Though the Indianapolis Colts’ salary cap situation took a severe hit following the Carson Wentz trade, their projected $50.3 million in remaining funds is still good for the fourth-most in the league and should be more than enough for GM Chris Ballard to round out the rest of the roster.
As far as biggest positional needs are concerned, fans are consistently calling for the Colts to bring in reinforcements at wide receiver, defensive end and cornerback.
Before the Wentz trade, it was conceivable to think that Indy could’ve made high-profile additions at each of those positions.
Now, however, Ballard has to be sure not to spend too much money on one signing, as doing so would sabotage any desire to make further moves.
Taking that into account and based on the latest free agency buzz, it’s highly unlikely that the Colts end up as serious players in the JJ Watt sweepstakes this offseason.
Per ESPN insider Dianna Russini, Watt has had several teams approach him with offers following his surprise release from the Texans two weeks ago. The best of these offers reportedly lies somewhere between $15-16 million per year.
JJ Watt has received several offers from teams. The best offer he has received right now is between 15-16 million per year, per sources.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) February 25, 2021
The Colts should probably steer clear from free agent JJ Watt this offseason.
We would love to see Watt play the next few seasons in Indianapolis as much as the next guy, but not after teams are reportedly willing to pay him over $15 million per year. That obviously isn’t to say the three-time Defensive Player of the Year isn’t worth that much — the Colts just can’t be committing that much money to someone who is aging and wouldn’t exactly be filling a position of dire need.
On top of that, the last thing Ballard probably wants to do is get into a bidding war, which he’s spoken out against on numerous occasions since he took over as general manager in 2017.
If there’s a silver lining to be had here for fans in Indianapolis, it’s that the Colts reportedly aren’t even in the running for Watt. Per ESPN reporter John Clayton, three teams (Tennessee, Green Bay and Buffalo) have emerged as the leading candidates to land the 31-year-old superstar.
.@JohnClaytonNFL says JJ Watt won't be coming to Pittsburgh. Tennessee, Green Bay, and Buffalo are the 3 teams. Raiders as a dark horse.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) February 24, 2021
The Colts are reportedly interested in re-signing Justin Houston before free agency gets underway at the start of the new league year next month. We’re just spitballing here, but if it came down to signing Watt at his reported price tag or retaining Houston and adding potentially another edge rusher, we’d side with the latter option without a doubt.
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