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Indy should keep an eye on these FAs in the Super Bowl.
All eyes will be on Super Bowl LV as the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers conclude the 2020 season at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.
The Indianapolis Colts have been hard at work trying to prepare for what will be a busy offseason. The free-agent market should have a heavy hand in that, especially given that the Colts are among the teams with the most salary-cap space in the NFL.
Here are five pending free agents the Colts should watch in Super Bowl LV:
Former Colts looking for glory.
While the Indianapolis Colts will be watching Super Bowl LV from the comfort of their home, there are a few familiar faces on both sidelines for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.
In terms of players, there are a few that will catch the eye of Colts fans but the one dominating headlines is Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, who has a small but vital history with the Colts.
Here are eight former Colts chasing a ring in Super Bowl LV:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to shuffle their offensive line after the New Orleans Saints defense pressured Tom Brady in a blowout in Week 9
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Ali Marpet has allowed 7 total pressures all year.
Joe Haeg allowed 7 total pressures vs the Saints alone. https://t.co/bwDjZkRrKa— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) November 15, 2020
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew they were in for an unfavorable matchup against the New Orleans Saints defensive line, but they didn’t expect it to be quite that bad. With starting left guard Ali Marpet sidelined by a concussion, they turned to veteran backup Joe Haeg, signed as a priority free agent early this year.
It didn’t go their way. Haeg was dinged with 7 quarterback pressures allowed in one game against New Orleans; for perspective, Marpet allowed 7 pressures in the entire season going into the game. With the starter out another week, Tampa Bay had to get creative to field what they hoped would be a competent offense.
Haeg exited the lineup as quickly as he’d entered it for this week’s game with the Carolina Panthers. To replace him, they moved center Ryan Jensen out of position, slotting him in at left guard. And backup A.Q. Shipley was called up to replace Jensen at center.
We’ll see if the shakeup pays off. The Buccaneers must win this game with the Panthers to remain relevant in the NFC playoffs race; if they fall behind in the crowded standings, they could end up on the outside looking in. Three different NFC West teams are competing for playoff seeds, as are the Chicago Bears (who own a tiebreaker over Tampa Bay). That blowout Saints win continues to look better and better.
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Joe Haeg finds a new team.
The #Buccaneers are signing G/T Joe Haeg, source says. Former fifth-rounder for the #Colts on his way to Tampa along with some other guy that officially signed today.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 20, 2020
The first free agent for the Indianapolis Colts on the open market has found a new home as offensive lineman Joe Haeg is reportedly signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
A versatile piece of the offensive line, Haeg has the ability to play all five spots along the front. A key piece of depth for the Colts, Haeg now finds a new home protecting Bucs new quarterback Tom Brady.
More to come…
Joe Haeg could be a commodity in the market.
The Indianapolis Colts have interest in re-signing free agent offensive lineman Joe Haeg, but it seems they may have some competition for him.
A versatile player, Haeg has held an important role for the Colts since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft. He’s held the role of a starter and as a depth player when the Colts overhauled their offensive line after Chris Ballard took over.
Now an unrestricted free agent, Haeg is getting interest from the Colts and a few other teams around the league.
Per source, multiple teams interested in #Colts free agent offensive lineman Joe Haeg, including the Colts.
Haeg is a valuable commodity given his versatility.
— Jim Ayello (@jimayello) March 16, 2020
Haeg has both the experience and the ability to play all five spots along the offensive line. The Colts used him mostly on the interior and as a right tackle during his early playing days. But since the Colts invested heavily in the offensive line, he’s held more of a depth role.
Haeg should be a free agent the Colts want to re-sign. But given his athleticism, versatility and age, there are likely teams out there looking to bring his talents away. Haeg himself also probably wants to start rather than hold a depth role on one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
The Colts still have plenty of cap room to make an offer to Haeg and while they likely want him back pretty strongly, they will have competition for his services.
The New Orleans Saints will consider every way to improve, including Indianapolis Colts free agents like Eric Ebron and Jabaal Sheard,
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The Indianapolis Colts are up next on our league-wide deep dive into possible free agents the New Orleans Saints could pursue during the 2020 offseason. With only 20 free agents available for the Colts, there are only a few plausible fits for the Saints. Here are Indianapolis’ free agents:
A name that will be a top target for many teams, and should be for New Orleans as well is Eric Ebron. The tight end had a down year in 2019 when he played in only 11 games due to an ankle injury, in which drama ensued. The 27-year old was only able to reel in 31 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns. However, his 2017 season was fantastic, and his 2018 season was prolific. Ebron’s 2019 production may have teams on the fence in terms of doling out a huge contract to the tight end. But, should the Saints pursue his services, he would provide another big target, along with excellent route running abilities for the returning quarterback Drew Brees.
Defensive end Jabaal Sheard is another intriguing name that is available from the Colts. At 30-years old, Jabaal has proven durable, and has played above replacement level for his position. He would help solidify some question marks the New Orleans defensive line has heading into 2020.
Finally, Joe Haeg could be brought in as a depth role type of player. His snap count has diminished over the last four seasons, and at one point was a starting interior offensive lineman for Indianapolis. However, at just 26-years old, he could provide competition to players such as Nick Easton and Will Clapp. When Haeg saw the field in 2019, Pro Football Focus gave him a 71.9 grade, which shows that he has the talent.
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An examination of the 2020 free agency period for the Dallas Cowboys with five to keep, five to go and five to pursue.
The tidal wave of change brought in by the hiring of head coach Mike McCarthy has engulfed the Dallas Cowboys franchise and once the waters recede and the situation calms, the team and the organization will likely have a very different look. The effect is already evident on the coaching staff, where it appears only a select few, including OC Kellen Moore, have survived the sweeping alterations.
Soon, the roster will undergo the same transformation once the 2020 league year starts as the front office will look towards getting the team’s top free agents inked to new deals. This activity will make for some tough decisions for both Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones, despite the club’s expected cap space of close to $90 million dollars.
The Cowboys have an incredible 24 unrestricted free agents and another five either restricted or exclusive rights players to mull over. They will not keep all and may not even keep many as the new staff may have its own outlook on the talent and where they want to start remodeling to flesh out their version of the team.
Here are 5 suggestions for the team to keep.
Some of the keepers are very easy to identify.
QB Dak Prescott and WR Amari Cooper are not going anywhere. Despite the anxiety that was created by the fact McCarthy had yet to speak to Prescott after a week on the job, he will be a Cowboy one way or another. Whether it is a blockbuster long-term deal or franchise tag, he will be leading the team into the season. Cooper is slightly less of a sure bet, but it is still very likely he gets a deal of some kind as well. The cost to acquire him for less than two seasons of production is simply too much to bear, especially given how weak the 2019 draft class was without a first round pick.
That leaves three more.
Cobb’s history and relationship with McCarthy will likely be a deciding factor. At a fairly modest price tag of $5-7 million and some juice still left in his legs, he could come back on a short term deal fitting a player of his age. His familiarity with the offensive design will be invaluable as the staff installs their scheme that will feel very different to many, including the quarterback.
Capable swing tackles are a valuable commodity in this league for all teams, but more especially the Cowboys. With Tyron Smith sitting out three games per season over the past four campaigns, a veteran who can step in and not be a huge liability is priceless. Dallas has an option on his contract they can exercise and they would be wise to do so.
Bringing back Brown may not be the most glamorous commitment but it may be the most practical given the decisions that will have to be made. Brown will be rebounding from a triceps injury and should be relatively easy to sign back to return and provide a veteran buffer as the Cowboys go after youth at the position in April.
Other possibilities: DT Kerry Hyder, K Kai Forbath, LB Joe Thomas, CB C.J. Goodwin
You can chat with or follow C.C. on Twitter @boozeman811.
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These Colts should be re-signed this offseason.
2020 will be one of the biggest off-seasons in recent Indianapolis Colts’ history. After finishing the season losing five of the final six games, the Colts finished 7-9 and have a lot of questions about their roster going into the offseason.
Indianapolis have a few free agents going into the 2020 off-season and with a projected $93 million in cap space, there is no strap for cash to keep the guys they want to.
The Colts have 14 unrestricted free agents. These players will be able to sign with anyone in March when the new league year starts.
With the Colts having a large amount of cap space to sign players, let’s look at some players the Colts should re-sign:
Pending the decision if Castonzo retires, he should be the first Colt to be re-signed this offseason.
Castonzo has been the rock at left tackle for the Colts since being drafted here in 2011, and he plays a valuable position.
At 31 years old, and feeling the best he has in his life, it should be a no-brainer the Colts keep the continuity of the offensive line in check and re-sign Castonzo to a nice, multi-year contract.
Coming off of what is arguably his best season yet, the Colts desperately need his consistent production on the left side next to All-Pro Quenton Nelson.
