After narrowly missing out on a playoff berth, the Indianapolis Colts set out this offseason to retain the majority of their talent while adding some depth at certain positions.
They achieved that goal for the most part, re-signing a handful of their players to contracts that combined for over $200 million in free agency. They also added depth to crucial positions in the draft.
In grading every team's offseason moves, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus gave the Colts a solid mark while lauding the haul they got in the draft.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: B+
Indianapolis spent most of its time and money this offseason bringing back their own guys. They re-signed Michael Pittman Jr, Kenny Moore II, Grover Stewart and Zaire Franklin before having a fantastic draft, grabbing Laiatu Latu and Adonai Mitchell with their first two picks and some offensive line depth in Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves.
Latu is the perfect player to help the Colts turn their defensive line with a top-10 pressure rate into a defensive line with a top-10 sack total, and Mitchell’s talents can help him gain a WR2 role.
In a similar light, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report also gave the Colts solid marks for their offseason work.
Knox gave the Colts a C+ grade in free agency, which makes sense considering the lack of outside moves they made. However, he gave them an A grade for their work in the draft.
Overall Grade: B
The Colts waited until the draft to try actively improving the roster, and they may have done just that. Laiatu Latu has the potential to be a difference-making pass-rusher right away, while Adonai Mitchell should partner with Pittman and Josh Downs to provide a potent receiver trio.
With $25.7 million in cap space remaining, the Colts could have done more work in free agency, and their 28th-ranked scoring defense remains a potential problem. If Richardson takes off in Year 2, however, the rest of the AFC South should be on notice.
The Colts will be right in the middle of the AFC South competition for the top spot in the division, and they could be competing for a playoff spot depending on the development of certain players.
