Tag: Ed Dodds

Colts QB Anthony Richardson bet on himself and won

‘I took the chance. I bet on myself, and now, I’m a Colt.’ – Anthony Richardson

As he was peppered with numerous questions in his introductory press conference, Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson had one answer that stood out.

“I took the chance. I bet on myself, and now, I’m a Colt.”

While the Colts were busy betting on quarterback after quarterback as the franchise answer post-Andrew Luck, the new face of the team was busy betting on himself.

It wasn’t an easy decision, either. Turning 21 years old in May, Richardson is still extremely young. He still had two seasons of eligibility left in college, but he continued to bet on himself after hearing he had a chance to be selected in the first round.

“It was up and down throughout the season. I was hearing certain things from certain scouts – just getting  a feel for what could happen after the season,” Richardson said. “Then eventually I got certain grades back that told me I had a shot to be a first-round draft pick.”

A decision nearly two years in the making landed Florida’s Anthony Richardson on the Colts’ doorstep. When Richardson popped up on the team’s radar during his sophomore year, he was anything but ready. A paltry 64 pass attempts did not scream franchise quarterback, but something was brewing.

The team kept tabs on him until his junior when the Colts’ chief personnel executive, Morocco Brown, traveled to Gainesville to look at other prospects. Surprisingly, it wasn’t those players who caught his eye but Richardson. Despite his apparent rawness and inexperience, the work he had been quietly doing started to show.

Those perceived flaws didn’t deter the team.

They continued digging into Richardson, sending scouts and even assistant general manager, Ed Dodds, to see him. His 2022 season was up and down, potentially leaving more questions than answers. However, one thing was clear: Anthony Richardson was built differently.

He oozed upside and dripped potential.

But, the Colts could not bank solely on upside and potential. They had to be wholeheartedly convinced, just as general manager Chris Ballard reiterated multiple times this offseason. So, the team continued to explore options of what Richardson at the helm would look like. What started as varying opinions eventually became a consensus – Richardson was a legitimate option.

The Colts were now all in on Anthony Richardson, from the NFL combine to his pro day to his private workout. But they wouldn’t panic when the draft arrived, believing they could get their guy. True to his style, Ballard stayed put instead of trading up, and with some luck, the team drafted Richardson at No. 4 overall.

But ask Richardson, and this was all destined to be.

When asked shortly after being drafted about how it felt to overcome the doubters, Richardson humbly responded:

“It feels good. I always believed in me. You know, that was the game plan. You know, even declaring…bet on myself and have faith in myself and my abilities. The Colts believed in me. So, I’m ready to get to work.”

Work is undoubtedly what lies ahead for Richardson. For a franchise desperately in need of stability and a visible pillar, a lot will be expected of him. But he can’t be Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck. He has to be Anthony Richardson.

For today and every day that lies ahead, he has to walk with purpose to collide with his destiny.

Colts’ Ed Dodds among potential future GMs

Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds could be pretty popular this offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts will see a lot of turnover when it comes to the front office and coaching staff, including assistant general manager Ed Dodds.

Acting as Chris Ballard’s right-hand man since 2017, Dodds has made a name for himself as a popular general manager candidate. He has interviewed a few times in recent offseasons but ultimately declined those opportunities.

With the Colts franchise in disarray, heading toward an offseason of uncertainty, this may be the chance Dodds takes to finally be a general manager in the NFL.

As Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated conducted his list of potential future general managers, Dodds found himself on the list again.

“Indy’s not having the best year—if they were, Dodds would be one of the most prominent names on this list, and the Colts’ well-respected No. 3, Morocco Brown, would probably be on it, too. As it is, Dodds is one of the NFL’s most revered evaluators, an old-school, straightforward scout who also happened to help build Indy’s technology. There’s also a strong connection to Jim Harbaugh here (Dodds was seen as the Harbaugh GM when he interviewed in Las Vegas last year), which could be a factor in the Colts’ pursuing Harbaugh.”

The connection with Harbaugh is an interesting one, and it could play a role if he winds up changing his mind about staying at Michigan. Harbaugh seems to be near the top of the list when it comes to Jim Irsay’s preferred candidates.

Dodds could very well see a handful of interviews this offseason. Considering how well the Colts have drafted—for the most part—during his tenure, other teams will take a liking to that. He would have to change the philosophy Ballard has taken when it comes to roster construction, but it helps that they’ve been a successful franchise when it comes to drafting and talent evaluation.

This is going to be an unpredictable offseason for the Colts. Over the last five or so years, they’ve been pretty predictable. But this offseason could provide a lot of shocking news and developments over the next few months.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwdn1cy47y964q player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

Report: Steelers interviewed Colts’ Ed Dodds for GM vacancy

The Steelers reportedly interviewed Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds for their GM vacancy.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly interviewed Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds for their general manager vacancy, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Dodds, who was in the running for the general manager vacancies with the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears, was considered to be a hot commodity this offseason when it came to general manager vacancies.

With Kevin Colbert stepping down from his general manager position following the 2022 NFL draft, the Steelers have been in the market to find his replacement.

https://twitter.com/gerrydulac/status/1489670017872445446

More to come…

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

[lawrence-related id=68935,68928,68926]

[listicle id=68832]

Colts’ Ed Dodds is not expected to be new Raiders GM

Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds isn’t expected to be the new GM of the Raiders.

Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders for their general manager vacancy but is not expected to land the job.

Instead, the Raiders are expected to hire New England Patriots executive Dave Ziegler as their new general manager, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

With Dodds staying, the Colts will have the majority of their brain trust working to turn around the organization after a disappointing end to the 2021 season.

Dodds was a candidate for the general manager vacancy in Chicago but after his interview, he withdrew his name from the search. The Bears also interviewed Colts director of college scouting Morocco Brown, but the former decided to hire Ryan Poles instead.

However, the Bears did wind up hiring former Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus to be the new head coach.

Dodds has had his share of general manager interviews over the last two offseasons and he’s made it clear that he’s extremely picky about the opportunity, especially considering he’ll only get one shot at it.

Regardless, it appears the Colts will have the majority of their front office back for the 2022 offseason.

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

[lawrence-related id=68775,68765,68762]

[listicle id=68769]

Tracking the Colts’ interviews for other HC, GM vacancies

Tracking the HC and GM interviews the Colts have taken this offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts have become a popular target across the league when it comes to teams filling their vacancies at head coach and general manager.

The process has been well underway for a few weeks now with the New York Giants being the only team to have named a new general manager. They went with former Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen.

The Colts have had a few executives interview for vacant general manager roles while a pair of assistant coaches have interviewed for head coach and offensive coordinator vacancies.

Here’s all of the interviews we know so far involving the Colts’ executives and assistant coaches:

Raiders request GM interview with Colts’ Ed Dodds

The Raiders requested a general manager interview with Colts’ Ed Dodds.

The Las Vegas Raiders requested to interview Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds for their vacant general manager role, per Tom Pelissero.

Dodds was a candidate for the general manager vacancy with the Chicago Bears but ultimately withdrew his name from the race this week. With the firing of Mike Mayock in Las Vegas, it was expected that they would reach out to speak with Dodds.

Given the fact that the Raiders made the playoffs over the Colts and the fact that they seem to have a decent foundation built, this job may be an attractive one for Dodds.

He’s very particular about the type of situation he wants to be in when he does get a general manager job given that he’s withdrawn his name from two candidacies over the last two seasons.

This will certainly be something to watch over the next week or so as Dodds is the right-hand man to Chris Ballard.

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

[lawrence-related id=68591,68584,68582]

[listicle id=68594]

Colts’ Ed Dodds withdraws from Bears GM search

Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds withdrew from the Bears’ GM search on Wednesday.

Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds withdrew his name Wednesday from the Chicago Bears’ general manager search, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Dodds had his interview with the Bears on Monday, along with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus for the vacant head coach role. But it seems Dodds will be remaining with the Colts for the time being.

This isn’t the first time that Dodds has gone for an interview only to withdraw his name. He had an interview lined up with the Carolina Panthers during the 2021 offseason and withdrew his name shortly after that as well.

Given that he knows his chances of getting a general manager role only comes around once, he’s probably pretty specific on what kind of team he wants to inherit.

There is still an expectation that the Las Vegas Raiders will put in a request to interview Dodds following the firing of Mike Mayock so that will be something to keep an eye on as well.

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

[lawrence-related id=68519,68531,68517]

[listicle id=68494]

Ed Dodds withdrawing from Bears’ GM search

The Bears interviewed Ed Dodds for their GM position on Monday. Two days later, Dodds has backed out of the running.

The Chicago Bears are focused on finding their next general manager and head coach following the firings of Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy last week.

There’s been an intriguing list of candidates, especially on the GM side. But it sounds like one is bowing out of the running.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Indianapolis Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds has withdrawn his name from Chicago’s GM search. Dodds interviewed with the Bears on Monday.

Dodds is considered one of the NFL’s most respected talent evaluators, and he’s someone who could finally get an opportunity to serve as GM. Dodds has worked alongside Colts GM Chris Ballard since 2017, where he was promoted to assistant GM in 2018, and previously spent the previous 10 years with the Seattle Seahawks, where he helped build their Super Bowl roster. Last year, Dodds received interest from the Detroit Lions and the Carolina Panthers, interviewing for both vacant GM positions.

Dodds was considered a favorite among Bears fans to land the job. Although, according to DaBearsBlog’s Jeff Hughes, Dodds interview “went terribly.”

But there’s still another Colts exec who’s set to interview for the GM job in Indianapolis’ director of college scouting Morocco Brown, as well as some other really great potential GM candidates still in the running.

[listicle id=495065]

Raiders expected to request GM interview with Ed Dodds

The Raiders are expected to request a GM interview with Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds.

Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds seems to be a busy man this offseason as the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to request an interview for their vacant general manager role, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

After firing general manager Mike Mayock, the Raiders now find themselves among the teams looking for a new person to lead the front office. Dodds appears to be a popular candidate for several teams this offseason.

Though it isn’t clear if they have yet, it appears the Raiders will have some interest of interviewing Dodds for their now-vacant general manager role.

Dodds already interviewed with the Chicago Bears on Monday and could very well see more opportunities among teams looking for new general managers.

As the right-hand man to general manager Chris Ballard, Dodds has been a key figure in building the roster for the Colts since being promoted to assistant general manager in 2018.

We’ll see what happens but there is a chance this is the last offseason Dodds is with the Colts.

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

[lawrence-related id=68496,68490,68500]

[listicle id=68494]

Bears interview Colts’ Matt Eberflus, Ed Dodds

The Bears interviewed Colts DC Matt Eberflus and assistant GM Ed Dodds on Monday.

The Chicago Bears interviewed Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and assistant general manager Ed Dodds for vacancies on their coaching staff and front office on Monday.

The Bears announced the interviews on Monday afternoon. Eberflus interviewed for the vacancy at head coach after the firing of Matt Nagy while Dodds interviewed for the vacancy at general manager following the firing of Ryan Pace.

Eberflus has been the defensive coordinator for the Colts since taking over the role in 2018. He’s been a popular candidate for a few years now and after his defense finished as the No. 8 unit according to DVOA, he’s expected to have a number of interviews.

Meanwhile, Dodds has been the right hand man since being promoted to assistant general manager in 2018. He has had a major hand in selecting and developing the roster that the Colts currently have now.

This will certainly be something to watch as the Bears make their offers but it appears they have some more interviews set for later in the week so it may not be for a few days before we hear any news.

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

[lawrence-related id=68490,68500,68488]

[listicle id=68494]