Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis Colts receive high-marks in ESPN's offseason grades

Published

2 years ago

June 19, 2024

Indianapolis Colts receive high-marks in ESPN's offseason grades

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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Indianapolis, IN

Daly takes charge on second day of Indianapolis 500 practice

Published

7 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Daly takes charge on second day of Indianapolis 500 practice

Conor Daly was fast to open the Indianapolis 500 on Tuesday, and even faster on Wednesday when the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing ace topped the speed chart with a lap of 228.080 mph turned in the No. 23 Chevy.“We weren’t even flat on that lap, so I don’t know, the…

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Indianapolis, IN

Katherine Legge Will Attempt to Make History With Indianapolis 500, NASCAR Double in Same Day

Published

19 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Katherine Legge Will Attempt to Make History With Indianapolis 500, NASCAR Double in Same Day

Katherine Legge will look to make motorsports history this month by competing in IndyCar and NASCAR Cup Series races on the same day.

According to ESPN, Legge’s BRANDed Management announced Wednesday that she intends to race in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 24, which is a feat known in racing as “the double.”

The double has been attempted 10 times by five different drivers, but Legge would be the first woman to do so if she pulls it off.

Speaking to USA Today‘s Mitchell Northam regarding her ambitious plan, Legge said, “It’s another groundbreaking thing that I can showcase to the world really that, if you set your mind to things, you can do anything, and you can do things that maybe you never even dreamt of before.”

Legge, who is a 45-year-old motorsports veteran from England, has competed in the Indy 500 four times, and she has run in eight NASCAR Cup Series races over the past two seasons.

Her best Indy 500 finish to date was 22nd in 2012, while her best result in a NASCAR Cup Series race was 17th last season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson was the most recent driver to run the double, doing so last season. He previously attempted it in 2024, but a rain delay during the Indy 500 caused him to miss the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Larson have all run the double, but the only driver to ever complete every lap of both races in the same day was Stewart in 2001.

No driver running the double has ever won a race as part of it. Stewart’s finishes of sixth in the Indy 500 and third in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2001 are the best results in the double to date.

Regardless of where she finishes, Legge will etch her name in motorsports history forever if she is merely able to qualify for and compete in both the 2026 Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600.

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Indianapolis, IN

Indy’s own Conor Daly starts strong as Indy 500 practice opens

Published

1 day ago

May 12, 2026

Press Room

Indy’s own Conor Daly starts strong as Indy 500 practice opens

INDIANAPOLIS — Opening day for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 featured six hours of practice around the famed 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Noblesville native Conor Daly finished among the top three on the speed charts, recording a best lap of 225.838 mph.

Daly returns for his 13th Indianapolis 500 start, driving the No. 23 Chevrolet for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. The race marks the team’s lone IndyCar entry of the season, and Daly’s first Indy 500 appearance since spending 2025 as a full-time driver for Juncos Hollinger Racing, where he finished 18th in the championship standings.

“Just a good Day 1,” Daly said. “I’m very happy with the mechanical balance in the car right now.”

Much of the early session consisted of single-car runs, with pack drafting not becoming common until later in the afternoon. Even then, traffic remained manageable, and the day unfolded without major interruptions.

Despite limited drafting throughout most of the session, Daly said he was pleased with the early feel of the car and believes the team has a clear direction moving forward.

“We definitely know what we want to do for tomorrow,” Daly said. “We identified a couple things that we want to reevaluate tomorrow.”

Wind conditions also became a major factor throughout the paddock, adding another layer of challenge for drivers trying to find consistency.

“The wind is really making things interesting,” Daly said. “It seems like the last couple of years that’s changed the race a lot.”

Still, the opening day remained relatively clean despite the high speeds and steady track activity. The only significant issue came for defending Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou, who spent much of the session in the garage after reporting a problem in the rear of his car.

Palou returned to the track in the closing minutes and quickly jumped to the top of the speed charts, posting the fastest lap of the day at 225.937 mph.

Jessica Garcete is an IndyStar sports reporter. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.

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