Kansas City Chiefs: Chris Ballard Is The Favorite For Colts GM
By Ben Almquist
Reports are surfacing that Kansas City Chiefs Director of Football Operations Chris Ballard is the favorite for the Indianapolis Colts General Manger job.
If the rumor mill has any truth to it, the Kansas City Chiefs stand to lose some key members to their leadership. The chance of losing key coaches and front office personnel isn’t surprising. That’s what happens when your team has a solid four years in a row. This particular offseason, it has been expected that the Chiefs would lose Director of Football Operations Chris Ballard.
Chris Ballard’s name has been circulated a lot when talking about open General Manager positions. Ballard was a favorite for the 49ers GM opening earlier this year, but was reportedly blocked from interviewing. However, he has interviewed for the recent opening with the Indianapolis Colts. For that job, he has been named the favorite.
There are several reasons why Chris Ballard leaving for the Colts should be concerning. First and foremost, it is the loss of a key member of the Chiefs front office. Ballard has been credited as one of the better personnel men in the business. Losing that kind of an individual is always difficult.
Chris Ballard receiving a 2nd interview in Indy is great news for #Colts fans. He's more than ready for this opportunity. Has a great eye.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 29, 2017
The second reason for concern is that there have been rumors surrounding the future of current Chiefs GM John Dorsey. Reports have surfaced that Dorsey is the favorite to replace Packers GM Ted Thompson when he retires. That could be as soon as next year, which is also when Dorsey’s contract expires.
One Loss Leads To Another?
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The third reason Kansas City Chiefs fans should be concerned about losing Chris Ballard is his reported choice for a coach. It has been rumored that Ballard would look to replace Colts coach Chuck Pagano with Chiefs Special Teams Coach Dave Toub. That would be a huge blow to KC’s Special Teams unit.
Losing Dave Toub would be tough enough, but it is compounded by the earlier loss of Assistant Special Teams Coach Brock Olivo to the Broncos. If Toub were to depart for the Colts, it would leave the Chiefs without anyone to man the Special Teams unit. Given that this group has been a strength for the Chiefs recently, that is troubling.
Hearing Colts are definitely intrigued by Chiefs personnel man Chris Ballard and his preference would be Chief ST coach Dave Toub as his HC
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 29, 2017
However, these all remain rumors at this time. We do know that Chris Ballard will have a second interview with the Colts though. A second interview doesn’t mean Ballard will get the job, but it does make it more likely. There are other candidates in the running though, so we shall see.
Regardless of how this plays out, the Chiefs need to look to reload when it comes to coaching and front office talent. You need good people in the coaching staff and front office to get the most out of a roster.
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The losses of Chris Ballard and Dave Toub would be big for the Kansas City Chiefs, but not devastating. The Chiefs are still a strong organization with a talent-rich lineup. Also, getting ties to another organization will actually open up options for KC moving forward. They will have a friendly front office with which to negoatiate trades. So it’s not all doom and gloom.