Okay Colts have new GM whats next ?

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indianapolis Colts have hired Eagles executive Ryan Grigson as their new general manager.

The team announced the hiring Wednesday. The 40-year-old Grigson has spent the past nine years with Philadelphia, where he was named director of player personnel in 2010 after four years as college scouting director.

Colts owner Jim Irsay last week fired vice chairman Bill Polian and his son, Chris, the Colts' GM, after a 2-14 season.

A former player for the Detroit Lions, Grigson retired because of a back injury after spending the 1997 season in the Canadian Football league. He is an Indiana native who played college ball at Purdue.

As a Colts fan I'm really happy to hear this news but whats next what do people Know ? & think  ? About him & what is his vision for getting the Colts back in the play offs ?

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Ryan Grigson is a big man walking into a big job in Indianapolis.

The former offensive lineman was hired Wednesday as the new general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, a franchise facing some of the biggest questions in its long, storied history. He will have to make a quick decision about whether to keep coach Jim Caldwell, and then whether to build next season's team around four-time league MVP Peyton Manning or probable No. 1 draft pick Andrew Luck.

And it's the first time he's had this kind of power in the NFL.

Grigson has spent the past nine years with Philadelphia, where he was named director of player personnel in 2010 after four years as college scouting director. He fit the profile owner Jim Irsay wanted after firing vice chairman Bill Polian and his son, Chris, the Colts' GM, last week once the Colts had wrapped up a dismal 2-14 season that Manning missed completely as he recovers from Sept. 8 neck surgery.

The 39-year-old Grigson will not have the same high profile or carry as much clout as Bill Polian did when he turned the Colts from a perennial also-ran into a perennial playoff team.

But that's not what Irsay was looking for. Instead, Irsay, a former GM himself, brought in somebody with an Indiana background.

Before a back injury forced him to retire in 1997, Grigson was making his name as a prep player in Highland, Ind., and as a captain at Purdue. As a Boilermaker, he also survived a life-threatening illness that occurred after a blow to the abdomen during his junior season.

A relative who answered the phone in Highland, Ind., said the family was "extremely excited" but had been asked to wait to make additional comments until after an afternoon news conference to introduce Grigson.

In 1999, Grigson was hired by the St. Louis Rams as a national scout, helping the Rams win a Super Bowl title in his first season with the team. In 2001, the Rams promoted Grigson to area scout, a position he held until joining the Eagles as a regional scout in 2004. The Eagles went to the Super Bowl in his first season in Philly, too. He became the director of college scouting in 2006 before earning his next promotion in 2010.

Now he has one of the toughest jobs in football.

Right at the top, he must decide whether to keep Caldwell, who won the AFC title in 2009 and the AFC South crown in 2010.

Then comes the decision about Manning, who is owed a $28 million bonus by March 8 or he will become an unrestricted free agent. And then he must decide what to do with a host of other big-name players whose contracts have expired. The list includes former Pro Bowlers Robert Mathis, Jeff Saturday and Reggie Wayne, who are all now in their 30s.

Grigson's two prior teams both went to the Super Bowl in his first seasons there. The Colts are back in the Super Bowl! Haha.

Seriously though the next logical step is to decide on Caldwell and, if necessary, a new head coach. I have a feeling that the Colts will reserve final judgement on Manning until March, giving themselves opportunity to get as much information and Manning to be as healed as possible before making the hard decision. The coaching search is probably complicated however by the realization that the decision on Manning could very well influence the decision on a new head coach and maybe even whether or not to keep Caldwell. I hope the Colts move quickly on making a coaching decision, but I'm afraid they may wait until closer to March.

If Manning goes, there is a potential for quite a bit of gutting on this roster. Freeney is due something like $18 million next season in the final year of his contract. The Colts could cut him and save $14 million against the cap. If the Colts go into rebuilding mode and let Manning walk, I won't be surprised to see them clear up a ton of cap space and expect to lose with Luck next year.

I'm glad that the Colts have hired a GM. What little I have read on Ryan Grigson sounds promising. Jim Irsay has said that he will be the one to make the decision on Peyton Manning to return, not the new GM. Grigson will probably bring in his own coach and let Caldwell walk. Albert Breer of the NFL Network mentioned that Grigson might want to bring in Marty Mornhinweg to replace him.  Hell that would be going from bad to worse if that is the case or even possible. He was 5 - 27 with the Lions! I hope jeff Fisher is still in the Colts radar. It's going to be interesting to see what shakes out. 

Go Colts! 

i saw the same thing 13, morningweg doesnt really bother me too much when u look at who was gm and the moves he made. i mean the lion had like 4 years of #1's that never made a play with matt millen calling the shots. but i think the next coach depends on peyton if he's back which i believe if healthy he will be so will caldwell. unless peyton likes the canidate the gm wants

I have to wonder why Irsay didn't pull the plug on Caldwell. Is Irsay going to let the new GM look like the bad guy? or has Irsay already decided he is going forward with Caldwell and he is going to make it look as if the GM had some input?

If Caldwell is not fired this will piss me off - he made be a nice guy and a religous one but, they need a coach 

Hey Msb8889, my question is why is Jeff Fisher dragging his feet ? The Rams and Dolphins have both made him an offer, he still hasn't accepted either job. Now the Colts have their GM, could Fisher still be a possibility ? He would be high on my list.

ColtsfanPhil, I'm not sold on Jeff Fisher even tho he would be 100x better than Caldwell. The thing I want to see is someone who can actually coach the players up, make gametime adjustments, bring in new creativity, be agressive when the time calls for it. Jeff is a good coach but, his resume with the Titans isn't all that impressive. Maybe it wasn't his fault, maybe he had no say in player selection process, I don't know but, if he did then I feel there are better options out there. The other areas I would be more concerned with are the OC, DC, OLC, DLC, STC. If they can field a good set of coaches in those areas that will make a huge difference, more so than a HC.

 

Msb8889, I understand where you are coming from. So who would you like to see coach the Colts. I'm sure the new GM wants his own man but I like what Murphy did after he replaced Coyer. But I'm sure he wants his own men in place. But like I said, do you have any ideas.

I think Murphy is getting to the retirement level if I'm not mistaken so I doubt he becomes the new DC. As far as the HC position I don't have anyone in mind but, I really don't want to see a past coach comeback such as Fisher, Gruden, or Cowher. If the Colts decide they want to go with a past coach then Fisher would be my first choice and Cowher my second. There would be no way in hell I would want to see Gruden on the Colts sideline.

Colts fans do u really think if healthy the colts will retain manning and end up spending close to 50 million at the qb spot this season, when u consider they owe manning 28 mill plus 7 mill on salary for manning and probably 15  mill to sign luck. I think manning asks to be traded or released, he got a few years left and u guys are basically rebuilding now. A team like kc would be a good fit for manning, we our only a good qb away from a contender and super bowl run. I think manning want to go some where where he can contend for super bowls, with the few remaining years he got left to play.  I think the whole coaching situation and new GM, and polian being gone, will make it easier for manning to part ways with the colts. I've been a long time chief fan, and the day we got montana, the Chiefs made it to the afc championship, this whole manning situation reminds me of the montana situation when we got him.

Good to hear from. chief fan, Manning would be an upgrade for a lot of teams. I'm not sure what the Colts are going to do. If they do trade him, how much is a team going to give up with him coming off of 3 surgeries. I know Carson Palmer brought 2 number 1's. Manning would bring at least that. I know the Jets are looking for an upgrade too. I hope the Colts can find a way to keep booth. As a Chief fan, what would you think is a fair price.

Couple of thoughts:

Like that we have a new GM. Not going to make many judgements on the guy until he starts making moves, except for one thing: Why the heck is Caldwell still around???? Am I crazy or does this bother anybody else? 

Yes, I think that it is possible to have Luck and Manning on the same team, but I think there will have to be some restructuring of Manning's deal. Depends on how the money works against the cap....I don't pretend to be an expert on that, but the biggest factor is determining Manning's health, which we have much of an idea until time passes.

Ok guys, wish me luck. I'm permanently relocating from the Indy area to Titans country (Nashville) this week for work. God be with me.  

Good Luck Griffdog, I hope you enjoy Nashville ! A Colt fan in Nashville could be trouble though. I too relocated this year. We moved from Utah to Santa Cruz, a new adventure can sure be fun. Enjoy Nashville, come back to the bar real soon and let all Colt fans know how your doing.

Hi Phil   Griff hello have'nt seen ya around for awhile . Enjoy Tenn.


Hey Colts fans was watching ESPN - John Clayton seems to believe Jim Caldwell will get another year .

I don't like it I hope he's wrong .. Meanwhile  no matter what happens on the offensive side , we need a kick azz defensive coordinator .

Steve Spagnola's out there  , Thoughts anyone ?

Spags would be a great defensive coordinator. I think the Eagles will likely gobble him up though.

Hey Adonis, just logged on and what did I see ? The Colts just fired Caldwell !! It looks like John Clayton was wrong on this one. Now let's see who they bring in for a interview. How about you, any ideas. Let's go Colts !

Hi Phil I was caught off guard .    With Jeff Fisher going to the Rams & I believe I read somewheres Bill Cowher is not interested in coaching this year . At this point I'm at a loss .  Mike Martz may have been worth a look but I heard he's retireing so . This will be a interesting week ahead . I believe there close to hiring someone why else let Jim Caldwell go ?  A new face perhaps someone who has not been a head coach . Brian Shottenheimer ?

PeytonspIA   ,

I heard Steve Spagnola wants to go to a team with a high powered offense , Something the Colts are well known for , They should bring him in for a interview .

Our new GM came from the Eagles .   This would be a good place for him to build a championship caliber defense . Hiring him would be a great move if possible .

I am very fond of Spags. I doubt many would agree, but I wouldn't even mind if the Colts gave him another shot at being a head coach despite his lack of success with the Rams. But as defensive coordinator? That's an easy choice for me.