The Indianapolis Colts certainly did not have the 2022 campaign they were expected to, and that has set the stage for a rather interesting offseason for them. After completely falling apart, the Colts are clearly rebuilding, and it will be interesting to see what steps they take to rebuild their roster after their moribound 2022 season.
Indianapolis rode a strong defense and dominant ground game to a successful season in 2021, but after supposedly upgrading their quarterback, going from Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan, the Colts were awful. Their offense struggled, and untimely injuries made matters worse. By the end of the season, the Colts were an unrecognizable team.
This offseason is going to be an important one for Indianapolis. They have a lot of big holes on their roster that need to be filled, and the first opportunity they will have to address their needs is through free agency. So let's take a look at one big name free agent who could immediately address one of the Colts biggest needs and see why that's the case.
Free agent who can fill Colts biggest need: Dre'Mont Jones
Before we get started, let's address the elephant in the room. The Colts biggest offseason need is obviously at quarterback. However, they will almost certainly draft a quarterback rather than sign one in free agency. There have been guys like Lamar Jackson, Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, and Jimmy Garoppolo available, but the Colts have never seemed truly interested in any of them.
The only one they could really add in free agency at this point is Garoppolo, although they could send over an offer sheet to Jackson and see if the Baltimore Ravens match it, but again, there just doesn't seem to be any interest here. After striking out on Ryan, Wentz, and Philip Rivers, the Colts want to find the quarterback of their future, and that likely will come in the draft.
Aside from quarterback, one area the Colts need to upgrade is their defensive line, particularly at the defensive end spot. They got a strong season out of Yannick Ngakoue, but he's probably headed out the exit door in free agency. Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo are a decent duo, but if they don't continue to develop, the Colts will be in trouble.
For that reason, pursuing Dre'Mont Jones to come in and help reinforce the d-line seems like a move the Colts should consider this offseason. Jones is almost certainly going to be leaving the Denver Broncos this offseason, and Indianapolis would be wise to try to sign the young lineman.
Jones had to step up for the Broncos after they traded Bradley Chubb at the trade deadline last season, and he certainly did. Jones put together easily the best season of his career (47 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 FF, 9 TFL, 10 QB hits) despite only playing in 13 games. As a result, he's set to cash in this offseason.
There are several reasons for the Colts to consider pursuing Jones. For starters, he's a three-down player who can contribute as a run defender and a pass rusher. Obviously, he doesn't have outrageously good stats, but the Colts need someone who isn't afraid to do the dirty work. That's what Jones tends to specialize in.
Jones also fits the Colts timeline, as he's only 26 years old. There's no sense for Indianapolis to go out and actively recruit high-profile veterans when they are rebuilding. There's a decent chance that it will take a few seasons for the Colts to become a true playoff contender again, and when they do, they are going to want to have a guy like Jones wreaking havoc on their defensive line.
This isn't the only area the Colts need to upgrade this offseason, as they could use some serious renovations on their offensive line, and their offense is going to need more playmakers at both the wide receiver and tight end position. But adding an impact player who could be with the team for the foreseeable future is an option the Colts have here with Jones that they don't necessarily have with free agents at other positions.
Indianapolis pursuing Jones feels like a very good move for a couple of reasons, and while it may not completely change how their 2023 season goes, there likely isn't much that will change that, aside from their new quarterback coming in and absolutely lighting it up early on. The Colts need to make foundational moves to build around their new team, and signing Jones is a move that fits the description. For that reason, Indy should make a serious push to sign him this offseason.
Follow Us
Subscribe