Colts let franchise tag deadline pass

The Colts decided not to use their franchise tag this year, as the deadline passed yesterday without any action. Was this the right move?

Yesterday, we tried to determine the likely candidates for a possible franchise tag. The Colts then decided to re-sign one of those guys, Margus Hunt. It was someone surprising that they didn’t announce the re-signing of anyone else yesterday after that.

In any case, the Colts decided not to use the tag on anyone. It seems as though that was the smart move, as all of the likely candidates were going to be more expensive than they were worth if they played under the tag. So the team decided it was best to not tag anyone.

So what does that mean for the prospects of re-signing some of these guys? Hunt was already given a new deal, so that is one good thing. But Pierre Desir and Clayton Geathers have not received anything yet. Geathers might not get re-signed now also.

The reason for that is Landon Collins did not get tagged by the Giants. That makes him an unrestricted free agent, and one of the top safeties on the market. The Colts should have drafted him back in 2015, but now they get another chance at him.

Desir should still be a target to get re-signed though. The Colts like what he has brought to the table and know his skills have improved. He showed a lot last season and the coaches were impressed with how he has been able to develop.

Expect the Colts to kick the tires on some of the guys who weren’t tagged yesterday. They have a whole lot of cap space still to use, and they would do well to get one of the big guys.