7 free agents with ties to Gus Bradley the Colts could target

The Indianapolis Colts may have an advantage with some free agents thanks to the hiring of Gus Bradley.

When the Indianapolis Colts lost Matt Eberflus to the Chicago Bears, we thought about what Colts players could possibly go with Eberflus to Chicago.

That’s the way the NFL works. Players build relationships with coaches and they are more likely to join teams where they have a sense of familiarity.

Now, Indianapolis has hired a new defensive coordinator, Gus Bradley. Bradley has been coaching in the NFL since 2006 and has been a part of five different organizations before joining Indy.

That means that he has created a lot of good relationships with players. So just as Indy could lose players with Eberflus leaving, the Colts may also be able to sign players because of Bradley.

Let’s take a look at six pending free agents with a connection to Gus Bradley that the Colts could target.

Colts can target CB Casey Hayward

Casey Hayward is a veteran cornerback that has played his last five seasons with Gus Bradley as his defensive coordinator. The two spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers and one year with the Las Vegas Raiders last season.

Hayward was a free agent last offseason and chose to sign with Bradley and the Raiders. This offseason, Hayward will once again be a free agent and can go wherever he likes.

If he wants to follow his defensive coordinator once again, there’s a great likelihood that he will be able to. Hayward will be 33 at the start of next season but he started all 17 games this year and had a solid season.

With the Colts likely losing Xavier Rhodes, Indy could sign Hayward to a one-year deal and allow him to contribute in the secondary. This will allow the younger corners time to continue their development and also give the secondary depth.