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INDIANAPOLIS — One of the first courses of the NFL offseason arrives in two weeks when the new league year begins and brings the free agency frenzy along with it.
The so-called "legal tampering" period, in which teams are permitted to engage in contract negotiations with players' agents, runs from noon ET on Monday, March 11, to 3:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 13. Then, at 4 p.m., players can begin putting pen to paper.
The Indianapolis Colts currently have the most cap room in the NFL according to Over The Cap. Between prioritizing their own free agents as well as seeing which ones around the league can add something to their roster, the Colts should remain busy during free agency.
For starters, here is a look at the Colts’ own free agents accompanied by what type of free agent they will be (unrestricted, restricted, exclusive rights):
UFA — CB Pierre Desir, S Clayton Geathers, LB Najee Goode, WR Ryan Grant, DE Geneo Grissom, TE Ryan Hewitt, DE/DT Margus Hunt, WR Dontrelle Inman, S Mike Mitchell, OT J'Marcus Webb, S J.J. Wilcox, DT Al Woods
RFA — C/G Evan Boehm, S Matthias Farley, CB Chris Milton, S Corey Moore, WR Chester Rogers, TE Ross Travis
ERFA — WR Marcus Johnson, LS Luke Rhodes
Looking ahead, we present our Colts.com 2019 Free Agency Big Board. Rather than a typical big board in which players are ranked, we present you our top 25 available free agents for the Colts, broken up into positions and then listed alphabetically.
The following are all players who are set to become unrestricted free agents on March 13; potential tags their current teams can use on them are not taken into consideration.
OFFENSE
| PLAYER | POSITION | 2019 AGE | CURRENT TEAM | BREAKDOWN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tevin Coleman | Running Back | 25 | Atlanta Falcons | The fifth-year back out of IU would add a nice blend of power, speed and playmaking ability to an already-talented Colts backfield. He has increased his usage and productivity each year in the league, and he's averaged at least four yards per carry in every season. |
| Jamison Crowder | Wide Receiver | 25 | Washington Redskins | Some stability at the quarterback position could do Crowder some good. The shifty slot receiver could help the Colts move the chains. |
| Devin Funchess | Wide Receiver | 24 | Carolina Panthers | Funchess just feels like a Colt. At 6-4, 225, he's a big-bodied receiver you can use as a mismatch in the red zone and on 50-50 balls. |
| Adam Humphries | Wide Receiver | 25 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Although the Colts typically aim for receivers that are at least 6-feet tall (T.Y. Hilton is their only receiver who isn't), Humphries. at 5-foot-11, has been one of his quarterbacks' go-to guys for the last couple seasons now. The usually sure-handed Humphries had 63 percent of his catches in 2018 go for first downs. |
| Golden Tate | Wide Receiver | 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | Tate could provide the Colts with another reliable option at receiver to Hilton. Tate is a playmaker with the ball in his hands and can make tough catches. |
| Tyrell Williams | Wide Receiver | 27 | Los Angeles Chargers | Williams has a history with Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni from their days together with the Chargers. At 6-4, 205, Williams is a tall receiver who can stretch the field vertically. |
DEFENSE
| PLAYER | POSITION | 2019 AGE | CURRENT TEAM | BREAKDOWN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwon Alexander | Linebacker | 24 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Alexander suffered a torn ACL midseason, but his speed and athleticism would fit right in with the Colts' defense that puts a premium on those traits. |
| Adrian Amos | Safety | 25 | Chicago Bears | Amos is an ascending, versatile player in the defensive backfield who has experience doing just about anything the Colts would potentially ask of him as a safety. The Colts currently have five safeties who are due to become free agents. |
| Anthony Barr | Linebacker | 27 | Minnesota Vikings | Barr is a playmaker with a nose for the ball. His market will be interesting, as his level of play hasn't always been that consistent. He's a physical talent at linebacker, nonetheless. |
| Malcom Brown | Defensive Tackle | 25 | New England Patriots | Many fans had their eyes on Brown in the 2015 NFL Draft, and now he might become available four years later. |
| Jadeveon Clowney | Edge Defender | 26 | Houston Texans | It'd be a relief to not have to see Clowney as an opponent twice per year. The physical freak has made life difficult for the Colts offense for the last couple seasons. |
| Landon Collins | Safety | 25 | New York Giants | Collins quickly became one of the league's top safeties, and he would provide the Colts with both another playmaker in the secondary as well as an enforcer in the box. |
| Ronald Darby | Cornerback | 25 | Philadelphia Eagles | Like Alexander, Darby's 2018 season ended prematurely due to a torn ACL in Week 10. In fact, Darby has yet to play a 16-game season, but there is no denying his talent when he's on the field. He's got high-end speed and consistently makes plays on the ball. |
| Trey Flowers | Edge Defender | 25 | New England Patriots | You'll notice pass rush help is a big theme on this list and it's because teams can never get enough of it. Flowers has become a consistent threat, averaging 54.7 tackles (8.3 for loss) and 7.0 sacks per year over the last three seasons. |
| Dee Ford | Edge Defender | 28 | Kansas City Chiefs | Colts general manager Chris Ballard was part of the front office that drafted Ford in Kansas City in 2014. Ford has steadily progressed throughout his career, reaching 13.0 sacks in 2018. |
| Dante Fowler | Edge Defender | 24 | Los Angeles Rams | The former top-three draft pick hasn't yet reached his potential. However, he stepped up his game when he was sent to the Rams last season under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. |
| Jordan Hicks | Linebacker | 26 | Philadelphia Eagles | Hicks has shown signs of being a bright young player over the last few years while on the field, but he's only played 19 games in the last two seasons. |
| Grady Jarrett | Defensive Tackle | 25 | Atlanta Falcons | The top interior defensive lineman to potentially hit the open market, Jarrett fits what the Colts do like a glove. He's an athletic big man who can both get after the passer and fly into running lanes. |
| DeMarcus Lawrence | Edge Defender | 26 | Dallas Cowboys | The Colts haven't had a "top dog" pass rusher since Robert Mathis was on the field instead of coaching on the sidelines, and that's what "Tank" Lawrence would provide them. |
| Tyrann Mathieu | Safety | 26 | Houston Texans | The Honey Badger has performed at a high level everywhere he's been, but he could use a steady destination whether it's re-signing in Houston or signing a longer-term deal with someone else. He's a sharp playmaker who can play all over the secondary. |
| Adrian Phillips | Safety | 27 | Los Angeles Chargers | Phillips is an occasional starter who consistently finds himself around the ball. The Colts often use three safeties in their packages in which Phillips could fit right in. |
| Sheldon Richardson | Defensive Tackle | 28 | Minnesota Vikings | Richardson is similar to Mathieu in that he's a reputable player who is among the league's best at their position, and now it's time to find a home. Richardson has experience playing multiple spots along both three and four-man fronts and wreaking havoc. |
| Preston Smith | Edge Defender | 26 | Washington Redskins | Smith has been in Washington's three-man base front, but his 6-5, 265-pound frame and collegiate experience indicate he could be a full-time defensive end in a 4-3 defense. |
| Za'Darius Smith | Edge Defender | 26 | Baltimore Ravens | Za'Darius Smith has a similar frame as Preston Smith, but Za'Darius is a better pass rusher than run defender, where the reverse is true for Preston Smith. |
| Kenny Vaccaro | Safety | 28 | Tennessee Titans | Vaccaro has been a versatile player throughout his career, playing both safety spots as well as the nickel. He's useful to any scheme in the league. |
OF NOTE
The following are perhaps the three biggest names of the 2019 free agent class, and while we believe they're likely longshots to sign in Indianapolis, these guys are always going to generate the most buzz among fans:
Pittsburgh Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell (27): After it was reported by that the Steelers would not be using either the franchise or transition tag on Bell, he entered this mix — although he has been popularly linked to the Colts after sitting out the entirety of the 2018 season. The 27-year-old running back still has plenty of tread on the tire and is one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the league. However, Bell is expected to command top dollar, and the Colts were already able to get a big season out of starting running back Marlon Mack in 2018. The latter played in 12 games and projected to have 1,348 yards of offense and 13 touchdowns if prorated to 16 games.
Los Angeles Rams DT Ndamukong Suh (32): Age and price are a couple of things that could keep Suh from being a Colt, although he would certainly give them a boost in the short term. At 32, this is likely more of the twilight of his career. Just last year he played for $14 million with the Rams, which is a pretty steep price for any team to pay for a player at that age.
Seattle Seahawks S Earl Thomas (29): For the last few years, injuries have plagued the man who may still hold the crown as the NFL's top safety. Thomas has played in just 29 of a possible 48 regular season games since 2016, will likely also come with a hefty price tag, and has been popularly linked to the Dallas Cowboys after telling Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, "If you have a chance to get me, come get me" following a game in 2017.
