Tag: Indianapolis Colts

Colts’ Chris Ballard ranked 6th among NFL GMs

NBC Sports ranked Colts GM Chris Ballard as the sixth-best GM in the NFL.

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Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard was ranked sixth-best among NFL general managers entering the 2021 season by NBC Sports.

6. Chris Ballard, Colts

When it comes to the biggest question of football team building — quarterback — it is easier to be wrong than right. Chris Ballard, who keeps coming home with incompletes, just wants an answer one way or the other. Trade acquisition Carson Wentz will be Ballard’s fourth starter in five years on the job, and the riskiest of the lot. If Wentz can rekindle his supposed early-career chemistry with ex-Eagles OC Frank Reich, Ballard can finally begin putting the finishing touches on a roster he’s generously provisioned on defense and along the offensive line. The skill corps has proven to be a tricky spot, though sophomores Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman are the Colts’ most exciting young playmakers since T.Y. Hilton. Ballard has not been perfect, even in the draft, where his classes have been spottier since his monster 2018. He simply continues to make more good moves than bad ones. It’s tempting to say that is more than half the battle for an NFL general manager, but that would be incorrect. It’s the whole ballgame in a profession where mistakes are a part of daily life.

Ballard has done a solid job rebuilding the roster from the empty shell it was when he took over as general manager in 2017. Since then, he’s had multiple hits in the draft such as All-Pros Quenton Nelson and Darius Leonard while trading for All-Pro DeForest Buckner.

Ballard has also had to deal with losing a franchise quarterback to retirement and then having a new quarterback in every season since then.

The Colts have built a roster that can contend with any team, but they are still missing the quarterback piece that will put them over the top. Their hope is that Carson Wentz can become that player after they traded two draft picks to get him.

It remains to be seen what will happen with the Wentz situation, but Ballard still remains one of the best general manager’s in the league.

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Were Colts waiting for 49ers, Fred Warner to set LB market?

The Colts may have been waiting for Fred Warner to set the market so that Darius Leonard could top it.

All offseason, the Indianapolis Colts have been working with the agent of All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard on a contract extension to make him one of the highest-paid linebackers in the league.

With Leonard and San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner both up for new deals, there was a theme throughout the offseason as to which domino would fall first. Most would assume the first deal that gets done would set the new market at linebacker, thus saving money on the contracts to follow for other players.

The 49ers beat the Colts to the punch with their new deal for Warner, but it seems that may have been the plan all along for Chris Ballard and the front office.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network suggested that the Colts and Leonard’s agent have been waiting for Warner’s deal to get done so they can make Leonard the highest-paid linebacker in the league.

“Another big-time inside linebacker up for a new deal and know, the Colts and Leonard’s agent Malki Kawa have been in negotiations for the last several months. Leonard expected to come in above Fred Warner and become the new highest-paid linebacker in the NFL,” said Rapoport on NFL Now on Wednesday. “It was just a matter of getting [Warner’s] deal done and setting the benchmark so I would expect Darius Leonard at some point in the near future to get paid as well.”

So while many were hoping the Colts would get Leonard’s deal done before the 49ers and Warner—simply so they wouldn’t have to pay more after the market has been set—it appears the plan all along was to wait so the Colts could make Leonard the highest-paid player at the position.

There is probably a benchmark the Colts weren’t going to go over as they do with every player, but it’s clear Indy wants Leonard leading the defense for the future. And they are willing to pay a premium in order to do that.

It will be interesting to see what the numbers come in at for Leonard, but it appears the team was simply waiting for Warner to set the market so that they could give The Maniac a bigger deal.

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USA TODAY predicts Colts miss playoffs in 2021

USA TODAY’s Nate Davis predicts the Colts will narrowly miss the playoffs in 2021.

The Indianapolis Colts were predicted to finish the 2021 season with a 9-8 record and in second place in the AFC South by Nate Davis of USA TODAY.

“Indianapolis Colts (9-8): Plenty of talent permeates a roster that’s been good enough to make two playoff trips in the past three seasons – which have all featured different starting quarterbacks. But hardly ideal to initiate new QB1 Carson Wentz’s reboot with the schedule spitting the Seahawks, Rams, Titans, Dolphins and Ravens right out of the chute. That opening gauntlet may not include new LT Eric Fisher, either, as he continues recovering from January’s Achilles injury.”

Davis has the Colts just missing the playoffs in his prediction. Seven AFC teams are predicted to have a better record than the Colts while they are tied with the New England Patriots at 9-8.

Here’s how the division shook out in USA TODAY’s prediction:

  1. Tennessee Titans (12-5)
  2. Indianapolis Colts (9-8)
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  4. Houston Texans (1-16)

Davis has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Cleveland Browns in the Super Bowl.

The Colts are likely to have a solid season thanks to their roster construction. How high they go will depend on the improvements of Carson Wentz. He could vault them to be a playoff team or keep them as a middle-of-the-pack squad.

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Colts’ 2021 training camp preview: Defensive end

Previewing the DE group ahead of Colts training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts report for training camp in less than a week with rookies reporting on Saturday, and one of the rookies will be looking to make a major impact in 2021.

The Colts let both of their defensive end starters walk in free agency. Justin Houston is still on the market while Denico Autry signed with the Tennessee Titans. With the additions of some depth free agents and a couple of draft picks, the Colts are banking on their young edge rushers to make an impact.

As training camp approaches, here’s our preview for the defensive end position:

USA TODAY predicts Titans easily win AFC South, land No. 2 seed

There were definitely some surprises in USA TODAY’s predictions.

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Most of the divisional projections we’ve seen this year have the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts running neck-and-neck for the AFC South in 2021, with varying results for who will win it.

However, USA TODAY’s Nate Davis (sub required) sees things differently. He pegs the Titans finishing with a 12-5 record, three games better than the Colts at 9-8, and winning the division for the second straight season.

As far as playoff seeding is concerned, Tennessee lands in the No. 2 spot ahead of the Buffalo Bills (12-5, No. 3) and the Kansas City Chiefs (12- 5, No. 4), and at 13-4 the Cleveland Browns are Davis’ No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Here’s Davis’ take on the Titans specifically:

(2) Tennessee Titans (12-5):

With the exception of the Bucs, perhaps no team projects as a more prohibitive favorite to win its division. An offense upgraded by the acquisition of WR Julio Jones has understandably garnered the offseason attention, but a defense that will have to deal with the NFC West and its quarterbacks better step up after being less than lackluster last year. The Titans will face one 2020 playoff team over the season’s final eight weeks.

If Davis’ regular-season prediction comes to fruition, the Titans will secure their first back-to-back division crowns since joining the NFL in 1970.

Unfortunately, the fun stops there, as Davis sees the Titans getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Chargers. He also has the Bucs beating the Browns to win the Super Bowl.

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Darius Leonard contract should reach same $19M APY as Fred Warner

Darius Leonard’s upcoming extension should see the same per-year averages as Fred Warner—if not exceed it.

One of the dominos in the contract extension world fell Wednesday as the San Francisco 49ers and linebacker Fred Warner agreed to a massive deal that pays him $19 million per year.

Next up on that list of linebackers set to get paid handsomely is Darius Leonard of the Indianapolis Colts, who should see the same per-year averages as Warner on his upcoming extension, if not exceed them.

 

Both Leonard and Warner have been two of the best off-ball linebackers in the league over the last few years and there was somewhat of a waiting game to see which domino would fall first.

Leonard has been one of the most productive linebackers in the league since he was selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft.

In his 42 games played since entering the league, Leonard has recorded 268 solo tackles, 15.0 sacks and seven interceptions. No linebacker since 2000 has recorded those numbers in their first 42 games.

Leonard is one of a few extensions that will likely get done soon for the Colts. Right tackle Braden Smith is another whose deal should get done soon—potentially before Week 1—along with left guard Quenton Nelson and running back Nyheim Hines.

The Colts can afford to wait on Nelson’s because they picked up his fifth-year option.

Leonard has been a leader in the locker room ever since he stepped foot on the field for the Colts, and it won’t be long until he gets a bag worth more than $19 million annually.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell is not bullish on Colts’ weapons

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranks the Colts offensive weapons among the worst in the NFL.

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A major theme throughout the offseason has been the perception of offensive weapons for the Indianapolis Colts being a unit that lacks a true superstar. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell is the latest analyst to join the group.

In his ranking of each team’s top-six offensive weapons, the Colts came in at No. 28 in the NFL.

“28. Indianapolis Colts
2020 rank: 26 | 2019 rank: 12

New Colts quarterback Carson Wentz will leave behind those Eagles in 2021, but while he’s blessed with an impressive offensive line in Indianapolis, this is another team counting on its young players to develop. The most prominent veteran at the skill-position spots here is T.Y. Hilton, who didn’t bounce back in 2020 after injuries impacted his 2019 season. 2019 second-round pick Parris Campbell has basically lost his first two seasons to injuries, with a knee issue costing him the final 14 games of 2020. The hope is that Michael Pittman Jr. breaks through as a No. 1 receiver, but even if he does, will there be much around the 2020 second-rounder? Tight end Jack Doyle has been around seemingly since the Peyton Manning era, but is Mo Alie-Cox going to have a Logan Thomas-style breakout in 2021?

Seven picks after the Colts drafted Pittman, they used the 41st selection on another key contributor in running back Jonathan Taylor. The Wisconsin product broke out over the final six games of 2020, finishing second among all backs with 741 rushing yards over that time frame. While 253 of those yards came in a Week 17 romp over a Jags team that might as well have been on the beach already, the one-two punch of Taylor and Nyheim Hines works. The story at receiver, at least for now, is more about hope than anything else.”

The Colts have a budding star in Taylor, who is primed for a big season in 2021 after torching the league over the last six games of the regular season during his rookie campaign.

They are also much more bullish on their wide receiver corps than the rest of the league, which plays into the fact that they didn’t make any additions to the room this offseason outside of bringing back T.Y. Hilton on a one-year deal.

There is plenty of hope for the pass-catchers in the offense, but they are entering the season with plenty to prove to both themselves and the league.

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Colts to wear 1956 throwback uniforms vs. Bucs

The Colts will be rocking 1956 throwbacks for their Week 12 game against the Bucs.

The Indianapolis Colts will wear throwback uniforms for their home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12 on Nov. 28 at Lucas Oil Stadium, the team announced Wednesday.

The uniforms will have a style specific to the 1956 Baltimore Colts team and the uniforms they wore.

“Unitas, Moore, Berry, Donovan, Marchetti, Shula … all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and all members of the legendary Colts teams of the late 1950s. These players won championships, defined an era of sports and helped build our franchise and the NFL into what they are today. This season, we will honor the legends that came before during our ‘Throwback Game’ on November 28.”

It isn’t clear whether the Bucs will be wearing their throwback “creamsicle” uniforms, but it would follow the theme of a throwback game and would be a nice change in visuals.

Colts come in at No. 17 in Touchdown Wire power rankings

Touchdown Wire has the Colts come in at No. 17 in their pre-training camp power rankings.

With training camp just a week away, the Indianapolis Colts came in at No. 17 in Touchdown Wire’s pre-training camp power rankings.

Here’s what Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire had to say about the ranking for the Colts:

“The biggest question facing the Indianapolis Colts this season is the obvious one.

Can Frank Reich fix Carson Wentz?

After all, the Colts are a playoff team from a season ago, and provided they get consistent quarterback play there are reasons to believe they can make another post-season run. But the 2020 version of Wentz is a huge question mark, as he seemed a broken quarterback who had not merely regressed, but collapsed.

If the reunion between Reich and Wentz pays dividends, the Colts can be a dangerous team. If not, well, you have a good idea of how this story ends…”

In the AFC South, the Tennessee Titans (No. 6) led the way followed by the Colts while the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 31) and Houston Texans (No. 32) rounded out the league rankings.

Throughout the offseason, it has become clear the Colts are viewed as a middling team with high upside if Wentz returns to form.

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PFF projects Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis as starting DEs

PFF projects Kwity Paye and Tyquan Lewis as the starting DE tandem for the Colts.

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One of the big position battles to keep an eye on at Indianapolis Colts training camp will come at defensive end where both starting roles are up for grabs.

As Pro Football Focus projected the starting lineup for the Colts, it was rookie Kwity Paye and fourth-year Tyquan Lewis who got the nod as the starting defensive ends.

It’s a pretty crowded room on the edge for the Colts, but this might be the most likely outcome in regards to the starting duo. Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu and Al-Quadin Muhammad will be fighting for roles as well.

We know the Colts like to rotate their defensive linemen, and this is especially true when it comes to the edge rushers. Typically, the starters will see about 60-70% of the snaps in a game.

The hope is that the rookie in Paye can come in and make an immediate impact. He doesn’t have to be an All-Pro in Year 1, but he can help elevate this unit in a big way if he’s able to capture a starting gig and use his athleticism to make some plays in the backfield.

Lewis is in a contract year but faces a chance to really carve out a big role on the defensive line. He will also work on the interior at times, but he can make an impact working from the edge on a regular basis.

With a stout interior, the edge rusher room is one that will elevate the Colts the most if they can get a mix of consistency with splash games from players like Paye and Turay.

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