ESPN Analyst Lists Two Colts as Potential Breakout Free Agents

The Indianapolis Colts have the opportunity to evaluate their free agents this week as teams send in offers for some of the top young talent on the market. With only $40 million in cap space, the Colts could lose out on multiple starters.

Among the top talents are guard Will Fries and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. Both were drafted by Indy in 2021, with Odeyingbo going in the second round and Fries in the seventh. The Colts did not sign either player to a contract extension, making them highly regarded free agents.

ESPN analyst Jordan Reid feels that Fries and Odeyingbo could be difference makers for their future franchises, naming them to a group of five players who could break out in the future.

"G Will Fries, CB Paulson Adebo, DT Tershawn Wharton, LB Jamien Sherwood, EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo," wrote Reid on X. "Have always felt the best GMs execute free agency by identifying and paying players for what they could be in the future. These are 5 players that fit into that category."

• G Will Fries
• CB Paulson Adebo
• DT Tershawn Wharton
• LB Jamien Sherwood
• EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo

Have always felt the best GMs execute free agency by identifying and paying players for what they could be in the future. These are 5 players that fit into that category.
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) March 9, 2025

Sherwood has already agreed to a new contract with the New York Jets. That means Fries and Odeyingo are two of the four players who Reid feels could be worth investing in.

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If the Colts lose out on both, the free agency market could be considered a failure for Indy. Letting two homegrown products walk out the door feels like a way to lose the locker room and not instill faith in young players who hope to have their contracts extended by the team.

Fries, who will turn 27 next month, was ranked as the fourth best guard out of 135 eligible players by Pro Football Focus with an 86.9 overall grade. Odeyingbo, 25, led the Colts in quarterback pressures in 2024, according to PFF.

#Commanders are named as a potential fit to land #Colts DE Dayo Odeyingbo, per @AlbertBreer.

“A super-sized edge, some team betting on the 25-year-old’s rise with 15.5 career sacks could wind up having to pay close to $20 million per year for him. The Commanders, who are looking… pic.twitter.com/ne0U3ueoEB
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) March 9, 2025

Odeyingbo is expected to reel in a high-value contract worth up to $20 million annually. Fries could be toward the top of his position, too. Signing both to expensive contracts would use up nearly all of the Colts' available cap space. Bringing back just one seems like a more feasible option, considering Indy's current financial situation.

The tampering period begins on Monday, March 10 while the free agency market will open on Wednesday, March 12.

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