There’s been a head coaching change for the Indianapolis Colts. So what can Frank Reich and his team do in free agency to get this club back on track?
Back in 2012, the Indianapolis Colts hired head coach Chuck Pagano and drafted quarterback Andrew luck with the first overall pick. That combo (with an assist from NFL Coach of the Year Bruce Arians) led the team to the playoffs.
Pagano and Luck would continue to excel, following that first postseason appearance with a pair of AFC South titles. And in each instance, the Colts advanced one more round in the postseason – reaching the AFC divisional Playoffs in 2013 and then the conference title game in 2014.
But that three-year stretch has been followed by a pair of 8-8 showings, both of those years seeing Luck missing time. Everything really came apart this past season as the talented quarterback missed the entire campaign with a shoulder issue. Combine that with a defensive unit that never seems to get any better and the result was a 4-12 finish and Pagano’s departure.
The new man on the sidelines is Frank Reich, late of the Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles. That’s because Josh McDaniels was set to take the job but the Patriots’ offensive coordinator change his mind at the last moment.
As of early March, only two teams have more available cap room (via Spotrac) than the Colts. But that doesn’t mean that general manager Chris Ballard will break the bank during free agency. The team must develop its youth, especially on the defensive side of the football. That being said, what five players could be on the team’s veteran wish list?
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