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How Colts GM Chris Ballard has Succeeded/Failed in Free Agency
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has received criticism of every kind through the NFL free agency cycle.
The Indianapolis Colts have had a busy 2024 free agency if you account for the re-signings to keep talented players on the roster. However, often fans and pundits label a successful free agency for an NFL team as grabbing new names and outside skillsets.
While Indianapolis has done what it feels is necessary and general manager Chris Ballard has spent money, has it been enough to make a serious impact? With this in mind, it's time to discuss how Ballard has succeeded and failed in the free agency period. We'll rip off the bandage and start with the failures.
Indianapolis Colts General Manager Chris Ballard speaks to the media Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024 at the
Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY
How Ballard Has Failed in Free Agency
Indianapolis began the 2024 offseason as a top-10 team for available salary cap space, totaling over $70 million. While it was a necessity to retain the services of notable names like wide receiver Micheal Pittman Jr., cornerback Kenny Moore II, and defensive tackle Grover Stewart, the Colts still could have used some of the outside talent on the market.
For example, while Moore's retaining is a big plus, there is still a need for veteran leadership in the defensive back room. Dallis Flowers is returning from a season-ending Achilles injury, JuJu Brents is returning from injury issues and entering only year two, Jaylon Jones played more than expected as a seventh-rounder, and the depth behind them is a steep fall in talent level. A player like current Miami Dolphins cornerback Kendall Fuller made perfect sense and cost only $15 million over two years ($7.975 million guaranteed). While the guaranteed money likely deterred Ballard, it still could have boosted the young secondary and helped the inevitable rookie corner the Colts will pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Another position with a curious absence of a free agent signing is safety. More specifically, a defender akin to the free safety spot. It's fair to say that Nick Cross should get a swing at free safety now that Julian Blackmon has been retained for another year, but Cross hasn't proven he's a capable and consistent starter yet. This situation, paired with the influx of talent on the market at one point, is where Ballard could have used a veteran similar to the cornerback situation. Players like Los Angeles Chargers defender Alohi Gilman (two years; $10.125 million) and Washington Commanders veteran Jeremy Chinn (one year; $4.105 million) made sense and wouldn't have hurt the checkbook much, either. Even though Rodney Thomas II is behind Cross, Indy can’t rely on him for significant starting reps.
Ballard has never been one to overspend for a player, especially a free agent not already with the Colts. However, there were multiple positions, even with depth, where Ballard passed on talent that wasn't expensive enough to justify not signing. But, while there's always room for criticism, there's also space to look into what's the most important. Now, let's talk about how Ballard has been a success.
How Ballard Has Succeeded in Free Agency
In short, the success is that Ballard kept the cornerstone pieces with the team for the foreseeable future. It's always fun to win the offseason playoffs, but it's not often that a squad that adds multiple outside fits wins big in the grand scheme. More often than not, the players who know the franchise culture, system (offensive or defensive), and their teammates will go the farthest during an NFL season.
Head coach Shane Steichen has a quarterback like Anthony Richardson walking into his sophomore season. Ultimately, it meant that Pittman had to be re-signed or replaced. If Indy didn't keep the consistent pass-catcher, who would have been able to either sign or draft to fill a massive void like that? Unfortunately, great players make great money, and Pittman was due his big contract.
The same goes for the contracts with Stewart, Blackmon, and Moore. Without these three pillars of Gus Bradley's defense, it's hard to imagine what Ballard would have done without one or all of them. The criticism (as stated before) is fair, but teams that win usually do so by keeping the important players on the squad and then surrounding them with talent if needed.
Ballard clearly put importance on keeping Indy's own and still signed a backup quarterback (Joe Flacco) and rotational defensive tackle (Raekwon Davis) to bolster areas of the depth chart. This strategy will likely help Richardson build rapport with the offense and assist the young defense in gaining experience as a unit.
Bottom Line
Ballard has frustrated many Colts fans over his tenure as general manager due to not spending money on big names or grand talent. But, his lack of jumping the gun has also allowed Indy to retain some of their greatest talents for now and the future.
With the Colts mere days away from the NFL Draft, how will the rest of free agency play out before and after? We'll have to see if Indy uses their remaining cap for signings or future endeavors.
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