How the franchise tag impacts the Colts
To no surprise, the Indianapolis Colts did not use the franchise tag on any of their pending free agents this offseason but there were plenty of teams that did, thus having an indirect impact on Chirs Ballard’s plan.
In both the players that were tagged and those that weren’t, the Colts have a more clear picture of who they can go after in free agency, which officially begins on March 17.
In total, nine players received the franchise tag, including a few potential targets for the Colts.
Both Allen Robinson and Chris Godwin got tagged, which is no surprise. What is interesting is the type of edge rushers that will now hit the market.
Top targets for the Colts like Romeo Okwara, Carl Lawson, Yannick Ngakoue, Shaq Barrett and Bud Dupree are all on the market. The Colts have enough salary-cap space to bring in a big-time edge rusher to help their pass rush.
There are also players like Jonnu Smith and Marvin Jones who will be available for the Colts if they feel so inclined.
Ballard has the money to make some moves this offseason and after the franchise tag designations have come and gone, he can now see a much more clear path if he needs to add to the edge or other positions.
