Indianapolis Colts 2018 Free Agents Part 5

The regular season may be just over a month away, but it’s never too early to be looking ahead to next offseason.

Safety

Darius Butler will be a key player for the Colts this season. It remains to be seen whether Clayton Geathers will be able to play at all in 2017, and Butler is the top candidate to replace him in the lineup.

Butler has played most of his career at cornerback, but he was forced to move to safety when Geathers injured his neck last season.

Butler played well picking off 3 passes with 7 passes defended last season, and he brings veteran leadership to a very young secondary.

Butler’s positional versatility makes him extremely valuable as the Colts could use him as a starting safety, or he could form a talented trio of cornerbacks with Vontae Davis and rookie Quincy Wilson.

He could be set to earn another contract from the Colts after he signed a one-year contract this offseason.

Linebacker

Akeem Ayers was released by the Rams on September 3rd of last season, and the Colts picked him up just days before Week 1 to help fill a void at the linebacker position.

Ayers didn’t get a ton of playing time last season totaling 12 tackles, 2 sacks, an interception, and two passes defended over 16 games.

Next: Colts Offensive Line Coach Likes His Unit

The Colts’ linebacker spots are wide open this year as no one has separated themselves from the pack as a definite starter.

Like Butler, Ayers has the ability to play multiple positions on this defense, which is important in today’s game. If Ayers doesn’t earn a starting spot at inside linebacker, he could provide some depth at both the inside and outside linebacker positions.

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With a full offseason under his belt in Indianapolis, Ayers has the opportunity to earn a second contract from the Colts after they took a chance on him last year.

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