The Indianapolis Colts will be going through another offseason searching for a viable option at left tackle, and Pro Football Focus suggests going after the biggest name on the market: Terron Armstead.
Following the retirement of Anthony Castonzo, the Colts signed Eric Fisher to a one-year deal hoping he could fill the role at a near Pro Bowl level. That didn’t happen, and now the Colts enter the offseason looking to find consistency on the blindside.
In their 2022 free agency preview, Pro Football Focus suggested that the Colts would be the most intriguing landing spot for the 30-year-old Armstead, who continues to be one of the best left tackles in the NFL.
“Scheme Fit/Role:
HIGH-END STARTING LEFT TACKLE: There aren’t many weaknesses to Armstead’s game. He’s one of the position’s best pass-protectors and rarely loses in the run game across both gap and zone run concepts. There are plenty of teams with cap space next offseason — such as Jacksonville and Miami — that could make use of Armstead’s services if the Saints opt against bringing him back. Slotting in next to Quenton Nelson in Indianapolis would be the most intriguing potential landing spot for the 30-year-old.”
Adding Armstead to an already talented offensive line would be a dream for the Colts and whoever is under center for the 2022 season. But that’s all it may wind up being. A dream.
While the Colts are in a solid standing when it comes to salary-cap space, signing Armstead simply isn’t viable. Even at the projected contract that Pro Football Focus proposes (three years, $60 million), the Colts can’t invest that much money into the offensive line at the detriment of other impact positions.
If the Colts made that move to sign Armstead, they would be investing roughly $55 million in their offensive line (across four players) for the 2022 season in terms of cap hits. That’s not including the eventual contract extension for Quenton Nelson.
Given that the offensive line wasn’t the biggest area of concern in 2021, it’s going to be hard to justify using that money on a left tackle when it could be used to bring in an impactful edge rusher or wide receiver from free agency.
Having Armstead as the left tackle would be incredibly fun to watch next to Nelson on the left side. There is no denying that.
But the logistics of the situation don’t make sense if the Colts are going to address several needs this offseason unless drastic changes are made to their salary-cap space.
Instead, the Colts are likely to run it back with Fisher, sign a mid-tier option in free agency or use early draft capital on a rookie.
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