Indianapolis Colts principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon promised us a heightened “sense of urgency” this offseason. After a season that saw a complete second-half collapse, this football team was riddled with injuries. While injuries were a reason for the collapse, poor roster construction by general manager Chris Ballard was also a major cause.
Hand up, I thought Ballard turned the corner last season with his aggressive free agency last season. Ballard is known for his conservative approach to free agency, waiting until the latter days to grab some pieces. Last season, he grabbed both Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum early and was not afraid to pay the money. He also grabbed Daniel Jones early on, and that paid immense dividends to the offense.
Credit to Ballard for getting both the Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce contracts done. Pierce was a bit of an overpay, but he earned it if he becomes the focal point of the passing offense. The Colts had no choice but to re-sign Daniel Jones, as Plan B was non-existent. The contract was fair, and he earned it, but it’s still a lot to give for a player coming off a major injury.
Keeping Jones and Pierce, Losing Pittman
We talked about Ballard’s ability to keep both Pierce and Jones on their respective contracts. We did see one major loss on the offensive end, with Michael Pittman Jr. being traded to Pittsburgh for a simple pick swap. While it seemed like the Steelers fleeced the Colts, the contract extension showed we just could not afford everyone.
Pittman was the “garbage man” for this franchise from day one. Not only did he catch nearly eight balls a game, but he was the primary blocker in the receiver room. On top of that, he was a team captain and rarely complained despite a carousel of quarterbacks during his tenure. The true consummate professional in the locker room that many looked up to for guidance.
The Colts will miss MPJ in the locker room, but Ballard had to make the decision based on importance. Jones was obviously priority #1, being the quarterback. Without Jones, there was no way the team would have convinced Pierce to re-sign, but you could not keep all three. Pierce is younger and more rounded, and therefore was higher on the priority list.
Defensive Gains and Losses
The losses on the defensive side of the football have been expected. The defensive line has seen the older crop of veterans move out, and some newer, younger players have joined. Samson Ebukam, Zaire Franklin, Kwity Paye, and Nick Cross are the notables who will not return. Colby Wooten, Arden Key, and Michael Clemons will be the new additions on the defensive line. Fine upgrades for the depth, but not every Sunday starting defenders.
As of Friday afternoon, the franchise has added some depth to the secondary with the additions of two safeties, Jonathan Owens and Juanyeh Thomas. It appears that the franchise made an offer to Nick Cross, but he simply wanted to be closer to home on the East Coast. Sad to see him go, but bringing in these two brings the needed depth, so we’re not reliant on Hunter Wohler. Hard to judge him so far since he missed last season with a foot injury.
Is There Still A Sense Of Urgency?
When I began writing this content, the Colts had not signed the two safeties they signed on Friday. So there was a bit of pessimism in my tone. While the safety signings help, the pessimism remains and is likely to persist.
In a season that is so consequential to the job statuses for both Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen, they seem to be slow and monotonous yet again this season. They still need immense help at edge rusher, wide receiver, and linebacker. All three of those positions would not only need depth but starting-caliber players.
They still have time to make this work, as the roster construction is a year-round puzzle. The inability to land Trey Hendrickson or any of the starting edge rushers has been underwhelming. With last season’s injuries and collapse, we all felt like Ballard would address this swiftly. Yet here we are again, with questions about arguably the two positions that need the most attention.
With only 3 picks in the top 100 in next month’s draft, free agency became so imperative to this team’s success in 2026. Now we will be potentially relying on a rookie pass rusher and a rookie linebacker who might be the “green dot” on this defense. I wish we, as a fanbase, could be surprised, but we are not anymore. A decade of mediocrity could be extended if we do not find viable solutions between now and April’s draft.
More from The Blue Stable:
High Urgency: A Complete Projection of the Colts Critical Offseason Part 1
High Urgency: A Complete Projection of the Colts Critical Offseason Part 2
