INDIANAPOLIS – The off-season question of would Chris Ballard’s actions meet his words has an answer.
Yep. Definitely.
In several ways.
Ballard has changed when it comes to the start of free agency.
If you take out Ballard’s first offseason in which he ripped up much of Ryan Grigson’s built roster (mainly on defense), we’ve never seen the long-time GM sign 7 outside of the building free agents, period. Let alone in the first week of the new league year.
Through the first few days of free agency, the Colts were one of the top teams in the entire league in spending. Another change.
While quarterback competition was something Ballard warned Colts fans of, the GM even brought back kicker Spencer Shrader on a two-year deal, so here comes kicking competition for Matt Gay, too!
Not only was the quantity of Ballard’s mid-March activity a foreign approach to what we are used to, but how he went about finishing the job was as well.
Listen to new cornerback Charvarius Ward describe how his free agency situation play out.
“I’m not going to say it surprised me, but originally I thought I was going to New Orleans,” Ward said to 1075TheFan.
“The deal was almost done and then, I guess, the Colts realized how great of a player I am and they came in and beat out the Saints at the last minute. It happened pretty fast. Like I said, I thought I was going to end up in New Orleans, close to home, I grew up 2 hours from New Orleans. But it didn’t happen, and I’m happy to be with the Colts.”
Remember when Ballard stressed in January the need to get the ball across the goal line when it comes to these situations?
“We have to do a better job identifying the free agents that we want to sign and then being able to close the deal on them,” the GM said in January. “And that’s up to me. It really is.”
Unquestionably, the Chris Ballard seen in 2025 has been different when it comes to free agency.
Does that guarantee instant success and a playoff team?
Of course not.
But when a stubborn approach, has led to one of the NFL’s longest playoff droughts, different actions are needed.
And that has happened.
