2026 Off-Season Thread

[albany ed]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

I felt like he fucked it up at the time. I loved Faulk. Man was a real running back, could pass block and run routes with the best of them. Edge was the same, maybe a little better running in-between tackles (he has these amazing moves in traffic) but it was a terrible trade nevertheless

For their careers, these two players were both prolific runners and amassed pretty much the same number of yards. But, Faulk more than doubled Edge when it comes to receiving yards. Not knocking Edge, but if I were ranking the best RBs of all time, IMO, Faulk edges Edge. Not by much, but this trade was Polians' worst move. He made it out of spite.

[YDFL Commish]

Originally Posted by IndyNorm

Been thinking about the whole Faulk-Edge-'99 draft since I posted earlier, and as much as I hate to say it Polian royally fucked that up big time. He had a HOF dual threat RB on the roster, who he didn't want to pay for some reason. So he traded him away for less than market value and then used the #4 pick in the draft on another HOF RB, who he ended up paying just as much on his rookie deal that it would have cost to extend Faulk. And in order to do this he had to pass on adding a HOF CB or a WR who should be in the HOF.

BAD JOB Polian!!!!!!

By all accounts, both Polian and Faulk were both pricks. Polian has also been known to hold grudges. It just happened to be that the prick with the power traded the prick who had no power.

[albany ed]

Originally Posted by YDFL Commish

By all accounts, both Polian and Faulk were both pricks. Polian has also been known to hold grudges. It just happened to be that the prick with the power traded the prick who had no power.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I never heard that about Faulk. I know he said he would hold out if he weren't given a new contact and I read that he was considered one of the smartest players (football wise) in the game, but other than Polians' ego feeling "who does he think he is playing chicken with me", I've never read the negative stuff. Got a link?

[YDFL Commish]

Originally Posted by albany ed

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I never heard that about Faulk. I know he said he would hold out if he weren't given a new contact and I read that he was considered one of the smartest players (football wise) in the game, but other than Polians' ego feeling "who does he think he is playing chicken with me", I've never read the negative stuff. Got a link?

My impressions of Faulk are mostly from fellow forum contributors. Whether here or on RATS, I don't recall. I have nothing to confirm this from the media or personal experience.

[sherck]

Using middle ground....

$303.450m = 2026 NFL Salary Cap
$001.940m = Colts 2025 Cap Rollover
$000.100m = Minus adjustment on AD Mitchell LTBE 2025 performance bonus
========
$305.290m = 2026 Colts Salary Cap


$270.338m = Top 51 off season contracts
$001.770m = Spots 52 and 53 on 2026 season roster (at league minimum)
$006.303m = Average of full season 17-man practice squad salary
$001.889m = 2026 Draft Class (projected cap hit minus league minimum per spot)
$002.093m = 2026 Colts Dead Money
$003.000m = In Season "Churn" Space
========
$282.393m = Colts 2026 Cap Obligations

$22.897m real free cap space to sign "new" free agents to the team.

So, Colts are going to need some more cap space to if they intend to sign both DJ and AP.

Only 12 players on the Colts right now have a 2026 cap hit over $5m.

Of those, five do not deliver a cap relief if traded/cut due to their contracts either being newer and still in the mostly guaranteed money phase or on a big rookie deal:

Charvarius Ward
Bernhard Raimann
Camrym Bynum
Sauce Gardner
Anthony Richardson

The Other Seven Contracts:

Michael Pittman Jr (2026 is last season of contract)= $24.000m if traded/cut before the 5th day of the season with roster bonus unpaid or $22.000m if traded/cut after the 5th day of the season with roster bonus paid.

Quenton Nelson (2026 is the last season of contract) = $18.000m if traded/cut before the 5th day of the season with roster bonus unpaid or $16.000m if traded/cut after the 5th day of the season with roster bonus paid.

Jonathan Taylor (2026 is the last season of contract) = $13.000m if traded/cut before the 1st game of season reduced by $0.060m per game if on the Colts active roster.

Grover Stewart (2026 is the last season of contract) = $12.250m if traded/cut before the 1st game of the season reduced by $0.030m per game if on the Colts active roster.

Kenny Moore (2026 is the last season of contract) = $7.060m if traded/cut before the 1st game of the season reduced by $0.023m per game if on the Colts active roster.

DeForest Buckner (2026 is last season of contract) = $5.800m

Zaire Franklin (2027 is the last season of contract) = $5.725m if traded/cut before the 1st game of the season reduced by $0.045m per game if on the Cotls active roster.

The next highest cap relief would be less than $4.000m for any other player on the roster so I am going to stop there. The rest just do not add up fast enough and are making almost JAG levels of salary (Just Another Guy).

A. All 7 of the folks we could restructure / cut / trade to add 2026 cap space are starters with most of them being quality starters (Franklin is my boardline guy on being quality).

B. 6 of 7 (all but Franklin) are in the last season of their current contract. While 2027 Colts free agency sees the Colts have a lot of cap space (currently around $175m), they then also have A LOT of holes to fill.

C. I think the Colts could get both DJ and AP signed for about $35-40m in 2026 cap space. Sure, you could structure something that their combined cap hit this season is $1m but Ballard has not done that in the past and I don't see him doing so now. Realistically, we need at least $35m in free cap space to sign both of them, IMO.

D. Of the 7 players who could deliver relief, I think that Pittman has to be the target. He is a good WR but currently has the 7th highest WR cap hit for 2026 and would still drop to the 14th highest cap hit for 2026 if traded to another team and the Colts have to eat his pro-rated signing bonus. He is not one of the 14th best WRs in the league. While it will hurt, he is expendable at that cap hit, IMO.

E. Of the rest of the list, I think Franklin is the most replaceable with a less expensive player. His is our 12th highest cap hit but I don't feel that his play is 12th best on the team.

F. Next would be Stewart. Our run defense is measurable better with him on the field but, again, while the Colts suck at drafting D-Line, I feel his production could be replaced with cheaper talent.


Trading or cutting those three guys would open up around $42m in free cap space for 2026 to add to our current $23m and allow us to sign DJ and AP while also going after a, hopefully, top tier Defensive End sack master.

One man's opinion.

[Puck]

https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/...868295439?s=20



Dov Kleiman

@NFL_DovKleiman
Uh Oh: Jaguars superstar LB Devin Lloyd will likely hit free agency this offseason, per
@ESPNdirocco


“Linebacker Devin Lloyd is also a free agent, but the estimated franchise tag of $27.5 million is too high and he'll demand a big contract in FA, so the Jaguars are likely out on him.”

Lloyd is one of the best players in the NFL...👀

[Racehorse]

Originally Posted by sherck

The next highest cap relief would be less than $4.000m for any other player on the roster so I am going to stop there. The rest just do not add up fast enough and are making almost JAG levels of salary (Just Another Guy).

A. All 7 of the folks we could restructure / cut / trade to add 2026 cap space are starters with most of them being quality starters (Franklin is my boardline guy on being quality).

B. 6 of 7 (all but Franklin) are in the last season of their current contract. While 2027 Colts free agency sees the Colts have a lot of cap space (currently around $175m), they then also have A LOT of holes to fill.

C. I think the Colts could get both DJ and AP signed for about $35-40m in 2026 cap space. Sure, you could structure something that their combined cap hit this season is $1m but Ballard has not done that in the past and I don't see him doing so now. Realistically, we need at least $35m in free cap space to sign both of them, IMO.

D. Of the 7 players who could deliver relief, I think that Pittman has to be the target. He is a good WR but currently has the 7th highest WR cap hit for 2026 and would still drop to the 14th highest cap hit for 2026 if traded to another team and the Colts have to eat his pro-rated signing bonus. He is not one of the 14th best WRs in the league. While it will hurt, he is expendable at that cap hit, IMO.

E. Of the rest of the list, I think Franklin is the most replaceable with a less expensive player. His is our 12th highest cap hit but I don't feel that his play is 12th best on the team.

F. Next would be Stewart. Our run defense is measurable better with him on the field but, again, while the Colts suck at drafting D-Line, I feel his production could be replaced with cheaper talent.


Trading or cutting those three guys would open up around $42m in free cap space for 2026 to add to our current $23m and allow us to sign DJ and AP while also going after a, hopefully, top tier Defensive End sack master.

One man's opinion.

Of this list, I could see Franklin as a cap casualty, and Pittman getting a restructure. If Pittman doesn't restructure, he could be a cap casualty. I would hate to see it, but it is a real possibility. No way we keep him and let Pierce walk.

I do not see us doing any cuts to Grover or Buckner. Both are too valuable, even with the age factor. We do not have replacements ready.

It is going to be an interesting off-season, where we either push all the chips in by re-signing DJ and AP, restructure the guys mentioned, and go for one solid free agent piece, or we see them blow it all up and try to get younger for the next core group. I do not see them blowing it all up after the moves made last year.

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by sherck

Using middle ground....

$303.450m = 2026 NFL Salary Cap
$001.940m = Colts 2025 Cap Rollover
$000.100m = Minus adjustment on AD Mitchell LTBE 2025 performance bonus
========
$305.290m = 2026 Colts Salary Cap


$270.338m = Top 51 off season contracts
$001.770m = Spots 52 and 53 on 2026 season roster (at league minimum)
$006.303m = Average of full season 17-man practice squad salary
$001.889m = 2026 Draft Class (projected cap hit minus league minimum per spot)
$002.093m = 2026 Colts Dead Money
$003.000m = In Season "Churn" Space
========
$282.393m = Colts 2026 Cap Obligations

$22.897m real free cap space to sign "new" free agents to the team.

So, Colts are going to need some more cap space to if they intend to sign both DJ and AP.

Only 12 players on the Colts right now have a 2026 cap hit over $5m.

Of those, five do not deliver a cap relief if traded/cut due to their contracts either being newer and still in the mostly guaranteed money phase or on a big rookie deal:

Charvarius Ward
Bernhard Raimann
Camrym Bynum
Sauce Gardner
Anthony Richardson

The Other Seven Contracts:

Michael Pittman Jr (2026 is last season of contract)= $24.000m if traded/cut before the 5th day of the season with roster bonus unpaid or $22.000m if traded/cut after the 5th day of the season with roster bonus paid.

Quenton Nelson (2026 is the last season of contract) = $18.000m if traded/cut before the 5th day of the season with roster bonus unpaid or $16.000m if traded/cut after the 5th day of the season with roster bonus paid.

Jonathan Taylor (2026 is the last season of contract) = $13.000m if traded/cut before the 1st game of season reduced by $0.060m per game if on the Colts active roster.

Grover Stewart (2026 is the last season of contract) = $12.250m if traded/cut before the 1st game of the season reduced by $0.030m per game if on the Colts active roster.

Kenny Moore (2026 is the last season of contract) = $7.060m if traded/cut before the 1st game of the season reduced by $0.023m per game if on the Colts active roster.

DeForest Buckner (2026 is last season of contract) = $5.800m

Zaire Franklin (2027 is the last season of contract) = $5.725m if traded/cut before the 1st game of the season reduced by $0.045m per game if on the Cotls active roster.

The next highest cap relief would be less than $4.000m for any other player on the roster so I am going to stop there. The rest just do not add up fast enough and are making almost JAG levels of salary (Just Another Guy).

A. All 7 of the folks we could restructure / cut / trade to add 2026 cap space are starters with most of them being quality starters (Franklin is my boardline guy on being quality).

B. 6 of 7 (all but Franklin) are in the last season of their current contract. While 2027 Colts free agency sees the Colts have a lot of cap space (currently around $175m), they then also have A LOT of holes to fill.

C. I think the Colts could get both DJ and AP signed for about $35-40m in 2026 cap space. Sure, you could structure something that their combined cap hit this season is $1m but Ballard has not done that in the past and I don't see him doing so now. Realistically, we need at least $35m in free cap space to sign both of them, IMO.

D. Of the 7 players who could deliver relief, I think that Pittman has to be the target. He is a good WR but currently has the 7th highest WR cap hit for 2026 and would still drop to the 14th highest cap hit for 2026 if traded to another team and the Colts have to eat his pro-rated signing bonus. He is not one of the 14th best WRs in the league. While it will hurt, he is expendable at that cap hit, IMO.

E. Of the rest of the list, I think Franklin is the most replaceable with a less expensive player. His is our 12th highest cap hit but I don't feel that his play is 12th best on the team.

F. Next would be Stewart. Our run defense is measurable better with him on the field but, again, while the Colts suck at drafting D-Line, I feel his production could be replaced with cheaper talent.


Trading or cutting those three guys would open up around $42m in free cap space for 2026 to add to our current $23m and allow us to sign DJ and AP while also going after a, hopefully, top tier Defensive End sack master.

One man's opinion.

Trade Pittman and Richardson, restructure Buckner, Raimann, and Bynum, and cut Franklin and you're at $100m of cap space. More than enough to do anything the team needs to do this offseason.

[Oldcolt]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

Trade Pittman and Richardson, restructure Buckner, Raimann, and Bynum, and cut Franklin and you're at $100m of cap space. More than enough to do anything the team needs to do this offseason.

You aren't going to trade Pittman without him restructuring his contract. If he is willing to do that why wouldn't we just keep him?

[BCN#1]

Coaching changes are one thing but given the various injuries like pulled hammys and the like; it may be bad luck or it make sense to also take a closer look at the strength and conditioning staff. How can they improve their services?

Always need a few good water boys... ya never know, right?

-- Bobby Boucher: Now that's what I call high quality H2O.