The Indianapolis Colts should be preparing for a wild card playoff game, but in reality, they have turned their attention to the offseason. After a year where they exceeded everyone’s expectations, the 9-8 Colts know they left a lot on the table. That’s especially the case after Indy lost the win-and-in game to the Houston Texans on Saturday night.
As painful as the ending of the season was, Indianapolis has to move on to the offseason, where the primary focus will be getting healthy and improving the roster. Last year, Indy’s offseason was about finding a head coach and a quarterback, with those two positions figured out, Indy will focus on all of the pending free agents the team has.
While the Colts will work to keep a lot of the players entering free agency, there are also some guys that Indy will let walk, lose in free agency, or simply just release. Let’s take a look at four people that are unlikely to return to Indianapolis next season.
4. DT Taven Bryan is unlikely to return to Colts
Taven Bryan seems like an obvious choice here. The defensive tackle was signed last offseason with expectations of being a depth piece. For most of the year, that’s exactly what he was. However, Bryan did get the start while starting defensive tackle Grover Stewart was suspended.
Playing in all 17 games, Bryan recorded 22 tackles, four for a loss, and had two sacks. Considering that Bryan played in just 29% of the defensive snaps this season, the Colts will probably focus on re-signing Stewart and developing the young defensive tackles on the roster.
3. CB Darrell Baker Jr. is unlikely to return to Colts
Darrell Baker Jr. had a roller coaster season. He started the year with some impressive play in training camp and the preseason, and as a result, Baker opened the year as a starting corner. Unfortunately, opposing teams routinely picked on Baker in the opening weeks of the season and that resulted in Baker being benched once rookie JuJu Brents got healthy.
However, injuries to Dallis Flowers and Brents opened the door for Baker to return to the lineup. While Baker did seem to improve some in the second half of the season, he still had moments where he hurt the Colts. Considering what Indy’s cornerback room looks like, Baker will probably be searching for a new team.
The Colts have JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones who both played a lot this season. While they had some normal rookie growing pains, they had more than enough promising moments for everyone to be excited about their future. Additionally, Dallis Flowers, who was the team’s top corner at the start of the year, will be back from his Achilles injury.
Add in the fact that Indianapolis will probably look at corners in the 2024 NFL Draft and it seems almost certain that Baker has played his last game with the Colts.
2. RB Zack Moss is unlikely to return to Colts
This is a tough one. Everyone in Indianapolis would definitely love to have Zack Moss back in a Colts uniform next season. Sure, Indy has Jonathan Taylor signed to a big deal, but everyone knows two good running backs are better than one. That was especially clear throughout the season.
Moss was a great second option when Taylor was available, but he was elite when Taylor was sidelined. Playing in just 14 games, Moss finished the season with 183 carries for 794 yards and five touchdowns. He also added 27 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Having the best season of his career, he showed that he could be a lead back.
🚨NEWS: Impeding free agent star RB Zack Moss and his agent Jamal L. Tooson have exclusively issued a statement to @_MLFootball, indicating they will gladly explore a return to Indy.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 7, 2024
“We are certainly grateful to Chris Ballard and the entire #Colts’ organization for trading for… pic.twitter.com/VnYb1tdy4y
According to Moss’ agent, the running back is open to a return to Indianapolis, however, it all comes down to money. Moss’ agent made it clear that he believes his client is deserving of a “David Montgomery-type contract.” Montgomery signed a three-year deal worth $18 million with the Detroit Lions last offseason.
After what Moss put on film this season, he’ll likely be offered similar numbers from teams throughout the league that need a running back. Considering the fact that Indy is already paying Jonathan Taylor $14 million a year, the Colts probably won’t be able to match the kind of offers that Moss will get.
1. DC Gus Bradley is unlikely to return to Colts
Gus Bradley isn’t a player, but it feels like a safe bet that he has coached his last game as Indy’s defensive coordinator. All season, the defense has struggled against the pass, frequently opening Bradley up for criticism from fans and media members. Add in the fact that he was a Frank Reich hire and it makes even more sense that Steichen will find someone to replace Bradley.
The Colts defense allowed 349.8 yards a game (226.0 passing and 123.8 rushing) and 24.4 points a game. All the numbers put Indianapolis in the bottom half of the league. The only things the unit did well was get to the quarterback and take the ball away. However, those probably won’t be enough for Bradley to keep his job.
Yes, the Colts had a young secondary and also had to deal with several injuries to the unit. Regardless, coaches generally have to answer for their units struggling. The franchise hasn’t given any indication yet, as the season has just ended, but it certainly has to be in consideration after the season that Indy had defensively.