[ColoradoTree]

If McDaniels really had concerns about Luck's health, you have to think he would have taken one of the other head coaching opportunities out there this cycle, since he was generally seen as one of the top candidates, if not the top candidate.  Tennessee would have given him Mariota and some great weapons.  In Arizona, the defense is good and still in their prime and you could have rebuilt the offense as you wanted. 

Anyway, one never knows how much of the coaching interview cycle to believe, but the word seemed to be out there that McDaniels preferred the Indy job to other opportunities, and that he felt comfortable about Luck.  And if Luck's healthy this season, then Indy was the best available job, given the excellent job Ballard did in the draft and in free agency his first year as GM, the likelihood of landing additional good players due to high picks in each round, and the fact that Jim Irsay gives his coaches and executives a long (many would say too long) leash.  (Irsay is often mentioned as a negative because he sometimes drops unfortunate quotes and has had issues with prescription drug addiction in his past, but Tony Dungy, Bill Polian, and others who actually worked with him tout Irsay as a big positive, because he knows football yet isn't inclined to interfere with his GM's decisions, so if you want to make a trade or a tough free agent decision, you go and make the case, and he'll OK it.)

I'm excited for Andrew.  I'm trying not to get expectations too high, but I'd be surprised if they weren't immediately competitive again in the resurgent AFC South. 

[ColoradoTree]

If McDaniels really had concerns about Luck's health, you have to think he would have taken one of the other head coaching opportunities out there this cycle, since he was generally seen as one of the top candidates, if not the top candidate.  Tennessee would have given him Mariota and some great weapons.  In Arizona, the defense is good and still in their prime and you could have rebuilt the offense as you wanted. 

Anyway, one never knows how much of the coaching interview cycle to believe, but the word seemed to be out there that McDaniels preferred the Indy job to other opportunities, and that he felt comfortable about Luck.  And if Luck's healthy this season, then Indy was the best available job, given the excellent job Ballard did in the draft and in free agency his first year as GM, the likelihood of landing additional good players due to high picks in each round, and the fact that Jim Irsay gives his coaches and executives a long (many would say too long) leash.  (Irsay is often mentioned as a negative because he sometimes drops unfortunate quotes and has had issues with prescription drug addiction in his past, but Tony Dungy, Bill Polian, and others who actually worked with him tout Irsay as a big positive, because he knows football yet isn't inclined to interfere with his GM's decisions, so if you want to make a trade or a tough free agent decision, you go and make the case, and he'll OK it.)

I'm excited for Andrew.  I'm trying not to get expectations too high, but I'd be surprised if they weren't immediately competitive again in the resurgent AFC South.