The Indianapolis Colts have been aggressive in signing free agents for the first time in general manager Chris Ballard's nine-year career, and that has involved some big-name signings -- Cam Bynum, Charvarius Ward, Daniel Jones -- and let other veteran free agents go. This a marked change from Ballard's previous strategy, which had been to run it back with his current roster, and avoid signing new talent. But after the Colts' tumultuous 2024 season, Ballard promised that he had learned from his mistakes, and so far, he seems to be keeping to his word.
Part of that includes letting some players walk, and that has led to a decimated offensive line. Both Ryan Kelly and Will Fries left the Colts for the Minnesota Vikings, and while Braden Smith and Danny Pinter are returning, adding more depth to the offensive line is now a desperate need. While Kelly already has a worthy replacement in Tanor Bortolini, there is no one currently on the Colts roster who can fill Fries' shoes. And this situation isn't even considering that there are other free agents -- like Mark Glowinski -- on the offensive line who could be leaving.
Philadelphia Eagles' offensive guard Mekhi Becton had been suggested as a possible fit for the Colts, and unfortunately, that won't be happening, as he signed a massive deal with the Chargers instead.
Becton was named one of the top 50 free agents in the NFL, one of four from the Eagles. He was originally drafted in 2020 by the New York Jets, where he didn't do particularly well. He spent 2021 and 2022 mostly on injured reserve, and in 2023, when he was on the field, didn't perform as well as the Jets likely had hoped. He moved on to Philadelphia in 2024, where he was moved from tackle to guard, and was successful almost overnight. He was made a starter and proved that the Eagles were right to gamble on him, helping lead them to a Super Bowl victory.
After that, it's no surprise he was an in-demand free agent. And with the Colts having lost the opportunity to sign him, they are now in desperate need of someone else to fill the gaps they have on the offensive line.