The Indianapolis Colts are still over a month away from the free agent market opening across the league but they will soon be able to re-sign some of their pending free agents.
Entering the offseason in a solid salary-cap standing, the Colts will have enough money to re-sign a number of players while also being active on the open market. How active they will be is a mystery.
The Colts have a long list of free agents set to hit the market this offseason. Unlike offseasons past, there are a high number of players the Colts should consider re-signing.
They won’t re-sign all of the players on this list but each of them is listed here for a reason.
Here are 12 pending free agents the Colts should consider re-signing this offseason:
AP Photo/Darryl Webb
A 2021 captain and the leader on special teams, Franklin may not be a fixture on the defensive side of the ball. However, he is one of the main leaders on special teams. Franklin led the Colts in special teams snaps during the 2019 and 2020 seasons and played just one fewer snap than the 2021 leader in Matthew Adams.
Special teams was a big part of the Colts’ success in 2021 so we should expect Franklin to be re-signed considering the impact and leadership he brings.
LB Matthew Adams
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This is essentially the same argument. Adams is a key player on special teams. He led the team with 351 special teams snaps in 2021 while making some key plays on the punting unit.
G Chris Reed
AP Photo/Darryl Webb
It may not be all that easy to re-sign Reed. Though he held mostly a reserve role while making some spot starts, teams will line up for that kind of depth. The Colts should be trying as hard as they can to re-sign Reed, though he may be searching for a starting job elsewhere.
Chris Ballard has preached wanting to keep strong depth in the trenches. This is his time to prove that it’s not all talk.
G/T Matt Pryor
AP Photo/Darryl Webb
Holding a similar depth role on the offensive line, Pryor wound up seeing time at several spots along the front. The trade for Pryor wound up being a solid one for Chris Ballard but now he has to re-sign the former in order to keep the depth he so desperately wants in the trenches.
AP Photo/Jeff Lewis
This one may come down to the price point. Glowinski has been the starter since 2018 and with Danny Pinter waiting in the wings, the Colts may want to give the latter a shot at the starting role. But if the price point is reasonable, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to re-sign Glowinski on a one-year deal to provide some stable competition at right guard.
AP Photo/Jeff Lewis
Odum should be one of the players the Colts prioritize before the market opens. It’s time for them to stop treating Odum simply as a special teams player. He deserves more run as a rotational safety and with Gus Bradley taking over as defensive coordinator, a third safety becomes even more of a need. Odum has been an underrated talent since he arrived, and he deserves another contract.
DL Tyquan Lewis
Syndication: The Indianapolis Star
This will be a tricky one for the Colts. Lewis was emerging as a vital and versatile piece along the defensive line before he suffered a torn patellar tendon against the Tennessee Titans. That’s a very tough injury to come back from but it may work in favor of the Colts. Re-signing Lewis to a cheap, one-year deal would be beneficial for both sides as long as the knee injury doesn’t hamper Lewis too much.
TE Mo Alie-Cox
AP Photo/Rick Scuteri
Another player the Colts need to prioritize before the market opens is Alie-Cox. There is a chance that starter Jack Doyle retires with one year remaining on his contract. That would leave Kylen Granson as the only tight end under contract entering 2022. Alie-Cox is still growing into his game but he’s made major strides as a receiver over the last few seasons. Adding to the room will be necessary regardless, but re-signing Alie-Cox can go a long way.
WR Zach Pascal
AP Photo/Jeff Lewis
The Colts saw the breakout of Michael Pittman Jr. in 2021 but there isn’t much in the room behind him. Pascal may not be an exciting name, but he does have a knack for making some impact catches on third down and in the red zone. If the Colts walk into the season with Pascal as the WR4 or WR5, the passing game would look to be in better shape.
K Michael Badgley
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I’m more meh on this one. The fact of the matter is Rodrigo Blankenship probably isn’t the starter long-term and some competition needs to be brought in. Badgley looked phenomenal until the final few weeks of the season so it may be wise to have another competition throughout the offseason.
WR Ashton Dulin (RFA)
AP Photo/AJ Mast
Dulin is a restricted free agent so it may be a bit easier to re-sign him. The Colts are likely to place a tender on him—probably a second-rounder—so we should expect him to return. This is especially true considering the fact that Dulin is coming off of a strong season both as a receiver and a special teamer compared to his earlier seasons.
DT Taylor Stallworth (RFA)
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Like Dulin, Stallworth is a restricted free agent. He should be returning as a rotational piece on the interior defensive line. Stallworth flashed some impressive development as a pass rusher so the Colts should certainly see if they can get more out of him moving forward.
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12 pending free agents the Colts should re-sign - Yahoo Sports
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