The AFC and NFC Championship games kick Sunday afternoon between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers.
The Colts are still two months away from NFL free agency being an actual thing, but there are still players they can keep an eye on during the playoffs that might intrigue them when March rolls around.
Here are four pending free agents the Colts should watch on Sunday:
49ers DE Arik Armstead
After a career of being labeled mostly as a bust, Armstead had a career campaign in 2019. It came at the perfect time as the former first-round pick is set to hit free agency following the expiration of his rookie contract.
Through his first four seasons in the NFL, Armstead recorded 9.0 sacks combined. Things weren’t looking good for the Oregon product until he exploded for 10.0 sacks in 2019, which could intrigue teams more when he hits the market.
Armstead (6’7, 292) could play both on the edge and the interior for the Colts. They certainly need some help in the latter area.
Chiefs DT Chris Jones
Though Jones didn’t put up dominant production like he did when the Colts faced him in the 2018 playoffs, he is still in line to see a nice payday as one of the league’s top young interior pass rushers.
The former second-round pick is set to hit the free-agent market after two strong seasons in 2018 and 2019. He had 15.5 sacks and 9.0 sacks, respectively, over the last two seasons and would be a great fit in the middle of the Colts defensive line.
The Colts didn’t get much production from their interior, but Jones would be the answer to all their problems there.
Chiefs WR Demarcus Robinson
The crop of free-agent wide receivers in the conference championship games isn’t deep. There are a few names like Emmanuel Sanders that might catch some eyes but most of the free agents are high-upside players with a wide range of outcomes.
Robinson is one of those players, but he could be intriguing to the Colts when March rolls around. Robinson’s speed and skill set has been accentuated by the Chiefs high-flying offense. The Colts need more consistent deep threats in their wide receiver room, and Robinson is only 25 years old.
The Colts wide receiver corps is in a state of flux right now. Robinson could be an interesting buy-low candidate for Indy this offseason.
Packers WR Geronimo Allison
The Packers get to take on the 49ers vaunted defense. Allison hasn’t had the type of year many were hoping from him, especially given the opportunity he had to be the No. 2 across from Davante Adams.
Allison has shown flashes of brilliance during his career. His long frame and ability as a deep threat would work well in the Colts’ offensive system, and he’s just 26 years old.
Allison would be a cheap free agent to grab on the market to add some depth while giving himself the chance to prove he can be a regular contributor in the league again.
