5 pending free agents the Colts should re-sign
Now that the Indianapolis Colts’ 2020 season is over, it’s time to look at the offseason and with that, looking at which impending free agents the team should look to re-sign.
After the retirement of Anthony Castonzo, Indianapolis is projected to have over $60 million in cap space, which is among the leaders in the projections.
With 20 players becoming free agents (two were signed to extensions this week), there will be a lot of Colts that don’t return, but there could be some brought back.
Here are five pending free agents Indianapolis should re-sign:
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The one-year rental on Philip Rivers netted fairly good results, as Rivers improved the QB position in 2020, and helped Indianapolis improve to 11-5 this season. Now, with any 39-year old QB, questions of retirement will always be there, and with Rivers needing offseason foot surgery, there is added uncertainty on if Rivers will want to come back for one last season. Last year the Colts signed Rivers to a one-year 25 million dollar contract, and if they were to re-sign Rivers, expect the same deal.
WR T.Y. Hilton
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For the first half of the season, it looked as if this was Hilton's last in Indianapolis, but after a strong second-half, he could be back on a multi-year deal. With a lot of uncertainty at WR1, bringing a player like Hilton back would be a smart move for the Colts. While he's not the elite WR he once was, but he showed that he can still produce. Expect Hilton to get a contract of something along the lines of three years, with around $30-40 million in the deal, with close to $15 million guaranteed. Also, look for the deal to be fairly front-loaded in case Hilton were to retire before the end of the next deal.
DE/DT Denico Autry
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
One of the more under-the-radar signings by Chris Ballard was Autry in 2018. In his three seasons with Indianapolis, Autry started 38 of 40 games, and recorded 20 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, and 32 QB hits. Autry spent most of last year as the right defensive end, which is the run setting end, and he did a great job at that. There aren't a lot of options behind Autry, and with attention being paid at other key positions, the smart decision would be to re-sign Autry. At 30 years old, Autry could be re-signed to a two-year deal on about $15-20 million, with $8-10 million being guaranteed.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Of the 2020 free agent signings, Rhodes was by far the best of the players brought in. He solidified the CB spot opposite Kenny Moore and was as consistent as any player on the Colts roster all season. The biggest problem for Indianapolis will be the market Rhodes attracts. The CB market in free agency is slim, and teams could get into a bidding war with Rhodes, which will drive up the price. If the Colts can find a way to bring Rhodes back, the contract would look along the lines of a two or three-year deal, with around $20-30 million in the contract, with a good amount of it being guaranteed.
CB T.J. Carrie
AP Photo/Ben Margot
Sticking with the CB room, Carrie was solid in spots for Indianapolis when called upon, and also saw time on special teams units last year. CB depth is low on the Colts with Rock Ya-Sin not taking the next step last year, and rookie Isaiah Rodgers seeing only 56 snaps on defense all season, With Rhodes being a free agent, and Marvell Tell working back into the mix, Carrie could be brought back to Indianapolis. It would be interesting to see how much the Colts value Carrie, he could get a one-year deal, or a multi-year contract, but expect something in the neighborhood of a two-year deal, worth around $10 million, with a few million being guaranteed.
