INDIANAPOLIS -- Do you hear that?

Near silence.

That has been the Indianapolis Colts during the first two days of free agency.

Shocked? Surprised?

You shouldn’t be. Not if you paid attention to how Colts general manager Chris Ballard handled free agency last year and what he said in the weeks leading up to it this year.

Patience.

That was basically Ballard’s message about his approach despite having more than $70 million in salary-cap space to work with.

That has been tough for some to swallow considering all the holes the Colts have to fill on the roster and with their playoff drought now at three seasons.

But this is how it’s going to be. Ballard might as well climb to the top of the tallest building in Indianapolis and yell at the top of his lungs that he plans to be diligent in his free-agency approach. The general manager has a script, and as of now he doesn’t plan to deviate from it, particularly because he’s a firm believer that you can’t sustain success by relying on free agency.

Indy's one move -- the signing of defensive lineman Denico Autry -- tied Pittsburgh for the fewest in the NFL through Thursday night. Offensive lineman Ryan Jensen was expected to meet with the Colts on Thursday evening, and tight end Eric Ebron is scheduled to meet with the team this weekend.

Ballard could spur the Colts to some short-term success with a healthy Andrew Luck (shoulder) by overspending on a free agent or two. But short-term success isn’t what he’s looking for. He wants to sustain it with a core of younger players he'd ideally re-sign down the road.

Based on the early results, the Colts aren’t looking like a team that’s ready to rebound from its worst season since 2011. Not when they have pressing needs at receiver, offensive line, pass-rusher and cornerback to go with the uncertainty surrounding Luck's health. Nearly two-thirds of ESPN’s top 100 free agents have already agreed to deals while the Colts continue to show patience in not following the mob mentality of pouncing on, and likely overpaying for, players out of the gate.

This is basically what the Colts did last year; they picked things up during the second wave of free agency, after players didn’t get offered as much money as they thought they would get early on. Indianapolis’ first significant 2017 signing didn’t come until it brought in defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins nearly five weeks after the start of free agency. The other notable additions -- linebackers John Simon and Jabaal Sheard -- came two days after the start of free agency.

The frugality didn’t help the Colts much because they didn’t have Luck; they finished with a 4-12 record.

Will Ballard’s snail pace work in the long run?

That’s yet to be determined. The plan sounds good, because the Colts want to get back to building the roster with their own players. But they also have to find a way to win games while basically going through a rebuilding project. It’s unknown when Ballard will have all the pieces for that to happen. So be warned: Your patience will be tested, particularly if the Colts sputter along again next season.