The Indianapolis Colts still need to upgrade at the wide receiver position but what is the best way for the team to do that?
On Wednesday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. Earlier in the offseason, Davante Adams was sent from Green Bay to Las Vegas, Robert Woods was traded from the Rams to the Titans, and Amari Cooper was moved from the Cowboys to the Cleveland Browns.
In free agency, Allen Robinson signed with the Rams, Christian Kirk joined the Jaguars, JuJu Smith-Schuster went to Kansas City and many other receivers found new homes.
The Indianapolis Colts, a team that desperately needs to add receivers, haven’t been involved in the action. Indy didn’t have a quarterback in the early part of free agency and Chris Ballard admitted that hurt the team’s recruiting efforts of pass-catchers.
Now that Indianapolis has Matt Ryan, will they get involved in the active receiver market or will the Colts wait until the draft to address this need?
After adding Matt Ryan, where do the Colts go from here? My sense is there aren’t likely to be any more splashy free agent moves, with the focus now turning to the draft. Receiver is still in play, obviously, but the big names there have already landed. Anyway, stand down.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) March 23, 2022
Should Colts draft young receivers or sign veterans?
Despite all of the receiver movement that has already taken place, there are still several available free agents that Indy could go after. There are big names like Jarvis Landry, Julio Jones, and Odell Beckham Jr., and also guys like Emmanuel Sanders, Cole Beasley, and Sammy Watkins.
Indianapolis could add one or two of these veterans and they will know what they are getting. They are all proven in this league and will typically be able to deliver on their expected production.
The Colts can also just wait until the NFL Draft and see what guys they can land from a talented and deep wide receiver class. Indy doesn’t have a first-round draft pick but they should be able to land guys in the second and third round.
College standouts like David Bell and John Metchie are the kind of names expected to be available in the second and third rounds. They displayed a skillset in their collegiate careers that should immediately translate to the NFL.
Also, one of the benefits to drafting is that Indianapolis would typically sign the players to a cheaper and longer contract than one of the veteran options. Additionally, the best days are likely ahead for a rookie receiver while most of the veterans have probably already played their best football.
Does this mean the Colts should just turn their attention to landing a talented prospect? Not quite. The good news for Indianapolis is that it doesn’t have to be an either-or choice and they shouldn’t make it one.
Colts should sign a veteran and still draft a receiver
The best way forward for Indy would be to dip into both pools. Indianapolis should be able to sign one of these veterans to an affordable deal and still should draft a talented young guy.
It’s not like the Colts have limited spots at wideout; they really need all the help they can get at the position. Adding multiple receivers from different stages in their career is the best path forward for Indianapolis.
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