The Indianapolis Colts were among the least active clubs in NFL free agency this offseason.
The team signed only two players that were not on the roster last season, and general manager Chris Ballard stated on DraftKings’ “The GM Shuffle” podcast that this was intentional.
“The guys we decided to re-sign, when you started matching and looking at the market in comparison, we didn’t see there was enough of a difference for us to not go with the guys we know,” Ballard said. “And look, I know a lot of times people want change. They see the shiny car on the other side, but a lot of times … you know the players, they are the type of teammates they are, you know the type of work they will put in. That type of continuity, especially during the second half of the season, will bode well for us this year.”
The Colts signed 12 players this offseason, with quarterback Joe Flacco and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis joining the team as non-draftees.
The team awarded new big money contracts to receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (three years, $70 million), defensive tackle Grover Stewart (three years, $39 million), and cornerback Kenny Moore III (three years, $30 million).
To Ballard’s point, if Pittman Jr. had entered free agency, he would have inked the second-largest deal among wide receivers behind Calvin Ridley, while Stewart’s agreement was the second-largest among free-agent DTs and Moore III’s deal is the second-largest among free-agent cornerbacks.
