The Indianapolis Colts' approach to the offseason was to re-sign quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, and they were able to do that. But the team also created a huge void at inside linebacker by trading Zaire Franklin. The potential positive is that one player, Dre Greenlaw, just became available to sign after being released by the Denver Broncos.
One massive concern exists about Greenlaw, and that is how healthy he can stay. He has a history of getting injured and missing chunks of time. He is still only 28 years old, though, and might be able to play for several more seasons. When healthy, he is exactly what Indy needs.
Greenlaw doesn't provide much quarterback pressure, but that is perfectly fine. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo doesn't ask his off-ball linebackers to blitz much. Instead, the duo is expected to be good in coverage and help stop the run by being elite tacklers. Greenlaw checks those boxes.
Indianapolis Colts should inquire about the recently released Dre Greenlaw
In his seven-year career, he has whiffed on only 7.3 percent of his tackle attempts, a very good number. He also has a solid quarterback rating allowed of 91.6 while giving up nine touchdowns, but getting six interceptions and nine passes broken up.
He wouldn't simply be a slight upgrade over Zaire Franklin and Germaine Pratt (assuming Pratt doesn't re-sign with the Colts), but a massive one. Greenlaw also shouldn't be expensive to sign. Due to his injury history, many teams won't risk adding him to their rosters. Indy should be able to get him on a cheap deal that is worth the gamble, even if he gets hurt again.
To be sure, Indianapolis potentially upgraded the inside linebacker group by trading Franklin to the Green Bay Packers. The LB was a team leader, but not the kind the Colts needed. On his podcast, he could be hypercritical of the team. To get the culture right, Franklin needed to go.
Moreover, his coverage skills were nonexistent, and he missed nearly 14 percent of his tackle attempts in 2025. He wanted to be a leader, but he couldn't produce like a leader needs to.
The Broncos released Dre Greenlaw with a post-June 1 designation and saved a bit over $6 million with the move. Teams interested in signing the linebacker can do so straightaway, however. How big his market is is difficult to tell, but the Indianapolis Colts need to kick the proverbial tires on how much he is willing to accept. Skill-wise, he is exactly what the team needs.