The Indianapolis Colts continue to spectate from the sidelines in free agency as several other contenders around the league bolster their respective rosters.
That hesitancy has helped players like Anthony Walker get lured away by other interested teams.
At this point, it’s become abundantly clear that GM Chris Ballard is preserving most (if not all) of the team’s remaining $39.8 million in cap space for extensions for homegrown stars like linebacker Darius Leonard, right guard Quenton Nelson and right tackle Braden Smith.
Though getting that trio locked up for the foreseeable future is all well and good, it must be said that we expected more from the front office with regards to shoring up the rest of the roster, which has holes at defensive end, wide receiver and the secondary.
Unfortunately for the Colts, however, that list grew on Friday after Walker inked a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns.
While it was always expected that Walker would leave in free agency, his departure opens up a can of worms about the team’s LB room.
Former Colts’ LB Anthony Walker is signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Browns, per @DrewJRosenhaus.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2021
Should the Colts look to replace Anthony Walker in free agency?
Seeing as though Walker leaving was the expected outcome, Ballard and Co. should have somewhat of a head start in terms of identifying his replacement.
In many ways, the transition started last season, as Bobby Okereke began eating into Walker’s playing time. For context, Walker played just 68% of the defensive snaps in 2020 compared to the 79% snap share he logged the previous season, whereas Okereke enjoyed a career-high in snaps.
Most depth chart simulators will have Zaire Franklin slotting in as Walker’s like-for-like replacement, but that couldn’t be any more inaccurate. After all, Franklin has been primarily utilized as a special teams ace across his first three seasons.
If you needed any further evidence that Franklin isn’t ready to assume Walker’s role, he was named a team captain last season for his contributions on special teams and has played just 8.3% of the defensive snaps since he entered the league as a seventh-round pick in 2018.
Taking all of that into account, the Colts will have to either switch up their defensive scheme and appoint Leonard and Okereke as their two main linebackers, or take to free agency or next month’s draft to address the vacancy Walker has left in his wake.
One of the unfortunate things about free agency is friends get separated. Leonard and Anthony Walker were practically inseparable. Same with Walker and Jacoby Brissett. https://t.co/zEoPqwhTth
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) March 19, 2021
Walker isn’t the most complete LB in the league, but there’s something to be said for the fact that he registered 321 tackles (!), 18 of which went for a loss, 11 passes defended, 3.5 QB hits and three interceptions over the last three campaigns.
None of the Colts’ current assortment of linebackers are capable of replicating that production. With that in mind, we would advise looking to add a veteran on the cheap in free agency, but seeing as though Indy is set on pinching its pennies to the nth degree, that’s no guarantee.
We’re obviously just hours into Walker’s departure, but the Colts’ conservative approach to free agency thus far suggests their linebacking corps could be down a starter heading into the draft.
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