Top 3 Free Agents Colts Should Target

It would be wise for the Indianapolis Colts to make a hard push for these players in free agency.

With the franchise tag deadline now behind us, the NFL world has shifted its focus to one of the most exciting weeks of the offseason: Free agency. 

The Indianapolis Colts enter the free agency armed with a good amount of room to make improvements to a roster that could badly use it. While Chris Ballard is not going to splurge and spend top of the market money on any one player, he’s almost certainly going to look for a few value signings of guys that can be impact starters. 

I’ve compiled a list of a couple of guys that I think would be very good fits for what the Colts would like to do. This is going to be heavily focused on the defense due to the fact that I believe the draft is where to get the best value for improving the team on offense.

3.) EDGE Josh Uche

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While most fans see edge as the No.1 area of need on the team, I, however, don’t view it that way. The Colts have a collection of guys under contract, like Samson Ebukam, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Kwity Paye, that you don’t want to take a significant amount of snaps from. However, this group is missing a specific type of edge and it’s exactly what Josh Uche brings.

Uche is a speed rush guy that can bend at the top of his rush to get to the quarterback. Last year, he went through a very weird situation with the New England Patriots where they placed him on the trading block before eventually keeping him. His production suffered because of this, but in 2022, Uche had a breakout season with the Patriots as he finished with 11.5 sacks, 14 QB Hits and nine tackles for loss.

Uche would almost exclusively be a designated pass rusher, and due to his dip in production last season, his price tag shouldn’t be too high. Uche is likely going to sign somewhere for an annual average value of $7-10 million, which is right in Ballard’s price range.

2.) CB Darious Williams

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There are actually a handful of guys I wouldn’t mind seeing the Colts sign in this spot. A few of those guys are Kendall Fuller, Chidobe Awuzie, and Donte Jackson to name a few. I also wouldn’t mind seeing a reunion with Rock Ya-Sin.

The reason I landed on Darious Williams is due to how well he played last season. At 30 years old (31 by the time the season starts), he would obviously be a short-term option. But one could argue he’s playing the best football of his career.

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He finished the season with 4 interceptions (one of those he ran back for a touchdown) and had an amazing 19 passes defended, which is important when you look at a Colts secondary that couldn’t get their hands on enough footballs. 

Williams is a guy that can come in and start immediately while you give guys like Jaylon Jones a chance to develop and Dallis Flowers a chance to fully recover from his season-ending injury.

1.) S Quandre Diggs

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The veteran safety market this free agency is really good. While there are a bunch of good options available for the Colts, one name sticks out above the rest and that’s Quandre Diggs. 

Diggs is a smart, rangy free safety with the ability to track the ball at an elite level. The last five seasons, he has proven to be a playmaker in the secondary, grabbing 18 interceptions over that time. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and the exact type of leader you want in your secondary. 

Whether Julian Blackmon is brought back or not, Diggs should be a top priority for the Colts as he has the potential to transform that back end and bring stability to a position that needs it in the worst way.

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