Need a pass-rusher more than a true WR2. I know it isn't going to happen with free agency, but if we're discussing "needs"...

A fair question.

What were your thoughts in the weeks following the Ebron signing? Did you consider him a nobody as well? I ask because here are their career stats prior to signing with the Colts:

4 years 182 receptions 2070 yards 11 TD
4 years 161 receptions 2233 yards 21 TD

Granted one was a TE and the other a WR. They both drafted early, but Ebron was a top 10 pick, and Funchess was an early second rounder. There is a ton of similarity.

How about we give the kid a shot before we declare him a nobody.

Didn't realize that was the case for Funchess

We might still pick up a low cost vet. But most help will probably come from the draft in a DT and DE then improvement from the young guys.

Stats yes. But Funchess has a much lower catch percentage. He also had a lot of drop so far in his career. Had 5 in one game alone. Not a fan of that and I think we could use an injection of sure hands on the team. Still, like Ebron, I’ll wait and give him a chance at least.

I hear you, and you have a valid point.

Catch % the last two years before signing with Colts:

Funchess:

56.8%
55.7%

Ebron:

71.8%
61.6%
(60.0% last year with Indy)

There's a significant difference there, and it shocks me that Ebron's went down to his lowest since his rookie year. In fact, Ebron's totals last year were pretty much in line with his career stats, aside from the number of targets and his TD's.

Detroit fans will tell you though that Ebron couldn't catch anything, and the Carolina fans I've spoken to here in NC are howling that we stole Funchess, so perception can differ from reality.

I'm hoping for the best, and as mentioned multiple times, the folks who know the most about football, and this team in particular, signed him to a contract. Anything north of the 63 receptions and 8 TD he had two years ago, with a healthier Cam, will be a win for the team, IMO.

Just to add a bit to this, I look at it from the perspective of 1) why did the Colts offense struggle at times during their 11-2 run last year, and 2) how does Funchess help address those issues?

For #1, if we focus on the games @Jacksonville and @KC, the OL clearly struggled to impose its will, but the receivers were a major issue. Those teams took Hilton out of the game and the other receivers couldn't consistently beat press man coverage. In the Jags game, the difference between winning and losing wasn't very big and they easily could have won by converting a few more 3rd downs against those coverages.

THAT'S why the Funchess signing is a big deal. Is he a fantastic receiver overall? No. Does he make the Colts a better team because of what he provides? Absolutely. That's why I keep harping on the tactics and what he gives them schematically. RPOs will be a higher percentage play next year, which will help both the running game and the passing game. Back shoulder throws can be a greater emphasis. By making teams play closer to the LOS and out to the boundaries, it will open things up deep and down the middle of the field.

You're assuming the best case scenario is already a given. We haven't had the best of luck lately with bringing in these WR reclamation projects. Ebron worked out great at TE, but there is absolutely no guarantee that Funchess is going to do the same in his role. We hope that it is, but you can't just automatically assume it, definitely not based on his previous performance.

We'll see, but I'm not assuming from his signing that this positional need is solved.

I'm not "assuming" anything. "Assuming" implies that I'm shooting from the hip and that there's some flaw in my logic. I'm making a rational, thoughtful projection based on:

1) What Funchess does well,
2) What the Colts didn't do well in 2018,
3) How he fits into elements of what Reich wants to do,
4) Trust that Reich will tactically deploy Funchess based on his strengths

In over a week, I haven't seen one person on here make a compelling case that I'm incorrect on any of those four factors.

This 100%. What makes this a good signing is the people who signed him know what they want him to do and be. TEAM building, not just accumulating 'good' players.