Chris Ballard of the Colts is getting the band back together

A believer in rewarding your own, Ballard has been primarily focused on returning last year’s roster.

Over the years, Chris Ballard has saved fans of the Indianapolis Colts a lot of money. We saw teams like the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers forced to cut players in an effort to get under the cap. Other teams, like the Minnesota Vikings have been busy bringing in new faces and releasing the old guard. These cap casualties and new free agent signings mean new faces in new places. It also means fans will be retiring jerseys of old and purchasing the jersey of the newest member to adorn their team’s colors.

That is not the case for the Colts this year, and it hasn’t been the mantra during the Ballard years. With the exception of a name or two, Ballard has been incredibly focused and successful in retaining players from last year’s 9-8 team. From the number one receiver, the number one tackling linebacker, defensive starters, a punter, and depth, he has rewarded them all with new contracts, mostly of the three year variety.

Ballard isn’t known for breaking the bank to sign players, but he isn’t afraid to hand out some cash every now and then. Although it will look like more of a bargain in a short amount of time, Michael Pittman Jr. receiving 71.5 million puts him in the upper tier for receivers. Kenny Moore II became the highest paid slot corner with his new contract. It goes to show you that Ballard isn’t necessarily unwilling to spend money, but he will use it how he wants and won’t be forced into doing something outside of his beliefs.

The one gripe is that the roster, as of now, appears mostly unchanged. The Colts were part of a short list of teams that hadn’t brought in any free agents from outside of the organization. The signing of “The Mountain” from Game of Thrones in Raekwon Davis got them off that list, but in my opinion, there is still work to do to improve the roster. Strengthening the secondary needs to be the sole focus for the rest of free agency. The good news is that the rumor mill is in full swing, and there are lots of options out there. Ballard should have more than enough chances to make a splash.

I like the signings for the Colts so far. I enjoy rooting for players instead of just the laundry. Getting to know players and their stories and watching them develop in an organization is a rare and special thing in professional sports. For that reason, I applaud Ballard’s approach. Unfortunately, this is a results driven league, and last year’s club wasn’t good enough. Bringing everyone back won’t get the Colts where they need to be. Help from the outside is essential. There is still time, but this group needs more talent to truly compete. Maybe, just maybe, fans will get to add at least one new jersey to their collection when everything is said and done.