The big game is almost here. When the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs battle it out in Miami for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LIV, the whole world will be watching.
That includes the Indianapolis Colts, who have already begun preparing for the offseason. Part of that preparation is finding out which free agents to go after when the new league year begins in March. There are a few they should keep an eye on during the big game.
Here are four impending free agents the Colts should watch in Super Bowl LIV:
DT Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
The Colts desperately need help at the interior defensive line position and Jones will be one of the biggest free-agent targets across the entire league. How invested the Colts will be this offseason remains to be seen, but Jones should be one of their top priorities.
Though he didn’t have an elite season, Jones was solid in most regards. Where it matters most, he recorded 9.0 sacks. That would be a huge boost to the Colts defense from the three-technique. Even with his size (6’6, 310), he could side over and play some nose tackle if needed as well.
The Colts got close to nothing with their interior pass rush and Chris Ballard has made it clear that is the position that drives the defense. If Jones hits the market, he should be one of the top targets.
DE Arik Armstead, San Francisco 49ers
Another pass rusher that might be able to help the Colts get more consistency, Armstead is coming off of his best season yet. That’s a huge relief for him seeing as he was already being labeled as a first-round bust.
Playing both on the edge and on the interior, Armstead racked up 10.0 sacks, 11.0 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits during the 2019 campaign. His sack totals this season were more than he recorded during the first four years of his career combined.
There is some risk in signing Armstead, especially if this season was just a flash in the pan. But he’s 26 years old and could be a nice addition if he’s finally figured out what works for him.
DT Emmanuel Ogbah, Kansas City Chiefs
This is a bit different because the Colts won’t be watching Ogbah play in the Super Bowl on Sunday. In fact, no one will because the former second-round pick tore his pec in Week 10 and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Lagos native was enjoying arguably his best season since entering the NFL with the Cleveland Browns in 2016. Working both on the interior and on the edge, Ogbah had 5.5 sacks in 10 games—tying his career-high.
Ogbah would be a risk, but he would also likely come cheap. The Colts need help on the defensive line, which means Ogbah could be in play if he’s cleared medically.
WR Demarcus Robinson, Kansas City Chiefs
There aren’t many wide receivers the Colts can target in free agency that are playing in the big game. Emmanuel Sanders is another option but his age might be a concern, and his skill set is extremely similar to that of T.Y. Hilton’s.
However, Robinson is an intriguing option because of a few factors. He’s young (25), he’s a solid deep threat (14.0 YPC) and he’s likely to be incredibly cheap when free agency comes. We know how much Chris Ballard likes to go bargain shopping.
The Colts have a desperate need to add valuable depth to the wide receiver corps. There would be some risk in taking in Robinson, but no one would be asking him to be the No. 1 or even No. 2 wideout in the room. Even so, he would provide some strong, game-breaking depth for cheap in free agency.
