Colts: Seahawks signing former Chris Ballard free agency mistake

Though Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard is more known for his drafting than making splashes in free agency, he’s still done a solid job adding talent on the open market.

Some of his best signings include quarterback Philip Rivers (one year, $25 million), edge rushers Justin Houston (two years, $24M) and Denico Autry (three years, $17.5M) versatile defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard (25.5M), and cornerback Xavier Rhodes (one year, $3.5M).

Like any general manager, however, Ballard also has his fair share of swings and misses in free agency.

The list includes giving Bryan Hoyer a three-year deal, signing Devin Funchess in 2019, and inking cornerback Pierre Desir to a three-year $22.5 million deal that same offseason.

Speaking strictly in terms of Desir, however, he just popped up on the transaction wire after finding yet another home in free agency.

Per reports, the former fourth-round pick just signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks, who are desperate for cornerback reinforcements.

Former Colts cornerback Pierre Desir just inked a deal with the Seahawks.

Fans in Indianapolis likely don’t have many fond memories of Desir lining up in the team’s secondary, which is unfortunate considering he was a standout player in 2018. That year, he logged 79 tackles, eight passes defended, and two forced fumbles while playing 86% (!) of the defensive snaps and earning a 77.5 grade from Pro Football Focus.

After that, however, it was all downhill for Desir in a Colts jersey, as the team regrettably decided to re-sign him to a three-year, $22.5 million deal after letting him test free agency. They slotted him in as a starting CB and he was ultimately unable to rediscover his 2018 form, surrendering a woeful 96.5 passer rating and 57.9 coverage grade from PFF while missing four games due to injury.

With Desir in shambles and fellow starter Kenny Moore sidelined with an injury, Indianapolis’ secondary capitulated down the stretch of the regular season, allowing opponents to score 29.4 points over the final five weeks, four of which resulted in losses.

While Ballard never came out publicly to say that re-signing Desir was a mistake, he essentially admitted to it by releasing him just one year into his new contract. Given the impact Desir had on locker room morale and in the local community, his release really spoke volumes to how poorly he was producing on the field.

After another underwhelming season (this time with the Jets), the 30-year-old veteran will be looking to revitalize his career on the west coast with Seattle.

Colts’ cornerbacks still aren’t good enough to stop elite passing attacks

The Indianapolis Colts' current collection of cornerbacks still isn't good enough to stop some of the league's best passing attacks.