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Eight NFL teams that must ace free agency in 2017

It's time for the Packers to get Aaron Rodgers some help.

Indianapolis Colts

Colts QB Andrew Luck needs all the help he can get.

There’s a reason Indy finally bit the bullet and fired general manager Ryan Grigson. Simply put, this team’s front office has been absolutely disastrous when it comes to eyeing college talent. This ineptitude has failed franchise quarterback Andrew Luck and has the Colts now behind two teams on the AFC South’s pecking order.

Sure new general manager Chris Ballard will want to build through the draft, but he comes from a Chiefs organization that has not been afraid to go after free agents and outside players. The likes of Alex Smith, Jeremy Maclin and Mitchell Schwartz come to mind first here.

Ballard is smart enough to realize that all the Colts’ issues cannot be fixed in the draft. He must realize that for Indy to get back on top, it will have to hit the free-agent market. Simply put, there’s a major issue when it comes to talent on the Colts’ roster right now.

It starts on the offensive line and within the defensive front seven. Frank Gore might not be the long-term solution here, but he’s been nothing less than a solid running back in his two seasons with the Colts. Instead, the issue is in both pass protection and run blocking. That right here is where the Colts need to focus out of the gate. In reality, they can stand to acquire two top-end offensive linemen and still find it a need in the draft. We’re looking at left tackle and right guard as initial upgrades in free agency.

On the defensive side of the ball, Indianapolis lacks any type of a real pass rush. This past season saw the team rank in the bottom 10 of the NFL in sacks with no other player outside of Erik Walden recording more than five sacks. With Walden set to become a free agent and Robert Mathis calling it quits, this is a major area of need for the Colts.

We’re smart enough to know that Indy won’t be able to fix all of its issues in free agency. Attempting to do so would be foolish. This doesn’t mean the team can afford to avoid the market altogether.

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