Much can be debated about how the Indianapolis Colts' offseason has gone so far, with who they signed, re-signed, and especially who they traded. Colts general manager Chris Ballard is doing everything he can to revamp the Colts heading into next season, but he hasn't done anything to blow Colts fans away.
As it relates to position group depth, this is where Ballard has actually excelled so far. Were the moves big enough to elevate the Colts over the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Houston Texans? That is also debatable. However, as far as satisfactory moves go, Ballard has come through.
Getting back defensive tackle Colby Wooden for Zaire Franklin in the Green Bay Packers trade was one of those satisfactory moves, but not a great move for two reasons. As for Wooden, Ballard believes his addition provides a lot more than maybe those on the outside don't see.
Chris Ballard evaluates Indianapolis Colts' Colby Wooden addition
The two reasons the Franklin-for-Wooden swap was simply satisfactory were that Wooden's addition didn't result in the Colts adding a starter like Franklin, and that, after letting go of a starting linebacker, they didn't fill that hole in the trade with another one; the Colts still desperately need linebacker help.
Wooden provides solid depth on the defensive line, but giving up Franklin for nothing in return at his position is still hurting the Colts. Not to mention, Franklin was an All-Pro, and Wooden simply doesn't line up to the level of player Franklin is.
All of that being said, when it comes to versatility, Wooden draws the praise of Ballard, who recently spoke about what Wooden brings to the table, and why he believes the former Packer's addition adds a lot of value to the Colts defensive line.
"I think our depth up front is better," Ballard said. "I do believe that. I think the additions of Colby (Wooden) -- like Colby, he kind of gets washed over a little bit, but like he started. He's not really a nose, but because of who he is as a kid, he ended up starting for Green Bay at the nose, playing a lot of snaps, but we think he gives us some real versatility as we do with [Jerry] Tillery. We think he gives us some versatility."
Ballard is right about the depth; the Colts' defensive line behind veterans DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, not to mention Laiatu Latu, is filled with depth.
Ballard brought in several tier two and three players to bolster that depth: Arden Key, Michael Clemons, Derrick Nnadi, for instance, and Wooden, as well, and that's just up front, because Ballard also added depth at cornerback and linebacker, but no earth-shattering moves.
Maybe Ballard is comfortable going into next season relying on depth over big splashy Pro Bowl or All-Pro players, and maybe the free agent market was deep either. Nevertheless, Ballard appears pleased with adding Wooden; at least, it's just not a great move, only a good one, and it didn't add that necessary power punch that Franklin provided.
Ballard recently stated that he's looking to focus on player development on offense, while his game plan for defense appears depth-focused. For Colts fans, it's unclear whether either of Ballard's thinking methods is good enough or will be.
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