Being raised a 49ers fan, I recall what a major difference Fred Dean made to the 1981 Niners in their amazing run to the Super Bowl. Bill Walsh had drafted some excellent young talent over his first three years, but the team had no pass rush.
The 1981 season had already started when the cash strapped Chargers traded Dean to the 49ers. The rest was history. Dean's first snap as a Niner was, if I correctly recall, against the Cowboys. He got a sack. He was electric. And suddenly the team was clicking on D.
Those were, of course, different days with different rules for a very different NFL. But it does parallel the Colts' current situation in one critical way: the Colts have some excellent young talent on D, but they need a younger alpha pass rusher to make it all click. Until they get one, they aren't true contenders.
Of course......there may not be enough grey hair on this board to remember Fred Dean.
And I may be the only guy with that grey hair. Oh well.
At age 62, and a Walsh fan way back then to boot, I easily remember Fred Dean.
I also know that the 49ers set up special plays in the SB for Dean, used them, and one led to a sack of Kenny Anderson. A special talent. Not a Hall of Fame player, but a very good player in his own right.
in my old time NFL Card League, I owned both Fred Dean AND Louie Kelcher. Stalwarts!
Fred was a fine player, but so was Booger McFarland in our SB run.
A really good man to man corner would be more valuable in todays NFL.
And Ballard is going to build a solid 4-5 guys that can rush the passer. That is more important.