Indianapolis Colts: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time

Mike Adams was an unheralded free agent when he came to Indianapolis. He was a 33-year-old safety who had already played for two teams, and those teams weren’t particularly good. But Adams showed everyone that he was exactly what the team needed.

Adams only played for the Colts for three years, but he made the most of them. He made the Pro Bowl in two out of the three, and was a key player on the Colts defense. He helped lead them to the AFC Championship game in 2014.

Standing at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Adams was an imposing force. He could hit hard, even in his older age in Indianapolis. He always seemed to be around the ball and make tons of plays. In each of his Pro Bowl seasons with the Colts, he had five interceptions.

Adams was also remarkably durable in his time in Indianapolis. He only missed three games in the three years he was with the team. His leadership was so well-respected that he was voted as a defensive captain as well. That shows you how much he mattered to this team.

Although he was released after the 2015 season, Adams was one of the bright spots in a dark period under general manager Ryan Grigson. Grigson made plenty of bad free agent signings, but this wasn’t one of them. The next guy on this list was thought to be a bad signing, until he wasn’t.