For the most part, analysts and pundits have given praise to the Indianapolis Colts for their work during free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft this offseason. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell can be added to that list.
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Going through each team’s offseason and ranking the entire league, Barnwell was especially bullish on the Colts and their moves. He ranked Indy as having the fourth-best offseason in the NFL when it was all said and done.
The two big moves the Colts made at quarterback and defensive tackle helped get them off to a hot start.
What went right: Indy upgraded at arguably the two most important positions on its roster. At quarterback, it found a short-term replacement for Andrew Luck by signing Philip Rivers, who will move Jacoby Brissett back into the No. 2 role. The Colts still need to find their quarterback of the future — I’m not sure fourth-round pick Jacob Eason is that guy — but Rivers can flourish behind an effective offensive line after spending last season playing behind turnstiles at tackle. They also were able to convince star left tackle Anthony Castonzo to put off retirement for a two-year, $33 million deal.
Our Mike Clay pegged the upgrade from Margus Hunt to former 49ers star DeForest Buckner at defensive tackle as the largest any team made at any position this offseason. The trade for Buckner gives the Colts a two-way superstar in the prime of his career.
Even with the Buckner trade being the biggest upgrade of the offseason, Barnwell sees it as an expensive move. The cornerback position is also where he sees next offseason being a priority.
What went wrong: The Buckner trade was expensive for the Colts, who shipped off the 13th pick while handing the former Oregon star a four-year, $84 million deal with $56.4 million due over the next three seasons. Sacrificing the surplus value of the first-round pick and tacking it onto Buckner’s contract means they realistically paid north of $25 million or so per season for the interior disrupter. It’s still a defensible move, but he has to play like a superstar for this one to work.
I would have liked to see Indy further address its secondary, which shed a pair of starters in Pierre Desir and Clayton Geathers. The team signed journeyman corner T.J. Carrie and took a flier on Xavier Rhodes, but third-round pick Julian Blackmon tore his ACL in December and isn’t likely to make an immediate impact at safety. General manager Chris Ballard tried to address the secondary in his first draft, but 2017 first-round pick Malik Hooker has struggled to stay healthy and saw his fifth-year option declined last month, while second-rounder Quincy Wilson was shipped off to the Jets. It’s a position the Colts will have to address next offseason.
It’s hard to say the Colts didn’t come out of the offseason on the plus side. Some might not be as bullish on the addition of Rivers. The cornerback position and even tight end position need more of a focus for the future, but those spots are strong enough now to compete.
It was a strong offseason for the Colts and one that can get them back into contention for a playoff spot.
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