Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Colts Remain Quiet on Day 1 of Free Agency

Episode Date: March 16, 2021

On today's episode, Evan Sidery is joined by Stampede Blue's Stephen Reed to recap the first day of 2021 NFL free agency. Not surprisingly, the Colts stayed quiet. However, the movement outside of Indy was robust.First up, a former Colt is now off the open market. Denico Autry signed a 3-year, $21.5 million deal with division rival Tennessee. How will Autry signing with the Titans impact Indianapolis? Is Tyquan Lewis about to break out in Year 4 in Autry's role next to DeForest Buckner?New England was the big spender on Monday. The Patriots were spending all of their salary cap space on Jonnu Smith, Matthew Judon, and Nelson Agholor. Will New England make a push in the AFC after these moves, or will they be the latest team to disappoint after splurging in free agency?EDGE rushers are all gone for Indianapolis. All of the top names are already gone after the first 24 hours: Shaquille Barrett, Carl Lawson, Yannick Ngakoue, Bud Dupree, and Romeo Okwara are signing elsewhere. Indy is now positioned to bargain shop once more, or they could be targeting pass rush at No. 21 overall next month.Closing out the show, we go over how the market is looking at left tackle, wide receiver, cornerback, and tight end. Will the Colts make a move at one of these positions very soon? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello everybody, welcome back to another episode of Locked On Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Today's host is Evan Sutter, joined by Stephen Reed of Stampede Blue. To recap day one of free agency, maybe the news fly is in more of a frequency, we can react on the fly here, but a very quiet day for the Annapolis Colts, and I tweeted this out earlier in the Locked On Colts Twitter account. If you're surprised or thrown off by this, the Colts have not made any moves so far in the first day of free agency. You have not been paying attention since

2017. This is Chris Bauer's M.O., this is Ed Dodds and the Colts' rest of the front office M.O. They wait for the bargains, they wait for the values on some really solid players who are going to really outplay their contracts. They're not going to go out there and spend $16 million per year like the Bengals just did before he started recording on Trey Hendrickson.

They're going to really wait things out and try to find the right piece at the right price so let's start off there steven just first off are you surprised at all by the colts not really making a splash here for agency on day one because personally just by history i mean you shouldn't be yeah i'm not i'm not surprised at all um thanks for having me on, Evan. Every year, this is how Chris Ballard operates. It shouldn't be surprising to any of us if you've been paying attention. that he goes outside of what he has done every single year prior. But, you know, the good thing we know is he's consistent and he's methodical. He's not going to just, you know, throw money at guys just to throw money at guys. And so he's going to get some bargains, I think, here in the second wave when all of the seats are starting to fill very quickly. I know a lot of teams that had cap space

now no longer have a lot of that because they've gone on early spending sprees. And so Chris Ballard and the Colts are looking or setting themselves up in great position to be able to capitalize on some of these other players that are maybe looking for a seat at a table where they can be in the best position to showcase their talents if they are able to hit the free agent market next year.

Yeah, absolutely. Really, the Ballard special, and we're going to probably have more Colts-related news as the week flows on. Wave 1 is kind of happening today and tomorrow, and all the big things are going to go off the board here, but let's talk about a Colt who was signed on Wave 1 in free agency, really in the first few hours of free agency. It happened on Monday afternoon. Danico Autry staying in the AFC South, which kind of threw me off a little bit because we did not hear anything of smoke around Tennessee with Danico Autry, but the Colts, former defensive end, defensive tackle hybrid, signed with the Tennessee Titans on a three-year, $21.5

million deal, averaging around $7.2 million per year. Based on what we saw, Danico Autry's contract he signed in 2018 at the Colts was around three years and $18.5 million, around $5.8 million per year. It's not a shock to see that the Colts did not match this offer for Danico Autry. He's three years older, making almost $1.5 million more per year. Really not shocking at all to see Autry land in a bigger place for bigger money. But Tennessee is really an intriguing fit for him. It's interesting, that's for sure.

Tennessee plays a different style of defense than what the Colts play. Tennessee plays a 3-4. So Danico Autry is going to be a straight 3-4 defensive end. I don't know how well he's going to show out there like he did here in Indianapolis. One thing I want to say to start, though, Daniel Quattri, congratulations, man. You deserve that contract. You deserve that money. You played very, very well for the Colts. So I'm really happy for him to get that contract and get that extra money. I hear the Colts made a competing offer, made a counteroffer, tried to match it,

but the second-year money from reports were the second-year money that Autry was guaranteed in that Tennessee deal is what really made him go with Tennessee over Indianapolis. I don't like the fit of Autry in that defense. Now, saying this, they've got a monster in Jeffrey Simmons there in the middle of that defensive line rotation, a defensive tackle. So he's going to be able to take away some of that pressure from Danico Autry, and it's going to free up their other big signing today in Tennessee. I like Danico Autry as a player.

I just don't like the fit in Tennessee based on the style of defense that they play and the style that Danico Autry plays where, where he was able to really flourish was under this attacking style here in Indianapolis with that four, three defense where he could just go from the defensive end position. And then on passing downs, sub down to the defensive tackle. You know, I think that he got paid more than what – he got paid more than what I would have been comfortable giving him

given the consistency issues he's shown over the past couple years. There were games where he'd show up and have like two, three – what felt like two, three sacks in a game a bunch of quarterback hits and then he'd go like a month and a half and nothing would happen um so i think for denis kwachi great for him to get the payday as a colts fan i'm okay letting him walk for that that kind of money because i just i wouldn't have felt comfortable paying him i think a average uh contract is a little bit over $7.1 million. So great for him, $9 million guaranteed on a three-year deal. I look forward to seeing that battle between him and Quentin Nelson twice a year

and watching Quentin Nelson just crush him. Yeah, that money really threw me off a little bit. I knew Autry. We were talking about this on the podcast before, Stephen Kolbyska, that Autry might be a guy that priced himself out of Indy and could get a contract in that $6-7 million per year range. But even eclipsing $7 million really threw me off a little bit. We saw a competing market for him.

The bills ran on him. We heard the other couple teams were as well. The Colts sent in an offer, like you mentioned, Stephen. But him going to Tennessee, this might be the start of the comp pick game. We're kind of seeing the Colts being quiet so far on this. But internal options for me, I mean, when I saw the Autry news and then the Colts, at least in day one, not make any counter move to that, it makes me think Tyquan Lewis could be a legitimate option

to replace Danico Autry. Or a guy like Peyton Turner out of Houston, second round of the 2020 NFL draft, is one who really makes a lot of sense. He met the Colts at the Senior Bowl as well. Those are two guys to me, either in the draft or internally with Tyquan Lewis and Peyton Turner, who really could play the Autry role perfectly and the Colts could get a fourth round

compact next year. Yeah, I think that depending on how the other players, the other free agents that the Colts have out there, because the New York Autry, that $7 million average, it's probably going to get you right around a fourth, a fifth round comp pick.

I don't know how much Chris Ballard is going to value that fifth round comp pick versus going out and getting a guy that he feels like can help the team. The trouble with the Colts is they always let the market set itself and then they go in and play in free agency a little bit. So there's some really quality options still available at the edge position. This was a really deep, deep free agent class of edge rushers. So they've still got some options available. I'm sure there's going to be some cuts coming up within the next two to next, you know, 36 hours or so.

That's going to open up the market even a little bit more, but I wasn't expecting the Colts to make any big splashy moves and you just had, you know, what the top, like six or seven addressers in this class go off. You've still got great options available though. So for the Colts, it's, you know, you're just kind of playing the same game that you've always played. Of course, as a fan, you'd love them to go out and spend a little bit of money. But I think Chris Ballard's got a plan for the edge rusher position. I think he's got a plan for some of the other positions as well.

Let's move on here to a team outside of the AFC South who made a really – I mean, very surprising, in my opinion, splashy moves. And Bill Belichick kind of became Ryan Grixen today, Stephen. I mean, he makes some big-time moves for the Patriots. I know they had around $60 million in cap space. To have kind of it all gone in a day or so really does throw me off a little bit, though. Johnnie Smith, one of our favorites, a tight end. I think he's going to flourish there in New England.

Four years, $50 million, $12.5 million per year for Johnnie Smith, one of our favorites, a tight end. I think he's going to flourish there in New England. Four years, $50 million, $12.5 million per year for Johnnie Smith. I think he's going to be a very nice weapon for the Patriots. They also signed Matt Judon, so they can overpay for the production he's given over the years. $56 million on a four-year contract. Nelson Aguilar on a two-year $26 million contract. $13 million per year for Nelson Aguilar. Really threw me for a loop there. Made my jaw drop when I saw that tweet. But then also you go out and get Jalen Mills from the Eagles on an $8 million period contract. I would say not really that great so far in his career from Philadelphia.

Really, proved to be really inconsistent for Philadelphia the last couple of years and get $8 million per year. Re-signed Cam Newton on a one-year deal. The Pats are kind of going for it here, Stephen. I mean, what's your thoughts on Belichick? I think maybe kind of get a little jealous of Tom Brady's success down there in Tampa and kind of splurged a little bit. Yeah, that's the exact analogy I made. It is Bill Belichick right now. It feels like that jealous

ex that I think everybody's probably had at one point in their life that's like, hey, no, I want you to pay attention to me. Stop looking over there at that one. I want you to pay attention to me. Um, they threw out a ton of money today. I imagine on with a 14, 14 million per year average, Johnny Smith, top of the market, 12 and a half million, Jalen Mills at 6 million, Kendrick Bourne at seven and a half million average Nelson Agar at 11. Um, then they had David Godshow with 8 million and Henry Anderson with three and a half. They went through and just threw all their money out at it. So I'm really surprised by this. It's very anti-New England in the way that they normally do it. Now, it might be for the simple fact that they recognize that they didn't have a lot of talent going out in free agency this year.

And so if they were going to make a splash, they were going to do it this year because they weren't going to get the comp picks in 2022. New England and Baltimore are the two primary teams that play the compensatory pick game. And so I was just shocked to see all these things go. It's one of those, all these players go to New England because it really limits what New England can do later on in free agency.

And they're paying first day of a free agency of the tampering period to agree to these terms. You look at it and you go, okay, well, these guys, some of them are good talent, but you're paying A money for B talent. That's what the first day of free agency is. And right here, it's a tough sell for me to look at this roster and think, okay, well, that's great, but you still don't have a quarterback. Cam Newton has got a noodle arm at this point. He hasn't shown that he's been able to get back to what he used to be.

You don't have a viable backup option. Unless they've got a trade up their sleeve for a quarterback, then I don't know what they're – I mean, they'll be competitive in the AFC East, but I just don't – I don't understand the moves that they made today. It looks like they're just throwing money at guys, which is surprising because it's very anti-New England. Bet online is the fastest and easiest way to bet on all your sports action. Football might be over, but NBA, college basketball, and the NHL are in full swing.

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Yeah, really kind of Grixen-esque from Bill Belichick there. Let's go on to pass rushers on this list who really dominated Wave 1 of free agency. And right before we record, I mentioned Trey Hendrickson signing the Cincinnati, getting $16 million period in the first two years of his deal from New Orleans. But Shaq Barrett re-signed before free agency really officially opened this morning at four years, $72 million, 18 per year. I think that's a pretty good deal. I think Barrett took kind of a hometown discount there to stay in Tampa Bay and chase another ring.

We also saw, like you mentioned, Bud Dupree go to a division rival in Tennessee from Pittsburgh, where he got $16.5 million per year on a multi-year deal. I think that's a good deal for Bud Dupree, a very solid run defender. Going to be a very tough matchup for the Colts when they play guys like Jeffrey Simmons and Bud Dupree on the same side. That's a really, really fun combo there. Romeo Arcuara, a three-year $39 million deal. Kind of an overpay for what I expected Arcoira to be, but I think Detroit kind of paid $150 on the dollar to just keep their guy on board.

Decided to keep him over Kenny Galladay, who's still in the market right now as of this recording. So three years, $39 million for Arcoira. Then Carl Lawson about 30 minutes before we start recording this evening, Stephen. Three years, $45 million for Carl Lawson, $15 million per year for him. And also we have other guys on this list. Like I mentioned, Matt Judon from New England, 456. Leonard Floyd for 464. That's a big price that the Rams paid there.

Yannick Ngakwe as well going to the Raiders is one that really threw me for a loop as well. What's your overall thoughts on the edge market today? Because really outside of Hassan Redick, who is not a 4-3 defensive end, he really did his heyday in Arizona's past years, a 3-4 defensive end hybrid linebacker. I really believe that it's fair to say now the Colts wisely stayed out of the free agency market when they saw how expensive edge risks are going to be. And they're probably going to be bargain shopping now.

Yeah. stayed out of the free agency market when they saw how expensive edge works are going to be and they're probably gonna be bargain shopping now yeah i think that you know everybody will talk about check barrett's deal and and okay so he got paid you know we talk about it being like a hometown discount or being a quote-unquote team friendly deal um he still is guaranteed 36 million um on his deal at four years at 68 million. But his cap that this year is only like $5.6 million for 2021. So that's just, it's one of those things where team friendly deals doesn't mean necessarily a player takes less money. And I think that that's a common misconception that people make. Team friendly deals can be a number of different things. Mainly, it's either tying whatever the team's paying in cash to the cap number or paying out like a small signing bonus and then having bigger guaranteed years later on in the contract. So like

next year when the caps expect you to go up, that guaranteed money gets pushed there. Or having roster bonus things that you can just immediately flip into signing bonuses, save your team some cap on one side, and then push it out. I was kind of shocked with some of these numbers. I'm not surprised that Chris Ballard stayed out. I was a little surprised with the money that, like you mentioned, Detroit gave Romeo Acquara. He got $13 million. I thought that he'd be closer to that $10 million to $11 million range. But again, these numbers weren't something that Chris Ballard was going to likely pay.

It just wasn't going to happen. You look at these guys, Trey Hendrickson getting $15 million a year after having one boom season in a very, very friendly division and a very, very friendly defense to how his play style is. Then you had Carl Lawson going to the New York Jets. By the way, I don't mind Carl Lawson getting paid $15 million. I think that's a little much given his production the past couple of years. But I really like what the New York Jets have done in free agency thus far because they've gotten a couple of really good guys, Jared Davis, Carl Lawson, and then the wide receiver Corey Davis.

I just thought I'd throw that out there. There still are some pretty good options there for the Colts here with, you know, you mentioned Hassan Redick. I think that the issue with Hassan Redick is the Cardinals for the first couple of years, we're trying to play him as a middle linebacker. And he just, it wasn't that. So when they finally let him rush the passer, he had a breakout year this past year.

You've got other guys like to know because Spock, because Spassagnen, I don't know how to say his last name. So I'll just go with to know. And then you've also got guys like Tyus Ballard is still out there. Al-Khadim Mohammed is still there for the Colts and Tyrell Basham, a guy that Colts fans might remember, guy that Chris Ballard had cut got picked up by the Jets and has really played well once he developed. You've got some guys that are still good pass rushers. Also, Justin Houston, he's still an option to bring back.

And so you look at the guys that are still available. You've got some options. You also have the draft. Remember, all these teams that are taking linebacker, taking these addressers, that means that edge and that defensive end position becomes less of a priority in the draft for a lot of these teams that are signing guys to two, three, four-year deals. So it's going to be able to open up some options for the Colts going into that, at least at 21. If they're able to trade back, they still might be able to get one of their top

address options. So that's one of those things that, yeah, I'm surprised at the money the address has got. But it's such a premium position that it really is, you know, it's going to cost a lot of money. And it doesn't surprise me that Chris Ballard didn't want to pay it. Yeah, that's a good transition to what I was about to ask you there, Stephen, because the Jets at 23 are probably off the market now for an edge rusher with signing Carl Lawson, Aquara staying in Detroit, all these other guys off the list here on wave one of free agency for big time deals. I think like Jordan Reed and I talked about last week in the podcast on Friday,

I think the Colts have a legitimate chance now especially after today's free agent signings they can have their pick of the litter any address where they want to pick 21 even Quiddy Pay could still be there 21 the way that the board is shaking out so far I think maybe the Colts realize like hey like we could probably get like a young cheap guy with very high upside like a Quiddy Pay or Jalen Phillips or a Greg Russo or someone along those lines on a four to five year contract. And they can 10 plus 10 plus sack season for the next four to five years. Yeah, you've got that. And you can always bring in a guy that has maybe not as much or a veteran guy

that's not going to be as expensive. You know, you've still got guys that are available. So I wouldn't, I just feel like the Colts are going to just do exactly what they've always done. And that's kind of how we should all approach free agency is don't be surprised that they haven't made a signing yet. You know, the, I think the to no option from Kansas City, he, you know, he's a really long pass rusher that started to develop but had a little bit – really hasn't hit his peak yet. I still think he's like 26 years old, something right around there.

So he's still really, really young. And so they've got some options. Again, they've got some great options in the draft if they want it. So I wouldn't necessarily count the Colts out in signing somebody in free agency. But obviously, they weren't going to be in the market at this high of rate. You know, it's just a little too much for Chris Ballard. And I'm sure that he was in on a lot of these guys. But they just, he met his mark.

Whoever signed the guy went past whatever Chris Ballard was willing to offer, and he said, all right, thanks, I'm out. And that was it. Let's go on to wider receiver now, Stephen. One of the slower moving positions in the open market right now, and one thing that really threw me for a loop was Nelson Aguilar getting $13 million per year, while Corey Davis got $12.5 million. I think that's a steal for the New York Jets to get him at that kind of price compared to Nelson Aguilar in New England on a two-year deal. But for the example, getting

Davis $12.5 million, Aguilar $13 million per year, who's on a similar tier, in my opinion, to a T.Y. Hilton outside of those moves though in free agency so far with wide receivers there's been really nothing right now on that front but from the two that we've seen so far Davis at 12 and a half Aguilar at 13 I think it's fair to say he can throw in Kendrick Bourne who had a contract for New England as well today for 22 and a half million dollars over three years so just over seven million dollars per year for a guy like Kendrick Bourne I thought maybe that could be a deal for t.y. hilton around a seven eight million dollar per year range but with the way that the wire steer market looks right now even a guy kendrick

bourne getting seven to eight million dollars per year agalor 13 davis 12 and a half i think t.y. hilton's about to get paid here steven i mean it's a slow move slow moving market here but i think once the kenny galladay bomb drops here next day or so with how much he's going to make, even guys like Aguilar and Davis, I think they're kind of showing T.Y. Hilton and his agent, you're probably going to get $10-plus million per year somewhere. I don't know, man. The wide receiver market's been weird. Just because you expected to see Kenny Galladay really hit it big to start

because that's the big fish right now um so seeing cory davis get 12 and a half nelson aguilar hard um reportedly getting two for 22 so 11 million that was a little high i think for my taste for nelson aguilar especially cory davis is probably about where we expected him to be um and then the Kendrick Bourne being at seven and a half, that's seven and a half million per year on a three-year deal is surprising for a guy that really nobody was talking about. So I think TY is probably going to be up in that nine, 10, $11 million range. But there's still a lot of great options like juju smith juicer still out there will fuller still out there curtis samuel is still available you've got keelan cole that's

available dd westbrook that we brought up last week rashad higgins potentially available you've still got a lot of guys that are that can play um hit the wide receiver position and that that aren't like washed up vets um that are just trying to get that last payday so yeah ty hilton could be coming back you know on a two three year deal for for nine million that wouldn't surprise me um i could also see the colts just you know being patient i thought it was interesting. Kenny Galladay or Justina Anderson had reported that she's just text or spoke with Kenny Galladay. They said that, you know, he's just being patient and letting, letting the, the free agency play out.

And I was like, well, that's weird. Cause that's exactly how the Colts play free agency is they just, they're patient and they let free agency just kind of play out. So I don't know whether the Colts are in on Kenny Galladay, but you know, depending on the price tag, like it doesn't seem like things are going like crazy expensive on, on wide receivers. And I wonder where the market's going to be, uh, especially with, with Chris Godwin and Alan Robinson, not available. So there's a lot of question marks with the wide receiver position right now. So I really am not sure what's going to be up with it.

You could see the Colts go a whole number of different directions. I do think they're going to address something in free agency at the wide receiver position. I just don't know where. Yeah, I predicted today on my story on WTHR that I think John Brown is the most realistic target to do a TY Hilton go. I think he could be a very similar skill type and a little bit cheaper than TY. I put it around two years, $10 million per year.

Curtis Samuel is still a name on that. I listed on my story as well. It is still out there floating around. He could be a TY replacement. And even TY coming back is something an option. We should keep an eye on there, Stephen. But the last few questions I had for you on positions goes, tight end. We saw the Johnny Smith signing happen, $12.5 million per year. I think Hunter Henry is going to be something similar to that. So you can mark off both those guys for the Colts' realistic options here.

You see guys like Gerald Everett and Dan Arnold who are in like wave two, wave three, and three, and so I think they make a lot of sense for this Colts team. Even the draft, like you have guys like Pat Friermuth, you have Brevin Jordan at 54. I feel like the Colts are going to address tight end. The question is where and how they do it. But what's your thoughts on the free agency market with the Smith signing and then looking ahead to maybe some cheaper options like a Gerald Everett or Dan Arnold? I think the Smith signing surprised me because it was part of New England's huge wave of actually spending money.

Like, New England doesn't pay their wide receivers. They just pay their tight ends, which is readily apparent by the fact that their biggest pass catcher signing was a tight end, I believe. And so I'm interested to see where Hunter Henry goes. I'm not a – the more I think about it, the less firm I feel about him being a good fit for the Colts. I think that they are going to address free agency at the tight end position. I still think

the Colts are waiting on Zach Ertz to be released from Philadelphia. The reports were that Philadelphia is wanting a third or fourth round pick for Zach. Kind of ridiculous to me because Zachary is coming off his worst statistical season in which he only played 11 games um he's 30 years old has a contract that's eight and a half million dollars I don't think anybody's going to want to trade like a

day two early day three pick for a guy like that so and it's just one of those things where Philadelphia is saying, oh, well, we've got multiple offers. We're weighing all this. And we're like, yeah, you said that about Carson Wentz too, and that you were going to get the Matt Stafford package and you wanted multiple round one picks. And obviously we know how that turned out. I do think the Colts are going to address the tight end position, whether it's through a cut player or through the draft. I definitely think they are going to look at somebody in the draft. You talked about Pat Firemuth,

Brevin Jordan and Tommy Trimble make a lot of sense as well. Those are more like day two options, early, late, early, early day two, you know, right there in that, that late second round, early third round range. So really it's midday too in the draft. But I think that that's a position that the Colts are going to address pretty heavily. And I can see the Colts getting multiple guys to come in at that point. We've been talking about the best tasting protein bar on the market for a while now in Bilt Bar.

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every Monday on Lockdown NFL. Subscribe to Lockdown NFL, wherever you get your podcasts. Another very slow-moving position right now for A&C. And these are the last positions we'll hit on here, Steve, and I appreciate the time tonight. Left tackle, and obviously Anthony Costanza, the huge hole he left there after his retirement. The Colts could easily go to the draft option at 21 or 54, even a later round if they want to. But the more I think about how slow- it is for left tackles, they could probably get a bargain here on a guy like an Alejandro Villanueva, an Eric Fisher, if they want to

roll the dice on him as far as an injury guy who tore his Achilles in January. He might not play that much in 2021. But Riley Reif, who was cut by the Vikings when that kind of conflict for him, he makes a lot of sense. Even Trent Williams on a one or two year deal. I mean, we haven't heard anything about Trent Williams in the last 24 hours of San Francisco, maybe Bauer to slow play. Not a little bit. He could sign to like a two year, $40 million deal.

Like that wouldn't shock me at all. Just to go ahead and just throw a counter punch at Tennessee for signing Bud Dupree and Danico Autry and saying, Hey, we have Trent Williams and Quentin Nelson on the left side. Good luck trying to get through it all. I mean, what's your opinion of the left tackle marker right now? There's nothing that's happened on that front right now. And even maybe a guy like Trent Williams will not even shock me at this point. Yeah, it's weird how the tackle market's not moved.

After you had the Jacksonville Jaguars tag Cam Robinson, everybody kind of scratched their head head like, wait, seriously? That's where you guys went with it? All right. Then you had, I think, Cam Irving and then James Hurst. Those are the main guys. Matt Feeler right there. And then Kendall Lamb signed with Tennessee.

But in terms of the left tackles yeah it's there's been like no movement you've still got Trent Williams Alejandro Villanueva Russell Okun is still there Jason Peters would be an interesting option as well Roderick Johnson from Houston actually would make a lot of sense and he's a really good swing tackle young guy 26 years old I'm houston's letting him walk but you know that that's another option for him i wouldn't be surprised to see them go with with somebody like a trent williams or a riley reef makes a lot of sense to me just because he's been cut and if he's trying to get another contract that makes sense joe haig is available um for

for colts fans you might remember him um so they might look to bring him back in as a swing tackle some of that that knows the offense uh so there's still a lot of options it's it's an unusually slow um day at the left tackle position because you've still got three pretty quality starters right up there at the top. So I'm a little bit surprised that there hasn't been more movement there. Yeah, very slow-moving market right now. I expect that to really change in the next 24 to 48 hours. But the last position I want to hang out with you, Stephen,

three guys from my story in WTHR are still available. You obviously can throw in Xavier Rhodes to that mix. Who knows if the Colts are still in on him? And we've heard from Stephen Holder of The Athletic that Rhodes and the Colts have had any conversations before free agency opened. But toss Rhodes in the mix with Shaquille Griffin of Seattle, Akilah Weatherspoon of San Francisco, Jadoby Awuzie of Dallas, the Iberflues connection.

I feel like the cornerback market, just like left tackle, is going very slow right now. And it's something the Colts capitalize on here in a couple days. Yeah, the cornerback, that's another left tackle is going very slow right now. And it's something cool to capitalize on here in a couple of days. Yeah. The cornerback, that's another one that's really kind of surprisingly slow. You expected a little bit more movement. Ronald Darby has been the Ronald Darby has been the biggest signing at this point. That was for three years, $30 million. So your 10 million, $10 million average, average that's that's it at this point so i would

be surprised if the corner market just kind of dropped out and guys are just kind of looking for seats at a table and trying to get on like one year deals this would this would kind of be perfect for the colts to be able to like re-sign a guy like xavier for one year, give him another shot at it. One year and, you know, $6 million. You're probably looking at a higher end of the range. So you're probably looking at like $8, $9 million. But go ahead and sign those guys. You know, see if he can give you another good year

and then let him hit the free agent market after that. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Colts dip into here either. But again, it's just, they're going to just take their time. That's, that's been their MO this entire, entire, entire off season. Every, every free agency is the same way. But yeah, they've got guys like Shaq Griffin is available. And AJ Boye is another guy that that could be an option um that was cut by the by the Broncos so that wouldn't count against the compact formulation

Akilah Witherspoon makes a ton of sense so you know there's still a lot of options and I think you're going to get to a point where after this first and Andrew Brandt put this best is you get about like eight to 10, maybe 12 golden tickets in free agency on that first day. And then after that, all the players and all the agents are scrambling to find seats at the table before all those seats are gone. So it's like a giant game of musical chairs after that and trying to get your player agents are trying to get their player in the best

position for them to cash in again um because yeah you can take money and just go to a place like a terrible team like you know for example the detroit lions then when you come out because you played on a terrible defense you might not be getting as much money as if, for example, Xavier Rhodes came here to Indianapolis, played on a great defense, and you saw how much his value increased from last year to this year. So teams are going to, or agents and players are going to try to start finding seats at a table, and they're going to go away quickly. So I think the Colts are in a really good position to get some deals going off. You're probably not going to hear anything about it until like Thursday for Colts fans. Hopefully we find out something more before then.

But it wouldn't surprise me if you didn't hear anything from the Colts until like Wednesday, Thursday. But yeah, I feel like Colts are in a prime position. They're going to have the most cap space after today, given much the jaguars jets and patriots all just spent i think the colts are going to be right up there with the most cap space and they're going to have a lot of options yeah the colts are prime the feast here in the next couple of days in free and see in wave two and really wave one still ongoing all these big fish names out there but really the colter set up very well like you mentioned steven to really make some hay over the next couple days that they decide to do that they can also roll over that cap space

for future extensions as we talked about in the podcast before but Stephen really appreciate the time coming on the podcast as you always do go ahead and follow Stephen on Twitter if you're not already Colts fans at nice read Steve and go read and listen to his work as always over on Stampede Blue. Stephen appreciate the time tonight. Thanks Evan have a great one.