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The 2025 NFL offseason is one of the most crucial periods for the Indianapolis Colts in recent history. After making moves in free agency and the draft, how the Colts handle the late trade market to fill out their roster will be instrumental to their success in 2025.
Despite their focus on building around Anthony Richardson, the Colts signed just one offensive veteran in free agency. They added former Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert, but lost Ryan Kelly, Kylen Granson, Will Fries and Trey Sermon. Overall, Indianapolis certainly lost more offensive veteran talent than it acquired in the offseason.
Instead, Indianapolis made multiple noteworthy moves to improve its defense. They lost 142-tackle linebacker E.J. Speed, but landed star cornerback Charvarius Ward and premier safety Camryn Bynum. After signing Lou Anarumo to replace Gus Bradley as defensive coordinator, the Colts are just as committed to rebuilding their once-elite defense as they are to Richardson in the 2025 offseason.
But, despite their dedication to Richardson, the Colts are not fully committed to the third-year signal-caller. Indianapolis brought in former New York Giants starter Daniel Jones to compete with Richardson in training camp, in addition to drafting Notre Dame's Riley Leonard in the sixth round.
With another loaded offseason ahead, Indianapolis remains in one of the strangest positions in the league. Unless they desire another five years of mediocre football, the ensuing months will be crucial for their long-term outlook. The Colts have serious ground to cover to fill out their roster before offseason training camps begin in July.
LB Jahlani Tavai, New England Patriots
After losing Speed, the Colts' linebacker corps is undeniably one of the weakest positions on their roster. Indianapolis returns Zaire Franklin, who led the league with 173 tackles in 2024, but its remaining linebackers combined for just 10 starts in 2024.
Jaylon Carlies, who started six games as a rookie in 2024, figures to start next to Franklin. Anarumo historically prefers deploying 4-3 sets, leaving another job up for grabs. As it currently stands, the opening will come down to Tyquan Lewis, Segun Olubi, Joe Bachie or Cameron McGrone. Lewis is the only one of the four who has started in the last three seasons.
Indianapolis needs to add experience to the group before the offseason ends. The free agency market is still abundant, but the Colts will find the best value via trade. With the New England Patriots investing heavily in the position in free agency, general manager Chris Ballard needs to keep an eye on Jahlani Tavai.
Tavai, who led the Patriots with 115 tackles in 2024, is as consistent a tackler in the league. But with Mike Vrabel taking over, the former Tennessee Titans head coach remodeled the locker room with several of his old players. In March, New England signed Harold Landry III, Jack Gibbens and Robert Spillane. Landry and Gibbens played for Vrabel in Tennessee.
While signing a pair of his former linebackers, Vrabel let two of the Patriots' three incumbent starters walk. Ja'Whaun Bentley and Sione Takitaki were both kicked to the curb, while Tavai appears relegated to the bench. With Vrabel clearly preferring his own guys, Tavai is suddenly expendable in New England's loaded linebacker room.
The Colts have a plethora of veteran wideouts who the Patriots might be interested in. Offering any one of Alec Pierce, Ashton Dulin or Laquon Treadwell could be enough to get the deal done, particularly with New England's defensive depth.
C Luke Fortner, Jacksonville Jaguars
When Ryan Kelly signed with the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, the Colts lost the longest-tenured player on their roster. Indianapolis is content with handing the job to budding second-year Tanor Bortolini, who started five games as a rookie in 2024, but is still relatively unproven. Everything Bortolini has done to this point suggests he is the real deal, but Ballard would benefit from adding a veteran to the group.
The Colts do not have any reliable depth behind Bortolini yet. Longtime backup Danny Pinter remains with the team, but he only converted from guard to center in 2024. Otherwise, Indianapolis has undrafted rookie Mose Vavao and scarcely used fourth-year center Wesley French vying for a roster spot.
Despite his recent decline, Luke Fortner has the experience Indianapolis currently lacks. Fortner started all 17 games in 2022 and 2023 for the Jacksonville Jaguars before being benched in 2024. The Jaguars signed Robert Hainsey to a three-year, $21 million deal in free agency, all but cementing Fortner's new role as a reserve. Hainsey worked with Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fortner might not be a starter anymore, but he is still one of the most desirable backups in the league. An offensive line that is frequently as injured as the Colts' needs to add his services in the trade market. Indianapolis has only had a center start every game of the season once in the last five years.
On top of signing Hainsey, the Jaguars took USC center Jonah Monheim in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Monheim, a 2024 third-team All-Big 10 center, is good enough to be the team's backup as a rookie.
G Liam Eichenberg, Miami Dolphins
In addition to losing Kelly, the Colts also lost Will Fries to the Vikings and let Mark Glowinski walk without a new deal. While five-time All-Pro Quenton Nelson remains on the roster, Indianapolis' guard depth is otherwise thin.
Indianapolis has Matt Goncalves to pair with Nelson, but virtually no reliable reserves behind them. Dalton Tucker and Josh Sills are the only backup guards on the Colts' roster. Tucker, a former undrafted free agent, posted a horrendous 53.3 player grade on Pro Football Focus in 2024, while Sills has zero starts in his two-year career.
With several experienced guards available, the Miami Dolphins' Liam Eichenberg is the Colts' most plausible trade target. Eichenberg has 52 starts in his four-year career, but his time with the team appears to be over. Miami signed James Daniels and drafted Jonah Savaiinaea in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, ensuring its future at the position.
Though Eichenberg struggled in 2024 — he posted a 53.1 PFF player grade — it was still statistically the best year of his career. Eichenberg has had his opportunities and proven he is not of starting caliber, but a guard-needy team like Indianapolis can still use him as an experienced backup. He may not be the most reliable blocker, but Eichenberg has only missed eight games since entering the league in 2021.
