Could Colts steal division-rival wideout in free agency?

The Indianapolis Colts entered the offseason with close to $70 million in projected cap space, but that number decreased significantly following the trade for Carson Wentz, who will account for a $25.4 million hit next season between his salary and roster bonus.

When you consider their $8.53 million in carry-over cap, which was confirmed by the league over the weekend, the Colts should have approximately $50 million to work with.

That should be more than enough to make marquee signings and extend some players.

As far as biggest needs go, the consensus opinion is that Indianapolis should look to add an edge rusher (or two), a left tackle, an elite wide receiver, and a cornerback.

Speaking strictly in terms of the wideout position, GM Chris Ballard will have an excess of star talents to choose from.

Though names like Allen Robinson and Chris Godwin highlight the most stacked free agent class in recent memory, we’d be totally on board with the Colts settling for Corey Davis, who is right behind them in the second-tier of wideouts.

Free agent WR Corey Davis just seems like a perfect fit for the Colts.

Due to lost revenue, there won’t be many teams in the NFL positioned to splurge on a receiver this offseason. The Colts, despite their favorable cap situation, might just fall under that category after you account for potential extensions for key guys like Darius Leonard and Quenton Nelson.

With that in mind, Davis could fall right into their spending budget. Throw in the fact that signing him would deprive the Titans of their No. 2 receiver, and you’ll come to the realization that this would be the perfect move for the Colts.

The early stages of Davis’ career were extremely concerning, but he’s showcased real promise and potential over the last two years, especially this past season. In 14 games, the former No. 6 overall pick posted career highs in receptions (65), receiving yards (984), touchdowns (five), catch rate (70.7%), and yards per catch (15.1).

While fans would prefer to see Indy target a receiver who’s more adept at taking the top off of opposing defenses, Davis is the ideal possession receiver for a quarterback like Wentz who’s looking to rediscover his confidence after a forgettable campaign under center.

What Davis lacks in breakaway speed, he more than makes up for with yards after the catch, as he’s one of the best receivers as far as making people miss in the open field. Let’s not be quick to write off his big-play ability — for context, his 15.1 yards per catch last season ranked eighth among WRs with at least 50 receptions.

You could certainly make the case that Davis is headed for regression coming off a career year, but we would assert that he’s finally taking the steps toward becoming the elite wideout the Titans and other teams thought he would be coming out of Western Michigan in 2017.

Because of that, we see no reason why the Colts shouldn’t make Davis one of their top free agent targets this offseason. Not only would he fit into their price range, but his skills perfectly align with what Indy is looking for to help bring the best out of Wentz.

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