Colts' Chris Ballard Must Address Roster Depth Issues for 2025

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard acknowledged his team needs better depth to succeed in 2025.

Oct 27, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard talks on the sideline before the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard held his annual end-of-season press conference to discuss the mediocre 8-9 campaign. As expected, the Indianapolis media didn't take it easy on the tenured front-office leader, pressing on complaints from the culture issues, player performances, what must happen to improve, and more.

However, one interesting area was Ballard's breakdown of the depth issues for Indy's roster, a criticism that has followed the general manager since the 2024 offseason.

Aside from the secondary, Ballard said they need to make sure they have enough depth on the offensive line and enough competition through every position group to where anybody can be benched for not playing well enough.

— Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL) January 10, 2025

The Colts went into the 2024 regular season with several questions regarding their cornerback/safety depth. After a free agency that featured names like Darnell Savage (safety), Justin Simmons (safety), Kendall Fuller (cornerback), and Chidobe Awuzie (cornerback), Ballard wasn't able to sign any to Indianapolis' ranks.

Instead, the team opted to roll with who they had in names like Jaylon Jones, Kenny Moore II, JuJu Brents, Nick Cross, and Julian Blackmon. While adding Sam Womack III off waivers turned into a brilliant move (Pro Football Focus defensive grade of 71.9 for 2024), it was due to Brents falling to a knee injury, which removed 15 games from his sophomore NFL campaign.

As for the safeties, Cross broke out, showcasing his athletic pedigree, especially against the run, posting an impressive Pro Football Focus grade of 80.4. But, his counterpart Blackmon had pitfalls compared to his solid 2023 campaign. These results still show a depth issue with the Colts; if any major injury happens, the next man up hasn't always been effective. Enter the right guard position and defensive interior.

Once Will Fries went down for the year with a fractured tibia against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5, it was on undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker's shoulders to take over the spot. Initially, Tucker looked okay but soon began to wilt against better defensive interiors. Next up was the former New York Giants veteran and previous Colts guard, Mark Glowinski.

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While it was nice to see Glowinski rejoin his former team, he didn't always stand tall in reliability. Against the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, he posted Pro Football Focus blocking marks of 37.9 and 35.9, which aren't good enough to help quarterback Anthony Richardson. Expect Ballard to make adjustments in the upcoming offseason with the roster to better supply Shane Steichen's team with depth across the board. Including defensively on the interior.

This criticism isn't for the starting stalwarts DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, but rather their backups/relief teammates, Taven Bryan, and Raekwon Davis. After Bryan looked exploitable in 2023, Indy re-signed the former first-rounder to a one-year deal in 2024. Bryan didn't provide much, accumulating only 1.0 sacks and several letups in the run game.

However, Davis was far worse despite earning a two-year, $14 million deal. Davis' Pro Football Focus grades are abysmal, with the former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle owning 37.0 overall and 38.5 run defense marks.

Don't be shocked if Bryan isn't re-signed and the Colts part ways with Davis' contract, which would save Indianapolis $6.49 million, per Over The Cap.

This press conference was integral to give fans, analysts, and media members more details on the state of Indy's franchise. While there is far more to come in the upcoming days, weeks, and months, one 'must' for this team is to improve the depth in case benchings or injuries occur.

The best teams in the NFL succeed because they have deep talent on their depth charts ready to step onto the field at any time. With how much Richardson must improve in 2024, as well as the defense, it will be of paramount importance for Indianapolis to improve their overall roster. We'll see what happens as the Colts continue to adjust to the end of season and search for their next defensive coordinator.

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