Moves Indianapolis Colts Will Regret Not Making This Offseason

The Indianapolis Colts have had some messy offseasons over the last three years. The 2015 version looks to be the best of the Ryan Grigson era.

Let's get one thing straight: I love the 2015 offseason for Indianapolis.

It's an "A" offseason thus far in my book. On a 10-point scale, it's a nine, but only because perfection is unobtainable.

But in the future, we'll look back at a few of these moves as mistakes. Today, we're trying to preemptively predict such moves, or the failure to make a move, in some cases. To some, these may seem like nit-picking, and to an extent, they are. For the Colts, who have made a lot of well-reasoned moves this offseason, it's difficult to find no-brainer mistakes.

Thinking ahead of the curve, projecting potential problems, that's what we're trying to do here. I've written a lot about why the Colts' moves make sense this offseason, from Andre Johnson and Frank Gore to grades for each of the Colts' free agency signings.

Now, we shift our focus to the other side of the coin, as faint as the negative sides may look right now. With the draft still to come, what looks to potentially loom as an issue down the road?

Re-Signing Cory Redding

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

There were very distinct, defensible reasons to let veteran defensive lineman Cory Redding walk in free agency this year.

Redding is 34, after all, and has shown clear decline over the last three seasons. His run defense is inconsistent at this point in his career, and his horrific games against New England, in which he had a combined negative 7.6 grade from Pro Football Focus in run defense, were a big part of the unit's struggles.

At the same time, Redding was still the Colts' best defensive lineman last year, as he has been over the last three years. In fact, Redding has been the best non-Robert Mathis player in the Colts' front seven overall and is one of the few players who has made plays in a weak front seven. Redding was a true three-down lineman who could do it all in Indianapolis. Losing him is a blow on the field.

And that doesn't even begin to touch his role off the field.

Redding is one of the Colts' most important leaders, shown through example as well as veteran wisdom. Raved about by coaches, teammates and media members, Redding's leadership will be difficult to replace.

Extending Anthony Castonzo

David Richard/Associated Press

This move may still be coming by the Indianapolis Colts, although we haven't heard much about it in the offseason. For now, I'm going to address it as if it doesn't get done by the end of the offseason.

The Colts have a fair amount of big re-signings and extensions approaching in the coming years. Jim Irsay specifically mentioned Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Anthony Castonzo, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen when asked about the topic at the owners' meetings last week, according to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com.

Castonzo is the oldest of the group and was an eligible candidate for the extension this season. Being a first-round pick, Castonzo had a team option for his fifth year built into his contract. The Colts took advantage. Instead of securing a new contract for the Colts, the team locked in another year of his contract.

The Colts could have gotten part of his future contract out of the way, narrowing down his number from last year. With more than $11 million in cap space still remaining, the Colts could have gotten ahead of schedule.

Adding a Defensive Line Stud

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

While the Colts let Cory Redding walk in free agency, the team signed the former Rams defensive lineman to a four-year deal. Not only is Langford a key commitment in Redding's wake, but his play over the last three years merits little confidence.

Langford's four-year, $17.2 million contract doesn't include much guaranteed money, which is smart, but it makes Langford the one player the Colts bet on long term this offseason, which simply doesn't compute with the Colts' other, more sensible moves.

To put it simply, Langford hasn't been good thus far in his career, struggling as a full-time starter as well as a rotational defensive lineman. Sure, Langford was better in Miami's 3-4 than he was in St. Louis in a 4-3, but improving to above average or even average levels is a hopeful projection, not an expectation.

Expecting him to fill Redding's shoes is an unfair weight to put on his shoulders. If the Colts don't get him some more help on the defensive line, we could really see the line take a step back in 2015. There was potential to add a lineman with a higher upside, like Nick Fairley or Terrance Knighton (neither of which signed huge contracts), and the Colts opted to pass them up. 

Limiting Frank Gore's Guaranteed Money to 2015

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

I love the Frank Gore signing.

The Colts needed a running back that could add power, balance and vision to the Colts offense. Gore does that. The Colts needed a veteran experienced in a power system. Gore is that. The team needed someone who could pass protect. Gore can do that.

Indy needed somebody who could be a bridge to a younger back, and ultimately, that's what Gore is.

But one thing sticks out from the deal: Gore's $3 million roster bonus that is guaranteed in 2016. Gore is the team's one veteran free agent with substantial guaranteed money coming in 2016. Andre Johnson and Trent Cole both have significant savings if cut after 2015.

Gore seems to be the one with the highest risk of hitting a wall. So, it's a weird exception. The total guaranteed money is just $3 million in 2016, but it's about 75 percent of his total cap hit, per Spotrac.com.

Adding a Safe Starter on the Offensive Line

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The Colts brought in Todd Herremans to compete on the offensive line in 2015. However, the team is still depending on too many developmental players who have shown little on the offensive line.

The only significant addition to the line the Colts have made in three years—sans Jack Mewhort in last year's draft—was Gosder Cherilus, and his injury issues have nearly rendered him a liability. Everybody else has been either a complete bust or a limited stopgap, which is the category Herremans seems to fall under.

I actually like the Herremans move. I don't want the team to steep too many resources into the offensive line, but I would be lying if I said that I was completely comfortable with the offensive line.

The Colts are in a constant state of flux because of injuries. They have been hoping that linemen develop for the entire tenure of Ryan Grigson. Once again, the center position is going to be an unproven young player in 2015, which has clearly been a problem in the past. If there's one thing that could screw up this offense, it's the line, especially if the typical Indianapolis injuries take a toll.