INDIANAPOLIS – John Dorsey, the Kansas City Chiefs General Manager, has a message for the guy he calls a 'brother.'
"Big boy, let's roll."
That was how Dorsey finished a statement in which he was gushing about the man he worked alongside for the last four years in Kansas City.
As Director of Player Personnel with the Chiefs, Chris Ballard was right there with Dorsey in turning a 2-win team before their arrival in 2013, into one of the NFL's most consistent winners.
"The beauty about Chris is he's smart, he's energetic, he's a wonderful communicator and he's got zero ego," Dorsey said at this week's NFL Combine.
"All he wants to do is win championships. And, unfortunately, I'm in the AFC, too...so, 'Big boy, let's roll.'"
The final comment was said with a smirk as Dorsey believes it's not going to take Ballard long to get the Colts back into a routine postseason participant.
One aspect Ballard truly admires from his time with the Chiefs was how Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid worked together.
Such a strong relationship is something Dorsey thinks will continue between Ballard and Chuck Pagano.
"It's all about trust, openness, willingness to have open conversations and knowing that at the end of the day, we have the same objective and mindset," Dorsey says of the GM and head coach relationship.
"I can see Chris and Chuck getting along really well because they are both football guys and they both care about the objective of winning."
Ballard and Pagano are together this week for their first NFL Combine.
A month into the job, Ballard is reminded of some advice Dorsey gave him before leaving Kansas City for good in late January.
These first four months are going to be tough. That was Dorsey's message to Ballard.
Dorsey can't help but smile again in thinking about the attributes Ballard has as he maneuvers his way through the early rocky waters before finding land.
"It's tough. It's a grind," Dorsey says of the early days as a GM. "But (Ballard) has energy, passion, drive.
"Chris is very good at what he does. I knew Chris was ready last year (to be a GM). He now has a little more seasoning and that's okay. Seasoning is good, because it gives you more wisdom and experience. He will do such a good job. (The Colts) will have so much fun and (fans) will love that guy."
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