The Houston Texans stole a win from the Indianapolis Colts and won the division by doing so. The Colts walked off Lucas Oil Stadium with their heads down but a bright future with Anthony Richardson coming back in 2024. Rookie head coach Shane Steichen did what Frank Reich couldn't and took the Colts from a top-five overall pick to a near playoff contender. General Manager Chris Ballard needs to find some missing pieces in free agency to give the Colts a chance to be more successful next season.
While there is no glaring need the Colts have, there are a few positions they need to get over the hump. Mainly offensive line depth, a pure pass-rushing edge defender, a shutdown corner, a safety that can cover the entire field, and a true No. 1 receiver locked up on a long-term deal. But there are a few more worthy of focus than others.
1. A cornerback
The secondary in general is a major problem for Indy entering 2024. With Kenny Moore II becoming a free agent this offseason, the Colts secondary is one of the youngest in the league. Chris Ballard has chosen to focus more on the trenches and linebackers rather than a top secondary and it's largely worked out until this season.
The corner position was a massive hole and in the defense that Gus Bradley runs, it's one of the most important positions on the defense. A corner in a Gus Bradley defense needs to be skilled in man coverage, reading the field, and zone coverage. For his part, JuJu Brents had a good rookie year all things considered. Just like receivers, corners have a hard time transitioning into the NFL because of the different route runners and different routes they see at the NFL level. Rookie cornerbacks tend to struggle and then make a comeback in their sophomore year.
To solve this massive hole the Colts first must retain Kenny Moore II and then look for outside help to fill this position. Last season this hole was largely filled by Stephon Gillmore but the Colts decided to go young in the secondary as Chris Ballard alluded to in his season-ending press conference. There are a few free agent corners the Colts could look to including L'Jarius Sneed of the Chiefs who is an aggressive corner and great in man coverage. Jaylon Johnson is going to be a top-15 free agent this offseason and is a young corner with a massive upside. Kendall Fuller is another corner I would love to see in a Colts uniform.
2. A safety
Another secondary position is a major hole for the Colts. While Indianapolis didn't give up the big play on too many occasions, the secondary was a clear issue. Julian Blackmon took a step forward but outside of the free safety position, the secondary still struggled in key moments. Ronnie Harrison Jr. struggled late in the season and Nick Cross isn't a clear answer at strong safety.
Just like with the corners, safety is a major part of the Gus Bradley defense. The Legion of Boom only worked well because of Earl Thomas and his ability to cover the entire field of play. Kam Chancellor was another big reason for the success of Seattle's defense from 2010-2015.
The Colts can solve this issue by looking at some free agents just like with the corner position. Some notable upgrades would include Antoine Winfield Jr. who had success throughout his career. He's also an excellent tackler making him basically a fourth linebacker on the field for the Colts. Xavier Mckinney could be another player whom the Colts can target. The Giants may look to sell off some assets and may not bring back the young safety on a big deal. Even more important is Mckinney has made over 90% of the tackles he's attempted making him a great fit for the Colts fast defense.
Justin Simmons could be another veteran Indy could sign to a one-year deal. Although I'm biased as I've been a big fan of Simmons for a long time, Simmons still has something left in the tank and could give the Colts some good secondary play in 2024.
1. A wide receiver
The Colts offense has a few missing pieces and this includes wide receiver. For all the talk about how big of a leap Alec Pierce took, he's not a No. 1 receiver nor is he someone we can rely on for the entirety of the season. With the uncertainty of Michael Pittman Jr.’s contract going forward, the Colts may need to bring in outside help.
As with the other positions in this article, the wide receiver was a hole that no one outside of Pittman filled, and to his credit, he was one of the best and most reliable receivers in the league. As the season went on, he just got better. Pittman caught over 100 passes for over 1,000 yards and although he only caught four touchdowns, his ability to stay healthy is uncanny.
This offseason the most notable free agent receiver is Mike Evans who has had 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons extending his NFL record. The only person besides him to do this is Randy Moss himself at only six seasons. Evans would be a clear target in free agency for a team that needs explosive players with a young quarterback.
Another obvious choice would be Tee Higgins, who will presumably be a product of the salary cap. Other notables are Odell Beckham Jr., Gabe Davis from the Bills and reluctantly I must mention Calvin Ridley, who took a major step back this season.
All of this being said, Chris Ballard must change things up to get over the hump this offseason.