The Indianapolis Colts had a difficult 2024 season, filled with turmoil and inconsistency. But still, some members of the team managed to thrive, and fans are ready to look forward to a better 2025 season. With free agency just weeks away, teams and analysts are looking to decide who to keep, who to let go, and who to sign.
ESPN's Matt Bowen ranked the top 50 players who will be available, and two members of the Colts team are named. Should they fight to keep them, or is it time to let them go?
#19: Will Fries
Fries has attracted a lot of attention in the free agency discussion, largely because he is arguably the best offensive lineman on the Indianapolis roster. And considering just how good the Colts' offensive line is, that's saying a lot. Fries was set to have a breakout season before suffering a tibia injury in Week 5 that put him on injured reserve, but he's expected to be back at full strength.
Analysts have already predicted that Fries could leave Indianapolis - for the Houston Texans, no less - but Bowen argued that there will be no shortage of interest in Fries.
"Before a right tibia injury ended his season in Week 5, Fries had posted career bests in both pass block win rate (92.4%) and run block win rate (74.3%). He might lack high-end traits, but the tape tells us he can upgrade the interior of an offensive front. He has a fundamentally sound play style, the lower-body mobility to handle power rushers and an ability to sustain blocks on contact."
There is no doubting that the Colts should try to keep Fries at all costs. He performed so well in 2024 that he had even been named the best right guard in the league by Pro Football Focus. Fries is stil young enough to have a decent amount of time left in his NFL career.
Losing Fries would be devastating to the Colts' offensive line, so while it's likely true that many teams will try to poach him, general manager Chris Ballard should be willing to spend the money necessary to keep him.
#45: Ryan Kelly
Barely making the list is the stalwart center who everyone assumes will be leaving Indianapolis. Kelly is 31, and was originally selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has had a great career in the NFL, known to be a strong center who was selected twice to the Pro Bowl. But Kelly is getting older, and he spent much of 2024 on injured reserve.
Despite this, Bowen thinks Kelly will be an attractive prospect for other teams.
"Injuries limited Kelly to 10 games this season with the Colts. An on-the-field leader with excellent football awareness, Kelly had a pass block win rate of 95.9% (sixth best among centers) and didn't allow a sack. Plus, he plays with a physical demeanor to constantly win in the run game."
Everything Bowen says about Kelly is true. Resigning Kelly would likely not hurt the Colts; however, Kelly is clearly on his way to the end of his career, so the question is, at what point do they move on to his replacement? Tanor Bortolini filled in for Kelly while he was injured and played well, and Kelly has a lot of money ($50 million over four years) left on his contract, and with Bortolini having performed capably in Kelly's absence, that much money will be difficult to justify. Kelly has made it clear, however, that he wants to retire in Indianapolis, so he might be open to renegotiating his contract so he can stay with the Colts... if he even chooses to keep playing. It's been suggested that he might be considering retiring, but that still isn't known for sure.
It's assumed that he will be gone, though, even from Kelly himself, who gave an emotional statement after the Colts' final game of the season, clearly struggling not to cry.
"Yeah, I mean, staring up and seeing my box full of people, you know... my family, my wife. Been there all the journeys of my career, ups and downs, injuries," he said of his eight-year career in Indianapolis. "The fans, I mean, the amount of fans that were here, who stayed when there was no playoff chances, right? But they've been really supportive of me, our family, this team throughout the years. It's hard, man. You know, I remember the first time I ran on the field against Detroit week one my rookie year, and in the blink of a second, it's gone. So, just real emotional, but I mean, I couldn't be happier. For a big win and to play with these guys, it's been an honor."