Colts 2018 season recap: Best free agent signing

The Colts didn’t sign too many free agents last offseason, opting to build more through the draft. But they did have one guy who impacted the team in a big way in 2018.

Chris Ballard decided to be frugal in spending last offseason. He had the third most cap space to use in the entire league, and he decided to keep a lot of that money in his pocket. He did sign a couple of players though, and one had a really large impact on the team.

Denico Autry was the first player that the team signed in that offseason, and he ended up being the most impactful player. He was a great player on the inside of the defensive line. He helped stop the run and get pressure up the middle on the quarterback.

Autry was a great fit in the interior after being signed to increase depth on the line. It looked like he wasn’t even going to start when the season started. He went from that, to being the most impactful signing that the Colts had all year.

Autry is under contract for the next two years as well. Ballard clearly knew what he was doing when he signed him. They get him on a friendly contract for the next two years. Expect him to keep being productive as well, but he needs to stay healthy over the course of the year.

A healthy Autry makes the defensive line much better and allows versatility at the defensive end position. Hopefully he can stay more healthy over the duration of his remaining contract.