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.
3. Colts must compete with contenders to keep Yannick Ngakoue
When Indianapolis traded for Yannick Ngakoue last offseason, it was done with a very clear purpose: to bring a pass rush back to the Colts. Ngakoue understood the assignment and he delivered on the mission, leading Indianapolis to 44 team sacks— 10th-best in the NFL and the most by a Colts team since 2005. Yannick Ngakoue led the way with 9.5 sacks.
However, he wasn’t the only defensive lineman putting in the work. DeForest Buckner had eight sacks, Kwity Paye had six in just 12 games, and Dayo Odeyingbo had five. The entire defensive line stepped its game up and Ngakoue was a big catalyst for that. The Colts can’t afford to lose Yannick this offseason and have a regression in the pass-rushing area.
Yannick Ngakoue is one of the league’s most consistent pass rushers. Despite playing for five NFL teams in his seven-year career, he has had at least eight sacks in each season he’s been in the NFL. That’s the kind of consistency from pass rushers that every team in the NFL is looking for, especially contending teams. That’s why it may be hard for Indy to re-sign Ngakoue.
Yannick will surely have a lot of suitors in free agency and the majority of those teams will be franchises that feel they are on the brink of winning a Super Bowl. Having so many options may drive up Ngakoue’s price and it’s understandable if the Colts will eventually have to pull out of the race at a certain point because re-signing him may get too expensive, but as long as the price is within a reasonable range, Indy must do everything possible to keep Ngakoue in Indianapolis.
2. Parris Campbell earned a second contract with Colts
Indianapolis having an underwhelming season is disappointing for a lot of reasons. But one of the biggest reasons it’s disappointing is because it hasn’t allowed for the arrival of Parris Campbell to really be appreciated. After facing so many setbacks in his first three seasons in the NFL, Campbell played an entire 17-game season this year and was an actual contributor to the offense.
Parris caught 63 passes for 623 yards and three touchdowns; all second-most on the team behind only Michael Pittman Jr. he also added five carries for 58 yards. For comparison, in Campbell’s first three seasons combined, he played in just 15 games and only caught 34 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns. Not only did Campbell show that he can stay healthy but he showed that he is an offensive threat in the NFL.
Now it’s time for the Colts to give him a second contract so that he can continue to prove himself and keep developing. Additionally, Indianapolis can’t really afford to lose weapons. Of course, Indy has Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. and also saw phenomenal glimpses from the rookie weapons but the offense still doesn’t have the privilege to let playmakers walk away.
After what Campbell showcased this year, there should be restored promise and optimism around his name and the Colts should be excited to re-sign him to see what more he can offer to Indianapolis’ offense as he continues to get better.
1. Colts have to keep EJ Speed on the roster
All EJ Speed does is make plays. It’s been that way since he arrived in Indianapolis back in 2019. Whether it’s on special teams or on defense, Speed finds a way to get around the ball and make a big play. Every time it happens, viewers are probably left thinking that Speed should be on the field even more. Next season, EJ Speed will have that opportunity, either in Indy or with another team in the league.
The Colts need to do everything possible to make sure it’s in Indianapolis. Although Speed won’t be a starter in Indy, he has the chance to be a pivotal backup, the No. 3 linebacker, and receive the most snaps in a season that he has in his career. The reason that’s possible is that Bobby Okereke will likely be leaving Indianapolis in free agency.
With Zaire Franklin earning a permanent starting role after a record-setting season, and Shaquille Leonard set to return from injury next season, the Colts will essentially be forced to let Okereke walk for a better opportunity in free agency. However, that means Indy really needs to re-sign Speed so that the linebacker group can still have depth and remain one of the best in the league.
While Indianapolis does have promising young linebackers like JoJo Domann, no linebacker on the roster outside of Leonard, Franklin, and Okereke has shown the play-making ability that Speed has. While receiving just 28% of defensive snaps this past season, Speed tallied up 63 tackles, seven for a loss, one sack, and two forced fumbles.
Then there’s his impact on special teams, which is a whole different story. At the end of the day, the Colts must make sure that Speed is back in Indianapolis next season flying around the field and making plays.
3 players that have likely played their last game with the Colts
The Indianapolis Colts finished the season on Sunday and that means some players have played their last game in a Colts uniform.