The first day of the legal tampering period has come and gone and it was a wild one. It was so wild that the Indianapolis Colts even made an unprecedented move, trading a first-round pick for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Now equipped with a shiny new three-technique, the Colts still have some work to do in the market. Could they bring in a quarterback like Philip Rivers? Will they add depth to the wide receiver room? The moves seem unknown at this point, especially given how shocking it was that Chris Ballard made such a big trade on the first day of free agency.
Regardless, there are still options on the market for the Colts to consider. Here are seven remaining free agents for Indy:
Philip Rivers | QB | Age: 38
Whether we like it or not, Rivers and the Colts are going to be connected until he finds a new team—wherever that may be. The two sides have already been in contact since the legal tampering period opened on Monday and it seems the situation is beginning to take life.
After the trade for Buckner, Rivers would cost nearly half of the Colts’ remaining salary cap space, which currently sits at roughly $46 million. That’s still a strong number but one that Ballard is likely feeling a bit cautious with when considering the draft pool money and the rollover money for 2021.
Still, Rivers is likely viewed as the free agent with the highest chance of joining the Colts.
Emmanuel Sanders | WR | Age: 32
The Colts won’t get a chance to go after the top options at wide receiver. DeAndre Hopkins and Stefon Diggs were both surprisingly traded away in vastly different deals. Amari Cooper re-signed with the Cowboys for $100 million over five years. This means the Colts are likely looking at some depth pieces or veteran assets to bring into the room.
Though his age is getting up there, Sanders should be viewed as one of the top wide receivers on the market. He can work both on the outside and in the slot while providing the Colts with plucky hands and the ability to create after the catch.
Whoever is under center for the Colts would benefit from Sanders being on the field.
Dante Fowler | EDGE | Age: 25
The Colts have their dominant three-technique in the form of Buckner. Could they be looking to add some talent to the edge? Fowler would be an intriguing addition alongside Justin Houston, Kemoko Turay and Ben Banogu, even if there are some concerns about him being a flash in the pan.
What Fowler has going for him is his age and the traits he brings to the field. There is a chance he’s simply figuring out his game and what works best for him. With Buckner and Houston leading the defensive line, he and the other young pass rushers will face more one-on-one situations. That would bring plenty of production for the Colts.
Robert Quinn | EDGE | Age: 30
Chris Ballard has mentioned the need to keep veteran leadership on the defensive line. That could mean re-signing Jabaal Sheard, who is officially a free agent on Wednesday. It could also mean bringing in a veteran like Quinn who still has the upside of having production as a pass rusher.
After a few quiet years since his All-Pro season, Quinn bounced back in a big way for the Cowboys. He had 11.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hits—all were the second-highest totals of his career.
With Houston still there, Buckner manning the interior and youngsters Turay and Banogu developing their games, the Colts could do worse than bringing in the veteran Quinn, who has shown to still have some game left in his tank.
Rashard Higgins | WR | Age: 25
Now that the Colts got their big fish, they could be looking to make some depth moves. With a deep wide receiver class awaiting them in April, adding a player like Higgins to the room would be beneficial both for depth and competition.
Though he’s not a burner, Higgins wins with length and tracking ability. He would be an intriguing case for Frank Reich to try out in the slot, and Higgins has shown the ability to step up when opportunity calls for it.
After making such a big move on Monday to acquire Buckner, Ballard could go back to his signature move of adding a low-risk, high-reward player like Higgins to the wide receiver room.
Breshad Perriman | WR | Age: 26
There will be a lot of wide receivers on this list because there are still plenty of options still on the market. Perriman offers a high-risk, high-reward target for the Colts but one that certainly could pay off.
He had a career year with the Bucs under head coach Bruce Arians, and there certainly is an argument that the former first-round bust thrived due to the fact that he was working in a vertical offense with a vertical passer in Jameis Winston. Changing scenery might not be the best move for Perriman, who has battled both injuries and inconsistency throughout his career.
Regardless, having the threat of Perriman taking the top off of the defense is always a nice option to have and could make him a target if Frank Reich wants a true deep threat.
Nelson Agholor | WR | Age: 26
It pains me because I’ve never been a fan of Agholor’s game but even I must admit the connection could be too big to dismiss. The fit for Agholor with the Colts is probably the best case for the former first-round pick. He gets to work with Frank Reich again and the new wide receivers coach in Mike Groh was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles for two seasons (2018–2019).
Agholor has been a troubled wide receiver on the field for the Eagles. He never lived up to the first-round billing. Suffering drops and inconsistency, the Colts might feel he can be a reclamation project—even if that means relegating him to the slot, which is the only area he finds success.
Agholor shouldn’t be a top target for the Colts, but it’s still a connection that must be brought up when discussing potential free agents for Indy.
