Colts: Are any of these recently-released cornerbacks worth it for Indy?

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 02: Cornerback Tre Flowers #21 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates at the end of the game after beating the Minnesota Vikings 37-30 at CenturyLink Field on December 2, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 02: Cornerback Tre Flowers #21 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates at the end of the game after beating the Minnesota Vikings 37-30 at CenturyLink Field on December 2, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

The Indianapolis Colts suffered a loss for the ages on Monday Night Football, as they blew a 16-point fourth quarter lead en route to a 31-25 loss in overtime. After a Rodrigo Blankenship field goal with 12 minutes remaining, the Ravens scored 22 unanswered points.

The reason for that comeback? On top of some conservative play-calling from Frank Reich and a few special teams gaffes, the Colts’ decimated secondary had no answers for Lamar Jackson, who racked up 442 yards and four touchdowns through the air.

The Colts were already without Rock Ya-Sin and TJ Carrie in the game, and Xavier Rhodes left in the second half with an undisclosed issue. Rhodes now in concussion protocol and looks to be a question mark for Week 6.

Given that Indy is running thin at cornerback, could they look to sign one of the three DBs that were released this week?

That group includes Tre Flowers, Desmond Trufant and Brian Poole.

Should the Colts sign one of these three recently-released CBs?

Flowers is definitely the most intriguing name here.

At 31 years old, Trufant hasn’t started more than nine games in a season since 2018. He inked a two-year, $20 million deal with Detroit during the 2020 offseason, but was cut before Week 1. Trufant has since had pit stops with Chicago and New Orleans and now finds himself on the open market once again.

It feels like the Colts can do better than the former first-round pick.

So, what about Poole? While we like what he offers in coverage, the sixth-year pro has battled shoulder and knee injuries this season. In fact, he was placed on injured reserve back in August. Do the Colts really want to sign someone who’s yet to appear in a game this year? Our guess is probably not.

Then again, GM Chris Ballard does like himself a bargain, and Poole’s injury concerns could mean he’d come at a discount.

Now, we get to Flowers. The way we see it, Flowers is the most realistic addition for the Colts.  The former fifth-round pick of the Seahawks has appeared in 47 games (40 starts) over his career, across which he’s compiled 212 tackles, three interceptions, 16 pass breakups, and three fumble recoveries.

The production is there, and so are his physical intangibles. At 6-foot-3 (!) and 203 pounds, Flowers has everything Ballard looks for in a cornerback length-wise. Don’t be surprised if the Colts are one of the first teams who gives him a call following his release, which he requested.

After all, Indy’s third- and fourth-string cornerbacks, Anthony Chesley and BoPete Keys, were chasing ghosts in the secondary whenever Jackson dropped back to pass in the second half on Monday night.

Flowers wouldn’t solve all of the Colts’ CB issues, but he’d put a pretty sizable band-aid over what is currently a gaping wound.

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