Many general managers say that the best way to build an NFL roster is to draft well, develop the in-house talent, and extend that talent rather than plunging too frequently into the free agent waters, where lurk significant overpays and the dead money charges they engender.
Perhaps no GM adheres so rigidly to that approach as Colts top exec Chris Ballard. After narrowly missing out on a 2023 playoff berth despite playing most of the season with a backup quarterback, many expected Ballard to pull off a high-end free agent signing or two in order to address his roster’s most glaring weaknesses and position the club for a postseason run in 2024.
After all, Indianapolis’ starting signal-caller, Anthony Richardson, is entering the second year of his rookie deal, and while he played in just four games in his injury-marred debut campaign, he certainly showed flashes of the high-end two-way ability that made him the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 draft. And when a club with a potentially postseason-worthy roster has its QB on a cost-controlled contract, that club is better able to make a foray into free agency or to acquire an established veteran via trade.
Last season, the Colts fielded a defense that was in the bottom-10 in terms of total yardage and bottom-five in terms of points allowed. The secondary was a major culprit, but as Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star points out, the only new defensive back on the roster is Samuel Womack, whom the club recently claimed off waivers.
Indianapolis did not even make an offer to safety Justin Simmons before he recently signed with the Falcons, and the Colts will largely run it back with the same secondary that struggled so mightily last year. Ballard, though, is unwavering in his commitment to his roster-building principles.
“I still have a strong belief in what we’re doing, how we’re doing it and how we’re going to get there,” he said. “That will not waver. It’s easy to vacillate, easy to vacillate and go with what the world wants you to do. You either believe in something or you don’t. This is what we believe. If it gets me fired, so be it.”
To be fair, Ballard did suggest that he considered other moves that did not come to fruition.
“Things don’t always work out, even when you’re trying to acquire a player,” he said. “Not saying we didn’t try to do some things. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen.”
Julian Blackmon, who turned in a solid individual showing in 2023, was re-signed, as was talented slot corner Kenny Moore. But Ballard & Co. will still be relying heavily upon further growth from young players like Nick Cross and JuJu Brents who have yet to establish themselves at the professional level.
“They’re young,” Ballard said of his secondary talent. “They’re going to continue to get better. We do think we have good, young talent back there, and we have a lot of belief in our front. We’ll continue to let these guys grow and come on. They don’t become players without playing. I think sometimes we forget that. They’ve got to play.”
Meanwhile, Ballard also remained consistent with his commitment to the trenches. As Erickson observes, Ballard kept 10 offensive linemen and 10 defensive linemen on the 53-man roster even though it will be difficult for all of those players to see enough action to make a meaningful impact.
During Ballard’s seven-year tenure, the Colts have failed to secure an AFC South title and have qualified for the postseason just twice. The surprise Andrew Luck retirement in 2019 obviously threw a wrench into the works, and such a development would knock any franchise off track for a time. And, per Erickson, owner Jim Irsay has not indicated that Ballard is on the hot seat, continuing to refer to his personnel chief as a blue-chip general manager.
However, should Indianapolis fail to make the playoffs in 2024, it is fair to wonder if Irsay will become a little more impatient with Ballard’s resolutely patient approach.
