How are the Colts always in good financial standing?

The Indianapolis Colts have been able to make necessary moves for improvement and they did it without breaking the bank.

Every offseason, it seems like the Indianapolis Colts are among the teams with the most cap space in the league. That was certainly the case this year when Indy entered the new league year with a league-high $70 million.

Despite always having a lot of funds, the Colts are usually towards the bottom of the league when it comes to offseason spending. Chris Ballard and the front office are often criticized for this.

Despite criticism, Indianapolis usually fields a competitive roster. This offseason, Ballard and Indy have made some big moves to improve the roster.

With several defensive signings, Indy’s offseason has been highlighted by the trades for Matt Ryan and Yannick Ngakoue, as well as the signing of Stephon Gilmore.

Those three players alone are big names that should’ve cost the Colts, however, Indianapolis is 28th in the league in offseason spending. The question is, how does Indy do it?

How have the Colts mastered cap space?

Part of the answer is patience, which Ballard has routinely preached during his time in Indianapolis. He has been adamant about his refusal to overpay players in the opening days of free agency.

This belief gets Indianapolis a lot of flack because the majority of the league is willing to throw money to make exciting moves for their team. However, Ballard’s patient approach seemed to work out for him this offseason.

In addition to the measured approach, the Colts have a secret weapon on staff that they recently introduced to the world: The Capologist.

The Capologist, whose real name is Mike Bluem, is Indy’s Director of Football Administration. His job is understanding the cap and making sure every move makes financial sense for the Colts. Bluem and his role were recently detailed in the Colts Draft Series “With The Next Pick.”

As detailed in the seven-minute video, Bluem is one of the big pieces that make up the puzzle that is the Indianapolis organization. From negotiating contracts to understanding league rules and the make-up of the team, Bluem is integral to the Colts’ success.

With his work, Indianapolis is able to bring in players like Gilmore, Ryan, and Ngakoue, without doing major damage to the cap. Soon, he will help Indy finalize extensions with players like Quenton Nelson.

While there will always be more players that the Colts could use if they were willing to spend more money, Indy has done a relatively good job at upgrading while remaining financially responsible. Mike Bluem is a big reason why.

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