The Indianapolis Colts spent freely during the initial free agency period and while that only came in the form of two players essentially, they still have enough salary-cap space to work another deal or two on the lower levels.
Staring at roughly $28 million in salary-cap space, the Colts have enough to target some bargain free agents and cheaper options on the market. None are without their issues—whether it be age, injury or an overall lack of production.
Some of these aren’t bottom-of-the-barrel cheap but relative to their positional market, the Colts would be fine targeting them. Given the depth still needed on both sides of the ball, some moves still need to be made.
Here are seven low-cost free agents remaining for the Colts to target:
Rashard Higgins | WR | Age: 25
Higgins got lost in the mix with the Browns during the 2019 in what turned out to be an utter circus in Cleveland. From Freddie Kitchens running the offense into the ground to Baker Mayfield regressing at an alarming rate, there wasn’t much for Higgins to work with coming off of his best season since entering the league.
The Colts are most likely going to target the wide receiver position early in the 2020 NFL draft. It’s a must. But adding Higgins would give them a depth piece with experience and one that offers solid WR2 upside. He wins with length would be a versatile piece in Frank Reich’s offense.
Higgins shouldn’t be expensive at all. Breshad Perriman was in the tier above him and got $8 million on a one-year deal. The Colts could easily pull off a deal worth $5 million for Higgins.
Prince Amukamara | CB | Age: 31
After releasing veteran cornerback Pierre Desir, the Colts are lined up to invest in the position during the draft. But seeing as they don’t have a first-round pick, there is a chance they add a veteran to work on the boundary in the meantime.
We talked about most of these players having issues. Amukamara falls under the category of “lack of production” from the 2019 season. The former first-round pick was a solid player during the majority of his time with the Chicago Bears (2017–2018), but he took a step back in 2019. Maybe it was the Chuck Pagano effect? Kidding. Sort of.
Amukamara wouldn’t be a long-term option but he would be a fine stop-gap while the Colts draft a boundary corner to develop and even potentially take over at some point in 2020. He’d likely be an upgrade over Desir—even if he is coming off of a campaign in which he allowed a 102.3 passer rating.
Delanie Walker | TE | Age: 35
Eric Ebron is going to Pittsburgh to catch passes from Big Ben. Jack Doyle is the literal definition of “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Mo Alie-Cox is intriguing but still developing. The Colts need to add to the tight end room and while it isn’t pretty, Walker is a realistic option that could help immediately.
Of course, that depends on him passing a physical which, right now, is a bit of an obstacle. But if he’s healthy and past the ankle injury, Walker presents the Colts with a low-risk, high-upside signing. At worst, the Colts sign him to a one-year deal and he’s cut during training camp. At best, the Colts sign him to a one-year deal, and he winds up becoming a contributor in the offense.
No one is expecting Walker to revert to his Pro Bowl form, especially since he’s played just eight games in the last two seasons. However, he’s a low-cost option at a position of need and a veteran who could fit right in with tight ends coach Jason Michael—his former offensive coordinator with the Titans.
Shelby Harris | DT | Age: 28
The Colts got their three-technique when they traded a first-round pick for DeForest Buckner. His presence alone will open up the pass-rushing lanes and run fits for the entire front seven. It should make life easier for the secondary as well. But there is still depth needed next to him at the one-technique, and Harris is a perfect target.
Though he might cost a little more than most of the players on this list, Harris should be near the top of the priorities for the Colts. Working mostly in the A-gap, Harris would be an ideal fit working with Grover Stewart, who is emerging in his own right as a run-stopper. He had 28 total pressures, 27 defensive stops and eight batted passes, per Pro Football Focus.
Adding Harris to the defensive line would round out the depth on the interior and give the Colts a solid rotation at the one-technique. There is no reason he should be still available.
Everson Griffen | EDGE | Age: 32
Griffen is an interesting case because at face value, Griffen shouldn’t really be considered a cheap option. Yet, the veteran pass rusher is still on the market and given the fact his career earnings at $34.8 million across 10 seasons, there is no reason to believe he will be garnering interest as a top option in terms of annual salary.
The Colts have a stout defensive line with DeForest Buckner on the interior and Justin Houston on the edge. Youngsters Kemoko Turay and Ben Banogu are promising but an addition like Griffen would bolster the room in the short-term while aiding the pass rush in a huge way.
Griffen is far from done, either. He totaled 70 pressures, per Pro Football Focus, while adding 8.0 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2019. Since 2014, he’s averaged 9.5 sacks and 10.8 tackles for loss per season.
Evan Boehm | IOL | Age: 26
The Colts traded Boehm to the Dolphins before the 2019 season, and that traded netted them a sixth-round pick. Now Boehm is on the market again, and Indy desperately needs depth along the interior, especially behind center Ryan Kelly.
A reunion with Boehm would be wise. He’s still young, he would be cheap and he’s already worked in the protection schemes with Frank Reich. He’d likely battle it out with Jake Eldrenkamp and 2019 seventh-round pick Javon Patterson, who missed the entire season with a torn ACL. Boehm brings solid versatility to work at all three interior spots and even flashed some when he was asked to step in during the 2018 season.
The Colts desperately need to add some viable depth to the interior offensive line. Boehm would be a low-cost option for Chris Ballard and one that would fit in right away with what the Colts are looking for.
Eric Berry | S | Age: 31
As stated earlier, several of these players have issues of their own. It’s why they are still available. For Berry, it is injuries. In fact, the former Chief missed the entire 2019 season coming back from injury. But a market has opened up for the veteran safety, and the Colts have been among the teams listed as interested in his services.
The safety position isn’t one of massive need for the Colts. They have a solid starting duo in Malik Hooker and Khari Willis while George Odum provides depth and special teams work. But there isn’t much beyond them and given how young the room is, Berry would be a nice addition as a veteran voice.
Health is the biggest concern and physicals aren’t happening every day given the issues with the coronavirus, but Berry should be on the team’s radar as a low-cost, veteran option in the secondary.
