The Indianapolis Colts have 11 players that will be unrestricted free agents this offseason and re-signing four of them should be a priority.
While a little less than half of NFL teams are preparing for the playoffs, the Indianapolis Colts and other franchises that didn’t make it to the postseason are putting their offseason plans into motion. General manager Chris Ballard has already held an end-of-season press conference where he took accountability for not building an adequate team. While Ballard is now searching for a head coach, he’ll also be back to work on Indy’s roster so that the team can be more competitive next season.
The Colts have a lot of things that need to be addressed and they will try to address those things in the draft and in free agency. However, Indianapolis already had some bright spots on its roster. Some of those bright spots are at risk of being lost because they will be unrestricted free agents this offseason. In total, Indy will have 11 unrestricted free agents once free agency starts later in the offseason.
Indianapolis won’t be able to keep all 11, and the team doesn’t need to. Some of those players need a fresh start with another team. However, there are some that Indy needs to re-sign. Let’s take a look at the four names that should be a priority to re-sign for Indianapolis this offseason.
4. Colts need to keep Chase McLaughlin
Chase McLaughlin didn’t start the season with Indianapolis. After Rodrigo Blankenship missed a critical kick in Week 1, Blankenship was released by the Colts and this opened the door for McLaughlin and other kickers. Indy held a tryout and kicking competition for multiple kickers and it was McLaughlin that won the job. He showed why he won throughout the season.
Kicking in every game after Week 1, McLaughlin was 21-of-21 on extra points and he was 30-of-36 on field goal attempts. On field goals of 50 or more yards, Chase McLaughlin was 9-of-12. He was an area of stability for Indianapolis throughout the year and made the kicking game one less thing to worry about in a season full of worries. In many games, his leg and the defense were the only reasons Indianapolis was hanging around in games.
The Colts should make sure he returns next season so that the kicking game can remain dependable.