Surprisingly, the Indianapolis Colts have formally announced the trade of their best seasoned wide receiver to the 49ers for a $250 million three-year contract.

BREAKING: Indianapolis Colts Fend Off Competition From San Francisco 49ers And Buffalo Bills To Re-Sign Former 3rd Round Starting Safety

It has been fairly clear what the Indianapolis Colts’ strategy has been over the course of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd waves of free agency: Keep good players inside the building; add others sparingly and very selectively.

Indianapolis Colts Going For Consistency, Rather Than Flashy, In Free Agent Moves

And that they have. After finishing a surprisingly impressive 9-8, Shane Steichen’s team have made just 2 free agency acquisitions; Comeback Player of the Year, Joe Flacco, and former Miami Dolphins nose tackle, Raekwon Davis.

 

Whilst few would argue that the Colts are built like a Super Bowl contender just yet, much of their success in the upcoming 2024 season is contingent on the development and play of 2nd year QB, Anthony Richardson, who impressed in his brief appearances last season before going down with a shoulder injury in October, ending his season.

Now, however, Indianapolis Colts general manager, Chris Ballard, has made sure to stick to this free agency strategy on the defensive side of the ball, and have re-signed starting safety and former 3rd round pick, per Ian Rapoport.

Julian Blackmon Returning To The Indianapolis Colts

Although he failed to live up to the hype of his very impressive rookie season, Julian Blackmon has proved a solid, if perhaps unspectacular safety in the National Football League, even if 2023 was his best year to date.

After suffering a shoulder injury back in December, which ended his 2023 season, Blackmon was likely to struggle to find the kind of market that he potentially could have otherwise sans injury.

Set to pair with fellow former 3rd round pick, Nick Cross, the Colts have an excellent young safety duo upon which to build the foundation of their secondary.