The Indianapolis Colts entered this offseason with a bit of a different mindset than years past.
Rather than to remain conservative and less aggressive within their spending the opening days of free agency like previous sample sizes have shown, the Colts changed a bit of that narrative with their moves on the market.
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By inking big-time reinforcements in the secondary with a three-year, $50-plus million deal going to Charvarius Ward and a four-year, $60 million deal heading Cam Bynum’s way, those decisions not only added a few much-needed talents at defensive back, but defied the chatter of being cheap and unwilling to spend in free agency.
With that change of tune in mind, it’s landed the Colts some considerable praise around the league.
ESPN analyst Ben Solak chimed in on the Colts’ free agency moves, noting one of his favorite parts was the team’s willingness to spend on the free agent market.
“I loved: The willingness to spend,” Solak wrote. “When general manager Chris Ballard signed Ward to a three-year, $54 million deal with a $20 million signing bonus, it represented one of the biggest free agency contracts of his time in Indianapolis; right behind the $15 million per year Ballard gave to Bynum. The Colts have been one of the league’s most committed draft-and-develop teams, but they have also been an underperforming team that has struggled against playoff teams. Ward might be a true CB1 on the outside — something they haven’t had in years. That raises their ceiling.”
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It’s not always the case that spending big money will lead to improved success, and especially so now in the NFL when drafting and developing talent is seemingly as important as ever. However, for the Colts to make a couple moves around the edges with additions of Ward and Bynum, those two are experienced, skilled options who could fill in huge areas of need that feel like smart, necessary acquisitions.
After a season in which the Colts disappointed heavily, it’s only right for this front office to double down on their endeavors to get this team back to a competitive state, and so far, Chris Ballard and Co. have done a solid job of doing so by putting money where their mouth is.
The bottom-ten ranked defense from last season now not only has more than one new starter to make those strides forward on the field, but also a new leader at the helm with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo taking the reins; a stark difference from what was presented entering last season.
Perhaps the Colts might not be done making those aspired adjustments on either side of the ball, and with the draft less than a month away, there’s still a perfect opportunity to keep trying to push the needle forward. But so far, things seem to be starting on a much better foot for this Indianapolis operation.
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