Has the Indianapolis Colts franchise ever been more embarrassed than when they lost to a 2-14 Jacksonville Jaguars team to seal their playoff fate?
Probably not, especially when you consider they were nearly two-touchdown favorites and dozens of Jags fans were decked out in clown attire.
So, where do the Colts go from here? It’s tough to say. In his end-of-season press conference this week, GM Chris Ballard made comments that suggested sweeping changes will (finally) be made this offseason.
With so many players set to hit free agency, it’s highly likely the Colts’ roster looks very different by the start of training camp.
While the futures of TY Hilton, Eric Fisher, Xavier Rhodes, Zach Pascal and Mark Glowinski will garner most of the attention, let’s highlight some under-the-radar players whom Ballard and Co. should bring back to Indy.
3 low-profile free agents the Colts should re-sign
3. Ashton Dulin
Ashton Dulin was a bit of an afterthought coming into the year. Already behind Michael Pittman, Hilton and Pascal in the WR pecking order, Dulin even saw seventh-rounder Mike Strachan get more hype than him during the preseason.
When the dust settled, though, Dulin vastly outperformed both Strachan and fellow roster bubble wideout Dezmon Patmon.
In terms of depth receivers, Dulin was everything the Colts could’ve asked for and then some, catching 13 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Not bad for someone who played just 30% of the offensive snaps. He also tacked on three carries for 32 yards on jet sweeps for good measure.
While all of those numbers marked career-highs for the third-year receiver, his contributions on special teams is the real reason he made this list. For the year, he tallied 15 tackles as a special teams gunner, good for the third-most of any player in the NFL and three more than the next-best Colts player.
When everyone wrote Dulin off, he made a name for himself on a roster that is loaded with premier talent. He’s a special teams savant and a legitimate deep threat and it’s not often those come in the same package.