Colts: Should Malik Hooker reunion be considered if the price is right?
By Jerry Trotta
The Indianapolis Colts addressed their biggest question mark when they acquired Carson Wentz to be their starting quarterback, but they still figure to be one of the busiest teams in the NFL once the new league year gets underway in less than two weeks.
After all, Indy’s brass is clearly of the mindset that the team is poised to compete for a championship with a few more moves, and the roster still has question marks at receiver, defensive end, cornerback and safety, depending on who’s re-signed.
When it comes to the safety position, however, the Colts are currently slated to have just Julian Blackmon and Khari Willis available.
While that duo proved in 2020 that they’re capable of holding down the fort on their own, the margin for error (and injury) would be ridiculously low.
This begs the question of whether Indianapolis should consider a reunion with Malik Hooker, who was lost for the year with a torn Achilles suffered in Week 2.
The Colts unsurprisingly declined his fifth-year option last offseason, but we don’t hate the idea of bringing him back at the right price.
Questions about TY Hilton and Philip Rivers future with the Colts (if they miss playoffs) are legit, but couple other notable FA’s are Marlon Mack and Malik Hooker, who both tore their Achilles early in the season.
— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNFL) December 31, 2020
Should the Colts consider a reunion with safety Malik Hooker?
Given how many other positions fall higher than safety in terms of importance, the Colts should absolutely target Hooker as a cost-effective addition. Coming off arguably the most serious injury in today’s day and age, the former first-round pick is simply in no position to demand top dollar.
The Colts’ secondary was easily the weakest component of their defense last season, and having three capable safeties on the roster would go a long way in terms of preventing chunk plays. After all, the cornerback position could end up being incredibly thin (and inexperienced) assuming Xavier Rhodes leaves in free agency.
Hooker is admittedly prone to lapses in concentration that make you understand why Indianapolis declined to exercise the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, but he’s also had moments of brilliance that suggest he could be one of the best ball-hawk safeties in the league in due time.
Colts fifth-year safety Malik Hooker on the team's decision not to pick up his fifth-year option this summer: "A motivation call for me — I gotta go out and prove myself this year."
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) August 19, 2020
For that reason, plus the fact that he could be signed at a discount, the Colts should at least approach him with an offer. The 24-year-old has never played a full season, but he logged a combined 27 games in his two previous campaigns, which is pretty noteworthy, all things considered.
During that span, Hooker registered 95 tackles, seven passes defended, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries, all the while producing elite coverage grades of 79.1 (!) and 69.5 from Pro Football Focus.
It’s duly noted that the Colts have other areas of need, but if they’re serious about shoring up their secondary, then re-signing Hooker should be on their offseason agenda, regardless of how low it might fall on the priority list.
