Colts could change entire complexion of offseason if latest rumor has any legs
By Jerry Trotta
The Indianapolis Colts have drawn the ire of fans amid their continued lack of urgency to upgrade their roster, which is arguably a few marquee signings away from becoming a legitimate championship contender.
It’s duly noted that GM Chris Ballard is preserving most of the team’s cap space for big-money extensions for homegrown stars like Darius Leonard and Quenton Nelson.
But couldn’t they just backload those deals for when the league’s lucrative new television deals explode the salary cap in a few years?
Whatever ends up happening, it would appear that the Colts are finally starting to feel the pressure facing them to make some signings.
Per the latest buzz, Indy is among the teams in the mix to sign cornerback Kyle Fuller, who was surprisingly released by Chicago this week.
If the Colts really wanted to send a massage to their haters, who have (rightfully) been persistent with their criticism thus far in free agency, they would go out and sign Fuller before another team swoops in and makes him an offer he can’t refuse.
If the #Bears cannot trade Kyle Fuller, PFN Insider @AllbrightNFL says to keep an eye on the Broncos. Chargers and the Colts are in the mix as well.
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) March 19, 2021
The Colts are reportedly linked to free agent cornerback Kyle Fuller.
Indianapolis is in the market for a cornerback this offseason as Xavier Rhodes and TJ Carrie, both of whom played a massive role in the team’s defensive resurgence this season, are currently braving the free agent waters.
The Colts technically have the requisite cap space to sign both Rhodes and Fuller, but we’re not going to talk ourselves into something that has a slim (at best) chance of coming to fruition. The bottom line is that Fuller would be a perfect replacement for Rhodes, who enjoyed a bounce-back campaign in 2020 following a polarizing end to his Vikings tenure.
The former Bears star hasn’t been what you would call a shutdown corner in recent years, but he does more than enough to make opposing wideouts uncomfortable. No stat proves that more than Fuller leading the league in passes defended (63) over the last four seasons.
If we’re being honest, Fuller’s supposed struggles in 2020 were really overblown, as he earned a respectable 64.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus. The six-year pro just wasn’t his normal dominant self, and that can be expected for a player who’s held to such lofty standards.
The #Bears are releasing veteran CB Kyle Fuller, sources say, a cap casualty. In a tough 2021 offseason, this is Chicago’s only cut due to cap space. A former All-Pro corner now hits the market.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2021
After all, Fuller was named an All-Pro in 2018 and followed that up with a Pro Bowl nod the following season, recording 137 tackles, 10 interceptions and 33 passes defended, while allowing a 63.8% completion percentage on 204 targets (!) during that span.
We wouldn’t necessarily hold our breath on the Colts winning the bidding war for Fuller’s signature, as they’ve been linked with several high-profile free agents thus far and have walked away losers in each of those supposed pursuits.
However, signing Fuller to be their new No. 1 CB would really change the entire complexion of what can only be described as a failed first week of free agency, and something tells us Ballard and Co. are finally incentivized to give the disgruntled fan base something to hold on to.
