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NFL power rankings: Saints, Chargers lead way into 2019

By Russell S. Baxter

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 20: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) talk during a TV timeout during the NFC Championship Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints on January 20, 2019 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 20: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) talk during a TV timeout during the NFC Championship Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints on January 20, 2019 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 05: Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Darius Leonard (53) comes up with the ball after Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) fumbles during the AFC Wild Card game between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans on January 5, 2019 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 05: Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Darius Leonard (53) comes up with the ball after Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) fumbles during the AFC Wild Card game between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans on January 5, 2019 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

. . Indianapolis Colts. 6. team. 46.

2019 Key Additions: General manager Chris Ballard has stuck to his plan since being hired by the franchise in 2017. And this past offseason, he and the Colts did not break the bank on incoming free agents. The team added wide receiver Devin Funchess via a one-year contract and secured the services of former Kansas City Chiefs’ pass-rusher Justin Houston. And once again, Ballard save his best for the draft, trading out of the first round and selecting three players in Round 2 in cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (2-Temple), outside linebacker Ben Banogu (2b-TCU) and wide receiver Parris Campbell (2c-Ohio State). This was one year after the Colts got the most out of four second-round picks in 2018.

Offseason Review: A team that opened 1-5 a year ago that caught fire and finished with 10 wins and a playoff berth by season’s end has carried that momentum into this offseason. It’s hard to argue with what Ballad, head coach Frank Reich and the organization is building in Indianapolis. Quarterback Andrew Luck earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in ’18 and is now surrounded by quite the supporting cast on every side of the football. These Colts have the potential of a club that may not only supplant the Texans as AFC South champions but make the team’s deepest playoff run since 2014.

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