The Indianapolis Colts made a splash in free agency with the signings of Andre Johnson and Frank Gore for Andrew Luck and now the team likely will focus on defense for the draft and if they target more free agents and names like Brian Orakpo, Vince Wilfork, Michael Johnson, Brandon Spikes, Akeem Ayers, Greg Hardy and Nick Fairley could be potential options for general manager Ryan Grigson.
The Colts brought in Johnson after signing Gore to a three year deal and now the former Houston Texans receiver will join his rival team. According to ESPN.com, Johnson agreed to a deal worth $21 million over three seasons and he is expected to have a significant role with Indianapolis. Johnson was released by the Texans after they wanted to downgrade his role in the offense and have him take a pay cut and after interest from a number of teams, Johnson signed with the Colts.
The Colts defense was the weaker of their two units last season and it showed in their matchup with the New England Patriots. The team gave up over 220 passing yards per game and they ranked 18th in rushing yards allowed per game and now they are hoping to lock things down a bit this season. The team played without Robert Mathis last season and they will get him back and they may also want to add depth on the defensive line and at linebacker. The Colts could be poised for a deep playoff run with a strong draft.
Johnson has put up Hall of Fame like numbers for the Texans over his career and he now will lineup against his former team two times per season. Johnson had a "down" year for him last season with 85 catches for 936 yards and three touchdowns, which came after back to back seasons with at least 109 catches and 1400 yards in 2012-13. The Colts should be one of the best offensive teams in the league with Gore and Johnson joining Dwayne Allen, TY Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Coby Fleener.
The Colts made it to the AFC Championship game last season and they released veteran Reggie Wayne earlier this offseason, making wide receiver a need. Johnson joins the Colts after playing against the team for 12 seasons and that means he will play his former team twice next year. Johnson is aging, but he was productive last year with 85 catches and now he joins one of the top passing offenses in the league. Luck is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and put up career numbers last year and now he has two more prime options on offense in Johnson and Gore.
Gore could end up being the more significant addition, as the Colts did not get much from the running back position last season. Trent Richardson was a major disappointment and ended up losing his starting job and getting suspended, while Ahmad Bradshaw was off to a strong start before getting injured. The team now should be able to get a consistent rushing attack with Gore, who has been over 1000 yards in eight of the last nine seasons.
