Danny Pinter, Wesley French Give Colts OL Depth, But More Is Needed

Amid the excitement of splash signings Cam Bynum and Charvarius Ward, the Indianapolis Colts brought back some of their own on the offensive line.

The Colts re-signed center Wesley French to a one-year deal, as reported by The Athletic's James Boyd. The terms of the contract have not yet been released.

French first signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan in 2022. French made the active roster in 2023 and even started three games in relief of Ryan Kelly.

However, French spent the 2024 season on injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury in training camp. Now healthy, French hopes to have an impact for the Colts offensive line in his fourth season.

Besides French, the Colts brought back another interior offensive lineman on Wednesday. Former fifth-round pick Danny Pinter was re-signed to a one-year, $1.67 million deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Pinter, a native of South Bend, Ind., who played his college ball at Ball State, has been a key depth piece on the interior of the Colts' offensive line since he was drafted. He can play center or guard and has starting experience at both. A player like Pinter, who can start in a pinch at any spot on the interior, is valuable when offensive line depth across the league is scarce.

Indianapolis Colts center Wesley French (62) against the Philadelphia Eagles in a blue jersey. — Indianapolis Colts center Wesley French (62) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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We're only a few days into free agency, but the Colts have already seen quite a shakeup with their offensive line. Kelly and Will Fries are on their way to the Minnesota Vikings after signing big free-agent deals. With Kelly and Fries gone, second-year players Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves are expected to be the starters at center and right guard, respectively.

Retaining French and Pinter is a solid move by the Colts. When healthy, they have routinely been the best depth pieces on the interior of the Colts' offensive line the last few years. Their starting experience is also crucial in case someone goes down.

Colts OL as it currently stands:

Starters:
LT: Bernhard Raimann
LG: Quenton Nelson
C: Tanor Bortolini
RG: Matt Goncalves
RT: Braden Smith

Depth: Blake Freeland, Danny Pinter, Wesley French, Dalton Tucker

PS/Likely Cuts: Josh Sills, Atonio Mafi, Jack Wilson, Luke Tenuta

Still…
— Andrew Moore (@AndrewMooreNFL) March 12, 2025

However, the Colts must continue to look to add depth and competition to their offensive line or risk having a giant hole if injuries pile up. That exact situation happened last season for Indy at right guard.

After Fries suffered a season-ending injury in Week 5, the Colts spent the rest of the season trying to find an answer at the right guard spot. Dalton Tucker and Mark Glowinski showed flashes but were underwhelming in relief. Indy does not want to find themselves in that position again.

More depth pieces at tackle and guard will likely be added to the Colts offensive line this offseason. While veteran options are still available, general manager Chris Ballard made it known that the Colts like the depth of the offensive line group in the draft, especially in the middle rounds. It would not be surprising to see Ballard double-dip and take a couple of offensive linemen come April.

Bringing back Pinter and French for cheap is a smart use of resources by the Colts, but Ballard will look to continue adding talent to the group to ensure the offensive line remains a strength for the team moving forward.

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