It hasn’t been all negative regarding the Colts these days…
According to CBS Sports Josh Edwards, the Indianapolis Colts had one of the league’s Top 10 offseasons headed into NFL training camp—hitting the list hard at the #8 spot:
8. Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl odds: +8500 ($10 to win $850)
Indianapolis finally spent on its secondary in free agency, but did lose a few pieces to the offensive line. Those two players missed a large portion of last season, which allowed rookies to gain valuable repetitions. Daniel Jones is not going to provide the level of quarterback play that every team is chasing, but it should be improved over last season. Tight end Tyler Warren was added as another outlet in the pass game.
Veterans cornerback Charvarius Ward pushes down other young players into more suitable roles, while safety Camryn Bynum represents an upgrade in a make-or-break year for head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard.
Normally financially prudent longtime Colts general manager Chris Ballard surprisingly loosened up his wallet early on during the first stage of free agency.
Specifically, Indianapolis wasted no time shoring up their once depleted secondary with the initial key signings of both starting safety Camryn Bynum and cornerback Charvarius Ward to lucrative, multi-year free agency deals.
Both defensive backs should be welcome additions for new Colts veteran defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo which what should be a revamped and revitalized Indy secondary headed into the 2025 campaign—with some much needed new horses to deploy.
While the defense let former starter EJ Speed depart to the rival Houston Texans in free agency, 2nd-year linebacker Jaylon Carlies appears poised to fill his spot adequately.
Offensively, the Colts did lose a pair of veteran starting offensive lineman to the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, former Pro Bowl veteran Ryan Kelly and breakout starting right guard Will Fries before he was lost to a season-ending tibia injury last year.
However, the big addition is obviously first round tight end Tyler Warren, who should provide much needed receiving production to a position that’s sorely been lacking it lately.
Short of signing Sam Darnold, the Colts did about as well as they could’ve on the open market to find a top challenger to push incumbent starting 3rd-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. That being said, the veteran Daniel Jones is plagued with some of the same issues that the up-and-down Richardson has: availability, turnovers, and consistency.
With a stronger supporting cast in Indianapolis, and an offensive minded head coach who believes in him, perhaps Jones, the ex-New York Giants castoff, can turn it around like Darnold, as well as Baker Mayfield recently have with changes of scenery, but I would probably count against it.
That probably prevents the Colts from climbing closer into the Top 5 of this ranking here.
