ESPN recently published their NFL Future Power Rankings projections

Joe Haeg Jersey , which attempts to rank each NFL team based on how they are set up for the next 3 years. Their methods are as follows:To..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesStampede Blue homepageHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityFollow Stampede Blue online:Follow Stampede Blue on TwitterFollow Stampede Blue on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchStampede Blue main menuFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Breaking NewsAndrew Luck Retires×Colts rank 1st in ESPN’s 3-year future power rankingsNew,16commentsEDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Colts rank 1st in ESPN’s 3-year future power rankingsTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Bob Levey/Getty ImagesESPN recently published their NFL Future Power Rankings projections, which attempts to rank each NFL team based on how they are set up for the next 3 years. Their methods are as follows:In what might have come as a surprise to many, the Colts find themselves atop the list in the number 1 spot with a total score of 87.8 points. While many have begun to recognize that the Colts are an organization on the rise, such lofty aspirations for them are still a bit unexpected. To see how we arrived there, let’s look at where they ranked in each category. RosterPhoto by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Colts have come a long way in just a year, with the panel awarding them a 84.7 grade for their roster which is good for 4th in the league. Unsurprisingly, the Eagles topped the list with a 87.7, followed by the Bears with 86.0 in 2nd, and the Saints were 3rd with 85.7. Just a year ago this was a team few credited with having much (if any) talent. Through some major draft success and limited but successful endeavors in free agency, the Colts John Simon Color Rush Jersey , under Chris Ballard, managed to turn things around fairly quickly. The roster is now one of the youngest in the league and should be competitive from top to bottom for many years to come. QBPhoto by MSA/Icon SMI/Corbis via Getty ImagesMost everyone can agree that Andrew Luck is a special player. His ability to elevate the play of those around him and make clutch throws has been on display since he came into the league. Luck’s return from injury last season after a year away saw him raise his game even further, and the pairing with an offensive minded head coach let him flourish. With a second year in the same offense, Luck should continue to thrive. Perhaps that is why the team of ESPN’s experts gave him a score of 94, good for 3rd in the league. Patrick Mahomes took 1st with a 97.7 and Aaron Rodgers came in 2nd with a 94.3, which puts Luck in very good company. Personally, I think the Patrick Mahomes hype-train is off the rails a bit after what was admittedly a superlative first season. Regardless of where you come down on Mahomes’ ranking, being considered as a top 3 quarterback is a big deal for Luck, and goes a long way toward setting up the Colts as a long term contender. DraftPhoto by Rob Leiter via Getty ImagesWhen you draft two All-Pros in one draft, in addition to a ton of other valuable role players, you get the reigning champion of this category. That’s exactly how it fell for the panel https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Chester-Rogers-Jersey , here. The Colts took 1st with an 87.3 ahead of the Browns in 2nd with an 84.3 and New England at 3rd with an 83.3.This has been the Colts biggest strength and comes largely on the back of a fantastic 2018 draft class. It helps that several contributors from the 2017 class have continued to improve and play a role. If the 2019 class can at least provide depth and competition for the starters, the team should be set up to be deep and a tough roster to make. CoachingThe Colts came in at their lowest spot on this list at the coaching position, which seems a bit counter intuitive, but they still received an 84.7 rating there, good for 8th. The Eagles ranked 6th with an 86.0 and Matt Nagy and the Bears were 7th with 85.0. The Ravens slotted in right behind the Colts at 9th with an 81.7. Unsurprisingly, the Patriots topped this category with a 95.0, and it is tough to argue that isn’t correct. This is an area that is likely to see improvement in year two. The Colts took a huge leap in play in large part due to good coaching. If their success continues to trend upward, Frank Reich and Matt Eberflus will get even more credit for the work they are doing with this young team. If they struggle in year two, that will be a different story. Front OfficePhoto by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesIn a big win for Chris Ballard, he lands himself the number 2 spot for building a great front office with a 90.7 score only trailing the Patriots’ front office who was 1st with a 91.3. This isn’t a huge surprise. Ballard was already a league favorite in terms of his talent and presence before he even took the Colts job. His calm and intentional style of management and his ability to weather some rough patches with complete aplomb have only served to bolster that trust. Most of all, he has found success in both his draft picks and his free agent moves. While teams have spent like crazy on big ticket free agents Antonio Morrison Jersey , Ballard has waited patiently and snapped up good scheme fits after the dust settles on the bidding wars. He has re-signed guys who earned new deals rather than overpaying for talent that is on the back stretch of their usefulness. Additionally, and just as importantly, Ballard has put his staff front and center in a lot of their media coverage. It is clear that he wants to build an atmosphere that rewards talent, and that extends to his front office employees. The culture that Ballard pitched to Jim Irsay when he interviewed for the job is now starting to show all the signs of flourishing, and that front office is all the better as a result. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="YveCNT">ConclusionsAll these ratings ultimately don’t mean much. They do, however, indicate how the Colts as a whole are viewed by the league at large. This is a team on the rise, and given that coaching was considered their weakest area, it seems like the Colts should expect to be on top for a long time to come. At no time from 2002 to 2014 did the Colts fail to win an AFC Championship for a period lasting longer than two seasons. During that stretch, Indianapolis won eight AFC South championships and had..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesStampede Blue homepageHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityFollow Stampede Blue online:Follow Stampede Blue on TwitterFollow Stampede Blue on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchStampede Blue main menuFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Breaking NewsAndrew Luck Retires×FanPulse: AFC South fans agree, Colts are clear favorites to win division in 2019New Kenny Moore Color Rush Jersey ,29commentsEDTAt no time from 2002 to 2014 did the Colts fail to win an AFC Championship for a period lasting longer than two seasons. During that stretch, Indianapolis won eight AFC South championships and had a streak of five in a row from 2003 to 2007. The current four-year drought is the worst stretch over the last 17 years and has seen the Houston Texans establish themselves as the team to beat in the AFC South.It is fair to note that the Texans benefited from injuries to Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning during some of those seasons but every team deals with injuries, and Indianapolis didn’t have a strong enough roster to overcome the loss of their franchise quarterbacks for any extended period of time. Current general manager Chris Ballard has set out on a mission to become a strong football team all over the roster and help soften the blow of losing one player. While every NFL general manager wants a well-rounded football team, few are able to so masterfully navigate the draft and free agency to have that level of success. The two franchises who come to mind over the last decade for succeeding in that effort are the Philadelphia Eagles with Nick Foles magic and the New England Patriots with Matt Cassell, Jimmy Garoppolo and others who have been able to keep the season on track even without Tom Brady. Has Chris Ballard already done enough to put the Colts in that company? Would Jacoby Brissett perform at a higher level under the new coaching staff now that he has had full offseasons to prepare and familiarize himself with the system?Hopefully the team won’t have to find out but when SB Nation ran a poll of AFC South fans to select who is the favorite to win the division in 2019, Indianapolis dominated the results.The short-lived underdog story may be coming to an abrupt end. This team is no longer under the radar and a strong finish in 2018 has earned the attention of fans around the league — none more so than an AFC South fan base that watched the Colts dismantle the best teams in the division to finish the season and advance in the playoffs. Chris Ballard has had two seasons of suppressed expectations in what many expected to be a three-year rebuild. The coaching staff and schematic changes a season ago could have arguably pushed that window back a year. It hasn’t.There will be loftier expectations for the Indianapolis Colts in 2019. Andrew Luck is back to full health and put together an impressive season with his surgically repaired shoulder. Two rookies earned first-team All-Pro honors and both are expected to improve in their second seasons. Indianapolis has one of the youngest rosters in the NFL (perhaps the youngest without Adam Vinatieri throwing off the curve) and had the best draft in the league in 2018. The team entered free agency with the biggest bank account in the NFL, added an established veteran pass rusher to bolster the defense and a young veteran wide receiver to improve one of the team’s primary weaknesses on offense. They will exit the 2019 free agency periodwith the biggest bank account in the NFL and an incredible amount of flexibility for how to address the team’s needs in the future.Ballard has made quick work of Indy’s turnaround. He has set the bar for himself mercilessly high. Colts fans aren’t the only ones who have noticed.