The Colts are on a full-court press in search of a new quarterback, but before they decide on whom to draft with the No. 4 pick this year, they have to work through free agency first.
The market opens officially at 4 p.m. Wednesday, and the legal tampering period starts at noon Monday.
The Colts typically aren't heavily involved in the first wave of free agency under general manager Chris Ballard. However, after a 4-12-1 season that exposed massive holes in the roster, Ballard has vowed to spend this spring learning and growing his methods.
Could that extend into free agency, possibly to set a rookie quarterback up with veteran support? The Colts currently have around $12 million in cap space, according to Overthecap.com. But they can clear plenty more if they want, including $17 million with the release of Matt Ryan.
Free agency is all about fit with regards to team needs, cap space, contention windows and scheme. Here are 10 free agents who could fit what the Colts are looking for:
Orlando Brown Jr. helped solidify the left side of the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line en route to a Super Bowl victory last season.
OT Orlando Brown Jr.
Though Ballard has vowed to change in some ways, he also promised that he'll always go hard after the offensive line. The most important position on that line has held his team back in the two years since Anthony Castonzo retired. Perhaps it's time to end the nightmare with a four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. The bidding will get extreme for the gargantuan 340-pound Orlando Brown Jr., as Spotrac.com estimates he'll pull in five years and $112 million. It would require moving on from center Ryan Kelly to even be possible. But with a rookie quarterback and head coach, that's some stability that's hard to slap a price tag on.
Carl Lawson posted seven sacks last season with the New York Jets.
EDGE Carl Lawson
With Gus Bradley back as defensive coordinator, the Colts need to find a speed-based edge rusher to play the LEO spot that Yannick Ngakoue held for 9.5 sacks last season. They could bring Ngakoue back, or they could look for someone perhaps a little more balanced. Carl Lawson, 27, was a big free agent winner two years ago, netting a three-year, $45 million deal, before he tore an ACL in the summer. He rebounded well to notch seven sacks last season in a system very similar to Bradley's, on a team where defensive line coach Nate Ollie worked before coming to Indianapolis. At 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, Lawson's fit in this role is especially strong.
Gardner Minshew has started 24 games between his stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles.
QB Gardner Minshew
The Colts are very likely going to draft a quarterback at No. 4 and make him the starter at some point this year, and free agents know that, so fit becomes important in the backup role they need to fill if and when they move on from Ryan and Nick Foles. Gardner Minshew played the past two seasons for Steichen in Philadelphia and had reasonable success in spot duty, completing 63% of passes with seven touchdowns, four interceptions, a gaudy 8.1 yards per attempt and a 92.8 quarterback rating. The fifth-year pro would be supportive of a young quarterback the way he was for Jalen Hurts. If the Colts take a more developmental route with someone like Florida's Anthony Richardson or Kentucky's Will Levis, it would help to have a placeholder the head coach trusts.
Isaac Seumalo helped solidify the interior of the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line en route to an appearance in the Super Bowl last season.
RG Isaac Seumalo
This would be another way to buy some stock in the Eagles offensive line. Isaac Seumalo rebounded from a pair of injury-riddled seasons to play all 17 games last year, plus three playoff games, and he allowed just one sack and 17 pressures in the regular season. Seumalo, 29, could step in as the Colts' starting right guard, the one position they must find along the offensive line. He can also add game-day depth at every other position except left tackle, which coaches always value with roster constraints and the threat of injuries. Spotrac.com estimates his market value at two years and $24 million.
Rock Ya-Sin spent his first three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before he was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue.
CB Rock Ya-Sin
The Colts traded Rock Ya-Sin to the Raiders at this time last year in order to add Ngakoue. Now that Ya-Sin's a free agent, it could be worth bringing him back as Brandon Facyson is a free agent and Stephon Gilmore, Kenny Moore II and Isaiah Rodgers Sr. are in contract years. Ya-Sin doesn't add much ball production but is a better fit in Bradley's press-man style than he was under Matt Eberflus. He also brings familiarity with Rodgers Sr., plus a complementary skill set. Spotrac.com estimates his market value at four years and $43.5 million.
Andre Dillard was a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles out of Washington State in 2019.
LT Andre Dillard
Another way to address the left tackle spot with a major addition would be to recruit a 2019 first-round pick. Those players rarely hit free agency unless they bust, but Andre Dillard, 27, is an interesting case after he was blocked in Philadelphia by a sleeper in Jordan Mailata. Not many know more about that situation than Shane Steichen, who was the Eagles offensive coordinator. This could be a way to start recreating some of the biggest advantage he had for Jalen Hurts, which was a dominant offensive line. But expect Dillard's market to be stronger than you'd expect due to the intensity of the position.
JuJu Smith-Schuster has topped 900 receiving yards three times already in his career.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
The wide receiver market is not glorious this year as teams are fighting harder and harder to keep their best players. Ballard doesn't love spending here, but perhaps it's one of the areas he'll evolve. If he's not going to re-sign Parris Campbell in the slot, the best option could be JuJu Smith-Schuster, who just won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs with 78 catches for 933 yards, his third season with at least 900 yards. He played with Michael Pittman Jr. at USC, so familiarity is strong. Just 26, he's expected to have a market value of four years and $58 million, per Spotrac.com, which would be a bold investment but perhaps justifiable to help a rookie quarterback, who will come in on a five-year rookie contract.
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo broke out with the Houston Texans last season, when he had five sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
EDGE Ogbonnia Okorokwo
As the Colts look at LEO edge types, they should cast a glance across the division. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo had a breakout season that went under the radar after he was traded from the Rams to the Texans and became a part-time starter. He only had five sacks, but he totaled 12 tackles for loss to go along with 41 pressures, the exact same number of pressures as Ngakoue. Okoronkwo is only 6-2 and 253 pounds but is physically mature and held up for 17 games last season. Now 27, he could offer a more affordable starter than Ngakoue or Lawson.
Will Hernandez struggled as a guard for the New York Giants before finding a breakthrough with the Arizona Cardinals last season.
RG Will Hernandez
The Colts need veterans to compete to start on their offensive line, and Will Hernandez could be a bargain fit. The 2018 second-round pick didn't pan out as a left guard with the Giants, so he moved to right guard in 2021 and had his worst year. But he kept that position on a one-year deal with the Cardinals and saw a breakthrough last season, dropping his blown blocks from 13 to 4 and his sacks allowed from six to two. New Colts quarterbacks coach Cam Turner was on the Cardinals staff and could have insight into what clicked. Hernandez, 27, still has the strong body at 6-2 and 332 pounds to potentially be the interior pass protector scouts envisioned coming out of the draft.
A Pro Bowler with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, Matt Gay is considered the top kicker available on the free agent market.
K Matt Gay
The Colts didn't make a move at kicker last offseason despite a clear need and paid for it with a Week 1 tie to the lowly Texans that set the season off on a bad foot. They rebounded pretty well with Chase McLaughlin, who hit 30 of 36 field goals, improving his career mark to 78%. But they could chase a more consistent answer in Matt Gay, a 28-year-old Pro Bowler who was once in Colts camp. He's nailed 60 of 64 field goals the past two years, including an 85% clip from beyond 40 yards. Spotrac.com estimates his value at four years and $20.5 million. This could be a way to set new special teams coach Brian Mason up with the hardest position to solve.
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03-13-2023, 01:20 PM
Colts free-agent wish list: 10 options who can fit the new staff
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