Brief Review of 2014 Season

The Indianapolis Colts won the AFC South with a record of 11-5.  Led by Andrew Luck, they made it to the AFC Championship game after defeating the AFC favorite Denver Broncos in the divisional round.  Unfortunately, their stellar performance against the Broncos didn’t transfer to the Championship game in Foxboro as the New England Patriots defeated the Colts in blowout fashion, 45-7.  And of course this was the game that started “Deflate Gate” which sparked controversy, but either way, the Colts season came to an end.

They’ve improved each year with Luck under center and the young quarterback continues to shine.  The team is moving in the right direction, and while they didn’t win the Super Bowl, they advanced farther in the playoffs than the previous year.

2015 Free Agents

Mike Adams, Safety

Adams played in all 16 games for the Colts and had 87 tackles and five interceptions.  He was an important free agent signing by the Colts last offseason and was a key contributor to the defense.

Colt Anderson, Safety

Anderson played in 15 games for the Colts this past season, but made zero starts.  He had 13 total tackles and 12 special teams tackles.

Ahmad Bradshaw, Running back

Bradshaw played in 10 games, only making one start, but was effective in the run game.  He collected 90 carries for 425 yards and two touchdowns, and also had 38 catches for 300 yards and six touchdowns; proving to be of importance to the Colts offensive success.  However, his season was cut short due to injury for the second year in a row.

Sergio Brown, Safety

In 15 games, Brown made eight starts after LaRon Landry was suspended.  In those games, Brown posted 24 combined tackles and one sack.

Darius Butler, Cornerback

Butler played in 14 games and had four starts.  Overall he had 46 total tackles and nine passes defended.

Josh Gordy, Cornerback

Gordy appeared in 16 games, but made zero starts; he had 19 tackles.

Matt Hasselbeck, Quarterback

The veteran appeared in four games as Luck’s backup in 2014.  In those appearances, Hasselbeck was 30-44 with 301 yards and two touchdowns.  Overall, Hasselbeck has had little value to Luck, who is undoubtedly the starter and is rarely taken out of games.

Fili Moala, Defensive End

Moala missed the 2014 season recovering from an ACL injury sustained in OTA’s.

Hakeem Nicks, Wide Receiver

Nicks played a full season for the first time in six years, but only made six starts with the Colts due to their depth at the receiving core.  He had 38 receptions for 405 yards and four touchdowns in 2014.

Cory Redding, Defensive End

The veteran made all 16 starts for the Colts and had 44 total tackles and three and a half sacks.

Joe Reitz, Offensive Tackle

Reitz played in 10 games and made four starts, showing versatility on the offensive line by playing at three different positions this past season.

Andy Studebaker, Outside Linebacker

Studebaker played in 13 games and made one start in 2014, and had 16 total tackles.

Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver

Reggie Wayne has been vital to the Colts success over the years.  The wide receiver has had a great career and will have some decisions to make this offseason.  He will undergo triceps surgery to fix an injury that affected him down the stretch, and Wayne has also said he doesn’t want to play for another team besides the Colts.  In 2014, he started 15 games and had 64 receptions for 779 yards and two touchdowns.

2015 Cap Room: $43, 745, 661

Biggest Need Areas

Defensive Line

Toward the end of the season, the Colts struggled against the run game, as was evident in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots rush attack.  Head coach Chuck Pagano put an emphasis on dominating the line of scrimmage, which is an area in need of improvement against the run.  The line also needs to improve with the pass rush putting more pressure on the quarterback.  The Colts will look to add to their 3-4 defensive setup.

Wide Receiver

With Both Nicks and Wayne hitting the free agent market, the Colts receiving core could take a hit.  They may try to retain both of them, probably preferably Wayne, but they will also have T.Y. Hilton on the roster, who had a big season and is a key target for Luck.  With a good young quarterback in Luck and the Colts success, they will be able to improve their receiving core.

Secondary

With many of the 2014 Colts’ secondary on the free agent list, this is an area of need regardless if they are able to re-sign some of the cornerbacks and safeties listed above.  There are options available for Indy this offseason as they look to improve their defense and bring in more players capable of making the big plays when needed.

2015 NFL Draft Selections

Round 1: 29th pick

Round 2: 29th pick (61st overall)

Round 3: 29th pick (93rd overall)

Round 4: 29th pick (125th overall)

Round 5: 29th pick (157 overall)

Round 6: 29th and 31st pick

Round 7: 27th and 29th pick