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Offseason In Review: Indianapolis Colts

July 29th, 2017 at 5:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts limped to an 8-8 record for the consecutive year, as even an excellent campaign from quarterback Andrew Luck couldn’t overcome the club’s poor defense. With a new general manager installed in January, Indianapolis had several areas of focus to address during the offseason.

Notable signings:

The Colts arguably had the worst defensive depth chart in the NFL heading into the 2017 offseason, meaning general manager Chris Ballard & Co. had quite a bit of work to do on that side of the ball. Indianapolis’ front office made several smart value signings, including that of former Giant Johnathan Hankins, who waited out the market with the hope of landing a hefty contract. Ultimately, the Colts landed Hankins for only $9MM annually, a salary which ranks just 21st among interior defensive linemen.Johnathan Hankins (Vertical)

Hankins posted the worst season of his career in 2017, grading as the league’s No. 59 interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus, which handed Hankins extremely poor marks as a pass-rusher. But there are reasons to be optimistic about Hankins in Indy, and chief among them is his age. Despite having already played four NFL seasons, Hankins is only entering his age-25 campaign, so improvement isn’t out of the question. Additionally, Hankins will move to nose tackle with the Colts after playing three-technique in New York thanks to the presence of Damon Harrison. Shifting to a nose shade should aid Hankins’ play, as he’s always been more productive when playing over a center.

Indianapolis didn’t stop after adding Hankins, as the club inked two pass-rushers in the form of John Simon and Jabaal Sheard. Neither player is a superstar, but both are competent outside linebackers with experience in 3-4 schemes. Simon and Sheard are both solid against the run, as well, and should help improve a Colts run defense that ranked dead last in DVOA a year ago. Given that both Simon and Sheard are now transitioning from part-time roles to full-time jobs, it wouldn’t be a surprise if at least one of them reaches a double-digit sack total in 2017.

While most of the Colts’ defensive signings came along the front seven (which, despite the additions, PFF still ranks as the the No. 31 front in the NFL), the team did re-sign one of its own in the secondary, coming to terms with defensive back Darius Butler on a one-year pact. Butler, 31, put up arguably the best campaign of his eight-year career in 2016, and entered the free agent market with the intent of shifting from cornerback to safety. While it’s unclear exactly what role he’ll play for the Colts, Butler looks poised to fill a jack-of-all-trades position, roving between slot corner and safety, especially while Clayton Geathers is on reserve/PUP.

Hankins, Simon, Sheard, and Butler represented the most high-profile Colts signings/re-signings on defense, but Indianapolis also threw a limited amount of guarantees against the wall to bring in a number of defensive players. Sean Spence will likely start at inside linebacker, but Barkevious Mingo, Jon Bostic, Margus Hunt, and Al Woods were all brought in to add depth and perhaps play special teams. The total amount of guaranteed money spent on those players is $2.5MM, so it’s a small investment in order to ensure the club won’t be completely bereft of help if and when injuries strike. After years of fielding a top-heavy roster, the Colts are finally prioritizing depth throughout the squad.Jack Doyle (Vertical)

On offense, Indianapolis’ primary move was re-signing Jack Doyle, who is now the club’s unquestioned No. 1 tight end following the trade of Dwayne Allen to the Patriots. Doyle, a former undrafted free agent, had never topped 22 targets prior to the 2016 season, but broke out during his fourth NFL campaign, managing 59 receptions for 75 targets for 584 yards and five touchdowns. With Allen out of the picture, it’s conceivable that Doyle — who ranked ninth in DYAR and 10th in DVOA, both courtesy of Football Outsiders — could play an even larger role in the season to come. Doyle isn’t a superb blocker (23rd in the run game, per PFF), meaning free agent signee Brandon Williams could see playing time as an in-line tight end.

Former Raven Kamar Aiken could possibly serve as the Colts’ No. 2 wide receiver or fall as far as fourth on the depth chart, and training camp/the preseason will likely determine where exactly Aiken fits. Donte Moncrief, Indy’s presumptive second wideout, hasn’t been able to stay healthy, while 2015 first-round pick Phillip Dorsett has averaged just 26 receptions per season during his first two years in the league. Aiken plays special teams and received $2.5MM in guarantees, so he’ll make the roster, and he was reportedly told the Colts would stage an “open competition” at receiver this offseason.

Notable losses:

The majority of the Colts’ 2017 losses were failed free agent signings orchestrated by the Ryan Grigson regime, but that label doesn’t apply to safety Mike Adams, who signed with the Panthers following a three-year run in Indianapolis. Although he’d been something of a journeyman prior to 2014, Adams was an above-average starter for the Colts, earning two Pro Bowl nods during his time with the club. Despite his track record, Indy didn’t make an attempt to re-sign Adams, as the team indicated it wanted to get younger on the defensive side of the ball. Adams, entering his age-36 campaign, didn’t fit in with that paradigm.D'Qwell Jackson (vertical)

While Adams has found a new NFL home, Trent Cole, D’Qwell Jackson, and Arthur Jones haven’t, and it’s not out of the question that none of that trifecta won’t play in the league again. Cole, for his part, has indicated he’d like to continue his career, but the veteran LB/DE was limited to seven games in 2016 due to injury and will turn 35 years old in October. Jones isn’t quite as old (31), but he hasn’t been effective since 2013 and recently underwent sports hernia surgery. Jackson, meanwhile, graded as a bottom-10 linebacker last season per PFF, and hasn’t drawn a lick of interest on the open market.

Erik Walden offered the best pass-rushing season of his career in 2016, at least from a counting stats perspective, as the 31-year-old produced 11 sacks, increasing his career total by more than a third in one year. Sack totals can be fickle and random, however, and PFF indicated Walden was one of the six worst edge defenders in the league last season. Perhaps using the “get younger” explanation they used on Adams, the Colts didn’t pursue Walden as a free agent, but he signed with the division-rival Titans earlier this week after also generating interest from the Jets.

While letting the players listed above leave Indy made a good deal of sense, it’s fair to argue the Colts should have made an attempt to retain cornerback Patrick Robinson. The former first-round pick was admittedly a disappointment during his lone season in Indianapolis, as injuries limited him to seven highly ineffective contests. But Robinson is only 29 and has experienced success relatively recently, and the Colts likely could have asked him to accept a pay cut. Philadelphia ultimately signed Robinson to a one-year, minimum salary deal with no guaranteed money, so his market was clearly lacking, meaning Indy should have been able to decrease his 2017 salary.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 137) from the Patriots in exchange for TE Dwayne Allen and a 2017 sixth-round pick (No. 200).
  • Acquired a 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 143; RB Marlon Mack) and a 2017 fifth-round pick (No. 161; LB Anthony Walker) from the 49ers in exchange for a 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 121; RB Joe Williams).

Draft picks:

The Colts used their first three draft picks to address their porous defense, and the first two selections went to the defensive backfield. Personally, Ohio State safety Malik Hooker was one of my favorite players in the draft, and I would’ve been comfortable choosing him within the top-five. One AFC personnel director told Lance Zierlein of NFL.com that he expects Hooker to become an All-Pro by his third NFL season, and Zierlein himself lauded Hooker’s “outstanding instincts.” Hooker’s flaws include a lack of experience (just one collegiate campaign as a full-time starter) and injuries, but his upside is Earl Thomas.Quincy Wilson (Vertical)

Indianapolis scored another draft-day value in cornerback Quincy Wilson, who was projected to be selected on Day 1 but ultimately fell to the 46th overall pick. Wilson will be inserted into the starting lineup immediately, as the Colts’ other options to play opposite Vontae Davis are Rashaan Melvin, Darryl Morris, and fellow rookie Nate Hairston. In Wilson’s pre-draft profile, Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated noted the Florida product’s lack of speed (4.54 40-yard dash), but lauded his ability to play in a press-man scheme, which the Colts run.

In the third, round, Indianapolis selected Tarell Basham, who figures to play outside linebacker behind John Simon and Jabaal Sheard. Given that he’s making the transition from small-school Ohio to the NFL, Basham will likely need a year or two of seasoning before he’s prepared for a larger role. Marlon Mack, however, could see ample playing time during his rookie campaign, as his only competition for carries behind starter Frank Gore is Robert Turbin. The Colts’ coaching staff has been talking Tubin up this offseason, but he owns career yards per carry average of 3.9, including 3.5 a season ago.

Other:

Had things gone a bit differently this offseason, Chris Ballard might be the Chiefs general manager right now. Kansas City fired its GM John Dorsey last month, and had Ballard still been in-house, it’s likely he would have been promoted to lead the club’s personnel office. Instead, he’s leading the Colts, and it’s difficult to argue with the moves he’s made thus far. Ballard looked for value signings in free agency, favoring depth over former GM Ryan Grigson‘s star-driven approach, and –for the most part — targeted free agents with youth on their side.

Indy’s draft earned strong reviews — an “A-” from Chad Reuter of NFL.com, a “B” from Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com — and although it was likely Grigson’s scouting staff offering the most input on this year’s picks, Ballard should still be praised for managing the draft just four months into his tenure. Additionally, Ballard has built an experienced front office, adding personnel men such as Ed Dodds, Rex Hogan, and Morocco Brown since January.

Top 10 cap charges for 2017:

  1. Andrew Luck, QB: $19,400,000
  2. Anthony Castonzo, T: $12,800,000
  3. Johnathan Hankins, DT: $10,500,000
  4. Vontae Davis, CB: $10,250,000
  5. T.Y. Hilton, WR: $10,000,000
  6. Jabaal Sheard, LB: $9,968,750
  7. Jack Doyle, TE: $8,000,000
  8. John Simon, LB: $6,343,750
  9. Kendall Langford, DL: $4,250,000
  10. Frank Gore, RB: $3,500,000

It’s not often that a club with a star quarterback like Andrew Luck has to go through a rebuilding phase, but that’s essentially what the Colts are doing, at least on a small scale. Former general manager Ryan Grigson‘s failed attempts to correct Indianapolis’ offensive line and defense contributed to the club missing the postseason in each of the past two seasons, and although new GM Chris Ballard now has the franchise on the right track, 2017 may not be kind to the Colts. Still, in a relatively weak division like the AFC South, the playoffs are always within reach.

Information from Over the Cap and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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