Indianapolis Colts 2021 roster projection after pivotal offseason

Heading into 2021, the Indianapolis Colts have upgraded at key positions of need, but also lost some integral players to retirement and free agency.

This time last season, the Colts had an aging veteran at quarterback, the league’s best offensive line, and a young defense hungry to take the ball away. This year, however, the Colts have lost one of the most consistent left tackles in the NFL and allowed some of their best defensive linemen to walk out the door, too.

At the same time, they traded for a quarterback that still has something to prove and re-signed one of the best one-cut running backs in the league.

Looking at it on paper, the Colts’ upgrades have made the team better than last year, but the players lost were also extremely important to the success of the team.

If there’s one thing the Colts understood last year, it’s how important the left tackle position is. When Anthony Castonzo went down with an injury, Chaz Green took over, and to say he didn’t play well would be an understatement. In the 12 games that Castonzo played, he allowed one sack with only 18 pressures. In the four games Green played, he allowed nine pressures and four sacks, and he played most notably poorly against the Texans. The lack of depth at tackle was a big point of criticism going into the season, and that prediction came true.

This season, the Colts signed veteran and former first-round pick Eric Fischer from the Kansas City Chiefs, who’s coming off an ACL injury. Will that be enough to right the ship now that Castonzo’s gone for good?

On the defensive side, Matt Eberflus put players in positions to win their battles, in particular rookie Julian Backmon, who made a case for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Xavier Rhodes played very well and helped the young secondary make plays to win games. Darius Leonard played lights our as usual, and the addition of DeForest Buckner pushed the Colts to that elite level we knew they could be.

However, Chris Ballard let a few key players walk in free agency, including linebacker Anthony Walker and defensive lineman Denico Autry, who were signed by the Titans.

With all this being said, let’s take a look at the depth chart so far.

Indianapolis Colts Quarterback:

The obvious addition to this team is quarterback Carson Wentz from the Eagles. Wentz had a rough season and admitted he didn’t play to the best of his ability when he came to the Colts. Frank Reich pushed hard to get Wentz on the team, and former offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni needed a fresh start as head coach of the Eagles, likely making the deal easier to make.

Last season, the Colts were good quarterback play away from making a serious run in the playoffs. While Indy ultimately fell to the Buffalo Bills in New York, the Colts’ Week 1 loss to the Jaguars, who finished the season 1-15, ended up being the deciding factor between playing at home or on the road. Carson Wentz is no Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but he’s also a step above Jacoby Brissett, who the Colts also allowed to walk in free agency.

Indianapolis Colts Offensive Line:

The strength of the Colts for the past three seasons has been the offensive line and their ability to play well together.

This year, the Colts lost Anthony Castonzo, as he retired after a season of injuries made it hard for him to get back on the field. Many fans were surprised they didn’t address the tackle position early in the draft, electing to select Kwity Paye in the first round rather than an offensive tackle, but the team imported the veteran Fisher instead of choosing a rookie.

This year, the Colts offensive line will be just as theoretically strong with Fisher, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Mark Glowinski, and Braden Smith rounding out the right tackle position. That’s still one of the best units in the league.