Written By: Cody Manning
Indianapolis entered the 2018 season with a lot of doubt cast over the team. People questioned if Andrew Luck was going to be the player he was before his injuries. Some wondered if the offensive line could protect Luck and open running lanes. And most considered their defense one of the worst in the league. After this past season, most of those concerns were put to rest. Luck had one of his best seasons ever, which led to him winning the Comeback Player of the Year award. Their offensive line was one of the best in the league all year, and their much-improved defense featured the Defensive Rookie of the Year, Darius Leonard. After a 1-5 start, the Colts put together an unlikely playoff run as a Wildcard team, beat the Texans, but fell short to the Chiefs in the Divisional round. After a great season in 2018, the team is loaded with cap space and another draft class to make a deeper playoff run in 2019.
Available Salary Cap Space- $109,069,061
Free Agents
UFA
Ryan Grant - WR
Matt Slauson - LG Margus Hunt - DE Al Woods - DT Pierre Desir - CB Ryan Hewitt - FB J'Marcus Webb - T Mike Mitchell - S J.J. Wilcox - S Dontrelle Inman - WR Najee Goode - OLB Geneo Grisson - DE Clayton Geathers - S
RFA
Corey Moore - S Evan Boehm - RG
Chris Milton - CB Matthias Farley - S Ross Travis - TE Chester Rogers - WR
ERFA
Luke Rhodes - LS Ronald Martin - S Marcus Johnson - CB Brad Kaaya - QB
Potential Cap Casualties (Bold = Dead Money, Italics = Cap Gain)
Jack Doyle - TE ($0) ($5.3M)
Le’Raven Clark - OT ($183,433) ($743,000)
Hassan Ridgeway - DT ($140,056) ($720,000)
*All figures for cap purposes are taken as pre-June 1st, unless otherwise stated. All cap figures courtesy of Overthecap.com, unless otherwise stated*
Team Needs
Edge Rusher
Wide Receiver
Cornerback
Defensive Tackle
Linebacker
Running Back
Draft pick Allotment
1st Round: #26
2nd Round: #34
2nd Round: #59
3rd Round: #90
4th Round: #123
4th Round: Compensatory (Donte Moncrief)
5th Round: #154
6th Round: #187
7th Round: # 218
*Compensatory Pick Projection courtesy of Nick Korte of Overthecap.com
Mock Offseason
Players Re-signed
Pierre Desir - CB
Ryan Hewitt - FB
Dontrelle Inman - WR
Clayton Geathers - S
Najee Good - OLB
Al Woods - DT
Cap Casualties
Le’Raven Clark - OT
Hassan Ridgeway - DT
Trade
Bengals get: 3rd round pick (#90) & 5th Round Pick (#154)
Colts get: A.J. Green
Dolphins get: Jacoby Brissett
Colts get: 3rd Round Pick (#78)
Free Agent Targets
Dante Fowler - Edge Rusher (Rams)
Jadeveon Clowney, Dee Ford, Frank Clark, and Demarcus Lawrence will more than likely be resigned or franchise tagged. Brandon Graham will be on the market but Fowler offers the Colts youth at the position and could be a bargain signing. After flashing with the Rams on their run to the Super Bowl he could help give that much-needed boost to the pass rush that the Colts need.
Sheldon Richardson - Defensive Tackle (Vikings)
The Colts need more depth in the interior of the defensive line and Richardson would give the team a talented starter while giving the young defense a veteran presence. He will be sought after on the open market but Indy could outbid for his services.
Bryce Callahan - Cornerback (Bears)
Indy needs depth in their secondary as the league starts seeing more pass-heavy offenses take over. Callahan has been one of the better slot corners in the NFL and he can help bolster the Colts backend of their defensive unit.
Le’Veon Bell - Running Back (Steelers)
Would I overspend for Bell? No. Do the Colts need another playmaker on their offense? Yes. Personally, with how much cap space that Indy has, I would offer Bell a fully guaranteed deal on a 2-3 year contract. If he takes it, then it’s a win and when that money falls off the books then I give it to the homegrown talent. If he doesn’t, you just move on and let him get the money he wants elsewhere.
Jordan Hicks - Linebacker (Eagles)
The Colts need some depth in their linebacker core and Hicks could add some talent to the group. With some injuries in his past, he could be brought in on a favorable deal for both sides of the table.
Mock Draft
1st Round: Montez Sweat, DE (Mississippi St.)
2nd Round: Julian Love, CB (Notre Dame)
2nd Round: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S (Florida)
3rd Round (from Miami): Tre Lamar, LB (Clemson)
3rd Round: Traded to Bengals
4th Round: Isaiah Prince, OT (Ohio St.)
4th Round (Comp): Khalen Saunders, DT (Western Illinois)
5th Round: Traded to Bengals
6th Round: Brett Rypien, QB (Boise St.)
7th Round: Penny Hart, WR (Georgia St.)
Keep a lookout for more offseason blueprints as we get closer to the start of the new league year!