Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap (OTC) recently put together a list of the top 10 teams with the most future fully guaranteed salaries, and the Colts came in at No. 9.
Contributing to this data is that only future years, so 2025 and beyond, were included. Also, Fitzgerald did not include quarterbacks or any unsigned draft picks.
At No. 9, the Colts have $65.279 million in future guarantees on their salary cap books. First on the list are the Philadelphia Eagles at $119.56 million, and fifth are the Houston Texans at $77.67 million.
Although the only notable outside additions that the Colts made to thier roster during free agency were Raekwon Davis and Joe Flacco, it’s not as if they didn’t spend any money. In fact, they spent quite a bit on new deals.
This offseason, the Colts spent over $200 million in contracts retaining their own players, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder. This included extending Michael Pittman, DeForest Buckner, and Zaire Franklin. It also included re-signing Grover Stewart, Julian Blackmon, Kenny Moore, Rigoberto Sanchez, 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.”
Continuity on both sides of the football is going to be a key element in the Colts’ 2024 season. Familiarity in the offensive and defensive schemes, the terminology, and who you’re lining up next to are all important parts of the equation when it comes to improved play on defense and a Year 2 jump in the Shane Steichen offense.
The Colts were able to secure several very good players this offseason and did so not only for the 2024 season but beyond as well. It just so happened that almost all of them were already on the team.
“I just truly believe we know, I’ve always said this, that you know who your guys are,” added Ballard. “You don’t always know in free agency who you’re getting. I mean there’s usually a reason they’re in free agency, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but there’s usually a reason—and I felt really comfortable, and we felt really comfortable with getting our guys back. There’s other guys you know we went after too. It just didn’t work out, and the players we got back are really good football players.”