If Colts fans think back spring 2017, I suspect they will have a very different version of this year’s team in their minds. The 2016 defense was historically bad and there was a ton of defensive turnover that made it relatively likely that side of the ball would be a work in progress. The team was unable to land a marquee pass rusher in free agency or throughout the draft and it seemed like every defensive addition was modest other than a relatively big splash to sign defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins.
While it is true that Andrew Luck just had shoulder surgery, there was relative confidence that he would return to the field at some point either prior to or relatively early in the season.