Indianapolis Colts sign RB Anderson Castle

# Anderson Castle Signing: C+ Contract Value Index The Colts' decision to sign Anderson Castle to a three-year deal worth $3.1M ($1.03M AAV) earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI)—a middling contract that reflects both the team's cautious investment in depth and the inherent risk of betting on a running back in a speculative role. At $1.03M annually, this is a replacement-level commitment, the kind of deal a rebuilding club or a team managing cap constraints would structure for a contingency piece rather than an impact player. The CVI verdict suggests this signing lands between fair-value and slightly below-market for a player of Castle's presumed tier, indicating the Colts neither overpaid nor unlocked significant long-term value. For a franchise sitting at 8-9 with a seven-game losing streak and playoff positioning tightness heading into the offseason, adding salary-cap flexibility through a low-AAV pact is prudent, though it signals limited conviction in this as a franchise-altering or even clear-cut depth upgrade. This is a speculative depth move typical of early-phase roster tinkering rather than a signal that the backfield construction is settled; the Colts are keeping their options open without committing material resources, a strategy that makes sense during the preseason window when depth charts remain fluid.