Who's going, who's staying? Colts need to bring key starters back in free agency

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts have already made sure their top free agent is not going anywhere.

Indianapolis placed the franchise tag on wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. last week, intent on signing Anthony Richardson’s top target to a long-term deal.

The Colts still have plenty of work to do.

A handful of key Indianapolis pieces are free agents, and a few would leave glaring holes on the roster if they decide to depart, placing a critical emphasis on those positions as NFL free agency looms with the opening of the negotiating window at 4 p.m. on Monday.

“I think our history has shown, we want to keep our guy,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said. “The preference is to take care of your own people first.”

That’s not always possible. A better salary, or a better playing-time situation, might be available on the market.

Starters

Kenny Moore II, CB

Moore, still only 28, has been a foundational member of Ballard’s teams, one of the few Colts who has been in Indianapolis for every one of the general manager’s seven seasons, and he’s one of the players whose image graces the side of Lucas Oil Stadium. Frustrated by a rough year in 2022, Moore bounced back last season, picking off three passes, setting a career high with eight tackles-for-loss and piling up 93 tackles as a versatile weapon. A chance remains that Moore re-signs with Indianapolis before the start of free agency, according to a source, and he would be difficult to replace. The Colts have no clear backup for Moore’s slot cornerback role on the roster, options in free agency are limited and it’s a complex position.

Prediction: He’ll be back.

Grover Stewart, NT

Like Moore, Stewart wants to be back, and like Moore, he would not be easy to replace. The Indianapolis run defense was a top-10 unit in 11 games with Stewart last season and one of the league’s worst — in terms of yards per carry — in the six games he was out of the lineup. Plug-and-play nose tackles are not easy to find in the draft, and there is not an obvious upgrade on the open market.

Prediction: He’ll be back

Julian Blackmon, SS

Blackmon turned in the best season of his career at the best possible time, posting career highs in everything from playing time to interceptions. A shoulder injury at the end of the season cost him the final two games, but the injury did not require surgery, and Blackmon was the most consistent playmaker in the Indianapolis secondary. His case is somewhat complex; Blackmon has some injury history, and the safety market has been flooded with veteran options. At the same time, that flooded safety market likely means the Colts can get back Blackmon at a price they like.

Prediction: He’ll be back.

Rigoberto Sanchez, P

The goal for Sanchez is to stay in Indianapolis, according to a source, although it remains unclear if the two sides are close to a deal in a punter market that has been somewhat depressed the past couple of years. Coming off a torn Achilles tendon, Sanchez started slow last season, then looked like himself down the stretch. The Achilles injury in 2022 also gave Indianapolis a taste of life without Sanchez; it was not reliable.

Prediction: He’ll be back.

Contributors

Gardner Minshew, QB

Minshew signed an affordable one-year, $3.5 million with $2 million more available in incentives last season, then promptly outplayed that contract by playing capable football in place of an injured Anthony Richardson. The performance could earn Minshew a raise on the open market, but more importantly, he might get another chance to compete for a starting job, an opportunity that’s not available in Indianapolis.

Prediction: He leaves.

Zack Moss, RB

Moss ended up being the jewel of the deadline deal the Colts made to send Nyheim Hines to Buffalo in 2022, piling up 1,159 yards over two seasons as Jonathan Taylor’s backup and proving his worth as an NFL back. Moss would likely prefer a chance to play more — the Colts made it clear Taylor will get the lion’s share when healthy — but he faces a star-studded, crowded running back market that keeps getting devalued on the open market.

Prediction: He leaves.

Tyquan Lewis, DL

Lewis does not get enough credit for his season. The versatile veteran finished third on the team in pressures (37, according to Sports Info Solutions), despite finishing sixth on the team in snaps (436), validating the Colts’ decision to bring him back after his second torn patellar tendon. Lewis played in every game in 2023, though, and it’s possible another team sees the tape and decides to pay him more than the affordable $2.5 million he’s earned the last two years. Lewis has signed with the Colts at the beginning of free agency in each of the past two offseasons; a deal was not imminent heading into the weekend, per source, but that can change quickly.

Prediction: He’ll be back.

Taven Bryan, DT

Bryan gave the Colts 343 snaps and two sacks, but he struggled against the run, and the presence of 2023 fourth-round pick Adetomiwa Adebayore (1.5 sacks in 132 snaps) gives Indianapolis another 3-technique backup who can fill the role.

Prediction: He leaves.

Jake Martin, DE

Martin gave the Colts valuable depth, producing two sacks in 190 snaps as a substitute off the edge, but Indianapolis also has a pair of developmental speed rushers in Isaiah Land and Titus Leo, and Ballard has mentioned this offseason that the team likes the potential of Land, who was claimed off waivers from Dallas last year.

Prediction: He leaves.

Isaiah McKenzie, WR

The primary return man for the Colts last season, McKenzie contributed 11 catches in 117 offensive snaps, fumbled three punts and was suspended for the final three games of the season.

Prediction: He leaves.

Ronnie Harrison, LB/S

Brought in to play a coverage linebacker role, Harrison emerged as a rotational player after the team’s decision to release Shaq Leonard at midseason and ended up playing 234 snaps, making 19 tackles, two interceptions and a sack. Harrison offers a versatile, veteran presence, and the overwhelming number of safeties on the market means he likely won’t cost much, but he could also fall victim to a numbers crunch if Indianapolis decides to bring in an experienced free safety.

Prediction: He leaves.

Reserves

Danny Pinter, C/G

Pinter, a former fifth-round pick who was a valuable reserve for the Colts for three seasons, broke his ankle in the preseason and missed the entire year.

Prediction: He’ll be back

Genard Avery, DE

Avery, a veteran edge rusher, suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp, and he faces the same depth-chart issue as Martin

Prediction: He leaves

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Who's going, who's staying? Colts need to bring key starters back