There is still roster tinkering that’ll take place. As Colts’ GM Chris Ballard said following the draft, they’ll look into who is left on the free agent market to see if there are any potential fits. But with that said, the Colts’ 91-man roster is pretty well set.
With free agency and the NFL draft behind us, the major roster-building moves have been made for all 32 teams, so PFF recently handed out offseason grades. The Colts would receive a B+. Here was their reasoning:
“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 free agency, the Colts did not spend a whole lot to bring in outside additions. Their two most significant signings were Joe Flacco and Raekwon Davis. However, that doesn’t mean that the Colts didn’t spend anything this offseason, either.
In fact, they spent quite a bit, over $200 million in contracts, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, it’s just that most of it went towards retaining their own players.
This included extending Michael Pittman, Zaire Franklin, and DeForest Buckner. The Colts would also re-sign Grover Stewart, Tyquan Lewis, Julian Blackmon, Kenny Moore, and several others.
“I mean we signed a bunch of good players, they just happened to be our own,” Ballard said on The Rich Eisen Show. “I think sometimes we forget that. I mean Grover Stewart’s a really good football player. Kenny Moore II is a really good football player. Michael Pittman is a really good (player). I mean these are really good players. Julian Blackmon is a really good player.
“Look, I’m always going to lean our way, especially when they’re good players. I mean we dabbled with some guys, and we just didn’t get them. I mean that happens.”
In the draft, the Colts tackled two of their biggest needs right away and were able to get tremendous value out of those selections. Laiatu Latu was considered by many to be the top pass rusher in this year’s class, while Adonai Mitchell was widely thought of as a first-round talent.
Latue’s presence will help bolster a pass rush unit that does need more consistency in 2024 after ranking 22nd in pressure rate last season. Mitchell, meanwhile, brings that needed playmaking presence on offense.
If there is a knock on how the Colts addressed their roster this offseason, it’s that they still have question marks at both the cornerback and safety positions. Re-signing Moore and Blackmon helps provide stability, but as defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said after the draft, those three starting spots next to those two are ‘wide open.’
When discussing these two position groups before the draft, Ballard did sound bullish about them, mentioning the experience this young group gained last season along with the return of Dallis Flowers being catalysts towards improved play in 2024.
But overall, and as PFF’s grade reflects, it was a successful offseason for the Colts–every team still has holes on their roster. They’re an ascending team and one poised to make a jump in 2024.
