The Indianapolis Colts have made it clear they are going to pick and choose their spots when it comes to signing players in free agency. They were relatively quiet this offseason, but there are still some interesting options available that could help.
Even if solely for depth or insurance at a position, the Colts are likely still keeping an eye on free agents. Anyone they bring in now would likely be on a cheap one-year deal. Not that that matters to the Colts—who have the most salary cap space in the NFL.
Here’s a look at three available free agents who could still help the Colts:
Darian Stewart – S – Age: 30
Of all the positions the Colts are most likely to sign a free agent at, the safety room has the highest odds. Given the group’s uncertainty outside of Malik Hooker, the Colts are going to keep tabs on the safety market in free agency.
They’ve done that a little bit this offseason as Stewart was one of a pair of visits the Colts hosted. It was likely more to know what Stewart still has in his game in case the Colts have to look at bringing in another body to the secondary.
The former Denver Bronco was a regular starter for four years from 2015-18 before being released as a salary cap casualty this offseason. His aggressive mentality works well as a complement to Hooker’s range and given his age, he would likely be a cheap addition.
Nick Perry – EDGE – Age: 29
It is no secret that the Colts are fond of their pass rushing corps with the addition of Justin Houston this offseason, but bringing in another veteran that has had some success in his career wouldn’t be a bad idea for competition purposes.
Perry suffered the worst season of his career in 2018 as he played in just nine games en route to recording a career-low 1.5 sacks. He’s struggled to stay on the field, failing to play a full 16-game season once in his seven years in the league.
However, Perry could be a buy-low candidate for the Colts to work with during training camp or the preseason. He’s not too far removed from his strong play both against the run and as a pass rusher.
It would simply be a matter of whether he can stay healthy. If he does, great. The Colts would add another contributor to the pass rush. If not, no big deal. They would be able to part ways easily.
Tre Boston – S – Age: 27
It isn’t clear why but Boston has been experiencing some mysterious extended stays as a free agent despite showing solid play on the field. The veteran free agent has gone through this for the past two offseasons.
The Colts brought him in for a visit during the 2018 offseason, and he could be a potential target given the state of the safety room, which we’ve already delved into. Boston has good range and ball skills to work as a deep safety next to Hooker. It would make it extremely difficult for opposing offenses to throw deep on the Colts.
He does also have a bit of history with Nick Sirianni as they were both with the San Diego Chargers together for the 2017 season when Boston recorded 79 tackles (56 solo), five interceptions and eight passes defended—a career year for the former fourth-round pick.
