INDIANAPOLIS – Darius Butler and Erik Walden highlight the list of 11 Colts now hitting the open market of free agency.
As of 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, the Colts had only re-signed one (Jack Doyle) of their nine unrestricted agents in 2017. They also did not put out tenders to any of their three restricted free agents.
That means 11 Colts from last season are no longer under contract in Indianapolis and are free to sign wherever around the NFL.
With free agency officially underway, the Colts have plenty of cap room to sign guys from the outside market, and could even still be in play for their own free agents.
Below is a list of the Colts' 11 free agents now on the open market, along with the headlines we've already seen from Chris Ballard.
The Colts news from this week:
-**The Colts moved on** from safety Mike Adams.
-Versatile offensive lineman **Joe Reitz retired**, which freed up a couple of million in cap space.
-The **important re-signing** of tight end Jack Doyle took place on Wednesday morning.
-**And a reported trade** of [Dwayne Allen to New England.
Along with Adams, here are the 10 other free agents the Colts had in 2017 now hitting the open market:
- S/CB-Darius Butler:The move to safety seems to be **a very realistic possibility for Butler**, no matter where he plays next season. Despite being north of 30 years old, Butler's new-found flexibility in the secondary will be attractive going into free agency.
- OLB-Chris Carter:Carter was one of three free agent outside linebackers for the Colts. He hardly played **any defensive snaps for the Colts last year**.
- OLB-Trent Cole:Like Adams, **Cole talks like a guy who definitely wants to keep on playing**. Cole, 34, returned from a September back injury to record two sacks in the final month of the season.
- OG/C-Jonotthan Harrison (2017 restricted free agent): Since joining the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2014, Harrison has been a key piece in the interior of the offensive line. Harrison was the team's starting center from 2014-15, and even saw starting action at left guard last year.
- DL-Zach Kerr (2017 restricted free agent):Like Harrison, Kerr was another 2014 undrafted free agent who provided nice trench depth in his three seasons with the Colts. Kerr was one of the bigger defensive line bodies the Colts had over the past three seasons.
- ILB-Josh McNary (2017 restricted free agent):From out of the Army and into the NFL. That was McNary's journey in 2013, when he joined the Colts at Training Camp. A spot starter at inside linebacker, McNary finished his career as mostly a special teams player.
- OG-Hugh Thornton: Thornton was the lone offensive line free agent for the Colts in 2017. A third-round pick in 2013, **Thornton is the last remaining player** from that draft class still in Indy.
- RB-Jordan Todman:When Quan Bray went on injured reserve in early October, **Todman filled in nicely at kick returner**. Two of Frank Gore's three backups from this past season are free agents.
- RB-Robert Turbin:Turbin has expressed a desire to compete for a starting running back job, but also has stated **he wants to come back to the Colts for a second season**. Those two things (probably) don't match up in Indy this coming fall. Turbin was very solid in playing right behind Gore in 2017. If the Colts don't bring Turbin back, the backup running back position is a definite need this offseason.
- OLB-Erik Walden: The money signs should be gleaming from Walden's eyes. Last week, several of the NFL's top pass rushers were nabbed with the franchise tag. **If Walden tests the open market**, he will be one of the top free agent sack guys in 2017.
The analysis from those producing content on Colts.com does not necessarily represent the thoughts of the Indianapolis Colts organization. Any conjecture, analysis or opinions formed by Colts.com content creators is not based on inside knowledge gained from team officials, players or staff.*
