Colts general manager Chris Ballard is known for valuing the draft over free agency. The executive prefers building his team via the draft and then extending his own players, much to the dismay of fans and media who are eyeing a big splash. While the Colts have been active in free agency, they prefer to avoid the bigger names. This has led to the team adding a few gems over the past few years, including tight end Eric Ebron and defensive ends Denico Autry and Jabaal Sheard.
Still, the Colts will be eyeing more than $100MM in cap space heading into free agency, and the team has an opportunity to build off their first playoff appearance since 2014. Considering the team’s cap space and 2018 success, the organization has been connected to a number of big-name free agents.
Ballard recently sat down with Joel A. Erickson of IndyStar.com to discuss the team’s offseason plans and strategy. While he still cautioned that the organization would value the draft over free agency, he did acknowledge that the organization would make a big splash if the price was right. While the entire article is worth reading, we’ve compiled some of the notable soundbites below:
On the perception that he’s not particularly active in free agency:
“I guess I disagree with everybody who says we are not aggressive in free agency…In every other spot I’ve been in, we’ve participated in free agency. I just think it’s got to be the right fit.”
On the team’s philosophy heading into free agency:
“We put a value on a player. When it gets out of our reach, I just think we are comfortable enough to sleep at night saying that we are going to find an answer. Sometimes it might not be the household name that everybody wants us to sign, and that’s OK, I get it, but we are going to find an answer.
“If we think from a free-agent standpoint that we are going to get one of the high-priced (guys), we have a very strict guideline that he’s got to fit. He’s got to fit into the locker room, he is going to have to earn the salary he’s making, not only with his play, but with his impact and his presence within the locker room.”
On why maintaining cap flexibility will be important over the next few years:
“Just look at the roster and look at the contracts that are going to be coming up over the next two- to three-year period. Eventually, what you’d like to happen is you’re paying your own guys, you’re rewarding the guys in the locker room who have done the right things for you.”
On the team’s recent free agent moves:
“Denico Autry, we targeted him from Day 1, and we signed him. Denico Autry ended up being a pretty good player. Just because it might not be who the media is writing about, who the fans are talking about, that doesn’t mean that guy is not a really good player.
“We dabbled into free agency (last year), we just couldn’t find a match. It wasn’t like people were beating our door down to come to Indianapolis. Do I think we are an attractive place? Absolutely, I do.”
Using Spotrac list from last year; Cousins, T Johnson (CB), A Norwell (G), N Solder (OT), M Bulter (CB), Brees, Starr L(DT), and S Watkins (WR) were the top FA’s.
Only 2 made the playoffs. FA is fools gold.
I don’t believe a single season sample size such as you have presented can conclusively prove anything. There will always be hits and misses in the free agent market but the one certainty is that those that fear taking risks will never succeed. The Rams are a good example of a team, that in a short time, transformed themselves into a power by taking risks. The Packers who have been a spectator during recent free agent markets probably wish they had of been more aggressive now.
The Rams biggest risk was firing Fisher and going with a young HC. But I can say I’ve lived in Jacksonville for most of my life and again since 2012, and saw many FA’s signed for top dollar and still finish in the bottom in the South around 90% of the time. And as a Skins fan since Gibbs heyday, I’ve watched them spend BIG only to lose bigger.
I think pretty much everyone accepted that Fisher was long past his best due date. The Rams took what many considered a big gamble on Whitworth in free agency and that paid off. Of course there are always going to be some major flops. Players generally end up on the market because they are old or damaged goods to some extent. Still if you have the financial cap space available as the Colts do, you would not be helping yourself at all by just sitting on your hands, squandering your chance to obtain upgrades.
I see both sides man. The draft has unproven talent, on & off the field. Young kids with big bucks do foolish things. I did from 18-27, and I wasn’t even rich!
With that said, spending tens of millions of dollars on marginal talent seems like a bad idea to me. Just to be able to say ‘we spent XXXX millions this offseason!’
PFR’s latest post says (I’m paraphrasing) ‘D Folwer didn’t play well in either Jax or LA. But he does have 1.5 sacks this post season…’ Why should any team want to pay him $8m or more a season? He was marginal his whole time in Jax which is why they were fine to flip him for a pick.
Why should Mr. Ballard and the Colts spend money just because it’s there? You read the article right? He needs to give his own guys raises in a couple of years. He looks over the free agent market, he is just not going to go crazy over it. I like his approach and I trust his judgement. In a couple of years the media are going to be writing about how the Colts can’t afford to pay everybody. It’s the NFL cycle. Book it.
There’s a salary floor the Colts need to hit dictated by the CBA, for one
You need to read that rule. The wording states that there shall be a guaranteed “Minimum Team Cash Spending of 89% of the Salary Caps for such periods.” The current period is 2017-2020, and right now the Colts are currently at 95% cash spending vs the cap.
100 mil go get Bell
You saw 100 mil. didn’t read the rest and commented, “Go get Bell.” What you didn’t read is that Ballard is selective, the acquisition must be a good personnel and locker room fit. Bell is neither. He’ll be a cancer wherever he goes. Also, why you sleeping on Mack? And if you don’t know who he is go look at the numbers.