Colts Obtain Solid Offseason Review

The Indianapolis Colts have had quite the offseason following the NFL draft. They acquired names like cornerback Charvarius Ward, safety Camryn Bynum, running back Khalil Herbert, and depth defensive tackle Neville Gallimore.

After the big free agency signings, the Colts secured eight total NFL draft picks, led by the uber-talented tight end Tyler Warren, to help fix Indy's woes at the position that surfaced in 2024. Some may think this offseason warrants an 'A' grade. However, Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated believes it's just a hair under at a still respectable B-.

"Indianapolis did a nice job in the secondary, adding veteran safety Cam Bynum and corner Charvarius Ward in free agency. The Colts also brought in an excellent defensive coordinator in Lou Anarumo, who came over from the Cincinnati Bengals. Look for the defense to be much-improved, and it’ll need to be with expected issues on the other side of the ball."

Verderame finished by discussing the quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, as well as questioning how much the addition of the 14th overall selection Warren, will have on the offense.

"Indianapolis needs to figure things out under center, with both Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones competing for the starting job. Both struggled last season, combining to throw for 16 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Bringing in first-round tight end Tyler Warren helps, but how much?"

The Colts did get Warren, but as Verderame points out, Richardson and Jones struggled in different ways last year. For Richardson, it was inaccuracy (47.7 completion percentage) and turnovers (12 picks, nine fumbles). For Jones, it was a brutal win-loss record of 2-8 and inefficiency under center.

If the starting quarterback can't improve, Warren's impact might be stifled to start his NFL career. Warren was selected to bolster the tight end room and complement a talented group of offensive weapons featuring Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and running back Jonathan Taylor, among others.

This will be the key to how well the offense operates. Jones is a better pure quarterback than Richardson, but the former fourth-overall selection fits Shane Steichen's offense, has a better arm, and is more athletic to make defenses pay with his feet.

Verderame's grade was also affected by the departure of former right guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly, which is a fair argument. This thrusts second-year players Tanor Bortolini (center) and Matt Goncalves (guard) into the starting fray. Their impact remains to be seen, but they had experience playing last year while filling in for injured starters Kelly, Bernhard Raimann, and Braden Smith.

Chris Ballard made moves to improve the roster, but it still depends on how the quarterback situation pans out. If the starting field general can smooth things out, then this is a team that can push the Houston Texans for the AFC South.

But, if things persist and last year's issues bleed into 2025, Indianapolis likely goes home after the regular season with no postseason, no divisional title, and no clear-cut direction moving forward. It's all dependent on success this year for Ballard, Steichen, and Richardson.

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