KRAVITZ: Grigson?s "meddling" helped undermine soon-to-be-fired Pagano

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KRAVITZ: Grigson’s "meddling" helped undermine soon-to-be-fired Pagano

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Consider this my belated gift to the planet. A look inside a disfunctional organization many of you don't care for. Enjoy.




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KRAVITZ: Grigson’s "meddling" helped undermine soon-to-be-fired Pagano
Posted: Dec 31, 2015 5:36 PM EST
Updated: Dec 31, 2015 6:27 PM EST
By Bob Kravitz, WTHR SportsCONNECT



INDIANAPOLIS -
For the better part of four years, Chuck Pagano has tried to coach the Indianapolis Colts with one hand tied behind his back. At least that’s the picture multiple sources with knowledge of the situation paint when describing what Pagano has dealt with while attempting to work with a man sources describe as a "terrible meddler," general manager Ryan Grigson.

The Colts were once run by a strong-armed, micro-managing general manager, Bill Polian, but my sources tell me Grigson is significantly more involved in the coaching area than Polian ever was. Sources tell me Grigson not only dictated who would and would not play, but undermined Pagano when he wanted to discipline certain players.

Now comes word from ESPN.com’s Mike Wells that Pagano will not be retained, although nothing is official, nor has Pagano been told he's history, according to my sources. The die has been cast, though, since this summer, when Pagano turned down a one-year contract extension offer that he found insufficient and even insulting. It was written in this space before the season began: Sources were telling me that even if Pagano took the Colts deep into the playoffs, he was likely going to be set free at season’s end.

Grigson’s future is contingent on who owner Jim Irsay gets as his next head coach. If it’s somebody who demands and gets full control over personnel, Grigson will be in trouble. If it’s not somebody who demands personnel control, Grigson is likely to remain – although the new coach should be aware of how involved Grigson gets in the coaching of the team.

There have been several – I mean, SEVERAL – occasions in the past four years when Grigson and Pagano have crossed swords over personnel issues, but these are just a few of those examples:

Grigson, who traded a first-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for running back Trent Richardson, continued to insist that Richardson play, and even start, despite the running back’s weight issues and obvious lack of production. According to sources, Grigson was concerned with creating the narrative that it was a good trade, something it clearly was not.

Grigson insisted the Colts continue to use Josh Cribbs, the veteran punt and kick returner he signed last season, despite the wishes of Pagano and some elements of his coaching staff. Cribbs committed a devastating fumble on a punt return in the AFC title game that opened the door to the Patriots’ 45-7 blowout.

According to sources, when Pagano wanted to discipline players – one of them being Billy Winn, who was late for some meetings – Grigson overruled him and would not let Pagano do what he wanted to do. "The culture here now is the worst I’ve ever seen it," a source said, pointing to the number of times Colts players have been arrested in the past year or two.

As reported previously elsewhere and confirmed by my sources, offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton was forced on Pagano. Hamilton was finally fired during the season and replaced by a Pagano confidante, Rob Chudzinski. "Pep was never answerable to Chuck," a source told me. "Pep answered to Ryan, and everybody in the building knew it."
Understand, that is just a snapshot, a small sampling of the areas where Grigson strong-armed Pagano. My sources said there were multiple examples where Grigson overstepped the usual GM/coach boundaries, but these were a few of the ones they were willing to share.

According to sources, Grigson was overly involved in the coaching side of things since the day both he and Pagano arrived in Indianapolis in 2012, and that nothing has changed. Ordinarily, there is a line of demarcation between the general manager and the head coach; one man buys the groceries, another cooks the meal. The picture that has been painted is one where the GM wanted to do all the personnel work and a good deal of the coaching work.
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More at link.
 
It certainly solidifies my belief, at least, that it was Grigson that initiated Deflategate, contacted both Kravitz and Doyel immediately to break the incorrect news, and lied to everyone, including Pagano and D'Qwell, who kind of alluded to the lies about the ball that he intercepted a few weeks after the story broke.

Grigson is scum.
 
I'm half inclined to hope the give Pagano a shot sans Grigson.

As long as they get good players in there on the offensive line. Luck can't go another year like this year where he was constantly getting rushed, sacked, or hurried. I agree, if you are given spam to make dinner and you boss expects a five start dinner, what do you think is going to happen.
 
I'm half inclined to hope the give Pagano a shot sans Grigson.

Nah. Grigson's Irsay's boy. Decent job by Pagano in an impossible situation - but that FO is slowly devolving to Browns/Lions territory.

He'll be better off elsewhere.
 
So Grigson is going to remain GM? I thought both would be gone at season's end. Good luck finding a HC that will put up with a GM that over steps his bounds. Tommy is right. If Grigson stays then the Colts will descend into the ranks of the Lions and Browns.

It is interesting that the article did not mention the draft this year and the selection of Dorsett. I have to think Pagano was 100 percent against that move.
 
Arians must have been anxious to get the hell out.

Pagano seems like a decent guy who deserved better.

Grigson is a self-serving, arrogant, egotistical and malicious villain. Damn, I left out under-handed and morally corrupt. I learned all I needed to know about Grigson when the Browns took advantage of him with Richardson. Then came deflategate. He'll get what's coming to him soon.

Pep Hamilton was in over his head from the start. In a way, he's also a victim of Grigson's arrogance. "Thanks for nothing, buddy."

One other thing to consider...why on earth would Andrew Luck ever choose to sign an extension with that organization over FA?

I'm not reveling in the Colt's plight. The rivalry provided many exciting games and volumes of highlights and discussion fodder for Pats fans that I already miss. The demise of the Colts has totally changed the AFC landscape & left the Pats without a #1 rival outside the AFCE. Oh, Denver was relevant for a while with Manning but 2-3 competitive years doesn't compare to 12. That's a pity from my perspective. If Grigson is Irsay's guy as Tommy says then Irsay will get what he deserves and Colts fans will suffer greatly.
 
I'm half inclined to hope the give Pagano a shot sans Grigson.

Who would you prefer to see as HC next season if you had your choice? College guy? Coordinator? Or former HC?
 
So Grigson is going to remain GM? I thought both would be gone at season's end. Good luck finding a HC that will put up with a GM that over steps his bounds. Tommy is right. If Grigson stays then the Colts will descend into the ranks of the Lions and Browns.

It is interesting that the article did not mention the draft this year and the selection of Dorsett. I have to think Pagano was 100 percent against that move.

This would eliminate Joshy from going to the Colts. Joshy didn't take the Browns job for precisely this reason, and he ran into the same problem with the Bowlens. He's not taking the Lions job. He's not taking the Eagles job. He's not taking the Dolphins job.

He's not going anywhere where the owner doesn't stay the **** out of the way of day-to-day football ops. Unfortunately, those are usually the teams that have pretty stable coaching situations. Maybe after next year with Seattle? I think that's a real possibility for him.

And Pagano, by all reports anyway, was 100% against another WR, especially one who was a fringe contributor at best. Not only did Grigson waste the pick by taking a WR, he took the wrong WR, as evidenced by the success of WRs taken later, Green-Beckham, Funchess, Tyler Lockett, and Jameson Crowder to name just a few.

Arians must have been anxious to get the hell out.

Pagano seems like a decent guy who deserved better.

Grigson is a self-serving, arrogant, egotistical and malicious villain. Damn, I left out under-handed and morally corrupt. I learned all I needed to know about Grigson when the Browns took advantage of him with Richardson. Then came deflategate. He'll get what's coming to him soon.

Pep Hamilton was in over his head from the start. In a way, he's also a victim of Grigson's arrogance. "Thanks for nothing, buddy."

One other thing to consider...why on earth would Andrew Luck ever choose to sign an extension with that organization over FA?

I've been saying this since about Week 8, this last part, anyway. It's not like the NBA where the Colts can pay him more. The Saints, for example, could trade Brees and bring in a younger Luck for less money. The Jets or Buffalo could spend big money. Imagine if the Chiefs traded Alex Smith and brought in Andrew Luck? What if he goes to Houston and plays for the Texans? Isn't that where he's from? You don't think he'd want to play the Colts twice a year?

The potential feeding frenzy for this guy could be even more than it was for Russell Wilson.

I'm not reveling in the Colt's plight. The rivalry provided many exciting games and volumes of highlights and discussion fodder for Pats fans that I already miss. The demise of the Colts has totally changed the AFC landscape & left the Pats without a #1 rival outside the AFCE. Oh, Denver was relevant for a while with Manning but 2-3 competitive years doesn't compare to 12. That's a pity from my perspective. If Grigson is Irsay's guy as Tommy says then Irsay will get what he deserves and Colts fans will suffer greatly.

No team deserves what the Browns and Lions have to deal with. That's where the Colts are headed. It's one thing when your team is bad. It's another when they're irrelevant and bad. It's yet another thing when you're irrelevant, bad, and no one any good wants to play or coach there, unless they're ridiculously overpaid to do so.

The Colts aren't there yet, but holy crap, that's where they're headed. They lucked out after Bob Irsay died, that they brought in Polian to do what he does, nail the top of the draft. You have to look at it as luck. Without him, and that coach/QB stability they had over that period, that team wouldn't have won donkey dick, as evidenced by the Suck For Luck year.

No, the Colts don't deserve that, and their fans don't deserve that.
 
I'm half inclined to hope the give Pagano a shot sans Grigson.

I just don't see it happening.

By all accounts, Pagano was "insulted" by the 1-year cheapo contract offer he received in the offseason, coming off an 11-5 year and another AFC Finalst banner.

He's probably begging to be fired at this point, but I totally see him working out his contract, and then pretty much naming his job (Philly seems like a decent landing spot).
 
No, the Colts don't deserve that, and their fans don't deserve that.

I would beg to differ on the last part of that statement. Their fans deserve whatever they get. They were the most vocal about Brady, footballs, and cheating. They have been equally as vocal since 2007 with the cameras. It stems back to "who has the best QB" and getting slammed every time in the playoffs by the Patriots. And, of course, they screamed at what cheaters the Patriots are while they were being accused of piping in noise.

They deserve exactly whatever is coming to them. They're sanctimonious.

Disclaimer: Except for our resident Colts fans here on the Planet.
 
I would beg to differ on the last part of that statement. Their fans deserve whatever they get. They were the most vocal about Brady, footballs, and cheating. They have been equally as vocal since 2007 with the cameras. It stems back to "who has the best QB" and getting slammed every time in the playoffs by the Patriots. And, of course, they screamed at what cheaters the Patriots are while they were being accused of piping in noise.

They deserve exactly whatever is coming to them. They're sanctimonious.

Disclaimer: Except for our resident Colts fans here on the Planet.

That's just jealousy, because they've spent the last 15 years losing to the Patriots, while still having good teams for the most part, otherwise.

They don't deserve to become irrelevant because their drug-addled owner is really bad at being an owner - despite it being his only job.
 
Who would you prefer to see as HC next season if you had your choice? College guy? Coordinator? Or former HC?

That's kinda the thing, I don't see any obvious Candidates for the job.

And if Ryan Grigson is just gonna cut their dicks off I don't think it will matter.

If I was in charge, I'd fire Grigson now, find a new GM and let him/her make the call about what to do with Pagano.
 
That's the thing, this isn't coming from Irsay, it's coming from Grigson.

If it's coming from Grigson, it's coming from Irsay.

Otherwise, Bill Polian would still have a job.
 
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