The Indianapolis Colts could quickly become one of the more intriguing teams heading into the upcoming NFL season, as the AFC South is currently in the midst of some serious changes.
With the addition of Carson Wentz, the Colts–who already have a solid foundation in place–will have to work on making some additional moves in the offseason.
After welcoming former Wentz to town last month, more roster changes could come sooner rather than later. Despite the ongoing turnover in Indianapolis, especially under center, the Colts have reached the playoffs in two of the last three seasons.
As Wentz looks to right his own ship with his new team, the Colts will need to surround the former Eagles cornerstone with some additional talent. If Indianapolis is going to compete with the defending AFC South Champion Tennessee Titans, they will need a strong offseason to fill some key voids. However, Indianapolis must be careful as there are more than a few players that the team should stay away from as well.
OLB/DE Matthew Judon
The Colts will surely be focused on improving on offense this offseason around Carson Wentz. Even so, the Indianapolis defense will need an upgrade this offseason if they going to compete at a high level in 2021.
Despite the Colts needing to address several positions on defense this offseason, a team can never have too many pass rushers–especially when playing in a division with quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill, Deshaun Watson, and presumably Trevor Lawrence. With several talented pass rushers slated to hit the open market, Indianapolis must be precise when analyzing and making a decision.
Even though Matthew Judon can be a dominant force along the line of scrimmage, the 28-year-old pass rusher is expected to be overpaid this offseason. Touted as one of the top free-agent pass rushers, Judon has produced 34.5 career sacks across a total of 74 regular-season appearances. Judon most recently tallied a mere six sacks for the Ravens this past season, following a single-season career-high of nine sacks coming back in 2019-20.
Because of the value already being placed on Judon's services this offseason, the Colts should look elsewhere for pass-rushing help.
WR T.Y. Hilton
Although the Colts surely need to bolster the team's roster at key offensive positions, they should not sign up for a reunion with veteran wideout T.Y. Hilton. The 31-year-old pass-catcher has spent his entire nine-year career in Indianapolis. However, Hilton has seemed to have lost a step and is no longer the same player that he once was, which was evidenced throughout last season.
Even though Hilton is a viable option at the position, he is not a true No. 1 wideout anymore and a change of scenery would probably be best for both parties. Slated to become an unrestricted free agent, Hilton is coming off a season in which he compiled 56 receptions for 762 yards and five touchdowns. It is also worth noting that Hilton has just one 1,000-yard receiving season in his last four campaigns after eclipsing such a mark for four consecutive years prior to this stretch.
Indianapolis has a plethora of up-and-coming wide receivers in Michael Pittman Jr., Zach Pascal and Parris Campbell, and they need to find a legitimate top target to compliment this trio. Fortunately for the Colts, there is a slew of talented wideouts about to become free agents this time around.
