The Colts’ offseason goals should be very simple: keep what you have. This isn’t necessarily a rule that should go across the board, but this should be what they are thinking as they go through most of their offseason tasks.
Manning is an obvious must-have for the Colts in 2011, and Jim Irsay has already shown that his intention is to have Manning back, and make him the highest paid player in the league once the new CBA is complete. Joseph Addai will also likely be back after a season marred by a neck injury.
Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis both want a lot of money, but I have no doubt that at least one, if not both, will be retained by the Colts. If it does come down to one of the other, Mathis should be the higher priority. Manning’s ability to find even the least experienced receiver and throw passes he can catch makes Wayne more replaceable than Mathis. Manning will also have Dallas Clark and Austin Collie back to go alongside Pierre Garçon, Anthony Gonzalez, and Jacob Tamme. Long story short, Wayne would be welcomed back, but he may not be quite as important to the Colts’ offensive success as many people think.
Indy’s defense has a little work to be done, but keeping Mathis would be one less thing to worry about, and it would be a big task to replace him. The secondary is probably the most notable thing that needs fixing, but their defensive line could use a little improvement as well, especially at the tackle position.
Indianapolis may also want to start looking at the draft as a way to get some new offensive linemen. Their current linemen are beginning to age a bit so getting some youth in to replace them within the next couple years would be a good idea. The biggest thing is to get the right guys for the job. The most important aspect of blocking for the Colts over the next 5-6 years (based on the planned proposed contract length for Manning by Irsay) will be pass blocking. But the linemen they have during that time need to be better able to block for the run, at least often enough that the pass attack can be better set up.
As long as the Colts can stay healthy next season, the race for the AFC South should not be as close as it was this year.
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