The Indianapolis Colts will be without one of their key free agent additions for the remainder of the 2025 season. Noting in his post-season press conference, Chris Ballard admitted he needed to take a different approach during the 2024 offseason, as many thought this was a critical year for the Ballard administration in Indianapolis.
After multiple seasons of mediocrity and another season that saw us picking at 4th overall, the Colts needed a spark.
Chris Ballard had two different options. He could bolster the struggling offensive line with some depth players, or he could go out and get impact players in the secondary, a major sore spot in the 2024 season. Ballard chose the latter and brought in Charvarius Ward and Camryn Bynum, two players who made major impacts on their previous teams during the 2024 season.
The Indianapolis Colts must find a player to trade for to replace Xavien Howard
Ballard also took a risk on Xavien Howard, a former All-Pro whose career had taken a hit due to lingering injuries.
At 32, Howard was geriatric for cornerbacks and was coming off a tough foot injury that kept him off the field for 18 months. Adding to this, Howard didn't get much time in training camp and struggled in pass coverage against younger, quicker receivers. Eventually, this led to the shocking announcement of retirement.
Currently, the Colts have about $5 million of cap space per Over the Cap. But this doesn't mean they can't restructure some contracts to free up some much-needed cap space. There are a few players the Colts could target as trade candidates.
Greg Newsome II is a player the Colts could target. Since the Browns picked up his fifth-year option, his contract is fully guaranteed at just over $13 million. However, the Browns don't have much cap space for the 2026 season and would more than likely wish to get some compensation for Newsome II instead of releasing him if they can't come to a contract agreement.
Newsome has been in the top coverage grades this season so far, and at 25, he's still in the prime of his career.
Another trade target could be a rival in the AFC South. The Titans are a dumpster fire right now and could look to make a fire sale on their top talent to hoard draft picks. L'Jarius Sneed could be a trade target for Indianapolis due to his contract as well. His base deal gives him just over $19 million, a premium to pay for an above-average talent.
While not an elite talent, Sneed was developed under the Vic Fangio defense, which plays just as aggressively as the Lou Anarumo and could make an immediate impact. The Titans could save up to $30 million in cap space and gain a 3rd round pick to give Cam Ward some weapons.
The final player the Colts could target, and my personal favorite, is Tariq Woolen. Tariq is 26 and has played extremely well in a largely coverage-based defense. The cheapest of the three, his base salary is just over $5 million, meaning no restructuring will be required. Tariq Woolen gives the Colts a cheap option of an above-average starter that Seattle could let go for pennies on the dollar.
With Kenny Moore II out for a number of weeks and Xavien Howard retiring, the Colts' secondary needs a boost. Considering the Colts still have to play the Texans twice, the Jaguars twice, and still have the Chiefs and Chargers to play, they must add some depth to the cornerback room to stay competitive in the AFC South.