The season of hope has begun for 30 of the 32 NFL teams as they are turning the page to the 2023 season. The Indianapolis Colts are no different.
This is a time that teams can see a regime change in the front office and/or coaching staff that can give them hope that things will be turned around. Maybe their team has plenty of cap space to work with in the upcoming free agency frenzy.
Plus, there is the enamored NFL draft that gives all fans a reason to believe they just selected a “generational” player or a hidden diamond in the late rounds.
Teams go from worst to first every year, so here are five moves that the Colts should make to get back into the playoffs next season:
1
Hiring the right head coach
Coaching matters in the NFL. You can have all the talent on the roster but if the guy that is leading the team doesn’t have the right scheme fit for his team or lacks the ability to command the locker room, then all of that talent can go to waste. The better coaches in the league don’t need the best players to get the job done as well. We saw that this past season with the New York Giants and Brian Daboll.
I can be proven wrong, but I am willing to bet that nobody outside of a fan of the Giants thought they could make it to the playoffs. But despite the lack of overall talent and injuries suffered to the roster, Daboll was able to guide his team through the year and not only cracked into the postseason, but also won a road wildcard game to reach the divisional round.
Just a year ago, the Giants were a laughingstock of the NFL, now they have a bright future ahead of them because they found the right guy to lead their franchise. That is the number one move that Jim Irsay and Chris Ballard will be making in the next week or two.
2
Drafting the new franchise quarterback
This exercise is focused on looking at moves for the Colts to make to get back to the playoffs so in a vacuum it could make more sense for them to acquire a veteran quarterback like Aaron Rodgers instead of drafting one. But that is not where they’re at right now as a franchise. They’ve tried Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan to fill that short-term solution but here they are once again looking for a new quarterback.
It’s time for Indy to go get a first-round quarterback and find that long-term solution they have been searching for. With the No. 4 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, Indianapolis is in a prime position to select one of the top quarterback prospects in this class. Now what they will have to decide on over the next couple of months is if there is one prospect that they are all-in on and want to move up to the number one pick to get so the Houston Texans don’t end up with him in their organization.
A rookie quarterback doesn’t guarantee success in the playoffs but look at what Andrew Luck did in his first year. Took a perceived worst team in the NFL to the postseason. Or even in this past year, Kenny Pickett helped climbed the Pittsburgh Steelers out of a hole and just missed the playoffs, who knows if they make it if they elected to start the season with Pickett over Mitch Trubisky.
Whether it’s Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, or Will Levis, the Colts have to figure out which one is the right quarterback to help get this franchise turned around in 2023.
3
Addressing the offensive line
It’s been much talked about how much of a disappointment the expensive Colts’ offensive line was in 2022. No matter if the Indy drafts a quarterback or surprises everyone by acquiring a veteran, they have to address the offensive line this offseason. Could it be they like the current group and go after a better offensive line coach to help improve the unit? Sure but Chris Ballard should also consider some moves with the group.
Quenton Nelson is a lock at the left guard spot and in my opinion, I thought Braden Smith did a solid job this past season and should be safe for the upcoming season. Bernhard Raimann showed enough where there isn’t a pressing need to sign a left tackle but a veteran swing tackle should be signed just in case Raimann doesn’t develop in the offseason.
That leaves the right guard and center spot for a potential shake-up. Will Fries did bring some stability at right guard but a veteran guard or a rookie should be brought in for competition and depth reasons. This leads me to Ryan Kelly’s future with the team.
The veteran center’s performance hasn’t been up to par over the last couple of seasons so this might be a good time to move on and create some cap space with a move. Danny Pinter has shown he can be a quality starter at center and offers it a cheaper rate for Indianapolis.
As far as Kelly’s contract, he has two years left on his deal and this is what the cap savings and dead money looks like per Over The Cap:
2023: Dead Money ($4.5M), Cap Savings ($7.875M)
2024: Dead Money ($2.25M), Cap Savings ($12.375M)
While I don’t think Kelly should be a cap casualty at this point, it is something for Ballard to consider. Or could he bring up Kelly’s name in trade talks with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 overall pick? They have the most cap space to work with and have a need to upgrade their offensive line for Justin Fields.
However Ballard chooses to fix what went wrong with his offensive line, they’re will need to be some type of change to get it done.
4
Upgrade at wide receiver
The Colts offense was putrid in 2022 and that is why outside of hiring the right head coach, this list has been focused all on the offensive side of the ball. One area of the roster that could use alpha in it is the receiving corps. Michael Pittman Jr. is a very solid player, but has he shown he can take over matchups like the elite receivers in the NFL?
Pittman Jr. is in a tricky situation because he is entering the final year of his rookie deal but if at some point an elite receiver is on the trade market this offseason, should Chris Ballard consider acquiring him and disregard a potential extension for MPJ? I think he should.
While teams have waited to see if the quarterback they draft is worthy of using cap space around his rookie contract, I think there is a benefit to being aggressive in surrounding their potential franchise quarterback as early as possible. Look at the growth that Josh Allen saw when the Buffalo Bills traded for Stefon Diggs.
There is an example of this past offseason when the Philadelphia Eagles acquired A.J. Brown despite drafting DeVonta Smith in the first round the year before. They gave Jalen Hurts some weapons and now they found themselves in the Super Bowl.
If they want to go the veteran route, the Colts could look at Mike Evans, he will be a free agent in 2024 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will need to shed some cap space in the post-Tom Brady era. DeAndre Hopkins has been reported on the market but Ballard would have to factor in his age and injury history.
If a team finds themselves in a situation like the Tennessee Titans were in with A.J. Brown, Indy should monitor the situation with Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Tee Higgins. They each are entering the final year of their rookie deal and will be looking for their big payday this offseason.
This is a move that can happen in the coming months or even into the season if a situation develops but the front office should be looking at upgrades to surround the new franchise quarterback with.
5
Figure out the backup quarterback
As of now, Matt Ryan, Nick Foles, and Sam Ehlinger are all under contract with the Colts, but that is set to change in the coming months. Ryan will likely end up being released so the Indianapolis can save $17.2 million in cap space. I wouldn’t be surprised if Foles ends up retiring but is also up as a cap causality to save the team $2.1 million.
I can see Ehlinger entering training camp on the roster but should he be the right player to help mentor the incoming rookie quarterback? I don’t think so. Chris Ballard should look on the market for a veteran quarterback with starting experience that can help his new quarterback get down the nuances of playing the position in the NFL.
Andy Dalton would be the perfect guy for that. He understands where he is at in his career and could start if there is an injury to occur or if the coaching staff doesn’t feel like the rookie is ready. I am in the camp of playing the rookie no matter what but Dalton could give some ample room for the staff to work with and help win a game or two to start the year.
One other name I could see embracing the role is former Colt, Jacoby Brissett. He’s loved by the organization and embraced by the fanbase. The Colts just can’t afford to turn to bad backups as they did in 2022 if something does happen to the rookie. It would erase any playoff hopes in that scenario.
