The Indianapolis Colts have made the postseason the last three years, winning the AFC South in the latter two. It is no coincidence Andrew Luck arrived in 2012, bolstering a team which was coming off a 2-14 season with Curtis Painter logging the majority of snaps at quarterback.
While the record has certainly improved under Luck and the team has advanced further into the playoffs every year (culminating in a 45-7 drubbing by the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game this January), the roster is still mediocre at best. Luck is superhuman under center, but there are a litany of holes everywhere else you look, save the tight ends.
Luck needs more help to win a Super Bowl, and it is time general manager Ryan Grigson begins getting it right. Grigson was hired in 2012 and started off his drafting with a bang, taking Luck, Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen and T.Y. Hilton with his first four selections. In the following 18 picks, Grigson has largely whiffed. Jonathan Newsome appears like a terrific fifth-round choice and Bjoern Werner has flashed talent, but it’s rough going otherwise.
Of course, the Colts did not have a first-round pick in 2014 after making the disastrous decision of trading it to the Cleveland Browns for Trent Richardson. In 29 games with Indianapolis, Richardson has amassed 977 rushing yards on 3.1 yards per carry, and is scheduled to serve a two-game suspension for personal reasons if he isn’t released as expected this offseason.
Grigson’s first order of business in 2015 must be to fix the offensive line with his projected $32.76 million of cap space, the seventh-most in the NFL. Outside of left tackle Anthony Castanzo, the Colts need an overhaul. The good news is a bevy of free-agent linemen are available, including tackles Doug Free and Bryan Bulaga and guards Clint Boling, Orlando Franklin and Mike Iupati. Center Rodney Hudson is also slated to hit free agency, a top-10 player at his position.
Second on the list should be acquiring some help in the linebacking core. Jerrell Freeman and D’Qwell Jackson are competent, but they could use help on the outside. Erik Walden totaled six sacks last season and no more than three in any prior season. With Robert Mathis turning 34 in February and coming off a torn Achilles, it’s time to look toward the future for a major pass-rusher.
Grigson also must feel in holes at running back, safety and the second receiver spot. Reggie Wayne is likely to retire and Hakeem Nicks is cooked. Unless Grigson feels Donte Moncrief can fit the bill, he needs to get T.Y. Hilton some help.
With Luck, the Colts will always be competitive, especially in the pathetic AFC South. If Grigson puts together a quality offseason for the first time since 2012, Indianapolis could be in the Super Bowl.