5 Nuggets Left by Colts' GM Chris Ballard in Season-Ending Presser

The Colts did not get a chance to see their rookie quarterback on the field for very long in 2023. But Richardson has impressed Ballard despite playing just four games during his rookie season.

“He’s a good young man who has a lot to learn," Ballard remarked about Richardson. "But here’s what’s good about him – very humble and he has empathy for other people. He cares deeply. He cares deeply about being the best player he can be and cares deeply about his teammates, and he will work. He’s very gifted."

Coaches and teammates spoke numerous times about Richardson's dedication to his craft. The quarterback always has his iPad with him, soaking up as much knowledge as he can from Steichen and the other offensive coaches. The "obsession with their craft" comment that Steichen talked about wanting in his quarterback is obvious with Richardson.

Another element of Richardson's game that impressed Ballard throughout the early part of the season was his ability as a passer. While he was labeled as a "raw athlete" by some coming out of Florida, Richardson is much farther along than originally thought.

"I’m going to tell you one of the things that really surprised me with Anthony because I was concerned about it, but this guy is a passer," Ballard said. "I mean, this guy is a legitimate passer, and I believe that. I think he’s going to continue to get better and improve the more he plays. But Anthony can play from the pocket and throw the ball accurately. Now he just needs to play. I think sitting, it’s unfortunate but there is always a little light. The ability to be able to sit and watch is going to be beneficial for him going forward.”

The Colts believe the sky is the limit with Richardson. While they will not publicly crown him as the franchise quarterback, they believe Richardson is the man who can lead the Colts back amongst the elite teams in the NFL.

Gus Bradley Staying

A hot topic amongst Colts fans has been the job status of defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. With the Colts finishing near the bottom of the NFL in points allowed for the second straight season, Bradley has received heat about his defensive scheme. Ballard tried to give context to the inconsistency on the defensive side of the ball.

"I just said look, we’re going to go young in some spots," Ballard explained "We went young in the secondary, and look, there were some rough moments at times in the secondary and I don’t completely put that on them. I put that more on me, but how do you ever develop any continuity, especially with your own guys if you don’t just play them?"

The secondary was very young for the Colts this past season. Outside of Kenny Moore II, the cornerback room was filled with first and second-year players who would need to learn on the fly. Combine that with new starters in multiple positions, and Ballard knew it would be a tough road for the defense.

"We took our lumps, took our lumps at times, but I think it’s going to pay off down the line for them," Ballard expressed. "I think we had five or six new starters on defense. We did do some good things now. It’s not like it’s all bad. The points do need to come down. We’ll continue to have long discussions about where we’re going and how we’ll get that done. But saying that, we had new starters on defense.

"We did do some good things too. We got after the passer pretty good. I think it’s got to be a little better but 51 sacks is pretty good. Took the ball away, we need to be a little better there in that area and we have to take away the explosives. But I would expect us to take another jump here this year on defense.”

The Colts will give Bradley another year to prove he has this defense moving in the right direction. Ballard and Steichen are confident the defense will improve as players develop and gain more experience. However, if the Colts do not take a jump on the defensive side of the ball, 2024 will likely be Bradley's last season as defensive coordinator.

Pittman, Stewart Priority Free Agents

The top in-house free agents for the Colts this spring are Michael Pittman Jr. and Grover Stewart. Both hold crucial roles in Indy and would leave massive holes on the roster if not retained.

Starting with Pittman, the Colts' WR1 is coming off a career year. Pittman posted 109 catches for 1,152 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to have over 100 catches in a season. Pittman made it clear last week that he would like to return to the Colts, and Ballard wants to make that return a reality.

“I care deeply about him," Ballard commented about Pittman. "We have a really good relationship. It’s an honest one – almost too honest I think sometimes. But that’s what I love about him. The guy is competitive. He’s tough. He cares. He wants to win. We’re going to work to get him back. We’ll work through that. ... Pitt is a good football player for us and hopefully he still remains a Colt.”

Stewart has become one of the best run-stopping defensive tackles in the NFL with the Colts. While Stewart missed six games due to suspension this past season, the Colts run defense struggled massively. Indy is making his return a priority as well.

"Grover is a – I think you know my feelings on Grover," Ballard said. "In my first year here, he was one of our first draft picks. He’s done nothing but be a great Colt, a great teammate, everything you want. Yeah, Grover is a guy we’d like to have back.”

It is safe to say retaining Pittman and Stewart is a very high priority for Ballard. It would be a shock if both were not back on long-term extensions in 2024.

More Aggressive Free Agency

The Colts have taken a very conservative approach to free agency under Ballard. However, with the current quarterback situation, Ballard seems open to making moves.

“I think we have more flexibility right now than we’ve had the last few years," he admitted. "A little bit of that is we’re not paying a quarterback big money anymore. We’re going to have some more flexibility. We’ll always be prudent but we’ll be as aggressive as we need to be in free agency with players that we think can help us."

This offseason will be the first free agency period under Ballard where the Colts are not paying top dollar for a quarterback. The Colts will have added flexibility to go after higher-priced free agents if they determine it is the right fit. But that does not mean the Colts will completely flip their philosophy this spring.

"With free agency ... it’s the fit of the player in to the locker room and then whatever you’re paying that player, that he can earn and is worth the amount of money you’re paying him. So, it’s a fine line.”

Although the Colts have more flexibility, it is still unlikely Ballard gets into bidding wars for big-money free agents. Instead, we could see more moves in the middle tier of free agency for players who will make an immediate impact, like the past deals made for Stephon Gilmore and Samson Ebukam. Expect the Colts to be more active in free agency in 2024 but in a smart and calculated manner.

Explosive Plays a Focus

Explosive plays plagued the Colts on both sides of the ball in 2023. On offense, the rate of explosive plays fell drastically after Richardson was lost for the season. Defensively, missed tackles led to explosive runs, while an inexperienced secondary allowed too many explosives through the air.

For the Colts to get where they want to go, they must do a better job generating explosive plays on offense while limiting them on defense.

"It’s an area that I think on both sides of the ball we need to improve." Ballard stated. "We have to get more explosive on offense and we have to be able to eliminate the explosives on defense."

The return of Richardson will help the offense regain some explosiveness. Due to his big arm and ability as a runner, the Colts ranked 10th in the NFL in explosive plays when Richardson was on the field. But even with Richardson, Pittman, and Jonathan Taylor in the fold, the Colts want more.

Ballard alluded to acquiring players that can help in the explosive play department.

"I’ve got a pretty good handle on the NFL Draft and we do think it’s going to be pretty good with some explosive guys and then working through free agency right now. ... We do think there is going to be some opportunities to add some players to make us more explosive.”

Indy needs playmakers across the roster. Adding playmakers on both sides of the ball this offseason seems like the strategy Ballard will take as he looks to usher in a more explosive Colts team in 2024.