Bill Barnwell of ESPN took a look at 13 teams around the NFL who could be in the market for a veteran quarterback and ranked them in order of best situations. The Indianapolis Colts came in at an unlucky 13 in those rankings.
Last season, veteran quarterback Matt Ryan took the helm in Indianapolis and struggled. Barnwell pointed out many of the flaws that appeared in the 2022 Colts as reasons for Indianapolis to be an unattractive situation for a veteran quarterback in 2023.
Barnwell listed the pros of the Colts' gig as playing in a weaker AFC South, indoor stadium and what should be a strong running game. The weaknesses include erratic ownership decisions, no head coach, overall depth at receiver and an underperforming offensive line.
"It seems close to impossible to assess the Colts until team owner Jim Irsay makes a coaching decision," wrote Barnwell. "Given what Irsay decided last time he needed a coach, there's obviously a wide swath of possibilities for Indianapolis, ranging from incumbent Jeff Saturday to any one of 10 other candidates who received interviews and remain on the market."
Barnwell intimated one key reason for the delay in a decision on naming a head coach.
"The fact that Irsay hasn't yet hired a coach might hint he's leaning toward someone still competing for a Super Bowl title, which would identify Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as the most likely option of the remaining candidates," wrote Barnwell.
The Colts have the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft because they were a bad team last year. It's not a surprise that they wouldn't be considered a quarterback away from Super Bowl contention.
That the Colts might not be attractive to a veteran quarterback might be music to the ears of many fans who are ready to finally draft and develop a quarterback.
"It's also likely the Colts spurn the veteran quarterback market and finally draft a player to be their long-term replacement for Andrew Luck," wrote Barnwell. "They cycled through short-term options over the last few seasons -- plus a solution that turned into a short-term option in Carson Wentz -- and own the No. 4 overall pick in April's draft."
"Given that Indy likely will move on from Matt Ryan and Nick Foles and have a wide-open depth chart, though, we can't rule out the possibility of the team drafting a passer and bringing in a bridge option to serve as the Week 1 starter."
Barnwell also pointed out that there's no guarantee the players who regressed in 2022 will be back to form in 2023.
"That signal-caller would get to play indoors and hand the ball off to running back Jonathan Taylor," wrote Barnwell. "That's about all we know. Indy's offensive infrastructure cratered last season."
"An offensive line that had once been the league's best fell apart amid holes at left tackle and right guard. Michael Pittman Jr., who had looked to be on the verge of becoming a No. 1 wide receiver, averaged just 9.3 yards per catch. Taylor's efficiency fell off even before suffering a series of ankle injuries."
The Colts have tried a variety of veteran quarterbacks the last several seasons with varying degrees of success. They hit rock bottom in 2022, and it won't bother Colts fans if they're unable to attract a veteran quarterback for 2023.
It's time to draft and develop.
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