After suffering through years of injuries to elite quarterback Andrew Luck, the Colts had a surprising bounce-back season last year. They finished with a record of 10-6, including ending the regular season winning nine of their last 10. They were able to reach to playoffs, and they even won a road game against a division rival.
Their turn-around season was primarily due to Luck being healthy again. However, Colts GM Chris Ballard was also a factor. Ballard is a rising star in the GM seat. He’s a smart man who showed last season that he knows how to work the offseason. In last year’s draft, Ballard’s first-round selection, Quenton Nelson, and second-round selection, Darius Leonard, were both First-Team All-Pros.
This offseason, Ballard has shown why he’s smart again by not rushing to sign the top players in free agency. Entering free agency with a league-high $100+ million in cap space to spend, I expected the Colts to snag at least one big name free agent such as Le’Veon Bell or Landon Collins.
However, that didn’t happen. Ballard has been preaching the idea of patience since he arrived in 2017. The Colts took more of a step away from the first week of free agency even though they had money to spend. Ballard patiently waited until free agency settled down a bit to find value and dropped asking prices in players. This is the way Ballard found a steal in TE Eric Ebron last offseason.
This is a smart move done by smart organizations. Five out of the six lowest-spending teams in the first week of this free agency also made the playoffs last season. I believe that Ballard’s smart tactic is paying off so far.
The Colts Two Best Signings So Far
The Colts first signing was not a big splash like the Jets or Redskins, however, they did find a quality player to help their offense. They signed solid WR Devin Funchess to a one-year $10 million contract. Despite Funchess not entirely living up to his potential in Carolina, hence the reason why he wasn’t re-signed, he caught Ballard’s eyes. Ballard sees a lot of upside in the young player, and so do I.
The 6’4″ 225-pound wideout should turn out to be a complement to T.Y. Hilton. Funchess is a good route runner and an athlete. He isn’t the best at catching passes consistently, however, he’s young, and the Colts are looking to develop him. The Colts may possibly need to pick up another WR, but signing Funchess is a step in the right direction because Luck desperately needs another playmaker on the outside.
Also, if Funchess doesn’t work in Indy this season, the Colts smartly signed him to a one-year deal, so they can move on from him at the end of the season if they need to.
The Colts second-biggest need this offseason was to improve the pass rush. Last season, the Colts pass rush was inconsistent. They were tied for 19th in the league in sacks, 22nd in pressure rate, and 20th in sack rate. The Colts needed a guy who can be a headache for opposing QBs. They haven’t had one since Robert Mathis’ 19.5 sacks in 2013.
Many expected the Colts to pursue DE Trey Flowers. Ballard, being smart, didn’t overpay for Flowers, as the Detriot Lions did. Instead, he patiently waited for value in the second wave of free agency.
It paid off. The Kanas City Chiefs cut OLB Justin Houston. Houston fell into the Colts lap, and the Colts signed him to a two-year deal worth $24 million. Waiting for a player like Houston instead of immediately overpaying for a name definitely favored the Colts. Indy get a good player in Houston for a great value. Houston can be a monster for $12 million.
Houston is no joke, and the Colts know it. Since he came into the league in 2011, he’s recorded the fourth-most sacks (78.5), tied for the 20th-most QB pressures (118), and the ninth-most tackles for a loss (96). Last season, Houston tallied up nine sacks, one interception, 37 tackles, 12 QB hits, and five forced fumbles in only 12 games.
What’s scary about this signing is that Houston will be paired with an All-Pro linebacker with a season under his belt and other nice players such as Jabaal Sheard. Houston and this defense will be a nightmare for teams when they see him and Leonard lined up hungry for a title.
This is a low-risk move for the Colts, despite Houston missing 16 games in the last three seasons. The Colts still have $70+ million in cap space left even after the signing, so if Houston misses a few games this season it’s not that big of a deal compared to if other teams where in this situation.
Even if Houston misses time this season, he’s shown that he’s still very impactful in the time that he’s on the field. He racked up 22.5 sacks in three years while missing 16 games in that span. As long as the Colts can have a healthy Houston come January, he may be impactful enough to get the Colts to the Super Bowl.
A lot of offseason still left
There’s still plenty of offseason left for the Colts to improve. I’d like them to possibly go after a DB such as safety Eric Berry if he’s still available when the market dies down even more. Berry would help the Colts secondary a lot and make them even more of a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. However, if the Colts don’t
If Ballard and the Colts keep playing the offseason smart, they can very much become a Super Bowl contender.
Disagree with my take? Feel free to hit me up on my Twitter @stevenpepper38, my Instagram @stevenpepper_, and/or the comments below.