Time and time again I have criticized Chris Ballard, so this time I will leave in writing what I would (or at least try to) do if I were in his shoes. A lot more than we know happens behind the scenes, so take this with a grain of salt.
Its February 18th, Wednesday. Suddenly the earth starts shaking beneath your feet and after a weird dizziness you realize you are now Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard! Lucky you! You are a millionaire with perhaps one of the best jobs in the world, but your seat is as hot as it gets. You need to deliver, and you have just one more season, or at least that’s what the owner says, to get your NFL franchise to the playoffs. This is what I would do, of course you might disagree with some decisions, and you might agree with some. In the end, only time will truly tell.
Cuts / Restructures
Cut: Michael Pittman Jr. (24M cap savings), Kenny Moore (7M cap savings), Zaire Franklin (5.7M cap savings).
Tough decisions, but they need to be made, not only because of the cap savings they would imply, but also because it would actually send a message to the rest of the team. Michael Pittman Jr. is a tough guy to judge, even himself saying that he has not played up to the massive extension he got a couple of seasons ago. For being paid like a top 20 wide receiver, MPJ has come nowhere close to that level of production, and despite the argument that he has never had quarterback consistency in his career, neither did Alec Pierce. If he is open to a potential restructure then perhaps he can remain with the team, but it is going to be difficult. He could also be traded to a wide receiver needy team, like the Las Vegas Raiders for example.
Kenny is also a really tough decision, because the fanbase loves him, and he is one of the longest tenured Colt on the team, but the production is just not there any more. Not only that, but the Colts have Justin Walley back from injury, who could demand snaps in the slot, and veteran Mike Hilton came in on a vet minimum deal and played well. With just way too many holes on the roster, the Colts just cannot afford to pay an underperforming slot cornerback that much money.
Zaire should not be such a tough decision to make, production is definitely not up to par, and getting rid of him will also send a message to the rest of the team. Slow linebackers that cannot cover a tight end or running back to save their lives are not worth that amount of money, even less a captain badge on their jerseys.
Restructure: DeForest Buckner (potential 14.5M in cap savings
Age is catching up to Buckner, and injuries too. Neck injuries are no joke, and Buckner had a really tough one that required surgery. Restructuring a contract is never an easy task, but it could work best for both parties as Buckner gets to play his final years on a more competitive team and the Colts can use the money saved up to re-sign some impending free-agents.
Re-signings
Daniel Jones
There is little telling what Daniel Jones’ contract with be. On one hand, he was the starting quarterback for one of the best offensives in the NFL before his injury, and looked the best he ever looked in his career, while also still being young for a quarterback. On the other hand, he is coming off a torn Achilles, struggled with injuries throughout his career, and even more concerning, it seemed like opposing defenses were already figuring him out before the injury happened. Jones has gone on record saying he wants to stay in Indy, and if I were Ballard I would like to keep him around because no other reasonable quarterback gives you a better chance to win games next year than DJ. My prediction is something along the lines of 3-year, 30M a year deal. Anything below that would be a win in my books.
Alec Pierce (4 years, 20-25M per year), Nick Cross (4 years, 20-25M per year)
Alec Pierce and Nick Cross are the two players that the Colts cannot afford to let walk. Pierce has improved every single year as a wide receiver, and has shown the tools necessary to take over games as the true #1 receiver. The risk here is that the argument can be made that the opposing team’s #1 cornerback was mostly shadowing MPJ (think Derek Stingley Jr. for example), but it is as simple as if I had to choose just one for the next four seasons I would take Pierce and not look back. Pierce has already shown his willingness to stay here, and talked about his relationship with Daniel Jones, so that is already a big plus.
Nick Cross was the Colts’ breakout player in the 2024-25 season, and had yet another good year. He is a versatile box-safety that is great against the run, and can actually cover tight ends. The Colts do not have a single player like him on the roster, and they are not easy to find, so keeping him in a Colts’ uniform is imperative.
Sign Trey Hendrickson in free-agency, add a veteran running-back
Even though Laiatu Latu has shown improvements, the Colts still need a proper pass-rusher alongside him. Kwity Paye was not a factor at all against the pass, and veteran standout Trey Hendrickson, who already has a past with both Anarumo and new Colts’ defensive line coach, is set to be a free-agent. The cap space could be complicated here, especially after re-signing Jones, Pierce, and Cross, but as we all know cap space is a mere illusion, and when your job is as on the line as Ballard’s is right now, he needs to get it done, no matter the cost.
Draft’s first 4 rounds
The Colts do not have their first round pick because of the Sauce Gardner trade that happened mid-season, but this seems like a deep defensive draft, and the Colts need a ton of help on defense. First of all they need to find their linebacker of the future, and no-one fits better than Missouri’s Josiah Trotter here. While not the best coverage linebacker here (still much, much better than Zaire Franklin), Trotter is much more explosive and actually shows the ability to get off blocks in the run game. Having all cornerbacks healthy would allow Anarumo to deploy a hypothetically re-signed Nick Cross much more in the box, with Bynum as the single high safety, that would allow Trotter not to be forced to handle the other team’s most dangerous receiving threat.
The case for Darrell Jackson Jr. and Tim Keenan III is rather similar: Buckner and Stewart are not getting any younger, and the Colts need to start thinking about life without them. Getting those two guys would also help alleviate some of the load off the veteran duo’s shoulders, while also getting them ready for the starting job in a couple years.
See More:
