Note: The Colts announced they would be retaining Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen as I put the finishing touches on this article. I had a large section explaining why the Colts needed to change their vision at the top, but alas Chris Ballard has 9 lives.
Ah yes, it’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about the holiday festivities, family gatherings, or Christmas hangovers. It’s a tradition unlike any other that isn’t in Pasadena, California to ring in the new year. It’s in Indianapolis, Indiana and the cities’ once again mediocre professional football team. This has become a tradition unlike any other for Colts fans this time of year under the Chris Ballard regime. Mundanity.
So what needs to change? I’ll offer my opinions throughout the remainder of this article. Before we start, let’s set the stage. The Colts should have about $40 million in cap space going into the off-season and can free up more by cutting Raekwon Davis, and making some simple restructures. They also have their entire complement of draft picks to try and supplement what is hopefully an active free agency period.
Head Coach
The most realistic path forward for the Colts is to retain Shane Steichen and continue to tie him to Anthony Richardson. This has been Steichen’s guy, even throughout the 2023 pre-draft process, so if Richardson is going to succeed in Indianapolis it will likely be with Steichen. The Colts head coach and Anthony Richardson need to have some honest discussions about how the organization handled Richardson’s benching, injuries, etc. If this experiment will work, Richardson needs to have faith that the franchise is fully behind him and his continued development. This off-season should be about getting those two back on the same page while furthering Richardson’s progress as a passer. (Also please send Shane to PR Bootcamp).
Quarterback
I have two issues with those who want to see a change at quarterback in 2025. First, who would you rather have? Certainly not a free agent who will accentuate the mediocrity that has plagued the Colts for years. There is also not a realistic (nor smart) case for drafting a quarterback in April’s draft. Secondly, the Colts should have known this is what they were getting themselves into when they drafted Anthony Richardson. Up and down play was to be expected. The potential is still immense, and a full, healthy off-season is warranted for a player as talented as the second-year quarterback.
As we have seen in the NFL time and time again, the quarterback is a position that takes time to develop. Giving up on Anthony now would be a grim mistake. Injuries and his uninspiring passing statistics however are causes for concern. Still, between the early season focus on high ADOT throws and receiver drops, a revamped offensive plan heading into 2025 should serve Richardson well. Moreover, once Shane Steichen reviews the 2024 film, I think he will see that he often didn’t give Richardson the easiest HOT route adjustments versus pressure. This should be an additional area of focus for the HC/QB combo during the off-season.
Off-season moves:
Sign Jameis Winston to a 4 million APY deal.
Running Back & Wide Receiver
Not a ton of analysis is needed here other than to say that Jonathan Taylor needs a complementary back that can handle the bulk of the passing-down duties. The Colts coaching staff refuses to give either Trey Sermon or Tyler Goodson any meaningful carries, which speaks volumes about how they view them as weapons. In my mock draft, which I will lay out at the end, I have the Colts drafting Nic Singleton out of Penn State in the third round of the draft. Singleton is an athletic, explosive back for the Nittany Lions, who could immediately shoulder some of the passing down work for Indianapolis.
I also think a cheap signing like Ty Johnson, who’s been with Buffalo this year, would be justifiable. Johnson averaged 5.1 YPC on only 39 carries while catching 17 passes for 284 yards. A low workload, but productive nonetheless. A complete overhaul of the running back room behind Taylor is needed after what we have seen this year. Having three backs that the coaching staff feels confident enough to give carries to would go a long way toward diversifying the run/pass splits within each personnel group that Steichen wants to use.
Switching gears to the wide receiver room, those calling for a complete overhaul of the roster may disagree with the idea that the wide receiver room doesn’t need any additions. Alec Pierce has had a breakout third year as the Colts downfield option, alongside the steady presences of Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs. While Pittman didn’t have the type of statistical year fans are used to, we can expect a bounce-back year from the USC product next year after a fully healthy off-season. Expecting to move on from a player as rock solid as Pittman would be doing a disservice to Anthony Richardson and his development arc.
Behind the top three, Adonai Mitchell will look to improve upon a disappointing statistical year. Mitchell’s separation grades lend towards the possibility of positive regression in his sophomore year. Wide receivers can take several years to develop before they reach a productive level, ala Alec Pierce, so writing off the talented rookie after a bad rookie campaign isn’t sensible. Finally, Anthony Gould and Ashton Dulin should round out the backend of the wide receiver group. Both bring special team value that gives them a leg up toward seizing the last two spots. There are several players on the practice squad or that could be brought in via late-round picks or UDFA contracts that could supplant the aforementioned two, however. Look for names like Laquon Treadwell or DJ Montgomery to battle for those positions, as both players have been called up from the practice squad in the past.
Off-Season Moves:
Draft Nicholas Singleton RB, Penn State in the 3rd round
Sign Ty Johnson to a one-year, 2.5 million dollar contract
Tight End
The tight end group has been one of the most disappointing parts of the 2024 Indianapolis Colts. The four tight ends that recorded a reception totaled 439 yards and 2 touchdowns. The overhaul of this room needs to be a focal point of the off-season retool the Colts must embark upon. An interesting name in free agency is Mike Geisicki, who single-handedly outgained the Colts entire tight end group this year, with his 665 yards and 2 touchdowns. Gesicki offers nothing in terms of blocking but would be a great receiving option to act as a glorified X receiver. He wouldn’t be terribly expensive after he signed for 2.5 million this spring. After a successful campaign in ‘24, Geisicki could be signed for about 6 million.
Next, I would spend a first-round pick (hopefully with a small trade down to add a third) on Tyler Warren. Warren is not only physically imposing as a blocker and receiving threat but can also add extra creative elements to Shane Steichen’s scheme. Warren would immediately enter as TE1 and could be used in 11 personnel to disguise what the Colts want to do. A plus blocker at TE who can also act as a functional receiver opens up an abundance of opportunities for creativity on offense.
As for the other two tight end spots, Drew Ogletree is a fine depth option who has performed well as a blocker this season. Finally, the last spot can be left up to a competition between Will Mallory and the oft-injured Jelani Woods. The Colts should not leave a spot open for Woods but should hope he is finally able to stay healthy and take the step many have envisioned with his ample talent.
Off-Season Moves:
Draft Tyler Warren TE, Penn State in the 1st round
Sign Mike Geisicki to a 1 year 6 million dollar contract
Offensive Line
The offensive line certainly wasn’t the weakest point of the offense, but it can’t be absolved of all blame. The Colts should look to shore up some of the depth concerns that appeared when Will Fries went down for the season, while also bolstering the center depth with the possibility of Ryan Kelly either retiring or leaving in free agency. Braden Smith is also a fascinating case. Hopefully whatever personal matter the Smith family is dealing with is resolved and Braden is able to either get back to playing football or move on to the next stage of his life. If Smith wants to continue playing, the Colts should let him play out the last year of his contract and go from there. Matt Goncalves and Tanor Bortolini played admirably when they were called into duty, and at least in Bortolini’s case he could step in as the starter next year.
The Colts should re-sign Will Fries to a team-friendly deal as he tries to prove that he can get back to the elite level he was playing at before his injury. For depth, the Colts should look to sign a player who can give starter-level production on a cheap contract. To do this the Colts could look to a player such as Sua Opeta, who is coming off a season-ending injury as well. Opeta tore his ACL in August but was angling towards earning a starting role. Opeta has started 10 games in his 4-year career, with 6 coming in 2023 with the Eagles. He would be a sufficient depth option on the interior for next season.
Finally, the Colts should draft a center on day 3 to back up Bortolini. Jonah Monheim out of USC fits the bill. Monheim played center for the Trojans this year but has also played guard and tackle during his college career. This versatility will make Monheim a valuable asset, but the Colts would likely bring him in as Bortolini’s backup.
Off-season moves:
Draft Jonah Monheim OC, USC in the 5th round
Sign Sua Opeta to a 1 year 2 million dollar contract
Projected 53-Man Offense
QB (2)
- Anthony Richardson
- Jameis Winston
- Jason Bean (Emergency QB)
RB (3)
- Jonathan Taylor
- Nic Singleton
- Ty Johnson
WR (6)
- Michael Pittman Jr.
- Josh Downs
- Alec Pierce
- AD Michell
- Ashton Dulin
- Anthony Gould
OL (10)
- Bernhard Raimann
- Quenton Nelson
- Tanor Bortolini
- Will Fries
- Braden Smith
- Matt Goncalves
- Blake Freeland
- Sua Opeta
- Atonio Mafi
- Jonah Monheim
TE (4)
- Tyler Warren
- Drew Ogletree
- Mike Geisicki
- Jelani Woods
Colts Mock Draft
- Tyler Warren TE Penn State- Trade down, add a third
- Chris Paul LB Ole Miss
- Azareye’h Thomas- CB Florida State
3. Nic Singleton RB Penn State
- Rod Moore S Michigan
- Jonah Monheim OC USC
- Cam Horsley DT Boston College
- Aaron Smith LB South Carolina State
Stick around for the defensive version of this exercise, which will have many more drastic changes to a side of the ball that needs a significant infusion of talent.
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