Colts sign first outside free agent; meet Raekwon Davis

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts have made their first outside signing of free agency, beefing up the defensive line by making another investment at a defensive tackle position that already includes the star tandem of DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.

Indianapolis agreed to terms on a two-year, $14 million deal with Dolphins nose tackle Raekwon Davis on Tuesday, according to his agent, Trevon Smith. Davis should fill a hole that cost the Colts dearly when Stewart was forced to miss six games due to a suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

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Davis, a mammoth 6-foot-7, 325-pounder who was a second-round pick by Miami in 2020, has been a space eater in the NFL, averaging more than 500 snaps per season during his four years with the Dolphins.

Davis, a mammoth 6-foot-7, 325-pounder, has been a monster in the Miami middle for the past four seasons, averaging more than 500 snaps per season for the Dolphins.

Drafted in the second round out of Alabama in 2020, Davis has not been much of a penetrating force, picking up just two sacks, five tackles-for-loss and 10 quarterback hits in his four seasons with Miami, including three as a starter.

But he offers the Colts something they didn’t have last season, another tackle besides Buckner and Stewart who can stop the run. Davis averaged 32.5 tackles for the Dolphins and stayed in the rotation despite the lack of splash plays, and his enormous frame fills a glaring hole from the Indianapolis roster a year ago.

Indianapolis did not have another tackle capable of filling Stewart’s role. The Colts divided up Stewart’s snaps primarily between former tackle Taven Bryan, who is a free agent this season, and second-year defensive tackle Eric Johnson.

The Colts run defense struggled mightily without Stewart in the lineup.

Indianapolis gave up 3.7 yards per carry and 107 yards per game when Stewart was in the lineup; the Colts gave up 4.7 yards per carry and more than 153 yards per game when Stewart was out.

Indianapolis clearly learned a lesson from the experience; the Colts made sure they held onto Stewart with a three-year, $39 million deal on the first day of free agency Monday.

It is also possible the experience changed the way Indianapolis looked at the tackle spot that went to Bryan in free agency last year.

The Colts have long been looking for a way to take snaps off of Buckner, who has been asked to play 75% of the snaps or more when healthy in his four seasons in Indianapolis. Bringing in Bryan last year was an attempt to find a player who could help give Buckner a rest, and although he produced two sacks, Bryan’s liabilities against the run left the Colts at a disadvantage when he was in the game.

Davis could shift the team’s philosophy a bit.

Buckner, who led the team with 50 quarterback pressures last season, remains the team’s best pass rusher, and when he has been forced to play hurt in his time in Indianapolis, the Colts have limited him to third downs because he can hurt a team most as a pass rusher.

The presence of Davis might make it easier to give Buckner rest that preserves his freshness for the pass rush. As good as Buckner is against the run in his own right, Indianapolis can team Davis with Stewart on obvious running downs, allowing Buckner to be fresh and available for every obvious passing situation.

Either way, Davis likely offers better insurance than Bryan.

Stewart and Buckner have both been remarkably durable during their time together in Indianapolis, but it’s always possible that the Colts could be forced to play without one tackle or the other for an extended period of time.

A player like Davis gives Indianapolis a chance to keep stopping the run in that situation.

The Colts should still have enough salary cap space to add to a secondary that remains in need of experience. Indianapolis spent most of the first 24 hours of free agency making sure it locked up its own guys, handing out deals to Stewart, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., middle linebacker Zaire Franklin, cornerback Kenny Moore II, defensive end Tyquan Lewis and punter Rigoberto Sanchez.

Davis is the first new addition to the Indianapolis roster, a beefy addition to the front.

The Colts defense could still use some help in the back.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts sign first outside free agent; meet Raekwon Davis