INDIANAPOLIS -- Chris Ballard stood behind the podium during his introductory news conference as new general manager of the Colts back in January with a stern look on his face when talking about the importance of having more pieces on the roster outside of franchise quarterback Andrew Luck.
“Andrew is a great guy, but it will never be about one guy,” Ballard said on Jan. 30. “It will never be about one guy. It’s about all 53 men in that locker room. It’s about all 63 men, including the practice squad, that we have. It will never be about one person; it will always be about the team. Is he a good piece? Absolutely. But he is just one of the 53 men that we have to go win with.”
Ballard wasn’t giving just lip service to try to win over the fan base that day. His philosophy is especially apparent when it comes to his team’s defense.
The first-time general manager added another piece to his massive defensive makeover when the Colts signed defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins to a three-year, $30 million contract on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Hankins is the seventh new defensive player the Colts have signed in the offseason.
Ballard is doing his best to ensure the days of Luck strapping the franchise on his right shoulder and attempting to carry them are in the past.
One by one, the general manager has spent the offseason letting go of older, slower players that were part of a defense that finished 20th or worse in the NFL in four of the past five seasons under coach Chuck Pagano. The Colts were 30th in total defense last season.
Gone are the likes of D’Qwell Jackson, Art Jones, Patrick Robinson and Erik Walden, players who were routinely injured or their best days of football were well behind them.
Ballard has focused on acquiring young, athletic, physical and fast players who he believes have “upside."
The biggest emphasis has been put on the front seven of the defense where the Colts were routinely manhandled last season. They could potentially have four new starting linebackers, as John Simon, Jabaal Sheard and Sean Spence are in line to start at three of the four spots there.
Hankins, 25, has the size – 6-foot-2, 320 pounds – to dominate the middle of the line of scrimmage. He can get up the field to pressure the quarterback and get up the middle into the backfield to help stop the run. He had 43 tackles, three sacks and was third on the team with eight tackles for a loss and 10 quarterback hits last season with the New York Giants.
Hankins, who will likely replace David Parry at that position, was part of a Giants defense that finished tied for third in the league in stopping the run (88.6 yards a game). The Colts were in 25th in that category at 120.4 yards allowed on the ground a game.
The pieces are coming along. Now it’s up Pagano and defensive coordinator Ted Monachino make sure the unit does its part so Luck no longer has to carry the franchise.