With Shane Steichen now the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, some players from the Philadelphia Eagles could also be coming to Indy.
The Indianapolis Colts have a new head coach in Shane Steichen and that will likely positively impact the team in free agency. Whenever coaches move teams, they typically bring a few players with them. We saw it last offseason when Gus Bradley brought some Raiders with him to the Colts and when Matt Eberflus took some of Indy’s players with him to the Chicago Bears. This offseason should be no different for Indianapolis and the rest of the league.
There’s a chance the Colts could lose free agents to Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers but Indy could also gain some free agents from the Philadelphia Eagles, Steichen’s former team. With Steichen being an offensive coordinator, any addition would likely be from the offensive side of the ball and that’s perfectly fine. Philly had one of the best offenses in the league this past season and Indy had one of the worst, so plenty of players would certainly be welcomed.
Unfortunately for the Colts, and fortunately for the Eagles, Philly doesn’t have many pending free agents on the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles are set up pretty well to retain a lot of their offense and be dominant again next season. However, there are a few that Indy may be able to snag. Here are three Eagles that may follow Steichen to the Colts.
3. Gardner Minshew could follow Shane Steichen to Colts
This isn’t a flashy signing and it would probably be a move that no one wants. However, it is a possibility. Indianapolis is pretty much guaranteed to select a quarterback at the top of the draft and that’s where the team’s focus should be for the quarterback position. However, it’s not uncommon for a backup veteran quarterback that knows a coach’s system to join a team and help players get more familiar with a playbook.
Backup QBs tend to follow coaches around the NFL and always serve as somewhat of an insurance policy and assistant coach. With Gardner Minshew playing in Philadelphia the last two seasons, he has a good familiarity with Shane Steichen and his system. He could be the perfect backup to help a rookie get acquainted with the league and Steichen. Additionally, Matt Ryan will be moved, and possibly Nick Foles too, so Indy will have Minshew as a QB2.
2. Isaac Seumalo could follow Shane Steichen to Colts
Sorry, the lineman isn’t Jason Kelce. Although Kelce is a free agent, the chances of him leaving Philadelphia are about as close to zero as they can get. However, Isaac Seumalo, who lines up to the right of Kelce, is also a free agent and could realistically be playing on another team next season. It would be phenomenal if that team was Indianapolis.
The Eagles had arguably the best offensive line in football and they were solid across the board. Seumalo started all 17 games for Philadelphia at guard and was a big part of the line’s dominance. He’s played his entire career with the Eagles, since 2016, but Steichen may be able to convince Seumalo to follow him to Indy and join the Colts.
If that happens, Seumalo will immediately improve an offensive line that was one of the worse in the league last season. Even better, Seumalo plays a position that’s pretty open for the Colts, right guard. With Quenton Nelson at left guard, Ryan Kelly at center, Braden Smith at right tackle, and Bernhard Raimann likely locking up the left tackle spot, Seumalo can slide into the right guard spot.
If Seumalo can maintain his level of play, Raimann can keep improving, and Nelson, Kelly, and Smith can all get back to form, Indy’s offensive line could drastically improve and the Colts could have a much more productive offense next season.
1. Zach Pascal could follow Shane Steichen to Colts
Indianapolis’ run blocking also took a significant step back this past season and a big reason why were two key departures. One departure was tight end Jack Doyle who retired and the other departure was Zach Pascal who joined the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. After signing a one-year deal with Philly last offseason, Pascal could make his return to the Colts and continue playing under Shane Steichen.
Pascal makes too much sense for Indianapolis. Not only is there familiarity with the new coach and the franchise but Indy can still use more receivers for the passing game and also to help open up the running game. The Eagles had one of the league’s best rushing attacks and Pascal, who’s an elite blocking receiver, certainly had a hand in that.
From a receiving standpoint, Pascal had just 15 receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown. All were career lows for the receiver that spent his first four years with the Colts. In Indy, Pascal had two years with over 600 yards and recorded at least two touchdowns in each season. In his four seasons with the Colts, he caught 150 passes for 1,888 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Coming back to Indianapolis, Pascal can join Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, and Parris Campbell if he re-signs, to give a rookie quarterback a decent set of receivers that can also help open up the run game.
3 things Shane Steichen must immediately address in order to be successful with Colts
Shane Steichen is now the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, and if he wants success, he must prioritize addressing these issues.