2026 Off-Season Thread

[Colts And Orioles]

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Our beloved Colts have not made the playoffs since 2020, have not been to the Super Bowl since 2009, and have not won the Super Bowl since 2006 ....... but hey, we have a great mascot.



Blue Named NFL Mascot of the Year, Earns Back-To-Back Honors

(Colts Communication)

https://www.colts.com/news/blue-name...ot-of-the-year








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[YDFL Commish]

Originally Posted by Colts And Orioles

o


Our beloved Colts have not made the playoffs since 2020, have not been to the Super Bowl since 2009, and have not won the Super Bowl since 2006 ....... but hey, we have a great mascot.



Blue Named NFL Mascot of the Year, Earns Back-To-Back Honors

(Colts Communication)

https://www.colts.com/news/blue-name...ot-of-the-year








o

Personally, I have never cared for Blue. But, you can't argue with his success. I would also imagine that he does attract a lot of younger fans.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


This will be Grigson's 3rd time of service with the Browns ......



Cleveland Browns Senior Personnel Executive: ll. (2017)

Cleveland Browns Senior Football Advisor: lllllllllt (2020-2021)

Cleveland Browns Senior Football Advisor: llllllll.. (2026 - Present)




Former Colts GM Ryan Grigson Returns to the Browns as Senior Football Advisor

(By Mary Kay Cabot)

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/202...l-advisor.html

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[Racehorse]

Originally Posted by Colts And Orioles

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This will be Grigson's 3rd time of service with the Browns ......



Cleveland Browns Senior Personnel Executive: ll. (2017)

Cleveland Browns Senior Football Advisor: lllllllllt (2020-2021)

Cleveland Browns Senior Football Advisor: llllllll.. (2026 - Present)




Former Colts GM Ryan Grigson Returns to the Browns as Senior Football Advisor

(By Mary Kay Cabot)

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/202...l-advisor.html

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Browns still doing Browns stuff

[apballin]

Originally Posted by Colts And Orioles

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This will be Grigson's 3rd time of service with the Browns ......



Cleveland Browns Senior Personnel Executive: ll. (2017)

Cleveland Browns Senior Football Advisor: lllllllllt (2020-2021)

Cleveland Browns Senior Football Advisor: llllllll.. (2026 - Present)




Former Colts GM Ryan Grigson Returns to the Browns as Senior Football Advisor

(By Mary Kay Cabot)

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/202...l-advisor.html

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He did good in Minnesota

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by apballin

He did good in Minnesota

Clearly not good enough to avoid getting fired with the rest of Kwesi's staff.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


Ranking Colts’ Position Groups ...... CB’s Lead the Way, but Depth Is a Big Problem on Defense

(By James Boyd)

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/739...s-depth-chart/




The first day of Indianapolis Colts training camp is set for July 28th, and with it will come an opportunity for the team to get a better understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Joint practices against the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons in August will provide even more feedback for how the Colts stack up ...... but before the pads go on this summer, now felt like a good time to preview how each position group compares to the others. So, without further ado, here are the Colts’ 10 position groups, ranked from strongest to weakest.



11) l Cornerback

The big caveat here, like any other group, is health. But that factor is emphasized even more when considering that Charvarius Ward is coming off of a season in which he suffered 3 concussions, and appeared in a career-low 7 games. If he can remain available, an outside cornerback duo of Ward and Sauce Gardner should be one of the best in the league. Justin Walley, the 2025 3rd-round pick, is another key piece in the slot. Despite being sidelined for his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL, the Colts remain high on Walley’s potential. He’s poised to assume a big role after the team released veteran nickel back Kenny Moore II in May.


12) l Specialists

This choice may be a head-scratcher for some, but when Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason said recently that he thinks that his team has 2 starting kickers on its roster in Spencer Shrader and Blake Grupe, I believed him. Both delivered strong seasons with the Colts last year, as Shrader missed just one of his 14 field-goal attempts before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Grupe eventually took over and drilled all 11 of his tries with the Colts. Their duel will be one of Indianapolis's top position battles this summer. Meanwhile, punter Rigoberto Sanchez and long snapper Luke Rhodes remain among the league’s best at their respective positions.


13) l Offensive Line

The Colts must replace Braden Smith, who had served as the team’s starting right tackle since 2018. However, they appeared to be prepared for this transition by drafting Jalen Travis in the 4th round last year. Travis started 4 games as a rookie while filling in for Smith, whose durability took a hit in recent years. The rest of the Colts’ starting offensive line remains intact with star left guard and future Hall-of-Famer Quenton Nelson leading the pack. Indianapolis also reinforced its offensive line by drafting guard Jalen Farmer in the 4th round.


14) . Running Back

Indianapolis doesn’t have much depth, if any, behind star running back Jonathan Taylor. But the 3-time Pro Bowler, who scored a league-high 20 TD's last year ...... tying his own franchise record ...... is good enough to carry this room by himself. Taylor was remarkably healthy last year, never appearing on the injury report, and played a career-high 82% of Indianapolis’s offensive snaps. Obviously, the Colts hope that that trend continues because they don’t have a proven commodity behind him. Rookie 7th-round pick Seth McGowan and 2025 5th-round pick DJ Giddens will compete for the back-up job.


15) . Quarterback

The primary reason that this position group isn’t ranked higher is because Daniel Jones’ health can’t be trusted, given that he’s only played one full season in his career. The 29-year-old, who has won over the franchise with his toughness, selflessness and dedication, is still coming off of a torn right Achilles tendon that could limit how mobile he is in 2026. Mobility was a key part of Jones’ success as he played at a Pro Bowl-caliber level and led the Colts to an 8-2 start in 2025. Jones, to his credit, looked pretty sharp this spring as he continues rehabbing. The same can’t be said for Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson, who are jockeying for the QB-2 title. Both passers were very up and down this spring, which only reinforced how much trouble the Colts would be in if Jones goes down.


16) t Wide Receiver

This may be a controversial ranking for a group that’s now headlined by a $114 Million receiver in Alec Pierce. But keep in mind that Pierce, who only has one 1,000-yard receiving season, was sidelined all spring as he continues rehabbing from left ankle surgery. He said that he could be back any time between the start of training and the regular season, and that the reps that he’s missing as Indianapolis's top receiver shouldn’t be overlooked. Josh Downs is in line for a bigger role, too, after veteran Michael Pittman Jr was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. But the rest of this receiving group is underwhelming. Ashton Dulin appears to be the front-runner for the 3rd starting receiver job, though he’s mostly been a (great) special teamer throughout his career.


17) y Tight End

Tyler Warren delivered an impressive rookie campaign, registering 76 catches for 817 yards and 4 TD's ...... he even added a rushing TD. His production dipped once Jones went down, but assuming that Jones can stay healthy in 2026, which is a big ask, Warren should be primed for another solid campaign. One could argue that Warren, not Pierce, will be the focal point of the Colts’ passing game thanks to his versatility. Indianapolis also retained veteran Mo Alie-Cox, who is still one of the better blocking tight ends in the NFL.


18) y Safety

Cam Bynum will lead this group, which should give the Colts a sense of security. Last year, Bynum inked a 4-year, $60 Million free-agent contract to join Indianapolis, and the veteran lived up to his salary with a career-high 4 INT's and 8 pass-breakups in 2025. The questions start to come at this spot when looking at the rest of the room. A.J. Haulcy, the Colts’ rookie 3rd-round pick this year, is primed to take over for last year’s starting strong safety, Nick Cross, who joined the Washington Commanders in free-agency. Indianapolis defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is very high on Haulcy, but it’s still hard to bank on him immediately elevating the Colts’ safety unit when he hasn’t played a snap in the NFL.


19) y Defensive Line

Colts GM Chris Ballard admitted that his team tried and failed to sign edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, as the 4-time Pro Bowler wound up joining the Baltimore Ravens. The Colts then pivoted to signing rotational veterans Arden Key and Micheal Clemons, but neither should be viewed as needle-movers. Indianapolis has a lot riding on 2024 1st-round pick Laiatu Latu and star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, though the latter is still recovering from neck surgery that he had at the end of last season. If Buckner doesn’t return to an All-Pro level, the Colts’ pass rush will be in a world of trouble.


10) y Linebacker

This group comes in last solely because of experience. CJ Allen, the Colts’ 2nd-round pick this year, has garnered high praise this spring, but he’s still a rookie trying to replace a team captain and 2024 2nd-team All-Pro in Zaire Franklin, who was traded to the Green Bay Packers in March. Akeem Davis-Gaither seems like the logical starter next to Allen, thanks to his previous experience in Anarumo’s defense in Cincinnati. However, with hardly any time on task for the Colts’ new linebacker duo, it seems reasonable to want to wait to see.

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[BCN#1]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

Clearly not good enough to avoid getting fired with the rest of Kwesi's staff.

Grigson should have only been brought back to be the head shitter scrubber in my view but as stated elsewhere, this be the Browns being the Browns again.

[AlwaysSunnyinIndy]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

Clearly not good enough to avoid getting fired with the rest of Kwesi's staff.

Grigson didn't get fired by the Vikings. Shockingly, the team wanted him to stick around...although in a different role.

They did strip him of his Assistant GM title so that the new GM could select his own Asst GM's.

So instead of accepting the new role with the Vikings, Grigson called up his buddy Andrew Berry and asked him for a job with the Browns.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


You can read the entire article if you'd like ...... I'm just going to highlight the Colts' section.



Assistant Coaches Who Could Break Out in 2026 for All 32 NFL Teams

(By Jourdan Rodrigue)

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/745...h-2026-season/




Indianapolis Colts: ll Alex Tanney, Passing Game Coordinator


Before his season-ending injury, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was enjoying a career season, and Tanney was one of the coaches who served as a behind-the-scenes architect. He worked with head coach Shane Steichen at his previous stop in Philadelphia, and has become an extremely valuable assistant to him.

Cam Turner, the Colts’ quarterbacks coach, also gets a nod here. He was described to me as a “glue guy” in Indianapolis who, like Tanney, helps set the schematic table for offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and Steichen.

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