INDIANAPOLIS – The overriding objective is clear: relevancy.
Year after year.
Listen to Chris Ballard.
"Look, we should legitimately be competing for the division and playoffs," the Indianapolis Colts’ long-time general manager said in early January.
"That’s our expectation. That’s really our expectation every year, but I think that is really possible here going forward."
The NFL unfolds in phases. As soon as one season ends and a team takes the necessary time to decompress, the next one looms.
That next phase on the NFL calendar takes place in Indy, again, as hundreds of team decision-makers – GMs, head coaches, assistants, medical staff – converge for the NFL Scouting Combine.
So, that’s the next step toward achieving sustained relevancy for Ballard and his personnel staff.
The team took a major step forward in 2023. After the disastrous 2022 – 4-12-1, remember? – the Colts finished 9-8 and came within a few plays – fourth-and-2 against Houston in the season wrap-up, remember? – of winning the AFC South.
But facts are facts. The Colts haven’t won the division since 2014 and have missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.
Ballard and coach Shane Steichen meet with the media on Wednesday afternoon. Among the questions they’ll likely face:
An update on Michael Pittman Jr.?
The team’s leading receiver the past three seasons becomes an unrestricted free agent March 13. Ideally, a long-term contract keeps in him Indy.
That should be something paying Pittman $23-25 million per year. Until that’s achieved – or if common ground can’t be found – look for the Colts to use the one-year, $21.8 million franchise tag on Pittman.
The first day to use the tag was Feb. 20. The deadline to use that “tool’’ allowed by the collective bargaining agreement is March 5.
The only player tagged at this point is Cincinnati wideout Tee Higgins. More will follow.
An update on Anthony Richardson?
The No. 4 overall pick in the draft suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in week 5 against the Tennessee Titans and underwent surgery Oct. 24. Richardson began throwing on Feb. 13.
He showed immense promise in his four starts, but injury concerns will persist until Richardson proves his 6-4, 244-pound frame can withstand the challenges presented by his multi-dimensional skills.
An update on the team’s pending free agents?
It’s a list teeming with top-end talent – Pittman, cornerback Kenny Moore II, safety Julian Blackmon, defensive tackle Grover Stewart, quarterback Gardner Minshew II, punter Rigoberto Sanchez, running back Zack Moss, defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis.
The salary cap sits at a higher-than-expected $255.4 million and overthecap.com projects the Colts to have roughly $72 million in cap space.
Ballard’s preference also has been to retain his own, when it makes financial sense.
The Combine always has served as the fuel-injector for the Draft – April 25-27 – but free agency always has been the first step for a GM to construct his roster and determine which areas are most pressing.
GMs and agents use this week to discuss interest and parameters on players. A team can re-sign its own pending free agents at any point. The window to negotiate with another team’s player is March 11-13, but again, those discussions will take place this week.
While the league is considering treating the Combine similar to the Draft – moving it from city to city to maximize exposure – it will remain in Indy at least through 2025. The Combine has called Indy home since 1987.
“The city has continued to innovate and help us elevate both the setup for the football evaluation process as well as growing the in-person experience for football fans in the region and across the country,’’ said league spokesman Peter O’Reilly.
More than 300 draft-eligible players once again will go through the extensive evaluation process that runs the gamut: medicals, on-field drills, psychological.
National champion Michigan has the most Combine invitees (18) followed by Washington (13) and Florida State (12).
The invitees from state colleges:
- Notre Dame (8): quarterback Sam Hartman, running back Audric Estime, offensive tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher, defensive lineman Javontae Jean-Baptiste, linebackers J.D. Bertrand and Marist Liufau and cornerback Cam Hart.
- Indiana (1) linebacker Aaron Casey.
- Purdue (1): running back Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Invitees who are products of state high schools include Fisher (Avon), Tracy (Decatur Central), Louisville running back Isaac Guerendo (Avon), Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis (Warsaw), Kansas defensive end Austin Booker (Center Grove) and UCLA running back Carson Steele (Center Grove).
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.