The Colts didn’t make any “headline-grabbing moves” this offseason, according to ESPN’s Seth Walder, but he thought highly of the work done by GM Chris Ballard.
Walder recently put together his offseason grades for each NFL team with free agency and the draft in the rearview mirror. The Colts would receive a B+, the same as the Bears, Jets, and Browns.
The focus this offseason for the Colts was on retaining their own players. The only outside additions made in free agency included signing Joe Flacco and Raekwon Davis.
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However, that doesn’t mean money wasn’t spent. According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, the Colts spent over $200 million on contracts that retained their own players.
This included extending Michael Pittman, DeForest Buckner, and Zaire Franklin, along with re-signing Grover Stewart, Julian Blackmon, and Kenny Moore, among several others.
This carryover in continuity in Shane Steichen’s second season at the helm, not only on the roster but with the coaching staff as well, has given the Colts a massive headstart in comparison to where they were this time last year.
“Well, I think you can see the communication and the chemistry with the guys,” said Steichen during minicamp. We signed a lot of our guys back, which I think that’s a bonus and I think that’s a plus for us.
“Sometimes, you get so many new faces here and then you got to recreate the communication piece of it. Guys know the standard. Guys know how to operate and I think that’s going to pay dividends come September and in the fall.”
In the draft, the Colts would address two of their biggest needs immediately, bolstering their pass rush depth with Laiatu Latu and adding more playmaking on offense in Round 2 by selecting Adonai Mitchell.
Latu comes to the NFL as a “polished” pass rusher, as Ballard described him after the draft, and is someone the Colts expect to make an impact right away. Mitchell has “bonafide No. 1” wideout potential, bringing a different element to the Colts offense, along with already flashing his big-play potential.
“You bring in AD and he’s very talented,” said Pittman. “Everything he does is so natural. I think he brings something extra that we didn’t have before. I’m learning stuff from him that I didn’t know before. Just the way he moves and the way he sets up moves. I think he’s elevating everybody.
“He’s all about football. We are always talking about concepts, routes, releases, set up moves. He’s all ball 24/7.”
One perceived need that the Colts didn’t address this offseason was in the secondary. The only outside additions made to the cornerback position came on Day 3 of the draft. At safety, no outside additions were made.
Internally, the Colts seem to be quite bullish about their defensive backs, with improved health and the experience gained over the last year being two key catalysts towards what is expected to be improved play this season.
Overall, the Colts’ offseason grade from Walder was tied for the sixth-best mark that any team received and the highest out of any team in the AFC South, with only five teams ahead of them earning an A- or higher.
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