Bleacher Report’s ‘bold’ free agency prediction for Colts is absolutely mental
By Mike Luciano
The Indianapolis Colts will be one of the biggest players in NFL free agency during this cycle, as Chris Ballard and Frank Reich have oodles of cap space to play with.
Given how big the need at wide receiver is, former Detroit Lions wideout Kenny Golladay could easily step in and become a new No. 1 target for Carson Wentz if Ballard pays up.
Golladay, who was picked in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft after a terrific college career at Northern Illinois, topped 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons in Detroit, even leading the NFL in touchdown receptions in 2019.
However, injuries limited him to just five non-impactful games last season.
Despite that, Golladay should command a nice price on the open market, as teams like the Colts need someone with his combination of size and speed. However, Bleacher Report must not be familiar with how Ballard handles business because they think Indy is going to spend an unthinkable amount of money on the wideout.
The Colts have money to spend, but this would be the dictionary definition of a frivolous purchase.
— Brad Gagnon (@Brad_Gagnon) March 12, 2021
Should the Indianapolis Colts give Kenny Golladay $20 million per year?
Bleacher Report’s bold prediction is that the Colts will make Golladay one of the highest-paid receivers in NFL history! “Bold” would be an understatement there!
Golladay has proven that even with some poor structure around him, he can produce when he’s on the field. Paying over $10 million per season is the starting point in negotiations. However, $20 million would give him the third-highest cap hit of any receiver in the league, trailing only Julio Jones and Amari Cooper.
Those two have managed to stay healthy and have consistently been among the best in the league at their position. While Golladay has played like a Pro Bowler, he’s shown nothing to warrant THAT type of contract. Doing so could prevent the Colts from really loading up elsewhere on their roster this offseason.
Indianapolis could use upgrades on the offensive line, at edge rusher, and in the secondary, and it could become much harder to find reinforcements for those three holes if they decide to spend that much of their cap space on Golladay, who spent more time in hoodies than shoulder pads last year.
Golladay would be a difference-making acquisition for the Colts, as he and Michael Pittman Jr. would be among the best red-zone duos in football. Having said that, paying close $20 million per year for a guy who has started just 39 games in the last four seasons would be a colossal waste of money, unless he suddenly turns into Raymond Berry.
