With the busiest part of free agency finished, the Indianapolis Colts lost some players that fans will miss and also some that fans are glad to see gone.
The Indianapolis Colts have saw a lot of movement this offseason in free agency. Indy has had it’s fair share of players coming and going and that process isn’t even over yet. While the focus has shifted to the NFL Draft, Indy still has some available free agents, and Indy also may not be done adding free agents.
Looking back at all of the Indianapolis-related moves that have been made, and it’s clear that not all moves are created equal. Although the Colts have lost several players in free agency, some departures will certainly be more impactful than others. Indy lost a couple of free agents that fans were glad to see leave for one reason or another. However, there were also some players lost that fans would have loved to see remain in a Colts uniform.
Let’s take a look at the two categories: the free agents that fans will miss, and the players they won’t miss at all.
Colts fans will miss Bobby Okereke
Losing Bobby Okereke was a weird departure for Indianapolis and the fans, because it was the right move to let him walk, but that doesn’t mean it was easy. It’s unlikely that Okereke’s production will be missed, because Indy still has Shaq Leonard, Zaire Franklin, and EJ Speed. That’s why Okereke leaving in free agency to join the New York Giants wasn’t surprising.
However, fans will simply miss seeing Okereke thrive at linebacker for the Colts. Indianapolis drafted Okereke in the third round of the 2019 draft, and watched him for four seasons as he grew into one of the top linebackers in the NFL, and became a leader for Indy’s defense.
In his four years, Bobby Okereke played in 64 games, starting 49. In those games, Okereke racked up 420 tackles, 15 for a loss, two sacks, four forced fumbles, 17 pass deflections, and three interceptions. He’ll surely thrive with the Giants, and it’ll be tough to see him in a different uniform.
Colts fans will miss Parris Campbell
Also now with the New York Giants is wide receiver Parris Campbell, and he also will be missed in Indianapolis. Just a year ago, many Colts fans were ready to move on from Campbell. Several injuries had limited him to just 15 games over his first three seasons, and fans were ready to move on and just accept that Campbell was a bust.
Fortunately for Parris Campbell, he played a full 17-game season and showed that he can remain healthy throughout an NFL year and be productive in this league. In 2023, Campbell caught 63 passes for 623 yards and three touchdowns. All of those receiving stats were the second-most for Indy last season, behind Michael Pittman Jr.
It’s just unfortunate that Campbell’s healthy season didn’t come at a better time for the Colts. Indianapolis was horrible last year, and now Campbell has moved on. He’ll likely go be productive for New York while Indy still tries to figure out its offense.
The Colts do still have Pittman, Alec Pierce, and Ashton Dulin, and also added Isaiah McKenzie, however, this isn’t an offense that can afford to lose weapons. Depending on what happens in the NFL Draft, Indy’s wide receiver room could regress.
Colts fans will miss Stephon Gilmore
Stephon Gilmore didn’t technically leave in free agency, but the trade that sent Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys was apart of the early offseason frenzy. Indy moved Gilmore to clear some cap space and to get a fifth-round pick back. However, there’s a very slim chance that Gilmore’s value to Indy can be matched by a fifth-round pick and some cap space.
Stephon Gilmore was one of Indianapolis’ best players last season. The Colts only won 4 games in 2023, and Gilmore was responsible for about three of those victories. He showed the NFL that he’s still one of the best corners in the league, and Indy won’t just be able to replace that.
Now that Gilmore is a Cowboy, Indianapolis’ cornerback room is really thin. Chris Ballard expressed that Indy’s belief in Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and Dallis Flowers is very high, but it’s hard to follow up a Hall of Fame cornerback that’s still playing at an elite level.
Even if Rodgers and Flowers can deliver and be great next season, the depth is still very concerning. Indianapolis must find some corners in the draft or free agency to rebuild the depth of the unit.
Colts fans will not miss Brandon Facyson
As much as Indianapolis needs help at corner, fans would have been happy with Brandon Facyson moving on to another team in the middle of last season. He came to Indy in free agency last offseason, following defensive coordinator Gus Bradley from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Colts, unfortunately, things didn’t work out well. That’s why no one was sad to see that Facyson decided to return to the Raiders.
Facyson started his time in Indianapolis with a training camp position battle against Isaiah Rodgers Sr. for the starting cornerback spot opposite of Stephon Gilmore. Facyson won the battle but it quickly became clear that he should not have been the starter.
Rodgers and Facyson were splitting snaps early in the season, and Rodgers was very clearly outplaying Facyson. This led to fans being very vocal about their desire for Rodgers to be the full-time starter. Eventually, the Colts got on board and Rodgers became starter while Facyson’s snaps decreased.
Not many will admit it, but Indianapolis could actually use Facyson now that Gilmore has been traded. He could just be a depth piece that helps out when needed. However, since fans didn’t enjoy the only season of the Facyson experience in Indianapolis, they are likely comfortable looking elsewhere for help.
Colts fans will not miss Matt Pryor
Matt Pryor is another player that fans comfortably watched leave. Signing with the San Francisco 49ers, Pryor had a rocky two seasons in Indianapolis. After spending his first year with the Colts as a depth piece, Chris Ballard made the announcement last offseason that Indy would be giving the left tackle job to Pryor.
From the moment of that announcement, there was some concern from fans. Matt Pryor had some promising flashes in his first year as a depth piece, but not necessarily enough for Indy to gamble on him at left tackle. Surely enough, that proved to be a mistake, as Matt Pryor struggled to block consistently last season.
Indianapolis’ offensive line as a whole was bad last season, and Pryor didn’t help. The Colts moved him around on the line to try and get better results, but ultimately, things just didn’t work out. Now, Pryor will give it a go with the 49ers, one of the best offenses in football.
He could rebound with San Francisco and play well moving forward, but he won’t be missed in Indianapolis.