The Indianapolis Colts have plenty of decisions to make over the next month when it comes to their in-house free agents.
While we already looked at which pending free agents they should bring back, now it’s time to take a look at which ones they should let walk into the market.
These decisions are difficult for just about everyone, but the NFL is a business.
Here are four pending free agents the Colts should let walk this offseason:
1
DT Taven Bryan
Bryan was one of the first free agents the Colts signed during the 2023 offseason, but it didn’t quite work out as they’d hoped. That tends to happen with players on one-year, prove-it contracts, though, and Bryan failed to prove he should be brought back. Bryan appeared in all 17 games while making seven starts. He recorded 22 tackles (12 solo), 2.0 sacks, four tackles for loss and one quarterback hit while playing 29% of the snaps.
2
WR Isaiah McKenzie
Even before McKenzie was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team late in the season, it was becoming clear he shouldn’t be brought back on another contract. McKenzie lost his role as the punt returner to rookie Josh Downs, who was more efficient with his work in that role. McKenzie also offered little upside as the WR4, recording 11 receptions on 14 targets for 82 yards (7.5 yards per catch) without finding the end zone.
3
CB Tony Brown
The other player who was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team late in the season, Brown’s role as a special teamer is what kept him around in the first place. Brown is a solid special teams player so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Colts re-signed him after moving on from whatever reason saw him suspended. Still, he doesn’t make an impact on defense, and the Colts would be able to find a replacement on special teams.
4
G Danny Pinter
This is a tough one because Pinter had shown promise in the past. Before the experiment as a starter, Pinter showed some promise when working as a spot starter behind Ryan Kelly at center. But when he was given the starting role at right guard in 2022, it didn’t work out as the team expected. Then, Pinter suffered a torn ACL, which claimed his entire 2023 season. The Colts got a solid season out of Wil Fries in 2023, and it may be best to bring in a veteran with more experience as a depth piece.
