Stephen Holder

stephen.holder@indystar.com

INDIANAPOLIS – The Seattle Seahawks’ Richard Sherman, one of the NFL’s finest cornerbacks, is available via trade.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts have a conspicuous hole at cornerback after releasing starter Patrick Robinson last month, with few proven options remaining on the roster.

These dots aren’t real difficult to connect.

You can probably take it from here, but to repeat a question posed constantly over the past couple of weeks: Why shouldn’t the Colts make a play for an All-Pro at a position of great need?

It’s an easy case to make. For starters, there’s a clear need. And though Sherman’s $11 million salary in 2017 and 2018 is steep, it’s less so when compared with the $9 million Indianapolis will pay solid, but inferior, Vontae Davis this fall. Davis, by the way, is entering the final year of his four-year contract as the Colts’ No. 1 cornerback.

All of the above is true.

And inconsequential.

Look, this isn’t going to happen. Richard Sherman will not be wearing a Colts uniform in 2017, even though indications are a trade is becoming more likely as the NFL draft draws nigh.

The Colts, we’ve learned, have taken a position on a potential Sherman trade. It is firm and non-negotiable: They’re not biting.

But it’s not because of any of the obvious deterrents. It’s not because Sherman makes lots of money. It’s not because Sherman is outspoken (though that seems to have run its course in Seattle, based on reports). It’s not even because of his age (29).

This is more about first-year General Manager Chris Ballard’s timeline. He’s been very clear: He wants his team’s cornerstones to be players the team acquired through the draft. Think Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton. Trades and free agency will be used sparingly to amplify the existing roster – not build it.

This is part of the larger effort Ballard has consistently talked about since he was hired in late January. His aim is to create a culture. The best way to do so is by drafting and developing homegrown talent. But, in addition, the Colts want homegrown players who can acclimate to and promote the Colts’ culture.

Once that culture – one of competition and earning one’s spot – is established, there might well be room for a Richard Sherman-like trade. But, for now, the Colts aren’t going to insert a dominant personality and unquestioned starter from outside the franchise into their young locker room.

None of this is an endorsement of the philosophy. After all, Ballard’s team hasn’t won or lost a game yet. Besides, it’s a long-term strategy, not one built on immediate or short-term success. Only time will tell whether the Colts got things right.

But this is yet another example of Ballard not allowing himself to get distracted by proverbial shiny objects. What’s the point of having a well-thought-out strategy if you refuse to adhere to it? We saw this in free agency, when the Colts looked to sign mid-tier players with much still to prove – like Jabaal Sheard – as opposed to top-tier players who might rest on their laurels.

For the record, the Colts are almost certainly going to grab multiple cornerbacks in the draft. They might well use the very same pick they’d have to fork over to Seattle to find one.

Will it be one of Sherman’s stature? Likely not. But that’s a reality of which Ballard is aware.

It’s a trade-off Ballard seems willing to make as he sticks to his plan – a plan that doesn’t include a trade for Richard Sherman.

Follow IndyStar reporter Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.