Colts have their QB- what comes next?
By ADAM RIPBERGER
ISL Contributor
INDIANAPOLIS — The search is over, and the Indianapolis Colts have their new QB. After trading a third-round pick in 2021 and a conditional second-round pick in 2022, the Colts have reunited Carson Wentz with Head Coach Frank Reich. Ever since the Super Bowl ended, rumors were swirling about the Eagles desire to trade Wentz in the off-season after a troubled 2020 campaign which ended with a benching of Wentz and eventual firing of head coach Doug Pederson. Once reports out of Philadelphia stated Wentz wanted out, the Colts were one of the few names thrown in from the start.
It’s no secret: Wentz was a different player when he had Frank Reich. He had his best seasons as a pro and was on pace for the MVP award before getting injured near the end of the 2017 season.
“That’s always been the goal, to have a longer-term answer at that position, that you can build around and grow,” Reich told the IndyStar. “Because as you grow as an offense, because the quarterback is so central in the offense going through him, being able to grow year-by-year is an important aspect. That’s certainly in our vision and plans … at that position.”
So, what does this do for the Colts? After Philip Rivers made his retirement announcement, the Colts knew they had a huge void to fill and needed to hit on a trade or a draft pick. With the overall roster mostly set and built to win now, figuring out the QB position was the main ingredient to hopefully turn this playoff contender into a Super Bowl Contender. Now that general manager Chris Ballard found his guy, he can now work on fixing/upgrading other parts of this talented roster.
To some, it may look like a questionable trade, since the Colts were reportedly the only team with major interest in Wentz, but with the history and approval from Coach Reich, Ballard surely knows what he is doing. He has made great moves the past few years and drafted really well and hit on some key picks, so Colts nation should have a strong faith in Ballard and the trade he just completed.
Now that the trade is complete, the pressure now comes to Wentz and Coach Frank Reich. With their success in Philadelphia, and Reich’s confidence, he can revive Wentz’s career. Both will have plenty of pressure going into next season. Wentz is coming off what is his worst season as a professional last year, but with the lack of offensive weapons and depth, not all of the blame can be put on Wentz. A noteworthy stat, before Philip Rivers came to Indy, his last season with the Chargers was arguably his worst as he went 5-11 and was intercepted 20 times, but then turned it around in Indy the following year going 11-5 and leading the Colts to the playoffs. The Colts hope Wentz can have a similar transition and be even better with his mobility and offensive weapons to help him manage the game better.
Now what?
Now that the Colts have their QB, they can turn their attention to free agency and the draft. The Colts have a number of free agents they would like to re-sign and possibly go after on the market and have tons of cap room, so look for Ballard to be strategic and to not overspend for higher end players but to get productive players that will fit their offense. The Colts do have an offensive line vacancy with the retirement of Anthony Castonzo, so look for Ballard to address in the draft and to go after needs that will make his football team better. After all the ups and downs of last season and question marks about the quarterback, the Colts have their man, and the potential could be great. It sure does make the Colts fanbase excited and ready to see what this team can be when the season starts.
