Unlike in offseasons past, the Indianapolis Colts have had a loud start to free agency. Conducting trades and reeling in some big names on the market, general manager Chris Ballard is doing everything he can to bounce back from a 7-9 season.
The biggest move came on the first day of the legal tampering period, and it came in the form of trading a first-round pick for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner—a move that has been met with roaring praise.
They also made a big move bringing in veteran quarterback Philip Rivers on a one-year deal to be the new starter under center. Along with that, there have been some smaller moves made throughout the offseason and during free agency.
Some of these moves might not have an impact at face value for the rest of the NFL, but they will for the Colts. Here’s a quick grade of each move made so far during the offseason for Indy:
Trading for DeForest Buckner
Talk about a shocker. When thinking of bold moves for Chris Ballard, this certainly was not on the docket for the fourth-year general manager. Yet, he was able to pull off this spectacular trade to bring in one of the best young interior pass rushers in the game. The Colts then immediately locked Buckner up to a four-year extension.
Giving up a first-round pick is never easy, especially for Ballard. However, there is so much volatility with the No. 13 pick that moving it for a known All-Pro caliber commodity in Buckner was a no-brainer. Beefing up the interior defensive line was arguably the biggest need for the Colts, and this move should do wonders for the entire defense.
Then when looking at the contract details for the extension, it only favors the Colts even more.
Grade: A
Signing Philip Rivers
Throughout the offseason, I admittedly was a part of the crowd that didn’t expect the Colts to make this move. I believed most of the chatter we were hearing was coming from Rivers’ side of the field and while that still might be true, it’s easy to see the Colts were interested from the get-go. They signed Rivers to a one-year deal worth $25 million fully guaranteed to be the new starting quarterback, taking over for Jacoby Brissett.
There is no denying the Colts had to make this move. Brissett showed in 2019 that he isn’t the long-term answer and there were concerns that he could help them win in the short-term. He and his $21.3 million salary cap hit appear to be sticking around while Rivers and his Iron Man streak will look to continue his durable ways on the field.
How much Rivers will make a difference under center remains to be seen, but this is a positive move overall.
Grade: B
Re-signing Anthony Castonzo
Before any of the big stuff happened, the Colts signed Castonzo to a new, two-year deal making him the highest-paid left tackle in the NFL. It is well worth it to secure him for the next two seasons, especially given how much of a concern the offensive line depth is for the Colts.
When the offseason first started and there were talks of Castonzo retiring, his return was the top priority. It didn’ matter what the Colts did at quarterback. It didn’t matter what the three-technique looked liked. Getting their consistently productive left tackle to return was priority No. 1. Fortunately, Castonzo wanted to return and even gave the Colts an extra year to find their next left tackle.
The Castonzo deal is great for both sides. He gets rewarded for his fine play while the Colts get an elite left tackle and some time to find his successor.
Grade: A+
Re-signing Zach Pascal
The wide receiver room isn’t looking all that great through the first week of free agency. T.Y. Hilton is in the final year of his contract while the rest of the room is extremely unproven. Bringing back Pascal was a big need and ultimately an easy decision for Chris Ballard and Co. Pascal was expected to be an exclusive rights free agent, but he signed a one-year extension for the 2020 season.
The leader for the Colts in receiving yards (608) during the 2019 season, Pascal stepped up in a big way when the Colts needed it most. The wide receiver position is still a massive need for Indy, but having Pascal under contract gives them solid depth in the room.
Grade: B
Re-signing Mo Alie-Cox
Another no-brainer, Alie-Cox was set to be an exclusive rights free agent before signing a contract extension through the 2020 season when the offseason first began for the Colts all the way back in December. Alie-Cox is a physical freak but one who is still learning the nuances of the tight end position.
Jack Doyle is still the starter, and there is a high chance another body is added to the room, but the Colts like Alie-Cox and the mismatches he presents. Not to mention, his blocking continues to evolve making him a viable backup to Doyle.
Grade: B
Re-signing Chase McLaughlin
This move should be met with flying colors. Kicker success in the NFL has become as volatile as ever, and the Colts got a first-hand taste of that in 2019. Adam Vinatieri—the GOAT himself—struggled mightily. He missed a career-high 14 kicks and realistically cost the Colts a few games. It wasn’t fun to watch, especially to a player like Vinatieri, but a change needs to be made.
While the Colts are still holding the door open for Vinatieri, they already have his replacement. McLaughlin joined the Colts for the final four games of the season. What he showed was the ability to consistently keep the Colts in the game. He was 5/6 on field goals while making all 11 of his extra points. Saying goodbye to Vinny is tough, but they need to make the right choice and move on with McLaughlin.
Grade: A
Tendering Daurice Fountain
While the previous three signed one-year extensions, Fountain was a player that received the tender as an exclusive rights free agent. After a 2019 season that ended during training camp due to a dislocated ankle, the former fifth-round pick is making his way back to the field. He showed a lot of promise during the early parts of the preseason, enough to warrant a depth spot in the wide receiver room. There is still a lot of work to do and the incoming players might have a say in his spot on the roster, but bringing Fountain back for another year was a good move.
Grade: B
Tendering Rolan Milligan
Milligan didn’t hold a big role for the Colts. They like him, though, enough to bring him back for another year. The 25-year-old safety played just 13% of the defensive snaps and 39% of the special teams snaps in 2019. He doesn’t offer much in coverage as a slot defender and most of his work comes on special teams. The contract isn’t guaranteed so he is likely fighting for a roster spot this offseason.
Grade: C
Re-signing Le’Raven Clark
This move was made almost out of necessity it seems. The starting five for the Colts is as good as it gets for the NFL. However, there are serious concerns with the depth in the offensive line room. That’s why re-signing a player like Joe Haeg was a low-key big need for Indy. However, he took a chance to be a starter with Tampa Bay, and the Colts quickly grabbed Clark to ensure some depth on the edge.
Clark has held the role of a backup since entering the league as a third-round pick. He hasn’t shown any inkling of being a reliable starter and while continuity is nice, he doesn’t offer much if he has to step in. Addressing this need is a big priority for the Colts this offseason and it goes beyond giving Clark a one-year deal.
Grade: D
Releasing Margus Hunt
This was an inevitable move. It became even more so when the Colts traded for DeForest Buckner. At that point, it was a matter of when not if. The Colts released Hunt and saved $4 million in salary cap space. He simply was unproductive during the 2019 season, which came immediately after signing a three-year extension. Hunt, while a great teammate and leader, had no sacks, tackles for loss or quarterback hits during the 2019 season.
Grade: B
Releasing Brian Hoyer
The writing was on the wall for Hoyer when the Colts signed Philip Rivers. Sure, there was a chance he might stick around if they wound up trading Jacoby Brissett, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Releasing Hoyer was a move that had been waiting since he struggled against the Dolphins, leading to an embarrassing 16-12 loss. The contract situation for Hoyer is a bit interesting as the Colts are paying him $2 million due to offsets in the contract, but this was the right move with Rivers coming in.
Grade: C
Releasing Pierre Desir
Even as someone who acknowledges the down year Desir had for the Colts, this move was still a bit of a shock. While there is promise in Rock Ya-Sin, Kenny Moore and even Marvell Tell leading the room, Desir provided a solid veteran presence. However, with a $3 million injury clause guaranteed on Sunday, the Colts decided to release him before that. Now, the Colts have a big need to fill at cornerback—though they have the resources to do so.
Desir was a solid corner when all things are considered, but this move does put a bit of pressure on Chris Ballard to find a viable boundary starter soon.
Grade: D
