Colts Deemed Best Fit for Former All-Pro Wideout

As we get deeper into the offseason, viable free agent contributors dwindle.

Some of these remaining free agents have strategically remained unsigned as they try to secure an ideal landing spot, whereas the others have either outplayed their hand or are working back from injury.

On the flip side, organizations will oftentimes hit pause on their free agency endeavors once the NFL Draft grows closer in an attempt to play the compensatory pick game. If not enough intrigue and conviction is there pre-draft, teams will wait until after the compensatory pick formula is no longer counted toward soon after the draft concludes, and revisit afterwards.

As a result, there is still a group of potential contributors that sit atop free agency midway through May, with the Indianapolis Colts being deemed the best landing spot for one of the top options in question.

ESPN's Matt Bowen recently put together a list of the top free agents remaining as of Monday, May 18th, and had Indianapolis as the possible destination for wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

Bowen prefaced that each of the top remaining free agents in question will likely not be starters, but rather rotational players or added competition, meaning that he doesn't see Samuel immediately slotting in to become a starter in Shane Steichen's offense.

"The Colts added veteran receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine this offseason, but Samuel would bring a unique skill set to coach Shane Steichen's offense as a complement to Alec Pierce and slot man Josh Downs. Steichen can create a long runway for Samuel to get up to speed on crossers, while building in manufactured touches on screens and fly sweeps," said Bowen.

His added skillset would certainly complement Alec Pierce well, however, Samuel has notably regressed in recent years. That's not to suggest that he's no longer a viable option in an offense, but Samuel has notably lost some juice that once made him the versatile threat that he is.

"Signing Samuel, who caught 72 passes last season in Washington, would also give quarterback Daniel Jones another catch-and-run target alongside tight end Tyler Warren. Both Samuel and Warren ranked in the top 15 of yards after the catch last season," Bowen concluded.

Samuel is still a sure-handed target, posting a career-high 72.7% catch rate (in a full season) in 2025, though his versality that made him a threat as a ballcarrier is all but gone at this stage in his career. He is now 30 years old and will be a shell of himself sooner rather than later, but as Bowen suggests, Samuel's skillset is no doubt one that Shane Steichen covets.

Deebo Samuel's drop-off in rushing production has taken the biggest hit in recent years, but his consistency as a passcatcher underneath has reimained. He had 727 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns on 72 receptions during his lone season with Washington in 2025.

Second-year tight end Tyler Warren will certainly demand the majority of targets across the middle of the field and will also be the primary option for run-and-catch opportunities, but adding Samuel would immediately strengthen a room that lacks a second option in that regard.

Josh Downs remains a mismatch from the slot, and while his veteran savviness is constantly on display whenever the ball's in his hands, he more so relies on maximizing his catches as opposed to fishing for additional yardage. He is set to play on the outside more than ever this coming season, and adding someone of Samuel's skillset would help keep him in his rightful spot in the slot.

The addition of free agent wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is by no means meant to serve as the Michael Pittman Jr. replacement on the outside, though his upside as a red zone threat is nothing to scoff at.

Adding a player similar to Michael Pittman Jr. would indeed be a smart move, especially if the Colts were able to add Samuel for cheaper than expected. Indianapolis is one injury away from a catastrophic situation in its wide receiver room, so ensuring there's as much depth as possible is key, and adding Samuel would be a strong first step in doing so.

The Colts currently have the 7th-most available cap space, per Over The Cap. Their $31.8M in space would mean they could afford to take a one-year flyer on Deebo Samuel with room to spare.

Even though Samuel may not have as much juice as he once did, the 7-year veteran still has enough leftover to intrigue Shane Steichen as an option for his offense.

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