It was a long time coming.
If you weren’t following along to start the legal tampering period of NFL free agency, the following sentence might seem utterly unbelievable.
Chris Ballard and the Indianapolis Colts not only participated in the first day of free agency but actually made several big splashes.
Yes, I know. Hard to believe isn’t it? After watching this general manager sit on his hands for the last eight years, it seems impossible that he would finally stand up and sign players in the early hours of free agency. Now, the Colts didn’t make the first signing of the day. That would be insanity. They did however make several, and in the process, they got better.
We won’t have to see the meme of the dude with a stick saying, “Do something” in reference to Ballard this year. He got to work immediately. Yes, he worked on two of his own players in Braden Smith and Ashton Dulin, but that is completely fine. Restructuring Smith’s deal was a positive and keeping Dulin around for depth and special teams won’t hurt. Those were the Ballard specials we normally get year in and year out. Restructure and resign your own. It isn’t the worst philosophy when your team is already good, but it doesn’t normally help a franchise get better.
Ballard’s back is against the wall, however, and it showed.
Cam Bynum was the first piece and an important one to help shore up the secondary. A four-year $60 million contract, isn’t a Ballard deal. It simply isn’t. Ballard prefers 1-2 years and much less, but he should know that quality free agents cost money. Bynum isn’t the best safety in the game, but he can certainly improve the roster.
Stack another $60 million deal on top for Charvarius Ward from San Francisco, and Ballard seems to be operating outside of himself. This was the move the Colts had to make. Upgrading cornerback was a must, and Ward has been solid. Since 2022, he ranks 6th in coverage and 8th in forced incompletions. He is a quick path towards improvement for a porous secondary.
There is still work to be done for the Colts, and I would love nothing more than to see another splash. Mainly to help the team get better, but also, because it has been so rare that I am dying to see more of it. Free agency isn’t the end-all-be-all, and it can definitely blow up in a team’s face. Chris Ballard’s strategy of avoiding it hasn’t worked, so I am good with a change of pace. Let’s see what else he has up his new and improved sleeves.