NFL Insider Urges Colts to Sign Veteran WR in Free Agency
With the start of what many expect to be a busy free agency period for the Indianapolis Colts with more than $44 million in cap space, The Athletic's Sheil Kapadia got into the mix with free agency predictions, pairing the Colts with a veteran wide receiver, potentially plugging a gaping hole.
Veteran wide receiver T.Y. Hilton is expected to hit the free agent market on March 17, and while there is still a good chance the star returns to the Colts in free agency, Kapadia urges Colts General Manager Chris Ballard to snag former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Corey Davis in free agency.
"Their first big move was trading for Wentz. Now the Colts have to make sure they put the pieces in place to help him succeed. Davis had 65 catches for 984 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games with the Titans in 2020. He averaged 2.73 yards per route run in the regular season, which ranked eighth among 276 qualifying players. Davis offers the floor of a No. 2 wide receiver with the upside of a No. 1 and is only 26 years old," Kapadia said in his piece.
Davis, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Titans, never quite lived up to the hype in Nashville, but he did put together a strong season in 2020, turning in a career-high in catches, yards and touchdowns.
Though he is not a true No. 1 wide receiver, he has the size, speed and physicality that the Colts seemingly covet at the position. Pairing Davis with Michael Pittman Jr., Zach Pascal (a restricted free agent) and Parris Campbell would give new quarterback Carson Wentz a solid group of receivers to work with in Head Coach Frank Reich's system.
According to Spotrac's market value for Davis, the Colts would have to hand out a 4-year, $39.5 million deal in free agency to land the FBS Division I all-time leader in receiving yards.
That type of bargain on the free agent market for the 26-year-old could make the former AFC South foe enticing to the cap conscious Colts.
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