Among all the issues the Indianapolis Colts had in 2024, the offensive line was not one of them. At full health, the Colts o-line was an elite level unit that was easily one of the best in the league. At worst, the Colts had to rely on rookies like Matt Goncalves and Tanor Bortolini who showed remarkable promise for the future, with play that was more than adequate.
Will Fries is one of the Colts' best offensive linemen, and he had one of the injuries the team suffered in 2024. Suffering a season-ending tibia fracture in Week 5, Fries had been on the verge of a breakout season until it was cut short. He had even been named the best right guard in the league by Pro Football Focus, and now, having undergone surgery, is back to full health - and, apparently, is quite the hot prospect.
Fries is a free agent, so his return to Indianapolis is not guaranteed. This is especially true considering he's been named one of the top free agents in the league - and Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus thinks he will end up with the Houston Texans.
"Houston’s porous interior blocking proved to be a weakness the team struggled to overcome all year, and it ultimately sent the Texans packing from the playoffs. They surrendered the most interior sacks (24) in the NFL this season and will undoubtedly be looking to address that.Mason Cameron
The Texans won’t be flush with cap space to spend on free agents this offseason. Fries, however, would be a match for this team, following his positive showing before going down in Week 5 with a serious leg fracture."
Cameron isn't wrong here; Fries would surely be an asset to the Texans or any other team. But that includes being an asset to the Colts, and general manager Chris Ballard should not let him go. Fries is 6'6" and weighs over 300 pounds, giving him the size and strength to be a devastating run blocker, something he already proved in his time with the Colts. And he's still young, so he has a long future ahead of him yet.
There are plenty of free agents the Colts could likely let go of without suffering too much, but Will Fries is absolutely not one of them. It would be bad enough to lose such an exceptional player to another team, but to lose him to a divisional rival like the Texans is unthinkable. Ballard needs to do whatever it takes to ensure Cameron's prediction does not come true.