Colts Fall in NFL.com's Post-Free Agency Power Rankings
The Indianapolis Colts used the first week of free agency to take care of a lot of in-house business. Multi-year deals were awarded to wide receiver Michael Pittman, linebacker Zaire Franklin, defensive lineman Grover Stewart, and cornerback Kenny Moore among others.
Outside of Indianapolis though, the Colts were relatively quiet. NFL.com's Eric Edholm punished the Colts for their lack of additions in his post-free agency power rankings. He moved the Colts down four spots from No. 17 to No. 21.
"On the one hand, it has to be disappointing for Colts fans to see that, even though the team has handed out a hefty sum of money this offseason, the roster still doesn't look markedly different," wrote Edholm. "Raekwon Davis will help keep the D-line fresh, and I'm not overlooking what Joe Flacco could do to help Anthony Richardson's development, while also giving the team a sturdy safety net in case Richardson suffers another injury at some point.
"But that only understates how important it is for Richardson to thrive this season as a starter, or at the very least show some tangible growth. We saw so little of him a year ago, it's hard to know what fair expectations are. But if the Colts can add one or two more pass catchers and keep building on the defense (the secondary and pass rush are big areas to target for me), it wouldn't be stunning to see them finish what they couldn't in 2023 and make the postseason."
The Colts pass rush finished with the fifth-most sacks in the NFL last season. However, they ranked just 16th in passing yards allowed.
Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell has been a popular choice for the Colts in the draft at No. 15 for good reason. Indianapolis has good, young corners, but a first-round talent like Mitchell would help shore up the secondary.
This is a deep draft for wide receivers, and the Colts could target another pass catcher when they pick again at No. 46. However with Pittman returning, Josh Downs and Alec Pierce entering their second and third years respectively, receiver doesn't feel like a huge need.
Richardson returning and playing to his No. 4-overall pick status does feel like a huge need. The Colts surprised a lot of people last year by remaining in the playoff race until the final whistle of Week 18. Richardson has the dynamic-playmaking ability to take the Colts to the next level.
Does Flacco?
The Colts had a whopping-twelve picks in last year's draft. General manager Chris Ballard has a strategy of building through the draft and keeping the core players. It's no surprise that the Colts fell in the power rankings post-free agency.
It also won't be a surprise if this team takes another step forward in 2024 and outplays the No. 21 ranking from NFL.com.
