For the first time in several offseasons, the Colts are going into 2025 full steam ahead and ready to make a statement. Chris Ballard has a fire lit under him as he has made some major moves so far this offseason. With the draft still on the horizon and more offseason moves to come, the Colts are in a good position to have a lackluster 2024 season blossom into a successful 2025 season.
There were several needs the Colts had at the close of 2024 and Ballard realized that. To make sure that almost every need was filled, Ballard started with one of the more glaring issues. The Colts defense has been abysmal the last couple of seasons. Therefore, Ballard went after that area first during free agency. The first wave of moves was defensive backs, quarterback, and running back. A tight end is certainly still a big need, but the draft seems to be where the Colts will land that talent. If they continue in this trajectory and fill big voids, Ballard could secure his career and future with the Colts.
By Filling the Void in the Secondary
As mentioned, the Colts did not waste any time this offseason to prepare for 2025. Almost immediately during free agency, the Colts made moves and got much-needed secondary talent. The most notable signings were two starters, Camryn Bynum and Charvarius Ward. Both are solid defensive backs who spent time on very talented defenses in 2024.
Before these signings, the Colts secondary was a mess. Moving into 2025, there is a chance that defensive back Julian Blackmon will not return. On top of that, Rodney Thomas has struggled with consistency in his play. Adding to that, JuJu Brents struggles to stay healthy. Therefore, having Bynum and Ward on the roster will be huge for the continuity within the unit. They will also serve as veterans on a very inexperienced secondary. This was much of the problem in the last two seasons. However, in 2025 the Colts will not have that as an excuse.
By Acquiring Competition at Quarterback
One of the bigger offseason stories was the Colts narrative around a quarterback competition. Whether this is legitimate or just talk for the offseason, the Colts will have a legitimate quarterback competition going into 2025 The Colts signed Daniel Jones on March 13th to a one-year deal worth $14M. Although, Jones had a glimpse of success with the New York Giants, but also had his fair share of hardships in his short career. Unfortunately, he will compete with another struggling quarterback, Anthony Richardson, who is facing hardships in his short career as well.
The reason, though, why the Daniel Jones signing is a good one for the Colts is due to his playing style. Jones plays quarterback very similarly to Anthony Richardson in the sense that both are dual-threats. The difference between Jones and Richardson is that Jones is way more experienced as a thrower and is more accurate. He still has good mobility and agility as a runner, but is nowhere near to the level of Richardson’s ability. Therefore, this competition and all the news this offseason surrounding it will be a big headline for the Colts in 2025.
By Bolstering the Running Game
The Colts acquired many other depth pieces this offseason, but one important piece that they got was running back, Khalil Herbert. The Colts have Jonathan Taylor who is still one of the best running backs in the league. Therefore shoring up his backup is critical for the success of the offense. To add to that, the Colts are working with quarterbacks who require a good running game and the Colts are a run-first offense. Herbert is not going to be a game-changing player in and of himself, but he can provide some much-needed security behind Taylor should he suffer any injuries that require time away from the field.
The Colts still have a lot of work to do this offseason. Most notably, they still need to acquire a solid and reliable tight end or two. They also need depth at linebacker and could use another strong presence on the defensive line. They also will probably need to look at some veterans on the offensive line considering they lost two key starters. Chris Ballard got off to a fantastic start for the Colts and 2025 will prove to be the season that everything comes together.
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