INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts' biggest issue – taking care of the coaching situation – has been resolved.
Now the hard part awaits general manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano: Fixing a flawed, aging roster.
That was something owner Jim Irsay mentioned Monday during the news conference to announce Pagano’s four-year contract extension.
“We’re going to have to get probably a little bit younger going forward and that sort of thing, but we’re excited about the future,” Irsay said.
Grigson, despite not admitting it last offseason, went all in when he signed some aging veterans with the belief they would be enough to get them over the top to the Super Bowl this season.
That didn’t work out.
While free agent signings such as running back Frank Gore and defensive lineman Kendall Langford worked out, Grigson swung and missed on players such as offensive lineman Todd Herremans, a projected starter who was released late in the season.
The Colts not only didn’t make the playoffs, they’re also in the position of having to alter their roster. Grigson won’t be addressing which positions need upgrades, what went wrong last season or why some of his free-agent signings didn’t pan out because he won’t address the media until the NFL combine in late February.
The Colts had 15 players, including 11 starters, on their roster who were at least 30 years old last season. Seven players under contract will turn 30 at some point this year.
"We've had a bunch of discussions, like I said, and we've got a lot of things, like everybody else that's done playing," Pagano said during an interview on NFL Network after his news conference. "There are teams obviously that are still in preparation [mode], the teams that made the playoffs, obviously. But everybody else is still in the evaluation mode now, and we're going to roll up our shirtsleeves and go to work. And, again, everything we do is based on two things: What's best for this team and what gives us the best chance to win."
A look at the Colts key players who were at least 30 years old last season:
CB Greg Toler: 51 tackles, 10 passes defended
K Adam Vinatieri: 25-of-27 on FGs, 32-of-35 on extra points
LB Erik Walden: 42 tackles, 3.0 sacks
S Mike Adams: 75 tackles, 5 INT
LB Trent Cole: 32 tackles, 3.0 sacks
RB Frank Gore: 260 attempts for 967 yards, 6 TDs
QB Matt Hasselbeck: 156-of-256 for 1,690 yards, 9 TDs, 5 INT
LB D’Qwell Jackson: 150 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 TD
WR Andre Johnson: 41 receptions for 503 yards, 4 TDs
G Lance Louis: Lost starting job after Week 2
LB Robert Mathis: 20 tackles, 7.0 sacks
G Joe Reitz: Started 14 games
