2026 Off-Season Thread

[IndyNorm]

Originally Posted by Hoopsdoc

I think the Colts are going to have to overpay like crazy if they want to keep Pierce. I don’t think Ballard will do that so I suspect he’s leaving.

If the money is equal, Pierce would be crazy to stay here and play with the revolving door at quarterback when he could go play with Drake Maye.

Maybe, but that assumes the Cheats end up not getting and AJ Brown and/or would still be interested in paying Pierce. Also, we might not have to really outbid them depending on how Pierce looks at his finances. MA income tax is 9.5% vs. 3% for Indiana and the cost of living in Bahston is obviously significantly more than Indy.

With that being said I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bears make a run and possibly sign Pierce since they're moved DJ Moore.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


In what is probably the least popular idea on the entire ColtFreaks board, I would keep Daniel Jones to maximize the QB 1-2 punch (a Daniel Jones-Riley Leonard 1-2 punch is stronger than a Riley Leonard-Anthony Richardson 1-2 punch), and let at least one of the 2 wide receivers walk (and in fact, let both of them walk if absolutely necessary in order to comply with the salary cap.)

Since he was hired as the team's GM back in January of 2017, Ballard said that he intended to build complete teams that were not overly-reliant on all-world quarterbacks ....... my proposal would be doing the opposite of that narrative, but for one season and one season only.

But my line of thinking DOES NOT belie or disagree with what Ballard has been doing for the past 8 years ...... I think that both theories can be true, and they are not necessarily mutually exclusive of one another over a long period of time (January of 2017 through the Present) ...... variety is the spice of life, and flexibility and adapting is a big key to life longevity ...... I think that Ballard HAS built a strong team that can be bona-fide contenders with good-but-not-necessarily-great quarterbacks ...... but now is the time to shift gears ....... now that he has a strong team that almost beat the world champion Seattle Seahawks on their homefield with a 44 year-old Philip Rivers at quarterback, NOW is the time to focus primarily on the quarterback position, if only for one year ...... and being that the 2026 season is very likely Ballard's last chance to produce his 2nd playoff team in his 10th season as the team's GM, he needs to go for broke, shift gears, and do the opposite of what he has been doing for his first 9 season's at the helm ...... lock up the good-but-not great quarterback (Top 8 in the NFL, but not Top 4), have a back-up quarterback that may very well be just as good as the 1st-string quarterback in case of an injury to the former, and trust that whomever is at the wideout positions does not have butterfingers.



***************************************


All of the above is coming from a person who was half-witted and mindless enough to proclaim that Case Keenum would have a longer and more distinguished NFL career than Andrew Luck would when both were entering the league back in 2012.







OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

o

[Oldcolt]

Let's see what Ballard ends up giving us a a final roster. Lots of holes to fill and has done zero so far, but it is early (at some point we are going to need to clear some cap-what are we waiting for?). My issue is I've been down this road with Ballard multiple times over the years and it has never turned out well (I define well as a deep playoff run with a possibility of a Super Bowl). Maybe this year but it is hard to get pumped about this so far for me or most of us.

[ChoppedWood]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

Let's see what Ballard ends up giving us a a final roster. Lots of holes to fill and has done zero so far, but it is early (at some point we are going to need to clear some cap-what are we waiting for?). My issue is I've been down this road with Ballard multiple times over the years and it has never turned out well (I define well as a deep playoff run with a possibility of a Super Bowl). Maybe this year but it is hard to get pumped about this so far for me or most of us.

Somehow, despite your factual statement about the guy NOT building success, the guy above you believes the guy has?

WTF?

[ChoppedWood]

Zaire is gone...
Traded to GB for Colby Wooden- who I know nothing about.

Dude did some good things and great to see a guy climb up the ranks, but this to me is clearly a situation where the statement about needing to be faster is put into practice!

[YDFL Commish]

Colby Wooden

https://www.pro-football-reference.c...tm#all_defense

At least he's young and hopefully fast.

[apballin]

Originally Posted by ChoppedWood

Zaire is gone...
Traded to GB for Colby Wooden- who I know nothing about.

Dude did some good things and great to see a guy climb up the ranks, but this to me is clearly a situation where the statement about needing to be faster is put into practice!

Great story and epitome of hard work. I have nothing bad to say about Zaire, good luck to him. Wonder if Warren gets 44 now?

[Puck]

Originally Posted by ChoppedWood

Zaire is gone...
Traded to GB for Colby Wooden- who I know nothing about.

Dude did some good things and great to see a guy climb up the ranks, but this to me is clearly a situation where the statement about needing to be faster is put into practice!

21 missed tackles
In 2025, Zaire Franklin had a challenging season, totaling 125 tackles (62 solo) but also 21 missed tackles, which ranked him 81st among linebackers. Despite this, he had a notable performance with 2.0 sacks and five passes defended. His missed tackles were a significant concern, as he struggled with pass coverage, leading to discussions about potential trade as the Colts aim to address their cap situation.

[Hoopsdoc]

Hmmm, Colts trade for a starting defensive tackle. Wonder if this means anything for Buckner or Grover.

[Colts And Orioles]

Originally Posted by YDFL Commish

Colby Wooden, the newest Colts player.



https://www.pro-football-reference.c...W/WoodCo01.htm



At least he's young and hopefully fast.

Originally Posted by apballin

His is a great story, and the epitome of hard work ...... I have nothing bad to say about Zaire, and I wish him good luck ...... I wonder if Tyler Warren gets the #44 now ???

o


We got a lot out of a 7th-round drafter pick from 2018.

Between 2019 and 2021, Franklin was excellent on special teams. He evolved into an excellent linebacker between 2022 and 2024, culminating in his 2024 All-Pro season when he led the league with 173 tackles.

After his sub-par 2025 season, he is headed elsewhere.

o