The Colts Were Busy, But Did They Get Better?

Free agency isn’t over. I get that, but for all intents and purposes, it’s done. At least the vast majority of it pertaining to the biggest names on the market is. The pickin’s seemed slimmer this year to begin with, so things went fast. The Indianapolis Colts were involved and made their share of headlines. They put in some work, but at the end of the day, did they get better?

Maybe they will add to what they have when all is said and done, but currently, saying they got better would be a stretch. Alec Pierce is back which is a big deal. Losing him would have certainly made them worse. Daniel Jones got his payday as well. Those were two boxes to be checked that the Colts got done.

But then what? A swap of Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam for Arden Key and Michael Clemons? Neville Gallimore for Derrick Nandi? Those are changes that don’t move the needle. Michael Pittman Jr. became a cap casualty. Who takes those snaps? You have to imagine one of the first few picks will be used on a wideout, but they don’t normally have an impact in their first year.

Braden Smith is gone too. He had his struggles, especially the last two years, but he was still serviceable. Does his departure make the offensive line better? Nick Cross might be the one that stings the most. He is a promising young player who the Colts couldn’t keep in house on what ended up being a friendly contract. The lure of playing at home may have been too strong, but it still counts as a loss for the Colts.

I get it. Some moves in free agency will be lateral. Replace depth with depth. Sometimes, the unexpected names can have a big impact. Seen as negative or not, the question of whether the Colts got better is legitimate. Ultimately, the Colts lost one of their leading receivers and safeties. Keeping their quarterback and top receiver was huge, but they were here last year. Unless they make individual jumps and some diamonds in the rough appear, it is hard to see where the Colts actually improved.