Dein erstes Forum » Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard keeps

He figures it gives him better odds to hit it big.One year after moving back three spots in the first round and making four second-round selections http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/jahlani-tavai-jersey , Ballard did it again Thursday by sending the No. 26 overall pick to the Washington Redskins for two second-round picks. Indy will now select at No. 34, courtesy of last year’s deal with the New York Jets, at No. 46, thanks to the Redskins, and at No. 59, their own pick on Friday, plus they’ve added the Redskins’ second-round pick in 2020.“It was just a chance to pick up a 2020 second-round pick, we thought the value was good and we thought there was still good enough value to be there in the second round to move back,” Ballard said. “We think the ability of having three seconds, we thought that was the strength of how we had it lined up.”It’s all part of a plan.Ballard knew it would be difficult to replicate last year’s successes. He had five picks in the first two rounds, found starters with each of his first three choices and Indy’s first two selections — left guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard — became the first rookie teammates to become first-team All-Pros since Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus with the Chicago Bears in 1965.At Monday’s pre-draft news conference, Ballard told reporters that the Colts had eight players targeted in the first round. And though he acknowledged some were still available when Indy went on the clock, he still opted for Plan B: Moving out of the first round for better value in the second.In fact, he hinted at the prospect of a trade when he joked with reporters that he might not speak again until Friday.“I kind of had a feeling (Monday), I don’t know why,” he said. “Sometimes you just have a feeling. I had a feeling we would have a chance to get out and it would be the best thing for us long term.”He may not be finished dealing, either. In three seasons with the Colts, he has now made eight trades involving trade picks though he knew this one might not be well-received.“We’ve got a room full of people, we’ve got you all sitting here, I get it, everyone wants you to pick a player http://www.houstontexansteamonline.com/kahale-warring-jersey ,” he said. “But I’m pretty patient. I don’t panic, we don’t panic, we stay true to what we’re looking at on the board.”The Colts now have 10 picks this weekend including their own third-rounder, No. 89 overall, on Friday.__ FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Sam Darnold recently made a mistake that drew the ire of Adam Gase. It was the first time the New York Jets coach raised his voice at his young quarterback.Darnold didn’t flinch. At all.“He was like, ‘It’s about time you started getting on me a little bit,'” Gase recalled with a smile.Darnold turned 22 years old Wednesday — a baby by NFL standards — but Gase doesn’t feel any need to treat him with kid gloves.“You can say whatever you want to him,” Gase said with a smile. “He’s great about that. I think he likes it better when you’re a little aggressive with him.”Add that to the ever-growing list of things Gase already appreciates about Darnold as the QB guru and the franchise QB develop a working relationship they both hope will grow stronger for many years.Darnold is still learning the nuances of Gase’s playbook after being in Jeremy Bates’ system last year. Gase uses a walkie-talkie to call plays into Darnold’s headset during practice, trying to help the quarterback get used to his voice and feel comfortable with it long before the season starts.The two also constantly speak in person and away from the practice field, breaking down plays and finding out what works best for them. Not that Darnold has asked Gase to adjust any elements of the playbook just yet.“No, nothing drastic like that,” Darnold said. “I think, for us, it’s more conversations like, ‘Oh, that felt a little awkward,’ or, ‘I don’t know how I feel about that.’ I’m never going up to him like, ‘Hey, that’s not part of the offense. We can’t do that.’ I’m not there yet. But http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/bobby-okereke-jersey , it’s definitely conversations that we have where it’s like, ‘OK, maybe I don’t do that so well.’“But again, there’s room to grow. There’s always room to grow for me. I feel like I have so much room where I can get better.”That was reiterated to Darnold during the first minicamp practice Tuesday when he was intercepted twice during team drills. New defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was typically aggressive with his squad, frustrating Darnold at times.That, Gase insisted, will only help Darnold and the rest of the offense.“It’s a good process for us,” Gase said. “It’s tough going against Gregg’s defense where you get multiple looks. We threw in some new stuff on the offense and there’s some growing pains there. But that’s part of the process, it’s good stuff for us to have to go through.”Gase is excited about having a quarterback at this stage of his career with Darnold’s physical abilities and mental capacity. The coach, who has worked with the likes of Peyton Manning, Jay Cutler and Ryan Tannehill, has raved about Darnold’s maturity and businesslike approach on the field and in the classroom.A year ago, Darnold was a rookie simply trying to figure out life in the NFL. Darnold’s teammates have noticed a difference in the quarterback this spring.“Confidence, honestly,” left tackle Kelvin Beachum said. “It’s been great to just see him being able to command the huddle and understanding the urgency that goes along with each particular drill. … I’m excited to see what he has once the (season) gets going.”Darnold agreed that he is feeling more comfortable and confident — despite the fact he’ll be running his third different offense in as many years, dating to his final season at USC.That doesn’t faze him, though. Not in the way it might for many young quarterbacks.“I think I’m all right at kind of being able to separate things,” he said. “So, whether it was at USC or last year, I’m very good at just kind of putting stuff behind me and just moving on to the next offense. I feel like I’m the same way on the field – if a bad play happens, I’m able to move on to the next play.“I think there’s definitely a process there http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey , though, where you’ve got to erase some stuff out of your memory bank.”Darnold’s final numbers in his first season were far from eye-popping: 2,865 yards, 17 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 57.7 completion percentage in 13 games. It was what he did in the final four contests, though, that had everyone feeling good about the No. 3 overall pick heading into his sophomore year in the NFL.Darnold came back from a foot injury that sidelined him for three games and closed the season by going 80 of 125 — 64.0 completion percentage — for 931 yards with six touchdowns and only one interception.Even more impressive than the stats was how Darnold showed an ability to make plays when it appeared there were no plays to be had.The Jets have four more sessions of organized activities next week before they break until training camp in late July. Darnold plans to spend some of his vacation time on the field with some of the guys he’ll be working with when the season begins.“Yeah, I think it’d be good to get some teammates wherever we can meet up, whether I’m on the East Coast, whether they come out to the West Coast,” Darnold said. “But yeah, definitely after OTAs I’m going to be going back home for a little bit —spend time with family and friends. But definitely looking to meet up with some of my teammates, especially receivers, running backs, skill guys, to be able to get that rapport with them in terms of route running and timing.“So, I’m sure one weekend or during the weeks at some point, we’ll get some time together.”