Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts: How They'll Improve Without Without Lifting a Finger

Episode Date: February 23, 2024

The Indianapolis Colts are about to get a whole lot better without even adding anybody. The healthy re-additions of Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor, and more make them more explosive by default.Th...e Indy Draft Guide's Pre-Orders are now open! For $8.99 with code DRAFTMAS, you get access to 225+ in-depth scouting reports, features, and much more.Click the link to Pre-Order today: https://draftguide.gumroad.com/l/indy24Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms:🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOColts?sid=YouTube📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQLocked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFLFollow Jake and Zach's written work on HorseshoeHuddle.com, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, @LockedOnColts, and @ColtsOnFN!Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.NissanOur friends at Nissan have a lineup of SUV’s with the capabilities to take your adventure to the next level. Take the Nissan Rogue, Nissan Pathfinder, or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure. Shop NissanUSA.com.BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON today to get 10% off your first month.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelGet buckets with your first bet on FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your bet wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 We've talked this offseason about how the Colts can add players to improve, but there's actually a way they're going to get a whole lot better without adding a single soul. Let's get to it. You are Locked On Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. All right. Thanks for tuning in and making us your first listen of the day. This is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network,
Starting point is 00:00:45 your team every day. I am Jake Arthur. You know me from HorseshoeHuddle.com. And on today's show, we are talking about how the Colts are actually going to have some secret additions to this roster. You know, the roster overall is pretty well balanced. Like there's some certain areas of need here and there. There's some elements in which they need to get better, but there are ways in which the team is
Starting point is 00:01:10 going to get better when this 2024 season starts without even having added anybody. Now, of course, they will add people. So I'm going to tell you offensively and defensively what's going to happen to make their roster even better. And then at the end, we'll talk about, you know, the positions that I think the Colts will actually prioritize because we go through this every off season, you know, you have, you have their needs kind of, some of them are always circled in, you know, big red, big red marker, but the Colts just kind of stand pat and they say they like who they have, or, you know, they, they want to wait on certain guys to come back, this, that, or the other.
Starting point is 00:01:49 So looking through the lens of how the Colts normally operate, what areas do I think the Colts will actually try to improve or build on? But looking at first the offense, so they were very consistent to say the least. There were some games where they were, you know, clicking on all cylinders or the run game was going really well. Gardner-Mitch who was managing the game well and getting the ball spread around, getting into the ball into the right hands, letting guys get yards after the catch. But overall it was missing an explosive element. That's the number one need. We've heard Shane Steichen acknowledge it.
Starting point is 00:02:29 Chris Ballard has acknowledged it. This team just needs to get more explosive offensively. And it starts from the top all the way down. You look at the coaching, and they kind of had to lean on quicker things, more RPOs due to the personnel they had. When you look at quarterback at Gardner Minshew, Roland deep is just not really his bag. Like he is, he's more of a West coast kind of guy. Get the ball spread out, quick shots. The RPOs again, the Colts were very, very heavy in that department.
Starting point is 00:03:03 Receiver, you know, Alec Pierce is a downfield specialist, and he did win plenty of one-on-one battles. But again, when that's not really what is being cooked up in the offensive scheme, you know, what can you do? And, you know, the Colts did have some chunk plays in the passing game, but it just wasn't always the deep shots. You know, it was hitting a deep dig over the middle of the field
Starting point is 00:03:26 or taking advantage of a blown coverage and getting a big chunk along the sideline, things like that. But, you know, running back, obviously, Zach Moss did great in Jonathan Taylor's absence, but being explosive is not really what he's known for. Like, he's a well-balanced runner, but he's a grinder. He's tough to bring down very good between the tackles. Uh, and then it's tight end. It was just kind of a revolving door of guys, you know, their availability was always up in the air. Guys were hurt,
Starting point is 00:03:58 you know, drew Ogletree landed on the commissioner's exempt list. So how are they going to get better offensively without having added anyone? And I think this goes without saying, but I'll add a disclaimer just in case there's anyone who thinks I'm saying they shouldn't add anyone. That's not at all what I'm saying. I'm saying they are going to get better
Starting point is 00:04:17 regardless of whether they add anyone or not, which they still should. But we're going to get to that in the third segment. But Anthony Richardson, obviously, that's a given. You drafted this incredibly explosive athletic quarterback to make big plays both with his legs, and it's a guy who's aggressive through the air as well. He was deadly deep passing in college.
Starting point is 00:04:40 All the things in between that was kind of shaky, but he looked a little more polished than that when he actually got to the league and we saw him get on the field. But there's no question he adds an explosive element to the offense, both on the ground game, because it's impossible for defenses to have to try and deal with that when you have a quarterback that can beat you and have to make you guess with his legs like that, with a running back like Jonathan Taylor to his side, and then who is also more than willing to attack downfield. So that goes without saying. He missed 13 games,
Starting point is 00:05:17 which is the vast majority of the season, obviously. So let's say he plays 13 games, or he plays the whole season. Hopefully, that obviously is going to make the Colts offense look a whole lot better, even though, you know, like I said, tied for 10th in scoring and 15th in overall offense and yards. That's pretty good, despite not having that explosive element. Like I mentioned, Jonathan Taylor, you know, that guy's going to be lining up next to him. He missed seven games, the ankle to start the year, and then he had the thumb near the end of the year.
Starting point is 00:05:49 Having him will be huge. You're basically having two explosive dynamic runners, and one of them is going to be playing the quarterback position, and it's going to be pick your poison. I kind of liken it to having, you know, if you're looking at the defensive side of the ball, you've got two explosive dominant pass rushers. Look at the Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis era. You know, you can't really double team both of them. So what are you going to try and do?
Starting point is 00:06:16 So defenses are just going to be, I think, a lot of time. If this duo of Richardson and Taylor plays significant time together throughout the year, I just think it's going to leave defenses in shambles it's it's hard to imagine i'm not doing that because think of one of the most recent times we've seen richardson he was in incredible in pulling the colts back against the rams although they weren't able to win that was a lot of that was really impressively through the air and then then we saw a game like the Texans where he really dominated just like in the first quarter with his legs. So you have that type of element there. And then Jonathan Taylor, last time we saw him rushing for 160, 170, whatever it was against the Texans. So our latest proof of seeing these guys is that they're very explosive playmakers.
Starting point is 00:07:11 I'll get into more, I guess, low-key ones that you're not really going to think about, but Ashton Doolin, he tore his ACL, missed all season, tore his ACL in the summer. Now, he's not going to play a big role offensively. However, you look at it, this guy is going to be good for at least a few big plays per season he has a career yards per catch average of over 13 and a half yards um that's a guy when you look at you know your depth receivers being isaiah mckenzie juwan winfrey dj montgomery over the season those guys all offer some nice things. Ashton Doolin throughout his career, we've seen him for probably two or three years where he's gotten decent snaps as a receiver. He's an explosive player. He can make very difficult acrobatic catches and he can make
Starting point is 00:07:57 catches downfield. So when your fourth or fifth receiver is a guy like that, then that's going to add some more explosiveness to the offense as well. Again, I don't think he's going to is a guy like that, then that's going to add some more explosiveness to the offense as well. Again, I don't think he's going to be a guy that catches 30, 40 balls. It's probably going to be more like 15 or so, but of those 15, a handful of them are going to be super beneficial plays. So that is kind of a sneaky way the Colts will be able to add into that. Looking at the tight end room, it's still a mystery, but you know, there's talent there. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Jelani Woods is not going to miss the whole season again. So last time we saw him two years
Starting point is 00:08:34 ago, that built this huge hype train for him going into last year where it's like, wow, what is Shane Steichen going to be able to do with a tight end like that. And then those, those back-to-back hamstring injuries on different legs cost him his season. And so as long as something freaky doesn't happen and he's able to actually get on the field and show what he could do, he is still going to be, you know, his size alone, a mismatch. And he is incredibly athletic. Again, when he tested before the draft two years ago, he had the best RAS score of any tight end ever. So that's a guy with his blend of size and athleticism, big mismatch. So again, I'm not going to hang 30, 40 receptions on that guy either until we see him get out on the field. But for the plays that he is out there, he represents a problem.
Starting point is 00:09:24 And he's a physical mismatch for whoever's going against him. And then Will Mallory going into his second year, I mean, had a really solid showing for his rookie season. You know, dang near everything he did was a first down or something pretty positive. He caught the ball really well. So you have to imagine some sort of natural progression going into year two. And I kind of think the Colts are going to have high hopes for him. And he might just be somebody that goes into the offseason or go offseason program
Starting point is 00:09:57 or goes into training camp in the summer, higher up in the depth chart than we really previously would have thought. So, you know, with Woods coming back and Mallory going into a second year, that's going to improve the tight end room and the passing game as a whole, just on its own. So Woods, Mallory and Doolin all coming back, those are really subtle ways I think the passing game could get more consistent, get better. You could really do some nice things up the seam as well. And then lastly, for the offense, just the offensive line playing together for the entirety of a season. I mean, the offensive line was probably the strength of the whole offense throughout the season. But again, it was a revolving door of guys being in and out. I think
Starting point is 00:10:39 the starting, the normal starting five only started like four or five games together throughout the whole season, and they didn't even finish all those games. So we have a very small sample size of this really good starting five actually playing together. So let's just say the starting five starts the majority of the games together this time. You know, you're not, you maybe don't have these big injuries to Braden Smith, Brian Kelly, and this line that we know is really good actually plays most of the season together. You have this explosive running game back together with Richardson and Taylor. You've got, again, these subtle improvements in the passing game vertically with Woods, Mallory, and Doolin.
Starting point is 00:11:26 And those are just some really simple ways the Colts don't have to lift a finger for the offense to get better. So we're going to flip the script and look at the defensive side of the ball here in a moment. Are you the kind of driver who likes to push things a little further? Ever wonder what adventure could be around the next corner? Well, at nissan have a lineup of suvs that can take your adventure to the next level the 2024 nissan rogue is perfect for city drives and great escapes class exclusive google built-in is your always updating assistant to call on for almost anything gone are the days of connecting your phone google assistant google maps and google play store are built right into the 12.3-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system. The 2024 Rogue is the perfect midsize crossover for your next adventure.
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Starting point is 00:13:01 They had four guys with at least eight sacks. No other team in the league had four guys with even seven. So the Colts were really, really solid in sacks. I think they finished fifth on the season. So their best season getting to the quarterback in a long time. They did struggle with some consistency here and there. I've mentioned there was, I think, three or four games where they either had one or zero sacks, and they only won one of those games, and it was because it was against a really weak Titans team earlier in the season. But having Grover Stewart, your big one tech there, back in the middle, it of course helps things against the run, but he's been improving as a pass rusher as well. He's been disruptive in the backfield,
Starting point is 00:13:45 and it makes things easier for those guys to force Buckner, Sampson, Ebicom, Quidipe, Dayo, Dangbo, when they have him next to them to eat up blockers and create space to get through the lanes. So having him, you know, he missed the six games with his performance-enhancing drug suspension. So having him back will be big. Now, of course, he missed the six games with his performance-enhancing drug suspension. So having him back will be big. Now, of course, he's a free agent, but Zach and I have talked.
Starting point is 00:14:10 He might, I don't want to say their top priority, but he might be the guy they feel most confident about bringing back. Pittman, obviously, but Pittman is probably going to have a bigger market. But Grover, it is very, very hard for me to imagine him not being back. So obviously without him for those six games, the Colts averaged 150 yards per ground given up on average per game. It was night and day when he was back in there. So having him back is going to be huge. Just, you know, he's the guy that's been pretty healthy throughout his career. So you have him for 14, 15, 16 games. that's going to be a huge help rather than having him you know without him for
Starting point is 00:14:49 six games uh the linebacker room is settled this year so last year they were trying to work Shaquille Leonard back into things um he was able to participate in training camp and was healthy enough to like be on the field and actually play but it's like they just it was trying to make it happen like it wasn't natural to get him in there because he knew what was going on behind the scenes the guy had studied this system but we saw two years ago uh you know the first year of Gus Bradley and Indy, it took guys like Zyra Franklin and, you know, EJ Speed, Bobby Okereke. It took them a minute to really get the defense down. There was a lot of struggles earlier in the season with how things were going in the middle of the field with the linebackers.
Starting point is 00:15:37 But they caught on and we obviously saw Zyra Franklin go nuts. Bobby Okereke had a great season. EJ Speed is at where he's at now. But Leonard didn't get that. Two years ago, he was hurt and didn't really play. He just had the three games that he was out there for. So he was healthy enough to get out there and participate in training camp, but he just did not look like himself, obviously, which led to him being dismissed midway through the year. He's now with the Eagles. So the Colts don't really have to worry about that this summer. That's going to be Zaire and EJ Speed as your top two linebackers
Starting point is 00:16:15 the whole way through. They can plan around that. We saw EJ Speed after he replaced Leonard full-time in the lineup, a little shaky in the first couple weeks, but then towards the end of the year, you see speed flying around, getting a lot more comfortable with his increased role. I mean, he started to be the one over Franklin getting 10, 11, 12 tackles per game. Uh, he's a guy who's always been pretty good at getting to the quarterback on blitzes. Um, you know, he has some improvements to make in the passing game and coverage, but he's an excellent run defender. And then Zyre Franklin as well. So I think your linebacker room is settled.
Starting point is 00:16:52 We've talked about the Colts do need to get somebody who's pretty good in coverage. They're kind of lacking that element. But regardless of who they add, Zyre Franklin and EJ Speed are going to have huge roles. Those are going to be 100% snap guys. Saguna Luby, another guy who we should see some improvement from. The Colts kind of had to play some musical chairs with their linebackers behind Franklin and Speed last year. You know, you saw a lot of Grant Stewart, Cameron McGrone, Saguna Luby. I feel like Luby is comfortably in that next group. Like I think he's linebacker three, depending on what role it is when you're looking at Mike, for example,
Starting point is 00:17:34 I think they really like him, but he's been a developmental guy, very, very athletic, but has needed to have the experience of seeing the NFL in front of him and playing the game in order to really get that, you know, to be able to diagnose things in front of him. Because that's something coaches have had an issue with him before is being able to diagnose what's in front of him. Is it a run? Is it a pass? What am I doing? Another offseason of that going into another season, that'll be an improvement. So I think the linebacker room, you already knew you had studs there, but I don't think there's going to be as much disruption, as long as those guys stay healthy, obviously.
Starting point is 00:18:14 And then last up, we've talked about cornerback being a big need, but Juju Brents, who missed half the season, he missed eight games. Dallas Flowers missed 13 games. You're getting a lot just by those guys coming back healthy. Now, of course, Flowers had the Achilles injury. And, you know, anytime an explosive player has, you know, the Achilles injury used to be a death sentence for players on their career, especially explosive players.
Starting point is 00:18:43 There has been a big improvement in how guys recover from that in the timeline in which they recover. But Flowers, luckily, it happened pretty early in the season. He's released video on social media of him dunking a basketball. So he's getting back. He's getting there. I don't have huge concerns about him. Now, if he still was way behind in his recovery,
Starting point is 00:19:08 that'd be a problem. But I mean, he came into last season as a starting cornerback for the Colts. Same thing with Juju Brents. It only took him like a game to get into the starting lineup. Of course, he was replacing Dallas Flowers. But you're getting two guys with great length and really good athleticism
Starting point is 00:19:27 who are aggressive both tackling and attacking the ball. Now, I do think they still need to add more at cornerback and in the secondary in general, but just having Brents and Flowers back will be huge for the depth of your cornerback room because, again, we saw Tony Brown, Daryl Baker Jr., Jalen Jones. You saw guys, Amir Speed. As the season went on, you just started seeing these guys who wouldn't necessarily be playing for other teams, getting serious snaps with the Colts.
Starting point is 00:19:57 And just getting those two back will help the depth immensely, I think. So coming up next, what do I think the Colts are actually going to prioritize? Because we all have our opinions of where we think they're weak or where they have to add, but the Colts are going to have their own opinions and they're going to have their own objectives and missions to accomplish this off season. This show is brought to you by our sponsor BetterHelp. Sometimes we all need the opportunity to get stuff off our chest, big or small. Certain things can start to get tight to you. And it's important to let that out. Honestly, again, seriously, big or small, big things. Maybe you don't want to burden anybody
Starting point is 00:20:35 in your life with it. Small things you feel it's too insignificant to talk about. But shoot, get it out, especially when it comes to someone who's unbiased in your life. Uh, I am blessed to have the foundational parts of my life settled or, you know, in my opinion, they are, uh, but that doesn't stop me from kind of stressing the little stuff. And, you know, I'm a big third world problems guy. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate the problems that other people who aren't as fortunate as me have, but for real, I mean, they're problems to me. Like a good example, my washer just broke for the second time
Starting point is 00:21:10 since last year, second time in a year. I hate this washer. I hate the washer dryer combo. I hate them so much. Now that they have broken again, it's not even a, like the last time I had someone come out to fix the warranty. The guy was like, I don't know what this brand is. And the guy I brought in to come fix it for the warranty, the guy who works for the warranty company did not know anything about my washer. So the fact that it is broken again, and that I would rather resolve the problem by going and dropping a thousand, 1200 bucks, whatever it is on a new washer and dryer set. I don't love that. So you don't care about that, but it annoys the heck out of me. And therapy can be different for everybody from
Starting point is 00:21:59 that perspective. Most of us have more significant problems than mine, and it's essential to get things off your chest occasionally. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online, designed to be flexible and suited to your schedule. So visit betterhelp.com slash locked on to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp.com slash locked on. All right, so what are the Colts actually going to do? You know, they have their needs across the board, big or small, you know, back up quarterback, more explosive on offense. Do they add a pass rusher to kind of smooth out the inconsistencies?
Starting point is 00:22:37 What do they do? So I think a lot of people want to pour resources into the passing game to get it more explosive. But I think the Colts are going to see things how I just laid them out offensively, that they're going to get more explosive by default by those guys coming back. However, they did talk about, especially Chris Ballard at his end of season press conference, them wanting to get more explosive. And, you know, they were there at the Senior Bowl. There was plenty of explosive guys.
Starting point is 00:23:08 We're going to have the combine here starting next week. I think they'll probably look to the draft to get more explosive. Free agency is fine, but I don't think they're going to want to spend the kind of money they're going to have to spend to get more explosive and free agency is going to have to be for players who they probably don't intend to see as many snaps as that money would make sense for. I don't know if I explained that well. the Colts will draft at least one wide receiver and or tight end could be both who would be capable of starting or playing a decent role, but being rookies, they don't have to. So like a perfect example is, you know,
Starting point is 00:23:56 you have Michael Pittman jr and Josh downs and Alec Pierce right now, obviously no one is going to come in and start playing over like downs and Pittman. I don't, and unless they fall into someone big time, like Roma dunes, a, or, you know, any of these, these big guys, Malik neighbors in the first round, any of these big guys in the draft, I think Alec Pierce is going to maintain his role. Now, someone could come in and eat snaps into it, but I really think the Colts want to look at second or third round, a receiver who is capable of creating yak or making big plays downfield. But it could be a scenario where like they tag Michael Pittman,
Starting point is 00:24:45 which is a one-year deal. And they have this rookie who they're developing and, you know, fast forward a year and maybe they hammer out a multi-year deal with Pittman or by the end of 2024, they have a plan of what they want to do. And, you know,
Starting point is 00:25:02 maybe they decide out Pierce justce just isn't cutting it we need this guy uh to come in and be our second receiver something like that i i don't think it's going to be a small time edition i don't think it's going to be like a fifth or sixth round guy i do think within the first few rounds they're going to do it. And it could be a tight end. We've talked about, we've talked about Brock Bowers, obviously ad nauseum at 15. You know, this, the Sanders kid from Texas in round two makes sense, even though he's, he's kind of Kylan Granson-ish, but maybe a little upgrade. But I do think the Colts want to get more explosive, but I don't think it's going to be some huge overhaul to do it.
Starting point is 00:25:45 And then the secondary, this one seems obvious, and I'm not even going to try and trick you into saying they don't need to do it because I think they do. Although I do think they like they have Juju Brinson and Dallas Flowers coming back. I think the secondary as a whole, they're going to add a couple guys. I wouldn't be surprised at all. I'm actually kind of expecting their first pick to be a cornerback uh it's pretty deep in the first round and there's guys that fit gus bradley scheme really well guys that fit well with uh what db's coach ron milas likes to do you know zach recently talked to you guys about quinnian mitchell Arnold. You've got Nate Wiggins as well.
Starting point is 00:26:27 Cooper to Jean. There are a lot of options at cornerback. It's a deep group and I wouldn't be surprised if they traded back a little bit and got one of those guys. So I do think they need to add another capable starting corner. And then at safety, I don't, so I don't know that they're looking for like a true difference maker at safety, which is why you can see just like kind of a capable starting veteran re-signed or like they re-signed Julian Blackman. I don't think they're going for a home run at safety. I just think they want someone dependable. Now, if we're looking at the second round, Cameron Kitchens is there or someone they really like. You've got third, fourth round, either of the Georgia safeties is there. They could look to do that, I think. And those are
Starting point is 00:27:18 guys who could be difference makers, but you're not putting huge assets into it. You're not pouring a lot of money into it through free agency. You're not spending a premium pick on it. So I do think they want to add a couple starting caliber players to the secondary. I just don't think it's going to be through free agency. I think at least safety, I think could be through free agency.
Starting point is 00:27:42 Again, like I mentioned, just not huge, just Julian Blackman level signing agency. Again, like I mentioned, just not huge, just Julian Blackman level signings. Again, I don't think they're going for the fences on that one. Um, and you, you might question, you know, they went heavy on the secondary last year. You could consider it the year before if you, you know, add Nick cross, but we've seen them do this in consecutive years before, you know, in 2018, in 2018 they had uh Shaquille Leonard Matthew Adams and Zyra Franklin you know I remember I was on a radio show ahead of the next
Starting point is 00:28:12 draft the 2019 draft and they asked me what's one position you think the Colts won't add and I was like probably linebacker and then they go out and draft Ben Banigou Bobby Okereke and EJ Speed like a week later now Ben Banigou is a defensiveereke, and EJ Speed like a week later. Now, Ben Banigou is a defensive end, yes, but when they drafted him, they had him listed at linebacker. It just didn't work out that way. So you never know. Like they said last year, they wanted to get young in the secondary, and just because they drafted a few guys doesn't mean they're done. So I could see the Colts adding at least a few more guys through the secondary in the draft, and at least a few more guys through the secondary in the draft, and at least a couple of them who could be starters.
Starting point is 00:28:49 Again, you might ask about defensive end. I just don't really think so unless it falls into their lap. Zach and I have kind of talked about this a little bit. Coverage, improvements in coverage are going to help up front get to the quarterback more consistently. But, I mean, it's hard for me to imagine those long lapses and a lack of pressure continuing with the group they have. It's just a really productive group of guys. Now, unless someone falls into their lap, they're at 15, that's when I think you could see them look to do it, just because it's not a need of theirs, but it's best player available. And Chris Ballard has said before, when it comes to elite pass rushers, you have to draft and develop them. And this is a
Starting point is 00:29:37 really unique year for the Colts where they don't have huge needs across the board. And the draft board probably being very very heavy offensively ahead of them might just push this decent group of defensive ends down you know lay out to lot to if his medicals check out that's going to be a nice one you got the the Alabama boys Jared verse like there are guys out there for them to get that could be really big contributors. So again, I don't think that's going to be a mission for them. I think they acknowledge they had a really good group that just needs to get a little more consistent.
Starting point is 00:30:15 But again, if something big falls into their lap, don't expect them to pass that up. So that's it for us today, everybody. If you haven't already seen Locked On, it's launched the first ever national sports 24-7 streaming channel on YouTube. That's Locked On Sports Today. It's here for you 24-7, covering the top sports stories of the day with the local experts of Locked On, plus our national shows covering every league. Go to Locked On Sports Today on YouTube
Starting point is 00:30:40 and subscribe to the first ever national sports 24-7 streaming channel. And I know Zach just talked to you guys about the indie draft guide there's the nice beautiful cover of it in all its glory i'm going to go ahead and we'll have the link to that pre-orders are out now so please please order that um zach is i mean the guy is a killer he is insane at what he does. The Build-A-Ballard series is always awesome. He's got a great formula to nail down who the Colts will love. It's not just him, though. It's a great team of guys putting work into it to get this thing out.
Starting point is 00:31:17 And it is, to me, if you're a Colts fan, it's an essential must-have every offseason. If you don't already, follow at LockedOnColts, at JakeArthurNFL, and at ZachHicks2 on Twitter. Also, subscribe on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. We would also love your ratings and reviews as well. And with that, we will see you guys next week.

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