One area where the Indianapolis Colts have struggled in recent years is free agency, largely thanks to general manager Chris Ballard. He's known for having a poor outlook to free agency, favoring re-signing current players rather than getting new talent.
Still, there are always some shake-ups with free agency each year. With the 2024 season now over, the Colts will have to decide which free agents to sign, and which to release. But as fans look ahead to 2025, they're also looking back to a year ago, when the team was preparing for a new season. What did the Colts do right, and what did they do wrong? Knowing where to improve is vital to growing from the season before.
In that vein, Dalton Wasserman has rated each team's best and worst free agent signing in 2024 for Pro Football Focus. Where did the Colts succeed.. and where did they fail?
Best free agent signing: Joe Flacco
Wasserman's first choice was a bit surprising, as Flacco had a bit of a bumpy season. Still, he offered an overall more stable performance than Anthony Richardson, the Colts' young starter.
"The recently turned 40-year-old Flacco gave the Colts a serviceable passer across eight games of action. He earned a 70.7 passing grade this season, with the highlight being an outstanding Week 5 performance against Jacksonville. If Flacco is willing to continue to provide his services, someone will likely sign him as their backup."
Flacco did excel at times, but the offense was noticeably less dynamic with Flacco than with Richardson. What he was able to provide instead was veteran leadership. This year, he'll likely be leaving Indianapolis, as the Colts are more concerned about finding competition for Richardson rather than an older veteran to serve as a mentor. But other teams will likely be more than happy to take on Flacco as their #2.
Worst free agent signing: Raekwon Davis
To say that Raekwon Davis was a disappointment to Colts fans is an understatement. The idea was for him to rotate as a reserve for Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner, but he didn't perform well, and it's already assumed he'll be let go in 2025.
"After three previous subpar years in Miami, Davis struggled to produce across 349 snaps in Indianapolis. He turned in a 37.0 overall grade, primarily dragged down by a 38.5 run-defense grade. He also generated just four pressures as a pass rusher, all hurries."
There was not much to be excited about with Davis' 2024 performance, so Wasserman choosing Davis as the Colts' worst free agent signing is one that's hard to disagree with.