The official announcement has not yet been made, but reports are that Ryan Grigson, rookie general manager of the Indianapolis Colts has been named Executive of the Year. The efforts and the honor are well-deserved, for a rookie GM, that took over the ground floor foundation, of reloading a totally-rebuilt team. Grigson helped to put together a Colts team that was both blown apart and broken down in the off-season.

Grigson was brought to Indianapolis a year ago, after a 2-14 season, and the exit of Bill Polian. The hiring of Grigson, just like the hiring of rookie head coach Chuck Pagano, was a risk. The Colts decided to turn their team inside-out from the bottom to the top, and it just happened to result in one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in NFL history.

Grigson helped to reload this team, by cutting loose big contracts, and bringing in lesser-known talent. The Colts also made a fantastic draft under Grigson’s first year, picking up all-rookie players like Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, and Vick Ballard. Indianapolis had to make some tough moves last season, but it will prove to make a big difference for the near future.