The Indianapolis Colts made more noise than usual during the offseason. They made a huge trade, brought in a veteran quarterback and had a few surprising moves during the draft.
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While it remains to be seen how these moves will play out, the Colts have been given plenty of praise with everything completed. Bleacher Report was the latest, giving the Colts a “B” grade for their moves in free agency and the draft.
Free Agency/Trade: B
2020 NFL Draft: B
Overall: B
The Indianapolis Colts should also be in the AFC South mix this season, provided free-agent addition Philip Rivers is an upgrade at quarterback over Jacoby Brissett. Rivers brings plenty of winning experience to the table, as does trade acquisition DeForest Buckner.
While the addition of Rivers is only beneficial in the short term, Buckner can be a long-term centerpiece in Indianapolis. The team signed him to a four-year, $84 million extension.
The Colts kept their offensive line intact by re-signing left tackle Anthony Castonzo. They replaced tight end Eric Ebron with Trey Burton and replaced cornerback Pierre Desir with Xavier Rhodes. While those are largely one-for-one replacements and not upgrades, they keep the overall talent level from dipping.
Meanwhile, the drafting of former USC wideout Michael Pittman Jr. and former Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor helps improve Indianapolis’ talent level. Pittman should immediately become the No. 2 receiver opposite T.Y. Hilton. Taylor will partner with Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines to give the Colts one of the league’s best backfields.
Indianapolis also snagged former Washington quarterback Jacob Eason in the fourth round. He’s a fine developmental prospect who might just be the Colt’s potential quarterback of the future, especially because they should be too competitive to be in the mix for a top signal-caller in next year’s draft.
The Colts already had a pretty deep roster, but they were able to upgrade at several premium positions. The addition of Buckner for the No. 13 pick was a no-brainer to the coaching staff and front office. They have a premier three-technique for the first time in ages.
Rivers should provide the Colts with an upgrade over Jacoby Brissett, who struggled during the 2019 season as a starter. His familiarity with Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni should make for a seamless transition.
The rookie class won’t have a major impact immediately outside of Pittman and Taylor, but the players they did bring in have high ceilings if they hit their potential.
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