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The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the most discussed teams during the 2023 NFL offseason.
With the draft looming, many expect the Colts to take a quarterback with the fourth overall pick, given their recent release of Matt Ryan.
Since Andrew Luck retired, the Colts haven’t been able to find stability in the position, and will likely look to a rookie to change that.
Ahead of the draft, the Colts have restructured DeForest Buckner’s salary, which cleared $2.5 million in cap space, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
The #Colts converted $5 million of DT DeForest Buckner’s salary this season into a signing bonus, clearing $2.5M in cap space. He’ll still make $19.75M, which is now fully guaranteed.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 12, 2023
As Pelissero states, Buckner is still slated to make $19.75 million for the year.
By clearing an additional $2.5 million, the Colts will have more room to sign their rookies, including their impending quarterback.
The conversation for the Colts has recently shifted, changing from if they are going to draft a quarterback, to who they are going to draft.
The Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, and Arizona Cardinals are currently slated to pick ahead of the Colts.
With the Panthers and Texans likely to take quarterbacks of their own, who will the Colts be left with?
Many have pointed to C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young as the consensus top-two picks.
This will likely leave one of Anthony Richardson, Will Levis, or Hendon Hooker for the Colts, should they so choose.
After a 4-12-1 record in 2022, the Colts will look to change their luck during the 2023 season.
Will a rookie quarterback be the catalyst to change that?
Or, will the Colts need to continue to add pieces to this roster in order to best compete in the AFC South?
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