@DaveFurst) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveFurst/status/815673887224696833">January 1, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pagano talked about his family after this question and then ended the press conference. <a href="https://t.co/buRHWIJ8PM">https://t.co/buRHWIJ8PM</a></p>— Nat Newell (@NatJNewell) <a href="https://twitter.com/NatJNewell/status/815673871504461824">January 1, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I just asked Pagano about his job uncertainty. He wished me Happy New Year, discussed his family and walked out. Two questions and done.</p>— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreggDoyelStar/status/815674009954217984">January 1, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">And with that, Pagano literally walked out of the room. I like Chuck personally. But I was extremely disappointed in this. <a href="https://t.co/ppYOcyXmyh">https://t.co/ppYOcyXmyh</a></p>— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) <a href="https://twitter.com/HolderStephen/status/815682647196401666">January 1, 2017</a>
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<p id="t7NIs5">Look, it’s understandable that Pagano doesn’t want to talk about his future, because I doubt there’s anyone who really wants to stand up and answer questions saying essentially that you don’t know if you’re going to be fired or not. But part of the job responsibility for head coaches is to meet with the media and face questions, and especially when it seems like you might be fired this isn’t the message you want to send. He had to have known the question was coming, and instead of handling it in any number of expected fashions, he dodged the question, talked about his family, and walked out. Classy. But hey, if he doesn’t want to answer questions anymore, he might get his wish, since if he’s fired he won’t have to do more press conferences as the Colts head coach.</p>
https://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/1/14140882/chuck-pagano-dodges-question-about-his-future-then-walks-out-of-press-conference-coltsJosh Wilson2017-01-01T12:44:14-05:002017-01-01T12:44:14-05:00Marlin Jackson provides a very interesting update on the Peyton Manning and Colts situation
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<p id="m3G12Q">As talk swirls about whether Peyton Manning could potentially re-join the Colts in a front office role, we’ve received a couple of updates today.</p>
<p id="FzOEGh">First, WTHR’s Bob Kravitz said that as of Friday, <a href="http://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/1/14139042/report-nothing-happening-with-colts-and-peyton-manning-as-of-friday">there was “nothing happening” between Manning and the Colts</a>, but he left an awful lot of wiggle room as he was emphatic that things could change - in other words, it wasn’t a hard denial of anything that’s been rumored, just a report that as of Friday any such move wasn’t imminent.</p>
<p id="DMbxZy">Then a bit later, former Colts defensive back Marlin Jackson provided an interesting update. <a href="https://twitter.com/jakequery/status/815607490545065988">According to FOX Sports 975’s Jake Query</a>, Jackson said that, “they’ve [Manning and Irsay] had discussions, but where they stand, only those two know. I think the ball is all in Peyton’s court.” </p>
<p id="3ZgckH">That would support what some speculation and rumors have suggested, as there have been some suggesting that Jim Irsay has been pursuing Peyton Manning for a front office/general manager type role with the team. If that’s the case, then it would make sense for it to be in Manning’s court now. In other words, if what Jackson - who was a teammate of Manning’s with the Colts and has stayed around Indianapolis and the Colts franchise - says is true, then it’s up to Manning on whether he’s ready to take on a role like this or not. </p>
<p id="pLZdn8">So again, this whole thing is incredibly uncertain right now. But based on all that we’ve heard, it does seem like Manning and Irsay have been discussing a situation that would bring the legendary quarterback back to the Colts, and it may even be up to Manning now on whether to accept. One thing we know for sure: today and tomorrow could be <em>very</em> interesting in Indianapolis. </p>
https://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/1/14139368/marlin-jackson-provides-a-very-interesting-update-on-the-peyton-manning-and-colts-situationJosh Wilson2017-01-01T12:26:56-05:002017-01-01T12:26:56-05:00Report: Josh McDaniels would be interested in Colts head coach job
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<p id="vwXvwn">The Indianapolis Colts still have to play one final game in the 2016 season and still have to make the decision on whether to fire general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano, but that doesn’t stop the talk about who might replace them.</p>
<p id="EbEOYz">One of the very hottest names on the coaching market this offseason will be Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and it sounds like he might be interested in the Colts job should it come open. On today’s CBS pregame show, Jason La Canfora said that the 49ers are interested in McDaniels, but that “McDaniels will be most interested in the Lions, the Colts, and the Rams job.”</p>
<p id="slhb1m">Of course, at the moment only one of those three jobs is currently open (Rams), but it’s possible the Colts and Lions (if they miss the playoffs) jobs could come open as well. For McDaniels, though, they all make sense, and here’s why: they all have quarterbacks in place. The Colts have Andrew Luck, the Lions have Matthew Stafford, and the Rams have Jared Goff. So all three of those teams have invested a lot in the quarterback position, and an offensive coach like McDaniels would obviously value that quite a bit.</p>
<p id="uFlt9X">Wherever McDaniels winds up going, it would be his second stint as a head coach. He was the head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2009-2010 and went 11-17, not even finishing his second year as a coach. Things didn’t work out for him in Denver, but based on what he’s done with Tom Brady and the Patriots offense, it seems incredibly likely that someone will give him another chance. </p>
<p id="dXWswH">Whether or not the Colts have mutual interest in McDaniels is unknown, but it’s likely that a lot of potential coaches share similar feelings to McDaniels about the Indianapolis job. The opportunity to enter a situation with Andrew Luck at quarterback will make the Colts job one of the most intriguing on the market if Jim Irsay does in fact make a change.</p>
https://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/1/14139260/report-josh-mcdaniels-would-be-interested-in-colts-head-coach-jobJosh Wilson2017-01-01T11:48:52-05:002017-01-01T11:48:52-05:00Report: “Nothing happening” with Colts and Peyton Manning, as of Friday
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<figcaption>Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="SF9u60">With speculation ongoing regarding whether Peyton Manning and the Colts could be in line for a reunion, WTHR’s Bob Kravitz tweeted today that as of Friday there’s “nothing happening” in regards to Manning potentially joining the Colts in the front office.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">As of Friday, I was told by an impeccable source there was nothing happening with Manning and Colts. Now, could that change? Sure it could.</p>— Bob Kravitz (@bkravitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/bkravitz/status/815594013197791232">January 1, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">One thing you learn in my business is that circumstances change and things are fluid.</p>— Bob Kravitz (@bkravitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/bkravitz/status/815595011723194368">January 1, 2017</a>
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<p id="6e2aT1">As Kravitz noted, however, things can change, and especially when dealing with Jim Irsay it’s hard to know exactly what he’s going to do. So Kravitz provided an out in case something changes, but he’s saying that as of Friday there was nothing happening.</p>
<p id="z1TfWH">There has been enough speculation recently to give credence to the rumors about Manning potentially joining the Colts, as where there’s smoke there’s usually fire. But it’s always been a very uncertain thing, and it still might be. If Jim Irsay decides to fire general manager Ryan Grigson, it’s likely that this Manning talk will start picking up again as it’s something that makes sense for the Colts to do and it’s something that would get fans really excited. That doesn’t mean it would happen, however, and according to Kravitz the latest word seems to be that it won’t. </p>
<p id="E4Jb48">There are still a lot of moving pieces, however, so stay tuned. It’s likely that some changes are coming to the Colts, we just don’t know what they are yet. While a Peyton Manning reunion might not be imminent right now, things can change in a hurry with Jim Irsay and the Colts.</p>
https://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/1/14139042/report-nothing-happening-with-colts-and-peyton-manning-as-of-fridayJosh Wilson2017-01-01T10:34:21-05:002017-01-01T10:34:21-05:00Report: Jim Irsay may be more likely to fire Ryan Grigson and keep Chuck Pagano
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<p id="qSGHZA">Earlier today, <a href="http://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/1/14138648/report-jim-irsay-very-unhappy-colts-coaches-fear-change-is-coming">ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported</a> that Colts owner Jim Irsay is “very unhappy” with his team and that coaches fear that change is coming.</p>
<p id="V7arPU">A little bit later this morning, <a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/01/irsay-could-be-inclined-to-keep-pagano-fire-grigson/">Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio added something very interesting</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p id="2pNcAx">Some believe that, if Irsay makes a change, he’s more likely to fire Grigson and keep Pagano. While Pagano publicly has <a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/12/27/chuck-pagano-i-take-full-responsibility-for-unacceptable-season/">accepted full responsibility</a> for the struggles of the team, it’s fair to put most if not all of it on Grigson, given the failure of the front office to put enough talent around Luck.</p></blockquote>
<p id="dOw0OD">Florio also wrote that the number of empty seats today at Lucas Oil Stadium could be a big factor for Irsay, since his team is in a meaningless game and since Jaguars fans are unlikely to buy a ton of tickets. So if there are indeed a lot of empty seats like are expected, that won’t leave a good impression on Irsay.</p>
<p id="LIhp9B">As for Florio’s report about Irsay potentially keeping Pagano but firing Grigson, it actually would make sense, on one condition: that the new general manager wouldn’t be forced to keep Pagano but would get to make the decision. If that’s the case, it would be in line with what Irsay has done before. Remember, when Irsay fired Bill Polian following the 2011 season, he didn’t fire Jim Caldwell right away but waited to let the new general manager (Ryan Grigson) make the call. Grigson and Irsay obviously made the call to fire Caldwell, which paved the way for the hiring of Chuck Pagano.</p>
<p id="eohi0l">So in one sense, this report might be simply suggesting that Irsay won’t fire Pagano right away but will let the new general manager make the call. In that case, it’s not a bad decision - though I think we all know that firing Pagano would likely be coming whenever the new GM arrived. But if this report is suggesting that Irsay wants to hire a new GM and force Pagano on that GM, that’s an absolutely terrible idea. First of all, it would limit his options in his GM search, and second of all, it would mean leaving part of the problem around.</p>
<p id="IoTIsu">It will be interesting to see what Irsay decides to do, but it does sound like Ryan Grigson’s job security is very much in doubt as well.</p>
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https://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/1/14138714/report-jim-irsay-may-be-more-likely-to-fire-ryan-grigson-and-keep-chuck-pagano-coltsJosh Wilson2017-01-01T10:14:29-05:002017-01-01T10:14:29-05:00Report: Jim Irsay “very unhappy;” Colts coaches fear change is coming
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<p id="jIdCK4">We’re starting 2017 the same way we started 2016: with questions and speculation swirling regarding the Indianapolis Colts.</p>
<p id="RrqNge">The questions are mainly about whether Colts owner Jim Irsay will make changes and fire general manager Ryan Grigson and/or head coach Chuck Pagano. <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18386833/indianapolis-colts-owner-jim-irsay-very-unhappy-make-coaching-changes">According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter</a>, those changes may very well be coming soon.</p>
<p id="kFnK9M">Schefter reports that those close to Irsay say that he’s been “very unhappy” with how the Colts have been doing for weeks, and that coaches have expressed fear this past week that changes will be coming. What’s unclear, Schefter wrote, is whether those changes will extend to Ryan Grigson or whether it’s just Chuck Pagano’s job that’s in jeopardy - but he said that “those in the Colts organization are bracing for change.”</p>
<p id="UFYews">Basically, it sounds like the coaches expect a change to be made, which is strikingly similar to last year’s situation where the coaches expected the same thing. It’s impossible to predict what Jim Irsay will do, but it does sound like he’s going to make some changes. He knows that the current state of this team is unacceptable, so the question is what changes he thinks are necessary to right the ship.</p>
<p id="WKgKBC">It’s been assumed since last January that Pagano and Grigson are tied together, and that they’d either work it out together or be fired together. So we’ll have to see whether that proves true or whether Irsay simply makes one of the two moves. If Schefter’s report is to be believed, however, change will be coming in Indianapolis, and those within the organization - namely, the coaches - know it. It will be an interesting Monday with the Colts, indeed.</p>
https://www.stampedeblue.com/2017/1/1/14138648/report-jim-irsay-very-unhappy-colts-coaches-fear-change-is-comingJosh Wilson