The new league year isn’t arriving until the middle of March, but the Indianapolis Colts are already preparing for what could come during the next free agency period.
There are a number of players set to hit the market that could intrigue the Colts this offseason. Whether Chris Ballard will change his philosophy of spending remains to be seen. But there are also some pending free agents for the Colts that could get some love in the market.
On ESPN’s list of top-50 free agents set to hit the market, the Colts had two players listed: left tackle Anthony Castonzo and tight end Eric Ebron.
12. Anthony Castonzo, OT
2019 team: Indianapolis Colts | Age: 32
Castonzo has said he will consider retirement, but he played well enough in 2019 to project as a starter for several more years. And if he ever got on the open market, he would find plenty of suitors. Starting left tackles, young or old, are rarely available.
Castonzo’s case is big for the Colts. Though it doesn’t seem like he’s going to be testing the market at all. Either he returns to the Colts on a short deal to be the left tackle or he hangs the spikes up for good.
That would cause a huge problem for the Colts. They already have needs at several positions but if they lost their left tackle as well, that would immediately go to the top of the list.
34. Eric Ebron, TE
2019 team: Indianapolis Colts | Age: 27
Ebron caught 16 touchdown passes in 27 games after moving from the Lions to the Colts in 2018 and is young for someone who has played six seasons. But he has always struggled with dropped passes, and teams no doubt will want to investigate the circumstances that led Ebron to decide he needed season-ending ankle surgery. The Colts’ public statements made clear they were surprised by the urgent need for surgery.
Ebron’s second season with the Colts didn’t exactly go as planned. He was rarely used in the offense relative to his 2018 campaign, and his public outcry of that lack of usage probably didn’t sit well with the team.
Then add in the fact that it appeared the Colts didn’t necessarily believe surgery was the only option for Ebron, and it makes sense why he won’t be returning to the team in 2020.
The Colts have several free agents to keep an eye on, but they will also be keeping up with the ones set to hit the free-agent market when the new league year officially begins on March 18.