NFL free agency opened on March 11 at 4 p.m. This marks the beginning of the new season and a time when teams have to make decisions.

The Indianapolis Colts had multiple major players becoming available for free agency going into the new season. This included quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receivers Alec Pierce and Michael Pitmann Jr., among many others.

It was clear the Colts were going to have to sacrifice some key players. There were too many impact players that were available for all to be re-signed. Priorities needed to be set in terms of positions being re-signed and who was getting what. The Colts made it clear their intentions were to extend Daniel Jones while exploring other options for what to do with Anthony Richardson.

Jones did get an extension, signing an $88 million contract for two years. This came after the Colts placed a franchise tag on Jones on March 3. The process itself took longer than expected, and Jones himself said it was ‘interesting’. Now, the Colts hope that Jones recovers well from his Achilles injury and performs at an elite level. Jones is going into his eighth season after being drafted in 2019.

While Richardson has not been traded yet, it is predicted that he will be, with multiple teams in talks to be a potential landing spot, including Green Bay and Detroit. It would not have made sense or been financially responsible to keep both, but Richardson is younger and has a lot of room to grow. Jones is still recovering from an Achilles injury but expects to be back for the start of the season. Only signing a two-year contract was smart since there is a chance Jones does not come back in the same shape. Either way, the Colts had to take a gamble, and they have hope that Jones will come back at an elite level. Given how well Aaron Rodgers came back after his Achilles injury, it has potential.

Another major signing was Pierce, who agreed to a four-year, $116 million contract. Pierce was one of the top receivers on the team this past season, recording 1,003 yards on offense. He is going into his fifth season with the Colts after being drafted 53rd overall in 2022. This deal came around March 11, before it had been announced that Pittman was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While Pierce was a major contributor, his contract was higher than expected. There was no way for both Pittman and Pierce to stay, but Pierce is going to have to step up. Pittman is a loss that will be felt if Pierce is not able to become a bigger contributor. The Colts signed receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine from the Miami Dolphins, who is going into his seventh season. Westbrook-Ikhine will not be able to replace Pittman, putting more pressure on Pierce, which is expected, given the huge contract.

The Colts had to depart with some of their veteran defensive players, including Kwity Paye, Nick Cross, Zaire Franklin, Braden Smith and Neville Gallimore. In exchange, they were able to acquire experienced players from other teams to fill some of these spots. Arden Key, a defensive end from Tennessee, signed a two-year deal. He is going into his ninth season in the NFL and has recorded 192 total tackles in his career. Other signings include Jonathan Owens, safety from the Chicago Bears, who is entering his sixth season in the NFL.

There were two defensive tackles gained in Derrick Nnadi and Jerry Tillery, as well as cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt and safety Juanyeh Thomas. Nnadi and Tillery add depth to the defensive line that was needed. Thomas only played in seven games last season with Dallas and is entering his fourth season.

The Colts traded key contributors on defense and acquired players who were not equal in terms of impact. Owens is a good player, but does not put up the same numbers as Cross. Thomas leaves a lot of questions, given that he is coming off an injury. Many of the defensive players signed are veterans with experience, but they have worse statistics compared to those they are replacing.

The Colts made moves and were able to find what they needed, but it came at a cost. In terms of grades, I would give them a ‘C’ because they did what was needed, but not in the most efficient ways. Some of the moves made were questionable, and there was little that excited me. A lot of their losses outweighed what they gained. The success of the team is reliant on individual performances to a degree that leaves me nervous.