The Indianapolis Colts made their first big move of the offseason, landing on Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as head coach. Steichen did an excellent job of helping to develop Jalen Hurts and the Colts are hoping he can bring some of that magic to Indianapolis along with him.
Finding a long-term answer at the quarterback position for Steichen to work with is the team’s No. 1 objective this offseason. After that, adding some more weapons around him would be a good plan of action.
Parris Campbell is hitting free agency, leaving a void behind Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce at wide receiver. Jelani Woods came on as the season wore on and should be ready for a larger role at tight end. In the backfield, Jonathan Taylor has proven when healthy he can be one of the best running backs in the NFL.
That is a nice core for Steichen to work with, especially if Campbell returns. If he doesn’t, the team should dip into free agency to find an upgrade. Pittman has shown flashes of being a No. 1 receiver, but that shouldn’t deter the Colts from making a move for one should the opportunity arise.
A player that the Colts should be keeping an eye on is Keenan Allen of the Los Angeles Chargers. There is a good chance that Allen hits free agency this offseason as a cap casualty with cap hits of $21.7 million and $25.8 million in the final two years of his contract. Given their salary cap situation, it would not be surprising if the Chargers cut the 10-year veteran.
If that occurs, the Colts need to use their connections to try and sign Allen. He has a close relationship with Steichen and that could be used to help them make a big acquisition. Steichen was the interim offensive coordinator for Los Angeles in 2019 before taking over the job in 2020 full-time.
Allen made the Pro Bowl in both seasons with Steichen overseeing the offense. In 30 games, Allen caught 204 passes for 2,191 yards and 14 touchdowns. Allen is good enough that he can likely succeed in any offensive system, but already having success under Steichen could give the Colts a leg up on the competition if he hits free agency.
Steichen also saw what adding a bonafide No. 1 receiver to the mix can do for a young player. Hurts took off in 2022 after the Eagles acquired A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans. Injuries kept Allen to only 10 games this past season, but he was still as productive as ever, catching 66 passes for 752 yards and four touchdowns.
Adding that caliber of player to Pittman and Pierce would give whoever is under center for the Colts in 2022 an excellent trio to throw the ball to.
