Power Rankings Don't Favor Colts Despite Big Free Agency

The Indianapolis Colts fell in the power rankings despite getting a haul in free agency.

Dec 25, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) is unable to make a catch next to San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts did everything needed to add to the defense by signing former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward and previous Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum to elevate the stop troops for new coordinator Lou Anarumo.

This immediately amplified Indianapolis' roster, but then quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Khalil Herbert were also added. While Jones is in place to battle Anthony Richardson for starting QB, Herbert tosses another weapon in the backfield with Jonathan Taylor.

CBS Sports puts Indianapolis near the back-end of the 16 AFC teams in their post- first wave of free agency power rankings for the conference (11th out of 16). While the ranking isn't the most preferrable, it's clear that the Colts have upgraded their roster to an extent.

Jordan Dajani laid it out like this for the 11th entry: "Addressing the secondary was an important item on the to-do list, and Camryn Bynum at safety plus Charvarius Ward at corner are great adds. The Colts also want to host a quarterback competition, so they added Daniel Jones to battle Anthony Richardson."

Indianapolis was without former second-rounder JuJu Brents for almost all of 2024, which thrust Jaylon Jones into the role of top outside cornerback. Kenny Moore II resumed his role as a leader in the slot, while waiver add Sam Womack III overshot expectations by securing the other outside role.

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However, under Gus Bradley, the secondary was far too static and predictable, leading to one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. As for the safeties, Nick Cross broke out while Julian Blackmon regressed due to playing with injuries, missing many tackles in the process.

Dajani concluded by discussing the departures that might buckle Indy to a degree in the offensive trenches: "While Indy made some notable adds, it also lost some big names -- especially on the offensive line with Will Fries and Ryan Kelly. The offensive line is something to watch for in the draft, but at least the Colts defense should be better."

Ryan Kelly and Will Fries were staples of the line and huge assets for position coach Tony Sparano Jr. to implement. Now, the Colts likely turn to Tanor Bortolini (center) and Matt Goncalves (tackle - possibly next guard) to step into the voids.

The Colts losing Kelly and Fries attributed the most to this 11th ranking out of 16, especially considering the pedigree of Ward and Bynum and the chance of them becoming viable stars in Anarumo's approach. Those adds should elevate a team up the rankings, but losing key pieces isn't always the easiest situation to traverse.

The Colts can keep adding to their depth chart in free agency, or hedge things now and prepare for the NFL draft in a bit over a month. Regardless of the rank here, Indy has taken the lack of talent and depth seriously, so we'll see what else GM Chris Ballard has in mind as the days close in on the draft.

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