After four years of battling through various injuries, wide receiver Parris Campbell ended his tenure with the Indianapolis Colts in favor of signing with the New York Giants in free agency.
The Colts had a few notable names hitting the market this offseason, and Campbell was one of them. Losing him to free agency created a void in the slot receiver role of Shane Steichen’s offense.
And it’s partly the reason why Campbell was listed as the team’s biggest loss in free agency by Pro Football Focus.
Linebacker Bobby Okereke makes a lot of sense here, as well, but the Colts have a ton invested in Shaquille Leonard at the position, and although E.J. Speed’s main contributions so far have been on special teams, he earned a 78.4 overall grade and an 82.8 run-defense grade in 2022.
Campbell’s production in 2022 exceeded his three-year cumulative totals from 2019-21 in nearly every statistical category once finally healthy, with nine games of at least 40 receiving yards on the year. The New York Giants continue to load up their roster with slot receivers, a trend that has spanned across multiple regimes, but the $4.7 million one-year flier for Campbell is a great value.
The Colts’ offense ranked dead last in EPA per dropback in 2022, and while a new quarterback can change that more than Campbell ever could, he certainly would’ve helped.
Granted, there weren’t many players to choose from among the former Colts who have signed with new teams. As of this writing, only four players have found new homes.
That would be Campbell (Giants), linebacker Bobby Okereke (Giants), cornerback Brandon Facyson (Raiders) and defensive tackle Byron Cowart (Chiefs).
After Campbell signed with the Giants, the Colts brought in former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie as a potential option to fill the void at slot receiver.
While Campbell is the better player, McKenzie has shown flashes throughout his career and has a history on special teams as well. The Colts should still look to bring in competition for McKenzie in the slot role, but he’s a solid depth addition to the room.
We won’t know how much of a void Campbell left on the Colts offense until the season starts. It may be significant. It may hardly be noticeable.
But there are some question marks when it comes to the roles behind Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce now that Campbell is playing ball elsewhere.
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