The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the most passive teams in free agency. Their defense lost Kwity Paye, Neville Gallimore, Rodney Thomas, Segun Olubi, Nick Cross, and Samsom Ebukam, and, other than adding Arden Key, most of their moves have been marginal.
General manager Chris Ballard also signed Micheal Clemons to help with the pass-rushing woes, but he's not likely to move the needle that much. As such, there's an evident need for headhunters in Indianapolis.
Considering that, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report thinks the Colts should target a former foe. In his latest article, he named former Houston Texans star Derek Barnett as an intriguing pickup to bolster their front seven:
" The former first-round pick could benefit from a higher snap count," Davenport wrote. "And the Colts have to do something to try to generate a pass rush."
The Indianapolis Colts should target Derek Barnett
Even though it's been a while since Barnett was a starter, his production has remained consistent. He's coming off two-and-a-half strong seasons with the Houston Texans, posting 12.5 sacks, 66 total tackles (39 solo), 20 tackles for loss, 28 QB hits, two forced fumbles, two fumbles recovered for touchdowns, and one pass defensed. That's despite only starting five of 39 games.
The Colts know firsthand what it's like to go against him. However, he's only been a rotational piece because he's had to share a room with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, probably the most productive head-hunting duo in the league. That shouldn't be an issue in Indianapolis.
Spotrac projects his next contract to be for one year and just $4.4 million, which is a bargain for a player with that type of production. Also, the Colts don't have a reliable pass rusher opposite Laiatu Latu, and there's a clear path for him to be a starter.
The Colts ranked in the middle of the pack with just 2.3 sacks per game last season, according to Team Rankings. Only Latu had more than 5.0 sacks (8.0), and they had 39.0 as a team, so Barnett would've been second best in Indianapolis even though he was coming off the bench.
And with no draft pick until No. 47, their chances of finding someone who can contribute right away are rather slim. He can give them a reliable placeholder while they develop a rookie, all while costing a fraction of what the Las Vegas Raiders paid for Kwity Paye.
The Colts can't afford to rest on their laurels while the rest of the division keeps getting stronger, and signing Barnett will also guarantee that he won't return to DeMeco Ryans' bruising defense to torment Daniel Jones.