Grading Indianapolis Colts' Free-Agency Plan so Far

Patience is a virtue.

Indianapolis Colts fans found that out on Tuesday while waiting for the team to make moves. With players like Ndamukong Suh and Pernell McPhee quickly getting picked up by other teams, the Colts held back and waited.

The decision to hold off and wait for others to come to Indianapolis paid off. Through the first three days of free agency, general manager Ryan Grigson was able to bring in four new faces in Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Trent Cole and Kendall Langford, while Todd Herremans was brought in just a few days beforehand.

Expectations are always high in Indianapolis, but with a free-agent class like this, fans will be expecting a legitimate run at another Super Bowl. Add in a draft where the Colts have picks in all seven rounds, and this team could be a legitimate contender with the right players.

But there is still a lot of time before the Colts play another regular-season game, so while we wait, let's take a look at the grades for each free-agent signing, along with an overall grade for the team. These grades are based off the contracts given to the players, their fit with the team and their overall talent level.

Note: All contract information provided by Spotrac

Frank Gore

The Colts desperately needed to find a starting running back for 2015 since the Trent Richardson experiment failed. While he might not exactly be a long-term solution, the Colts were at least able to find their go-to back for next season by bringing in Frank Gore.

Gore is the strong, aggressive runner that the Colts were hoping Richardson could become. Although he's 31 years old, Gore was still able to average 4.3 yards per carry last season, picking up 1,106 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Because of his age, there are questions as to whether or not he'll be able to remain as productive in Indianapolis. Still, because of their need to balance the offense, there's a good chance that the Colts draft another running back early in the draft to pair with Gore and give them a one-two punch at the position.

Although Gore's three-year deal wasn't cheap, an average of $4 million per year isn't going to ruin the Colts if he doesn't work out. It's a short deal for an established veteran, and Gore should be able to give the Colts a boost in the running game.

Grade: B+

Andre Johnson

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David Carr, Tony Banks, Dave Ragone, Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels, T.J. Yates, Matt Leinart, Case Keenum Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Mallett.

Those are all of the quarterbacks that have started a game while Andre Johnson played with the Houston Texans.

Despite the plethora of mediocre quarterbacks, Johnson has been one of the best receivers in the league since 2003, catching 1,012 passes for 13,597 yards and 77 touchdowns. Now, the 33-year-old will have a chance to add to those numbers with an elite quarterback in Andrew Luck throwing him the ball.

Johnson might not have the speed that he used to, but he's still a physical receiver at 6'3" and 230 pounds. He's the exact type of a receiver that the Colts need to pair with T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief, giving them a physical threat that can make plays on the outside.

A three-year, $21 million deal is quite a lot for a 33-year-old receiver, but Johnson still looks like he has a lot left in the tank. With Hilton and the tight ends drawing some attention off of Johnson, he could have a big bounce-back season in 2015.

Grade: A-

Todd Herremans

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Offensive line depth has been an issue for the Colts in recent years. While there will continue to be concerns about that depth heading into the 2015 season, the Colts got another solid piece for their offensive line in Todd Herremans.

A veteran offensive guard with plenty of experience, Herremans had a rough 2014 campaign before suffering a season-ending foot injury in Week 9. However, in previous seasons, the 32-year-old proved that he could be a valuable asset in the run game, leading the way for the running backs behind him. 

Herremans could wind up being a starter if he proves himself in training camp. If he's healthy, him and Gore could be key pieces in helping establish the running game. With just a one-year deal for $2.25 million, Herremans doesn't have to do a lot to live up to, making this a pretty good, risk-free move.

Grade: A-

Trent Cole

Now let's look at the signings on the other side of the ball.

Even with Jonathan Newsome showing promise and Robert Mathis returning for 2015, the Colts could use some help at outside linebacker. Erik Walden hasn't been able to make much of an impact setting the edge, so the Colts went out and got a guy that should be able to.

Trent Cole spent his entire career up to this point with the Philadelphia Eagles, picking up 85.5 sacks in 10 seasons. He only racked up 6.5 sacks last season, but he still had the 12th-best pass-rushing grade among 3-4 outside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus.

Adding another pass-rusher is big for the Colts, but Cole is more than that. He's an effective all-around outside linebacker, and that should help them against the run as well. While $14 million over two years is a lot for a 32-year-old defensive player, the contract is short enough that they could part ways after this season and only lose $2 million in dead cap space.

Grade: B

Kendall Langford

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The defensive line is still a major concern for the Colts, and losing Cory Redding to the Arizona Cardinals didn't help. They're going to have to address the defensive line in the draft, but they were also able to bring in Kendall Langford.

Langford spent the past three seasons with the St. Louis Rams, picking up 101 combined tackles and eight sacks. He hasn't always made the biggest of impacts in his seven-year career, but he's always been able to fill space, coming in at 6'6" and 313 pounds.

It will be interesting to see where the Colts play Langford, but he'll most likely be replacing Redding as a defensive end. 

This is the only contract so far I'm a bit hesitant about. Langford can do some things well, but at 29 years old, he hasn't exactly done enough to warrant a four-year deal worth $17.2 million. He could wind up living up to that deal by thriving in a 3-4 defense, but I still feel like the Colts put a lot of money into a guy who has a lot to prove.

Grade: C+

Overall Grade

Since Luck and Chuck Pagano came to Indianapolis, the Colts have made progress each year, most recently making it all the way to the AFC Championship Game.

Is this the year that the Colts finally go back to the Super Bowl? It's too early to tell, but their free-agent additions are going to help them out considerably.

With Gore and Johnson in the mix offensively, the Colts have more weapons around Luck than ever before. The return of Joe Reitz and the addition of Herremans will give them some offensive line depth as well, but that unit will have to stay healthy in order to keep the pressure off of their star quarterback.

On defense, there are still some questions, but there should be some improvement with a healthy Mathis and Cole at outside linebacker. The Colts will still need some more help on the defensive line and another safety opposite of Mike Adams, but they should be able to hold their own against some of the better offenses.

This team is trending in the right direction, and if they can draft some rookies that can make an immediate impact, anything is possible for the Colts.

Grade: A-