Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
A few months ago, I laid out a 10-step offseason plan the Indianapolis Colts should follow in order to maximize their 2024 campaign. Now that the dust has mostly settled, and with training camp around the corner, it feels like the perfect time to revisit my original blueprint.
Spoiler alert: I didn’t do too shabby.
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1. Franchise tag Michael Pittman Jr.
Indianapolis was never going to let Pittman enter unrestricted free agency. He means a lot to the team, and he would’ve meant a lot to many other teams had the standout wide receiver reached the open market. The Colts placed the non-exclusive franchise tag, worth $21.8 million in 2024, on Pittman on March 5, and he agreed to a three-year, $70 million extension with $46 million guaranteed just days later.
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In addition to the franchise tag, I predicted that Pittman would land a four-year deal in the $88 million to $90 million range with $40 million to $45 million guaranteed. My guess on the guaranteed money was very close, and although I was off on the length and overall value of Pittman’s new contract, I was on the nose again with his annual salary.
Pittman, 26, has established himself as a true No. 1 receiver and now he’s getting paid like it. He will remain a big part of the Colts’ offense for the foreseeable future, especially as second-year QB Anthony Richardson finds his footing in the NFL. Pittman could’ve waited to get his deal done with the Colts and probably would’ve netted more money, but he claims he has no regrets even after a few other wide receivers cashed in and leapfrogged him in annual earnings.
“I’m grateful for everything I have, but I’m not motivated by money,” Pittman said during veteran minicamp. “That doesn’t make me feel like I made it or I got it. I actually think that is the death of guys’ careers when they get comfortable with stuff like that.”
2. Re-sign Julian Blackmon
There was a moment this offseason when I thought Blackmon’s time in Indy had potentially come to an end as he visited other franchises before ultimately returning to the Colts on a one-year deal worth $3.9 million. Blackmon likely wanted a long-term commitment, but the safety market dried up quickly, and his injury history didn’t sway negotiations in his favor.
Regardless of the circumstances that brought Blackmon back, Indianapolis is glad to have him. The Colts don’t have any proven safeties on their roster outside of Blackmon, who is coming off arguably the best season of his career. After switching from free safety to strong safety, Blackmon logged career highs of four interceptions, eight pass breakups and five tackles for loss in 15 games before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the final two contests.
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Through his first four seasons, Blackmon has yet to be available for a full campaign.
“I feel like I’ve started out strong … but I haven’t finished,” Blackmon said shortly after his signing. “So, for me, I think that everybody else knows it, too, one of the things I want to do is play 17 games.”
3. Re-sign Kenny Moore II
Moore wanted to continue his career in Indianapolis, and he got his wish after inking a three-year, $30 million deal that briefly made him the highest paid nickelback in NFL history. The decision to bring him back was a no-brainer considering the Colts’ lack of experience at cornerback and in their defensive secondary overall. Moore, like Blackmon, put together a Pro Bowl-caliber campaign in 2023. He fell just short of being named second-team All-Pro last year, and the soon-to-be 29-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down.
4. Re-sign Grover Stewart
Stewart was suspended six games last year for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy, which could’ve jeopardized his future in Indianapolis. But after coach Shane Steichen, who never says anything he doesn’t truly mean, immediately came out backing Stewart and called his violation a mistake, I figured there was a good chance Stewart would stay put with the Colts. The veteran nose tackle inked a three-year, $39 million deal this offseason. Stewart remains one of the best run stoppers in football and brings a consistently jovial attitude to the locker room.
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5. Draft Brock Bowers
This was my first miss in my 10-step offseason plan. Bowers, the star tight end out of Georgia, was selected 13th overall by the Raiders, two spots before Indianapolis would get on the board in the first round. This always felt like wishful thinking to me anyway, and Indianapolis still upgraded its offense by snagging former Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in the second round. Mitchell flashed his potential with a number of noteworthy catches during spring practice.
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6. Re-sign Gardner Minshew
Minshew was one and done in Indianapolis, which isn’t too surprising. My prediction that the Colts would re-sign him was always contingent upon what he’d fetch on the open market, and I give Minshew credit for capitalizing on his extended stint as QB1 one in Indianapolis. I didn’t think a team would give Minshew a legitimate shot to continue being a starter in 2024, but apparently the Raiders are on board after rewarding Minshew with a two-year, $25 million deal with $15 million guaranteed.
Indianapolis would never pay that much for a backup QB and quickly pivoted to Joe Flacco, who joined the Colts on a one-year deal worth up to $8.7 million. The 39-year-old may be an even better option than the 28-year-old Minshew if Richardson goes down. Minshew struggled to push the ball down the field last year, which really limited the Colts’ offense, whereas Flacco proved he can still sling it deep following his renaissance run with the Browns in 2023.
7. Extend DeForest Buckner and Zaire Franklin
Buckner and Franklin are two of the Colts’ best players and leaders, so it was only a matter of time until they were rewarded. Franklin cashed in first with a three-year, $31.3 million extension in March. He’s set the Colts’ single-season tackle record in consecutive campaigns. Buckner followed suit with a two-year, $46 million extension in April. He’s a perennial Pro Bowl- and All-Pro-caliber player, and he’ll likely receive both honors in 2024 if the Colts make the playoffs and gain more national attention.
8. Draft an edge rusher
I assumed the Colts would lean toward offensive talent in the first round of the draft and target a defensive end in the second round. However, the order was actually reversed. Indianapolis selected former UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu 15th overall, making him the first defensive player picked in this year’s draft. Although I missed on picking the exact player (I guessed they’d pick Washington’s Bralen Trice or Alabama’s Chris Braswell, among others), Latu is exactly the kind of player Indianapolis needed. Its defensive line room consists of fine pass rushers in Samson Ebukam, Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo, yet none of them are elite. Latu may be able to break that mold.
The 23-year-old, who racked up 24 sacks and 35 1/2 tackles for loss in two seasons at UCLA, previously missed two years of football because of a severe neck injury he sustained in November 2020 that required surgery. Despite his triumphant return, some teams may have passed on Latu in the first round because of his injury history, but not the Colts. Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard said all of Latu’s medical records checked out, and team scout Chris McGaha added that Latu was “born to rush the passer.”
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9. Sign win-now free agents
I was wrong on this in reality, but I believe I’m still right in theory. The fact that the Colts haven’t signed even one starting-caliber outsider in free agency is alarming, and it could be damning if the in-house players Ballard is banking on don’t step up. The two biggest positions of concern are free safety and cornerback. Indianapolis could use established veterans at both spots, but so far, it appears that Ballard is willing to take a huge gamble. For what it’s worth, veteran safeties Quandre Diggs and Justin Simmons are still available.
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10. Teach Richardson how to slide
We won’t get a full assessment on this step until the season officially begins, but it will certainly be an important one for the Colts. I don’t think Richardson was reckless last year in his decision-making as a runner but rather unlucky. The hit that ended his rookie campaign prematurely was a hit we see dozens of times every week. Richardson will obviously need to protect himself in his second campaign because so much is riding on his surgically repaired right shoulder. We didn’t see many slides last season, though we hardly got the chance to see anything since he played just four games. Assuming Richardson plans to stay healthy, I think sliding will be a big part of that formula.
(Top photo of Michael Pittman Jr.: Michael Allio / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
