The Indianapolis Colts went into this offseason knowing they had to make some changes at some very vital positions on both sides of the ball. With free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft having come and gone, the consensus is that they’ve done so in a positive manner.
[lawrence-related id=44480]
From adding Philip Rivers to the roster on a one-year deal, trading their first-round pick for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and adding some explosive elements to the offense via the draft, the Colts seem to have come out of this offseason on a high note.
Robert Mays of The Ringer named Indy the most-improved team in the AFC South this offseason.
Among the teams in this division, the Colts added the most talent. Philip Rivers is an upgrade over Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, with head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni (both of whom coached Rivers with the Chargers) forming the perfect duo to get the most out of the veteran’s final seasons. The Colts also traded away the 13th pick in the draft to acquire DeForest Buckner, who was then signed to a monster four-year, $84 million deal. Players of Buckner’s caliber rarely hit free agency, and Indianapolis felt that splurging on him was the right move with its ocean of cap space.
In the draft, the Colts added freight-train running back Jonathan Taylor and playmaking outside receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to complete their offense. That may not seem like a blockbuster offseason, but that speaks to how stagnant the rest of the AFC South was this spring.
The Colts certainly had themselves a busy offseason the additions of Rivers and Buckner alone are more than what the fanbase has been used to since Chris Ballard took over as general manager in 2017.
But add in the signings of Xavier Rhodes and Sheldon Day to go along with some very promising prospects, and the consensus for the Colts is that they did a strong job adding both depth and immediate contributors to the fold this offseason.
What the season holds for the Colts will be revealed later but for now, Indy appears to be one of the winners of the offseason.
[lawrence-related id=44497,44489]