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Colts' Best General Manager Options if Chris Ballard is Fired

Change might be needed for the Indianapolis Colts' general manager position after playoff hopes have vanished in 2024.

Zach Hicks

Detroit Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew watches Michigan warm up before Michigan State game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
Detroit Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew watches Michigan warm up before Michigan State game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Indianapolis Colts were blown out on Sunday in a must-win game against the Denver Broncos, effectively ending their hopes to make the playoffs in 2024 by week 15.

This loss marks the fourth straight season that the Colts have missed the playoffs and the sixth time in eight years with Chris Ballard as the team's general manager. The Colts may elect to stay the course in hopes that year nine is the one where it all finally turns around, but the right move would be to move on from the long tenured general manager.

If the Colts do the unthinkable and actually decide to move away from mediocrity to take a chance on a new face, there are plenty of top candidates out there for the team to interview. Here are three top candidates to keep an eye on if the Colts decide to move on from Ballard this offseason:

Ray Agnew Jr. | Detroit Lions Assistant General Manager

The number one general manager candidate this offseason should be Lions' Assistant General Manager Ray Agnew Jr. Agnew is a former Super Bowl Champion as a Director of Player Personnel with the Los Angeles Rams and has been instrumental in building the current Detroit Lions' roster.

Behind the scenes, Agnew is the all-ball football mind in the Lions' front office. A former defensive tackle in the NFL, Agnew has been around the league since the 1990's. He transitioned to the Rams' front office originally as a director of team development before taking a more direct approach in player scouting and acquisition with the team.

Agnew's influence with the Rams grew over his 18 years with the organization, with some even giving him credit for the absolute homerun selection of Aaron Donald back in 2014. After the team won a Super Bowl in 2021, Agnew left to join the Lions' organization as the assistant general manager under Brad Holmes. Holmes, with assistance from Agnew and many others, have built the Lions up from league laughing stock into perennial Super Bowl contenders.

According to the Lions' team page, Agnew "continues to be a key asset in helping Holmes with roster construction and team building." If the Colts want an all-ball evaluator that has been a part of the team that is continually hitting on draft picks every offseason, then Agnew seems like the perfect candidate to replace Ballard.

Alec Halaby | Philadelphia Eagles Assistant General Manager

If Agnew is the all-ball candidate to watch this next cycle, then Halaby is the analytics mind to keep an eye on. The success of Minnesota Vikings' General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah got the league interested in analytics-driven minds, and Halaby appears to be the next man up.

A Harvard graduate, Halaby's sporting background is built around analytics rather than an illustrious playing career. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010 as an intern and has worked his way up to assistant general manager in 14 short years. Halaby is as diverse as it comes for general manager candidates, having experience working with pro personnel, college personnel, cap guys, and (obviously) the analytics team.

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The Eagles currently sit at 12-2 with a tie for the best record in the NFC with three weeks remaining. The team is constantly hitting big on draft picks and free agent additions, as evident by the monster seasons by Saquon Barkley (free agent) and Quinyon Mitchell (draft) in 2024.

According to the Eagles' team site, Halaby "has focused on player evaluation, roster management, and resource allocation, with a particular emphasis on integrating traditional and analytical methods in decision-making." If the Colts want a man high up in a very successful organization with a background in analytics, Halaby is the guy to go with.

Andy Weidl | Pittsburgh Steelers Assistant General Manager

Today's final candidate combines the best of both worlds from the other two options we already looked at. Weidl has held major positions within the Baltimore Ravens (regional scout), the Pittsburgh Steelers (assistant general manager) and the Eagles organizations (vice president of player personnel). These are three of the more impressive organizations in the league.

Weidl served as a regional scout for 11 years under Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens before departing to the Eagles and helping them build a Super Bowl-winning roster in 2017. He now resides as the Steelers' assistant general manager, a team atop the AFC North with a 10-4 record. Everywhere Weidl goes, his teams win.

Weidl has an impressive background working in multiple departments of the front office, and he is known around the league as a fantastic scout that knows how to find talent. He has been integral in building up the Steelers' trenches in recent seasons and one of many reasons why the team has found success in 2024.

The Colts can get the best of both worlds by looking into an overly qualified candidate like Weidl this offseason.

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Zach Hicks
ZACH HICKS

Zach Hicks is the Lead Analyst for HorseshoeHuddle.com. Zach has been on the NFL beat since 2017. His works have appeared on SBNation.com, the Locked On Podcast Network, BleacherReport.com, MSN.com, & Yardbarker.com. 

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