[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by Kray007

Ballard has suggested that 2024 was a year they’d evaluate the players already on the roster, then make decisions. At least it was a plan; there’s a bit of sense in not wanting to commit future cap space to a veteran free agent if you think you might have a cheaper piece already in place.

Anyways, according to multiple sources, the Colts would appear to have about $55 Million in projected cap space, next year. It’s reasonable to assume that part of the team’s hesitation to pursue talent was that they were trying to conserve cap space so that they could reup their own people…guys like…

1) Ryan Kelly. Tanor. Bortolini’s play, during Ryan’s absence makes it less likely that the team will commit big bucks to Kelly in his year 33 season

2) Mo Alie Cox. While anything’s possible, it seems unlikely that the Colts will make a push to resign a 33 year old TE who has 3 receptions in his first 5 games.

3) Joe Flacco. To me, without doubt, the $4.5 Million the Colts committed to Flacco is one of the wisest investments that Chris Ballard ever made. If he wants to come back, resigning him, even at 41, is a no brainer.

5) EJ Speed is an analytical conundrum. He’s 2nd in the league in tackles, but ranks 101st in PFF’s Linebacker rankings. With 13, he leads the league in missed tackles, and his 22% missed tackle rate is equally concerning. Of course , you have to factor in the fact that the line playing in front of him has been decimated by injuries, and no one is keeping blockers off him. Signing him to a new contract at 31 years old is possible, but…

6) Julian Blackmon. At last we come to someone whose signing might have been a priority. The problem is that, coming off an offseason in which he was miffed that he wasn’t rewarded with a rich free agent deal, you might have expected that he’d have come back determined to step up his game and prove the doubters wrong. He hasn’t done that. I’ve watched every snap this year, and I can’t honestly remember him making an impact play. That’s not to sat he’s been bad, but he hasn’t reminded anyone of Troy Polamalu. At 27, there’s value in maintaining continuity. But there’s also value in spending a 2nd round pick at Safery in 2025

7) Ashton Dulin, with Pittman’s injury, has a chance to elevate his value over the next few weeks. Right now, he’s a splendid option as the 4th man off the bench. But,.with any luck, he might prove to be more than that.

8) Taven Bryan. in baseball, there is the guy who you’d trade for a bucket of balls. In football, that guy is Taven Bryan.

9) Dayo Odeyingbo. Oh Dayo my Dayo. He spent his first years in the league as a chimera of potential. He was a giant ball of talent, wrapped up with a bow of potential. Every few games, he’d knock our socks off with an eye opening sack that left us wondering what he could do if he had a greater role. Injuries to Ebukam, Paye, and Lewis have opened the door, but he has to look more like the 2 sack player we saw vs Pittsburgh than the guy who disappeared in Florida.

10) Will Fries. Until disaster struck in Jacksonville, Fries was setting himself up for a big payday. Right Guards are getting paid, nowaday. He’ll still probably get a good deal down the line, but the fly in his soup in Indy might be a guy named Dalton Tucker. If Dalton seizes the reins and excels, it’s unlikely that the Colts hang onto Fries, especially since Tucker is working under a minimum salary contract that lasts until 2027.

The rest of the list is long and includes only a few names of note that include Chris Lammons, Kylen Granson, and Isaiah Land. They have two Running Backs, Sermon and Goodson, who, on a bright sunny, sunny day,might be worth a warm bucket of spit.

1) I don't like parting with Kelly, but drafting Bortolini is exactly the type of move smart franchises make. Kelly is gone after this year in all likelihood.

2) I really thought the $6 million of cap space would've been more valuable this offseason than retaining MAC, but I can't see the Colts resigning him at his age.

3) If Flacco is willing to sign a reasonable deal, I could see him returning as the backup. He's a great backup.

4) You skipped 4?

5) EJ Speed is quickly playing his way off the team, especially with the emergence of Jaylon Carlies, who I think should be eating into Speed's snaps.

6) I said Blackmon should be retained long term last year and he's continued to play well for the most part this year. Hopefully the FO can use the MAC money to extend Blackmon long term.

7) I like Dulin, he's a solid route runner, but I haven't really seen him playing special teams this year, WR is one of the deepest (and most richly invested in from a draft capital perspective) position groups on the team, and realistically his ceiling moving forward on this team is WR5. The Colts can find a cheaper WR5 to play teams.

8) Bryan shouldn't be on the field as much as he is as a 3T, let alone Bradley stupidly using him as a NT in the early weeks at times. He's replacement level, and DT is a position I'd like to see the Colts invest some significant draft capital in soon given the ages of Buckner and Stewart.

9) Odeyingbo has not been as impactful this year as he was last year. I wouldn't be surprised if the Colts extend him, but I wouldn't give him anything more than what Tyquan Lewis got.

10) Will Fries was a top 5 OG in the NFL prior to his injury. That said, Dalton Tucker has filled in admirably for him. I would resign him to maintain the unrivaled OL depth the Colts currently have. He’s certainly earned at least a Glowinski type second contract, probably more.

Everyone else you listed was replaceable depth, I would resign Granson and Goodson just to not have to overextend in terms of players and positions that need to be replaced.