The Indianapolis Colts got their man in free agency, the one they wanted and needed back the most: Alec Pierce. Whether he would walk and sign elsewhere was a legitimate concern for the Colts, but his time on the free agent market didn't last long.
Re-signing Pierce might have been the Colts' biggest sign of relief this offseason, but there are still plenty of gaps and holes on their roster that remain unaddressed. Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard has done most of his work on the defense, addressing the line and cornerback positions, while the linebacker room remains unfilled.
That's the defensive side of the ball, though, and despite the returns of Pierce and Daniel Jones, the Colts' offense is not quite complete either. Specifically, the wide receiver group, who, after Pierce, Indianapolis doesn't have any true No. 2 or No. 3's despite several names on the depth chart, which may leave the Colts still needing to upgrade further.
Re-signing Alec Pierce isn't enough for the Indianapolis Colts to go into next season with a reliable wide receiver group
While he's not a wideout, Taylor Warren is the second-best pass-catching option behind Pierce, and that's not exactly the position the Colts want to enter next season with. That's no disrespect to Warren, of course, who is without question the Colts' go-to tight end, and really made a name for himself last season.
No, the Colts need more after Pierce, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Laquon Treadwell, and Ashton Dulin aren't going to cut it, especially at the No. 2 spot. Of course, Josh Downs remains in the mix, but he will be the No. 2 wideout next season behind Pierce, provided the Colts don't sign a free agent wideout before then.
Downs hasn't had much opportunity to seal his No. 2 spot on the depth chart, but now that Michael Pittman Jr. is gone, it might be the perfect time for Downs to step up. Still, this leaves the Colts' remaining wideout group unconvincing.
Ballard can again look to free agency and the remaining wideouts available, or he could select one of the many talented wideouts that will be on the NFL Draft board. Ballard will have to do something, though, because although moving on from Pittman was the right decision, his absence leaves a gaping hole.
Thanks to the cap space the Colts have available to them, going after free agents like Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, or Jauan Jennings, for instance, could prove to be extremely valuable for the Colts offense, and Jones, who could benefit from all the weapons Ballard can get him.