Potential free-agents for every Colts’ position of need

With his back against the wall, this might finally be the offseason where Ballard takes somes risks in free agency.

I don’t think the general manager’s seat has ever been hotter, as it is playoffs or clean-house for the Colts going into next year. This is not only the final chance for Chris Ballard to finally put together a winning football team, but as is usually the case in the NFL, a new GM would want a fresh start with a new head-coach, which means Steichen is also coaching for his job, and most likely a new franchise quarterback at the helm, which means this Anthony Richardson’s last chance in a Colts’ uniform. From this information it would be fair to presume that CB will change his modus operandi of staying away from free-agency, especially the first wave, and the Colts will finally be active in this front. With that in mind, here are several free-agents that could immediately help the team plug some holes.

Disclaimer: All the players mentioned in the list might still be re-signed by their own teams, so I am mostly going with players that seem more likely to hit the market than not. There will be a follow up article later in the offseason with the players that hit the market.

Backup running back: Javonte Williams

Trey Sermon is not a productive running back, and Jonathan Taylor has suffered his fair share of minor injuries in the past, and has a glaring weakness in the pass-catching department. Enter Javonte Williams, who is still young at 25 years old, and has 158 receptions through his first four seasons in the NFL, which is 17 more than JT in one less season. He was the starter last year for Denver, eventually splitting the backfield with Jaleel McLaughlin, so it is not so certain that he will hit the open market, but if he does he would be the perfect complement to JT in the backfield, and some decent insurance in case the Colts’ star running back misses some time.

Tight end: Zach Ertz

Yes, Ertz is 34 going on 35-years of age, and there is not much left in the tank, even though tight end has historically been a position with a late age of regression. To put things into context, Ertz finished last year with 66 catches for 654 yards and 7 scores. Combine all Colts’ tight ends and you have 39 catches for 467 yards and 2 touchdowns. So basically Ertz had twice the production of all the team’s tight ends combined by himself. That is more a testament to how so terribly bad the Colts’ tight end room was last year than Ertz’ abilities, but the point remains: The team needs a lot of help at the position.

Backup defensive tackle: Javon Kinlaw

Kinlaw was drafted by the 49ers with the first-round pick traded by the Colts to acquire defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and what better way to come full circle than for Kinlaw to end up playing as Buckner’s backup in the interior defensive line in Indy? Kinlaw fits the physical mold, and while he has not lived up to the expectations of a first round pick, he is still a productive player who has not missed a single game in the past two seasons. The Colts used Taven Bryan and Raekwon Davis in this position last year, and neither was particularly solid, Kinlaw would be an improvement over both.

Rotational pass-rusher: Haason Reddick

Reddick has been a longtime dream of mine, and after several offseasons where he was on the market the price could probably not be any lower this time around, as after holding out initially and returning late in the season Reddick was just not that productive for the Jets and the team is probably looking to go younger in the position. Reddick would bring some proven pass-rushing capabilities from the edge to the table, evidenced by four seasons with double-digit sacks, and could be used simply as a rotational pass-rusher in down and long situations. The Colts have a decision to make regarding both Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo, who are set to become free agents (team still has the 5th year option on Paye), and veteran Samson Ebukam will be coming off a torn Achilles, so help is definitely needed at the position.

Linebacker: Tyrel Dodson

I have no idea what will happen with the Colts situation at linebacker. Zaire Franklin is still under contract and I think he will back as a team captain next year, much to my chagrin. The Colts could take a step in the right direction though, and replace his podcast co-host E.J. Speed with Tyrel Dodson, who played for the Dolphins last year. Dodson is the perfect complement to Franklin, as he is much better in pass coverage than stuffing the run, and would finally give the Colts a linebacker that can stay on top of opposing team’s tight ends and running backs. Jaylon Carlies and Segun Olubi are intriguing options, but there is just way too much uncertainty as to how productive they will be, and the team needs another veteran at the position.

Safety: Jevon Holland

Fellow Stampede Blue writer Andrew Aziz already covered why the Colts should sign safety Jevon Holland in this article. But if you don’t want to go into many details about it, it is honestly rather simple. This is a perennial All-Pro player, that is just going to turn 25 years old, playing a position that is very important in the scheme new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo runs, and a position where the Colts really lack talent right now. The price to pay is going to be expensive, much more expensive than anything Ballard has ever done, but is now or never.