The best hope when signing a free agent is that not only will the player be productive on the field, but will also become a leader in the locker room, too. To help the Indianapolis Colts do a reset, the team needs to add players who understand winning. Indy hasn't won a division title since 2020.
General manager Chris Ballard has a chance this offseason to take a team that was headed to the postseason until injuries decimated the squad, add to it, and make sure that the Colts finally make the postseason again. Ballard just needs to be bold in free agency.
Part of that boldness might be taking a few players who played for the Seattle Seahawks this season. As Seattle won the Super Bowl, the free agents would bring with them a knowledge of how to win. Plus, the players would be really good for Indy, too.
Indianapolis Colts should aggressively pursue these Seattle Seahawks in free agency
Edge rusher Boye Mafe
Indianapolis has to rebuild its edge rusher group. Except for Laiatu Latu, the group was terribly inconsistent in 2025. Plus, Tyquan Lewis, Kwity Paye, and Samson Ebukam are all free agents. There is no better time than now to take advantage of the chance to re-create the position.
Mafe's sack numbers aren't going to jump out at anyone, especially his numbers from 2025. But that would not be doing the research on the University of Minnesota product. He was eighth in terms of pass-rush win-rate this season, according to ESPN, and he excels at playing the run.
Moreover, Mafe is only 27 years old and should have several seasons left to play at an elite level. According to Spotrac, his market value is just $12.2 million a season in the future, a relative bargain for a player of Mafe's skill. Chris Ballard needs to be aggressive in acquiring the edge rusher this offseason.
Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed
If Alec Pierce is signed elsewhere for $20 million a season or more, Shaheed offers the same kind of skill set but at a slightly cheaper rate. He hasn't been as productive as Pierce as a wide receiver, but Shaheed, who could fetch as much as $14 million a season in free agency, is more versatile.
Shaheed can line up in the backfield and be used as a running back at times, but his game-changing skill is in returning kicks and punts. He would give Indy a threat on special teams it doesn't have currently, at least not at the level Shaheed provides.
After being acquired midseason by the Seahawks in return for two mid-round draft picks from the New Orleans Saints, Shaheed returned two punts for touchdowns and one kickoff for a TD. Indianapolis needs his explosiveness, especially if it loses Pierce.
Safety Coby Bryant
Indianapolis could decide it is set at safety in the future if it chooses to re-sign Nick Cross. It shouldn't. Cross is good against the run, but he isn't against the pass. He has a quarterback rating in each of the past two seasons, his first two as a full-time starter, of at least 105.7. He has also allowed 10 touchdown passes.
Bryant is a sneaky good, well-rounded safety who is good against the run, very good against the pass, and can create turnovers. He has allowed four touchdown passes in the last two seasons combined, but he has seven interceptions in that time. He has never had a quarterback rating allowed of more than 93.7. He has a nose for the ball that the Colts defense needs.
Bryant is going to be more expensive than Cross. According to Spotrac, Cross has a market value of about $6 million a season, while Bryant's is $14 million a year. One gets what they pay for, however, and the Indianapolis Colts would be better off signing Bryant and letting Cross walk.