ESPN’s Seth Walder liked the offseason moves made by Indianapolis Colts’ GM Chris Ballard.
With training camps on the horizon and the roster-building portion of the offseason behind us, Walder handed out grades for each team based on the moves they made over the last several months. The Colts would receive a solid ‘B.’
For some context, only 11 teams received a higher mark, and under Walder’s “move I disliked” category for each team, he wrote “none” when it came to the Colts.
“I couldn’t find a single move I strongly disliked,” wrote Walder. “It doesn’t mean I love their offseason, but I didn’t have a major issue with any part of it.”
With the Colts now having missed out on the playoffs for four straight seasons, Ballard, along with probably head coach Shane Steichen, find themselves in win-now mode; otherwise, major changes could be coming next offseason.
So with that, we saw a much more aggressive approach in free agency from Ballard. This included signing Cam Bynum to a four-year, $60 million deal, along with Charvarius Ward to a three-year, $54 million contract.
Those additions, along with Lou Anarumo’s more aggressive and disguise-heavy defense, should help elevate the play of the secondary, and therefore the entire defense.
“The Bynum signing was fine,” Walder wrote, “but the Ward deal (three years at $18 million per year) was strong. Ward has allowed 1.0 yards per coverage snap (better than average) or better in five of the past six seasons, per NFL Next Gen Stats.”
When it comes to the quarterback position, we still don’t know what to expect for the Colts, but the addition of Daniel Jones has already proven valuable with Anthony Richardson sidelined for much of OTAs and minicamp.
Then in the NFL draft, Ballard addressed one of the Colts’ top needs in the first round by selecting tight end Tyler Warren, who brings a do-it-all presence to the Indianapolis offense.
Ultimately, the play from under center will determine the Colts’ ceiling, but with the roster that’s been put together around that player, there’s a lot to like about this team overall. The Colts shouldn’t need great play from the quarterback position to win games; they just need consistency.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts and GM Chris Ballard earn solid grade from ESPN for offseason moves made
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
