Swapping Of QBs Named Colts' Best Offseason Move By CBS Sports
When one door closes, another door opens.
That's exactly what happened for the Indianapolis Colts this offseason as the door on Carson Wentz was slammed shut, while in the process the handling of Matt Ryan by the Atlanta Falcons – who found themselves in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes — opened the door on an upgrade to the future Hall of Famer for Colts' GM Chris Ballard and owner Jim Irsay.
Now, a few months removed from the trade of Wentz to Washington and the acquisition of Ryan from the Falcons involving nothing but draft picks, the swapping of quarterbacks was named the Colts' best off-season move by CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin Thursday.
© Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Colts certainly had an interesting offseason overall that was rather busy, at least from Ballard's perspective, as Indianapolis signed the likes of Stephon Gilmore, traded Rock Ya-Sin for Yannick Ngakoue, and watched Jack Doyle retire.
Still, the swapping of QBs stands above the rest for the Colts, according to Benjamin.
"Wentz and Ryan arrived/departed separately, but it's still mildly astounding how Indianapolis managed to backtrack on its Wentz investment and come out with a safer projection under center," Benjamin writes. "Yes, the Colts still have long-term QB issues, and Ryan is more steady than special these days, but with another big run game and defense, they've got the recipe for a playoff bid."
As Benjamin points out, it's still baffling to look back on the decision to quickly move on from Wentz, shipping him to Washington, leaving the quarterback position completely bare in Indianapolis.
© Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
Patience is a virtue though, and Ballard and the Colts stayed patient, shutting out the noise, eventually putting themselves in position to land Ryan, who is a clear and immediate upgrade to the volatile Wentz, at least on the field.
The Colts don't need Ryan to play at his 2017 MVP level. Instead, they just need him to manage the game well, make some big throws each game to keep defenses honest, and not turn the football over with head-scratching decisions.
Doing that should have the Colts back in the playoffs, where they can take a run at the Super Bowl behind an elite-level run game and a turnover-heavy defense with some key new pieces and coaches to work with.
Have thoughts on the Colts' best offseason move being the swapping of Carson Wentz for Matt Ryan at the quarterback position? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
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