Projecting the Colts' depth chart after Matt Ryan trade and early free agency
The Colts might not be finished in free agency, but they're certainly taking an extended pause. They've made two trades at two premium positions so far but have not made a signing on an outside free agent in more than a week.
That's largely how general manager Chris Ballard approaches free agency, preferring in-house returns over new additions. And in the process of bringing players back, some take on new roles, too.
Here's a look at what the Colts' depth chart would look like if the season had to start today:
Quarterbacks
Starter: Matt Ryan
Key backups: Sam Ehlinger
Need: Minimal
Analysis: The Colts took their biggest swing at the most important position by flipping Carson Wentz for Matt Ryan, in addition to a Day 2 pick in 2023. It's a shift that affects so many parts of the offense and their current contention window.
It's hard to list all the ways Ryan is different from Wentz in this Colts offense: Beyond the intangibles of leadership, consistency and the ability to work through adversity, think of the difference like a basketball team — Ryan is a point guard, whereas Wentz was the isolation scorer. In 14 seasons as the Falcons' starting quarterback, Ryan has distributed to stars of all shapes and sizes from Julio Jones to Roddy White to Calvin Ridley to Tony Gonzalez to Kyle Pitts. He spots their opportunities pre-snap, audibles into new ones and gets them the ball with precision and accuracy and without fear of a turnover.
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That'll play with established players like Michael Pittman Jr., Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines. Indianapolis has to find more targets for Ryan and it has to find a way to protect him, as he's 36 years old and not running away from players anymore. But as a personality and a player, he fits how Frank Reich and Colts offensive players want to play football.
The only question left is whether Indianapolis rolls with Sam Ehlinger as a backup again or drafts a quarterback it likes a little better. Ryan has missed just one start in 12 years and will take all the preseason reps he can get to build chemistry with a new team.
Running back
Starter: Jonathan Taylor
Key backups: Nyheim Hines
Need: Zero
Analysis: This offseason was all about finding a passing game complement to what the Colts have in the run game as well as a quarterback who will throw to the backs when they're open.
Jonathan Taylor is fresh off the league rushing title with 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns on 332 carries. That rushing total should decrease as the Colts shift more to the air, which could actually improve his 5.5 yards per carry that led all running backs last season.
Nyheim Hines is the player who seems to benefit most from the Ryan acquisition, as he should see his receiving total creep closer to the 63 catches he had from Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers. With holes in the intermediate passing game, expect to see Hines used in more creative ways such as out of the slot.
Deon Jackson won't see many carries but should continue to be a player on special teams.
Wide receivers
Starters: Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell, Ashton Dulin
Key backups: Dezmon Patmon, Michael Strachan, Keke Coutee
Need: Significant
Analysis: As the Colts looked to reshape their passing game this offseason, they let two established starting receivers hit free agency in T.Y. Hilton and Zach Pascal. Pascal is gone to Philadelphia and it doesn't seem likely Hilton is coming back. So the Colts have a huge need here.
Pittman Jr. is fresh off a 1,000-yard season in his second year, and he'll now look to chase the Julio Jones mold with a quarterback who can deliver great ball placement across the middle of the field to allow him to pile up yards after the catch. As his star grows, coverage will shift his way, and it puts pressure on everyone else.
The Colts have talked up Parris Campbell, Ashton Dulin, Dezmon Patman and Michael Strachan, but none are proven in any way. Campbell has the most upside as a 2018 second-round pick and former 1,000-yard receiver at Ohio State, and he could solve the speed and slot issues, but he has to show he can stay on the field. The others seem like backups.
Expect Indianapolis to draft one or two receivers this year, likely starting with their first pick at No. 42 overall. A veteran signing would also be wise since experience is so thin.
RELATED: Colts mailbag: Does receiver have to be 1st pick? Does Yannick Ngakoue solve the pass rush?
Tight ends
Starters: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson
Key backups: N/A
Need: Significant
Analysis: The Colts did not get much out of the tight end spot last season, and it's looking like they'll be more strapped to find it this year, even with a change at quarterback.
Jack Doyle's retirement left a hole in the chain-moving department and especially in the run game, where his intelligence and consistency opened up so many schematic wrinkles. Indianapolis knows it can't find that at this stage and will have to shift priorities. It brought back Mo Alie-Cox on a three-year, $17.6 million deal in order to have one proven blocker and someone they'd like to experiment more with in the intermediate passing game, but he's turning 29.
Behind Hines, Kylen Granson might see the largest growth in role this year as a move tight end. He caught just 11 passes for 106 yards a year ago, so it will need to grow over time with a new quarterback.
The Colts could sign a free agent on the cheap, with Kyle Rudolph standing out as a fit. What seems more likely is they'll go to the draft for a developmental 'Y' and will deemphasize the role for at least a year.
Offensive line
Starters: LT Matt Pryor, LG Quenton Nelson, C Ryan Kelly, RG Danny Pinter, RT Braden Smith
Key backup: Will Fries
Need: Medium
Analysis: The Colts have lots of faith in the offensive line they're returning to bounce back from a weird season due to injuries, COVID-19 and a tragedy in Ryan Kelly's life. They believe a more traditional drop-back quarterback could benefit them all.
More: Center Ryan Kelly returns to Colts with a heavy heart following daughter's death
That's why the Colts let Eric Fisher walk when he wanted more money and re-signed Matt Pryor for one year and $5.5 million. He's played all across the line in his three years in the league, but he should get the first crack at the blindside spot unless the Colts find a clear upgrade in free agency or the second round of the draft. They will likely compensate with quicker passes and the help of Quenton Nelson to his right.
The other change is coming at right guard, where the Colts allowed rotational pieces Mark Glowinski and Chris Reed to hit free agency and didn't bring either back. They believe highly in Danny Pinter as a starter.
Even if Pryor sticks at left tackle, the Colts could use another swing tackle and do a better job developing one through the draft.
Defensive line
Starters: DE Yannick Ngakoue, DT DeForest Buckner, DT Grover Stewart, DE Kwity Paye
Key backups: DE Dayo Odeyingbo, DE Tyquan Lewis, DE Ben Banogu
Need: Minimal
Analysis: The Colts' big splash on defense came at the other spot that killed them in 2021, edge rusher. They traded with the Raiders for Yannick Ngakoue, who brings the proven durability and ability they found missing in rookies Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo last season.
Ngakoue, 26, will play the "LEO" spot in new coordinator Gus Bradley's defense for a third team in his career. That position lines an undersized athlete up in a wide-nine stance to the weak side of the formation and rushes him like it's 3rd-and-10 nearly every snap. At 246 pounds, and with 55.5 sacks in six seasons, Ngakoue is built perfectly to do that.
That shift frees Paye up to either be a starter at the "big end" spot on the opposite side or to be an additional rusher at either end spot. A combination will likely form with Odeyingbo, who has more of the "big end" body type at 276 pounds but likely can't handle an every-down workload after playing about a quarter of the snaps as a rookie.
The one spot that doesn't change at all is DeForest Buckner at three-technique, except that his high rate of double teams should create payoff with Ngakoue.
Depth is a question, which is why the Colts brought back Tyquan Lewis to try to develop more in a new scheme. A veteran signing or mid-round draft pick should be on the table.
Linebackers
Starters: Darius Leonard, Bobby Okereke
Backups: EJ Speed, Zaire Franklin
Need: Zero
Analysis: Similar to running back, all the Colts wanted to do with their linebacking corps this season was find a scheme that can emphasize them a little bit more.
Bradley's Seattle-style defense has a Cover-3 base that uses linebackers in man-match coverage, meaning they work in zones that can turn into man coverage with certain route patterns. That certainly suits the game of Darius Leonard, who led the NFL last season with 15 turnovers forced and is a threat when the ball is in the air or a receiver's hands. It also fits the growing game of Bobby Okereke, who became more natural in coverage as last year went on.
Indianapolis re-signed Zaire Franklin in order to maintain depth as well as his leadership and presence on special teams. E.J. Speed filled in admirably when Leonard had to miss a game for COVID-19. This is Bradley's favorite position group and should excel in this defense.
The one possible addition could be a pass-rush specialist as a standup linebacker, and it's possible Ben Banogu could get a crack at that this summer.
Cornerbacks
Starters: Kenny Moore II, Isaiah Rodgers, Brandon Facyson
Backups: N/A
Need: Significant
Analysis: To acquire an edge rusher like Ngakoue, the Colts had to part with a cornerback they were starting to really like in Rock Ya-Sin. Ya-Sin was coming off a career year with few penalties or targets and was settling into a No. 2 role.
To help fill his void, the Colts signed Brandon Facyson, who played for Bradley with the Chargers and Raiders, where he started nine games last season. At 6-foot-2, he fits the long-armed mold they want cornerbacks in to play press coverage, and his $3.8 million contract suggests he could be a starter.
But it's a thin group overall around Kenny Moore II. Indianapolis also lost Xavier Rhodes' veteran presence and has yet to replace it. Facyson and the speedy Isaiah Rodgers have 14 career starts between them.
Moore II is quite a glue guy to have, as he can start on the outside in base and man the slot like an extra safety. He can blitz, he stops the run and he also led the team with four interceptions in his first Pro Bowl campaign last year. But when all of a team's experience and proven ability at cornerback is in the slot, it is living with fire in a pass-first league.
The market for veterans is drying up outside of Stephon Gilmore, who might be out of Ballard's price range. According to the New York Daily News, the Colts have explored a trade for Giants cornerback James Bradberry, who could solve the No. 1 spot. With the shift toward bigger body types in this scheme, a draft choice seems likely, but that would not solve the youth issue.
Safeties
Starters: FS Julian Blackmon, SS Khari Willis
Backups: N/A
Need: Medium
Analysis: The youth issues in the secondary don't stop at cornerback. In some ways, the Colts have more questions at safety.
Julian Blackmon was growing into what the Colts envisioned he'd be as a second-round pick before he tore his Achilles last October. He should bounce back, but it could take some time to return to the free-ranging abilities he was drafted for, especially in a scheme that splits safeties and plays one on an island at the fourth level.
Khari Willis missed six games last year as well, though he is now up to 33 career starts. He's an aggressive player who can hit like a linebacker in space, and he seems suited for the strong safety role that often plays in the box in Bradley's defense.
But the Colts have no depth behind these two, and until they find more playable bodies, they're not able to play as versatile at the position as they would like. A big swing in free agency like Tyrann Mathieu could do wonders but would be pricey.
Special teams
Kicker: Rodrigo Blankenship
Punter: Rigoberto Sanchez
Longsnapper: Luke Rhodes
Kick returner: Isaiah Rodgers
Punt returner: Nyheim Hines
Need: Medium
As of now, it looks like the Colts could roll back their usual players at all the special teams spots, which on some levels is encouraging. They have a sound punter in Rigoberto Sanchez, an electric kick returner in Rodgers and an All-Pro long-snapper in Luke Rhodes. They have special teamers like Speed, Franklin and Ashton Dulin who have helped their coverage units excel.
The concern comes at kicker. Michael Badgley stepped in admirably for an injured Rodrigo Blankenship last season, converting 18 of 21 field goals and all 39 extra points. But his range is clearly limited at this point, as he's 30 of 46 from 40 yards and beyond. He's a free agent now, so Blankenship could regain the job in a contract season, but he's had some misses in clutch moments that leave the door open.
Hines is mostly steady as a punt returner, though with his role growing on offense, it'd be ideal to have someone else in that role. A drafted receiver could fill it, and the Colts should also have their eyes peeled for strong-legged kickers in the draft.
Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Projecting the depth chart after Matt Ryan trade
