The Indianapolis Colts addressed most of their defensive needs in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, that doesn't mean they should be done looking around for more help, especially with so many teams looking to shed some dead weight.
Notably, that might be the case with the Cincinnati Bengals. They've invested heavily in their defense in the offseason, trading for Dexter Lawrence, signing Jonathan Allen, and drafting Cashius Howell to get stronger in the trenches.
That has left veteran DT T.J. Slaton as the potential odd man out. He's entering the final year of his two-year contract, and moving him would save the Bengals $6.7 million, according to Over The Cap. That's where general manager Chris Ballard needs to work his magic.
The Indianapolis Colts should be interested in T.J. Slaton
With DeForest Buckner still nursing an injury and not much depth by his side, the Colts should be in the market for nearly every defensive tackle available. He's coming off starting all 17 games for the Bengals last season, and he's been incredibly durable since he entered the league as a fifth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers.
He posted career highs all over the board last season, logging 52 total tackles, 7 QB hits, four tackles for loss, and three sacks. Also, given the Colts' surplus of players at the position, not to mention the financial relief that would come with a trade, they would probably feel comfortable letting him go for a sixth-round pick.
The Colts added Jerry Tillery, Derrick Nnadi, and Colby Wooden to the mix this offseason. However, that's not the type of high-end defensive tackle unit that should be able to contain the AFC South's ever-improving opposition.
Granted, Slaton's advanced metrics aren't necessarily encouraging -- Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 116th of 134 eligible defensive linemen -- but that should be taken with a grain of salt, given how bad the Bengals' defense was overall.
The Colts' defense gave up the seventh-fewest rushing yards per game last season (101.9), so the bar should be even higher for Lou Anarumo's unit in that regard in his second year in charge.
As such, Ballard and the front office must continue to give him the type of weapons he needs to help this team bounce back after an inexplicable late-season collapse. C.J. Allen, A.J. Haulcy, and Bryce Boettcher should be able to make an immediate impact, but this team is still lacking some firepower in the trenches.
Add us as a preferred source on Google