With free agency approaching, these three moves could help the Indianapolis Colts free up more cap space so the team can sign free agent targets.
NFL free agency starts on Wednesday, March 15. As things currently stand, the Indianapolis Colts only have $11.9 million in cap space to work with this offseason. If Indy wants to really be aggressive, and make the necessary moves to improve the roster, it will need more cap space than the 11.9 million dollars the team currently has.
Indianapolis will be balancing trying to re-sign players like Parris Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue, while also trying to add guys like Issac Seumalo. In order for that to happen, the Colts need more money. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to create cap space in the NFL and several teams throughout the league have already started that process.
From releasing and trading players to restructuring contracts, teams make several tough decisions each offseason in the name of cap space. Indianapolis can follow suit and create more space for the team. Here are three moves the Colts can make to clear up cap space.
3. Colts can release Mo Alie-Cox to clear cap space
This could be a tough one because Mo Alie-Cox has played his entire five-year career in Indianapolis, and just last offseason, he was re-signed to a three-year deal worth $17.5 million. However, with two years remaining on that deal, the circumstances could make Alie-Cox a cap casualty for Indy.
Alie-Cox doesn’t have a big salary, his 2023 cap hit is just $5.3 million. But, if Indianapolis wants to add as many additional millions in cap space as possible, moving on from Alie-Cox makes sense, because his absence won’t have that big of an impact on a tight end room in Indianapolis that has suddenly become very deep.
Last season, although Alie-Cox was the veteran in the tight end room, he had less receptions and yards than second-year tight end Kylen Granson and rookie tight end Jelani Woods. Add in the fact that Andrew Ogletree, a rookie tight end who reportedly had the best training camp of all the tight ends, should make his debut next season, and the Colts have three really young and promising tight ends. That could lead to the departure of Mo Alie-Cox.