Zaire Franklin, though occasionally controversial, is a talented leader for the Indianapolis Colts defense, and as the team prepares to attract new talent through free agency, Franklin is trying to make the pitch for other players to come to Indy.
In an interview with Jim Rome, Franklin outlined what makes Indianapolis a good option, and he started with their new defensive coordinator: Lou Anarumo. "First of all, Lou is a well-respected DC in this league. From the Pro Bowl, every single player that I met that played against him, was on the same team as him, even offensive guys from (Joe) Mixon to Ja’Marr (Chase), to all those guys, had extreme respect for Lou and talked about his defensive mind and his ability to put players in positions to succeed," he said.
Why Indy?@ZiggySmalls_ makes his pitch to free agents to join him with the Colts. pic.twitter.com/1lvEnuerx0
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) February 8, 2025
He then continued on to point out that any new players would be joining a roster with multiple Pro Bowlers. "Add another dynamic playmaker to that mix, whether the secondary, D-line, or linebacker room, is only going to add to that and help make this an all-time unit," he continued.
While it's true that the Colts have some serious playmakers on defense - Franklin himself, DeForest Buckner, EJ Speed, Laiatu Latu - the defense was also by far the biggest problem for the Colts in 2024. Part of the issue was Gus Bradley, a defensive coordinator that fans couldn't wait to see the back of, and part of it was serious problems with depth on defense. With a new defensive coordinator and, hopefully, some new free agents, the defense could potentially see a resurgence in 2025.
Finally, Franklin said the offense makes Indianapolis attractive.
"I mean, Shane (Steichen), everybody that's ever played for him offensively loves his scheme, loves how he gets guys to the ball," Franklin concluded. "Obviously, we had three receivers with over 800 yards. I think that was like the second time we ever did that in Colts history, so that was pretty dope. And we got a lot of things going in JT (Jonathan Taylor), of course. Come on now. So shout out to JT."