Tennessee Titans destroy Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans in free agency grades

Indianapolis Colts

Grade: B

"Indianapolis Colts: This could work or backfire. Check back in come November. Philip Rivers regressed from one of his best seasons in 2018, looking ready for the retirement home. Indianapolis believed that reuniting him with Frank Reich could benefit all involved. He signed a one-year, $25 million deal. Chris Ballard went for the Beane approach and traded away the 13th overall pick for DeForest Buckner, signing him to an $84 million deal through the next four years. But let’s say Rivers does just enough to get by and puts the Colts as a middle-tier roster? Indianapolis will be stuck without a shot for one of the top quarterbacks in 2021 when they could have had Jordan Love this April. It’s a great — yet risky move to contend in a terrible division."

The way I view it, the Colts made two real moves this offseason and it echoes what Cole Thompson said in this article.

First, the Colts signed Philip Rivers to a one year deal that offers them no long-term security and instead of Rivers being their guy, it makes him look like “their guy” was anyone but Jacoby Brissett.

Despite protests against this from the Colts coaching staff, Rivers looked bad last year and made bad decisions on a routine basis. He did this despite having a better group of receivers, tight ends and running backs around him with the Los Angeles Chargers, so the offensive line better be perfect or else he will likely devolve into that player again.

Secondly, they traded the 13th pick for DeForest Buckner. Now, I like Buckner and I think he is going to be good no matter what.

However, when you look at this Colts roster with bad or old wide receivers, some of the worst cornerbacks in the NFL,  a group of EDGEs that falls off of a cliff in terms of talent when you get past 31-year old Justin Houston and a left tackle that will need to be replaced sooner than later, is DT the position that needed to be addressed most with that pick?

Keeping that pick and adding one of the top receivers in this class would have been much scarier to Titans fans than trading it for a defensive tackle. I say that knowing how good Buckner is, but also how much the Titans have struggled with speed receivers in the past. Henry Ruggs in Indianapolis would have been terrifying.