There is still over a month until free agency officially begins for the Indianapolis Colts and one of their pending free agents is veteran defensive end Jabaal Sheard.
The ultimate leader in the locker room and a steady run defender, Sheard was Chris Ballard’s first outside free-agent signing in 2017. But he’s 30 years old now and his production has been far from game-changing at one of the most important defensive positions. The Colts could re-sign him to a short-term deal or they could look to free agency and the draft to replace him.
If they decide to go with the latter, here are six options the Colts could consider to replace Sheard this offseason:
Yannick Ngakoue | Age: 24 | Free Agency
Turning 25 years old at the end of March, Ngakoue will be one of the most pursued free agents should the Jaguars allow him to hit the market. There is always a chance they franchise tag the former third-round pick but if they don’t, the Colts should be all over this pass rusher.
Priorities for the Jaguars and their roster in the off-season:
1. Re-sign Yannick Ngakoue
2. Everything else pic.twitter.com/K4ZWJpjoNU— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) December 19, 2019
A steady contributor since being drafted, Ngakoue has 37.5 sacks and 85 quarterback hits over the last four seasons. That’s good for the 12th and eighth-most among pass rushers during that stand. He’s also missed just two games since entering the league.
The price range might keep Chris Ballard out of serious bidding but Ngakoue can be a game-changer for the Colts and should be heavily considered if he winds up hitting the market.