The Colts were fantastic this past season, and now their brass is getting some recognition for it. GM Chris Ballard was named Executive of the Year.
Chris Ballard has done a good job since taking over as GM in 2017. He has turned over the roster a bunch and has put together a solid Colts team now and for the future. He has been recognized for it now, as he was named the Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America.
Ballard has helped build a stable offensive line, a great young defensive core, and a good running game. He has taken a methodical approach through the draft, and that draft class this season is why he won this huge award.
The Colts had most of their draft picks see significant playing time this year. Quenton Nelson and Darius Leonard were All-Pros. Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins were contributors out of the backfield. Braden Smith ended up being the starting right tackle. Zaire Franklin saw time at linebacker too.
All of these players contributed this season, and three of them were major factors. Nelson, Leonard, and Smith were all starters who played at a high level. You don’t get many draft classes where you find two All-Pros and a starter. Ballard was able to do that.
His ability to sign players was key too. Denico Autry was a key free agent signing last offseason. Ballard also signed Mike Mitchell and Dontrelle Inman off the street. Mitchell was a key player at safety, and Inman emerged to be the number two receiver for Andrew Luck.
The biggest signing might have been Eric Ebron though. Ebron made the Pro Bowl after catching 12 touchdown passes. Unfortunately his drops were still an issue, but the amount of touchdowns helped make up for that.
This team is in great shape moving forward. Chris Ballard deserves an enormous amount of credit for what he has built here.