Colts attempting to re-sign Eric Fisher shows they were never really all-in
The Indianapolis Colts will have to be more aggressive this offseason if they want to change their fate.
Shortly after the Indianapolis Colts suffered an epic collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18, team owner, Jim Irsay, posted a video to Twitter emphasizing that the team’s performance that caused them to miss the postseason was unacceptable.
Irsay also vowed that things were going to change. He used the phrase “all chips in” to describe the mentality that the team will enter the 2022 season with.
To fans, that meant the Colts will be aggressive in making the necessary moves to compete for a Super Bowl. It’s still early in the offseason, but one move shows that Indy isn’t really all-in.
That move was attempting to re-sign left tackle Eric Fisher.
Pro-Bowl left tackle Eric Fisher is not expected to resign with the Colts despite the fact that the two sides have spent recent weeks trying to strike a new deal, per sources. Fisher now is poised to hit free agency next week.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2022
Colts shouldn’t have wanted Eric Fisher back if they were all-in
On Wednesday, it was reported that Fisher and Indianapolis had been working towards a deal but we’re ultimately unable to agree and now Fisher is likely to walk in free agency.
The problem with this is that Fisher struggled tremendously in pass protection last season. Sure, he was a great run-blocker but his struggles against edge-rushing put a cap on the offensive ceiling.
Is it possible that Fisher was still working his way back from the Achilles injury he suffered during the 2020 season? Yes, and he could be better next season.
But for Indy to be willing to commit to Fisher before even exploring the free-agent options shows that the team is still carrying a conservative mindset.
Based on the report, the Colts were willing to bring Fisher back before they even knew young talents like Cam Robinson or Orlando Brown Jr. would be franchise tagged.
Even with the knowledge that Terron Armstead will be a free agent, Indy was ready to run it back with Fisher before even having a conversation with one of the best-left tackles over the last decade.
That’s not how an all-in team operates. For Indianapolis to be all-in, it has to be willing to take big swings. Re-signing Fisher when obvious and affordable upgrades are available is not a big swing.
If this is the mindset that the Colts are carrying into free agency, fans can prepare to be disappointed. Indianapolis now has the most cap space in the NFL with just under $70 million.
If the Colts are all chips in on winning like Irsay said they will be, they should be preparing to throw a lot of money around when free agency starts Wednesday.
