27. Indianapolis Colts
Key acquisitions and returning players: Daniel Jones, Alec Pierce, Arden Key, Colby Wooden, Micheal Clemons, Cam Taylor-Britt, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
I loved: Retaining Pierce and tagging Jones. The Colts rightfully prioritized the young rising star wide receiver and let the injured mercenary quarterback “test the market” on the transition tag. Although Pierce’s $28.5 million per year has some sticker shock at first, it will quickly be outstripped by an ever-rising wide receiver market.
I would have liked to see the Colts earnestly investigate quarterback alternatives (read: sign Kyler Murray), but they were always going to bring back Jones, who looked like the final solution to their QB woes for about nine weeks last season. Jones’ two-year deal is extremely cuttable after one season, giving the Colts the flexibility they need as they navigate his Achilles recovery.
I didn’t love: The defensive back seven. This is about as thin of a linebacker and safety room as I’ve seen in the post-free agency, predraft space. The current projected starters at linebacker are Austin Ajiake, Jaylon Carlies and Davis-Gaither. At safety, Hunter Wohler will replace Nick Cross. The Colts have tried to find viable starters on minimum contracts in Juanyeh Thomas and Jonathan Owens, but it’s a bleak outlook in the back seven for Indianapolis. Without a first-round pick, the Colts will struggle to fill all of their current gaps.