ESPN lays out the biggest questions and most important priorities for the Colts this offseason
The Indianapolis Colts have a big offseason ahead, so experts at ESPN laid out what the team needs to accomplish before the start of next season.
Following the 2021 season, experts predicted that the Indianapolis Colts would be a competitive team in 2022. They figured that with a veteran quarterback like Matt Ryan, and other key additions like Stephon Gilmore, Yannick Ngakoue, and Alec Pierce, Indy could be a contender. However, as we now know, the opposite happened. The Colts finished the season at 4-12-1, missed the playoffs, and are right back to the drawing board.
With an offseason of important decisions, the experts at ESPN came together to list out the biggest questions Indy would have to answer as well as what the team’s offseason priorities should look like. The quarterback position was named the biggest priority and the offensive line was named an under-the-radar priority. The big question was if Indy would re-sign Yannick Ngakoue. As far as the draft, ESPN predicted that the Colts would draft a quarterback but Matt Miller said, “the Colts’ roster isn’t as bad as the record indicates,” so a lot of issues can be addressed in the 2023 NFL Draft.
ESPN maps out the offseason for the Colts
This is a pretty good synopsis of the outlook of Indy’s offseason, especially the under-the-radar priority. Obviously, everyone will focus on the quarterback position because it’s considered the most important position in football. However, Indy’s biggest problem throughout the season was the offensive line. No matter who was the coach or who was the quarterback, the offense could never get going because the offensive line struggled tremendously.
What the Colts do about the offensive line may have the biggest impact on how much they improve next season. Bernhard Raimann started to improve late in his rookie season, and if Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, and Braden Smith, can get back to their best levels, that’s four of the five positions improved. Will Indy gamble on those players returning to their prime or will they move on and find a solution elsewhere?
As far as Ngakoue, Indianapolis definitely needs to re-sign him. He came to the Colts this offseason and had a huge impact on the pass rush, tallying 9.5 sacks. He seems to enjoy Indianapolis, and Indy’s pass rush can’t afford to regress. However, Yannick Ngakoue will surely have other suitors, so the question is if it will be financially responsible for Indy to re-sign Ngakoue.
That’s just one of the many questions that Chris Ballard and the front office will have to answer this offseason. From naming a head coach to balancing contract extensions and the NFL Draft, the Colts will be busy this offseason.
