The Colts thought they would be in a different position at the beginning of last season. Bringing in Matt Ryan, the Colts looked like they would compete for a playoff spot. The opposite happened. It is time for the Colts to stop renting quarterbacks (QB). The Colts have rented one-year guys since Andrew Luck’s unexpected retirement. Luckily, this draft will provide that future signal caller.
Having the fourth pick in this year’s draft offers scary potential. The Bears will be shopping the number one spot to teams looking to select a QB. The Texans will draft a QB at two, and the Cardinals are a team that could trade back with someone wanting to jump the Colts to get their QB, leaving the Colts with whoever is left. The Colts have the assets to trade up to one and select the guy they want. The package to move up to one might be steep, but it would be worth it for a team that has spent years searching for the right signal caller.
A package surrounded by Michael Pittman Jr., the fourth pick this year, and a second-round selection next year would be enough to get the job done. If the Colts do not want to give up Pittman, they will have to add next year’s first-round selection, and this is not in their best interest since this is a team with more holes than just QB. If the Colts decide to give up Pittman, finding his replacement with the 36th pick is a must. Guys like Kayshon Boutte and Jalin Hyatt would be nice young guys to bring in and help the QB selected first overall.
What QB the Colts go with might rely heavily on who their head coach will be. The experience of Jeff Saturday is something the sports world has never seen before. The Colts could decide to bring him back on for an entire season, or they could look to bring in a guy like Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs. Bieniemy has spent time with the best QB in the league, so who would be better to match up with a young QB looking to thrive in a league that isn’t kind to rookie quarterbacks?
The coach the Colts decide to go with will have a lot of talent on his team but will need to find ways to keep them healthy. Three of Colt’s top guys all had injuries this past season, Jonathan Taylor, Shaquille Lenard, and Quenton Nelson, and had seasons unlike their previous outputs. Lack of production and injuries should be addressed and fixed going forward.
As evidenced, the Colts have the foundation for an outstanding team. Making the right moves as head coach and in the draft will be vital in helping the team achieve its potential.