Just got a text saying Ryan to Indy incoming 👀 pic.twitter.com/gHzzALqtdq
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) March 21, 2022
The Blue Stable’s own Destin Adams Dropped a report on Colts Twitter early this afternoon reporting that he had heard Matt Ryan to Indy. He was the first to report the news, and immediately after this report, many questions arose for the Indianapolis Colts. In my opinion, the most important one was: Who would join Matt Ryan in Indy? After all, the Colts have been pretty quiet in free agency and have mostly re-signed their own except for adding Brandon Facyson, a Cornerback from the Las Vegas Raiders. Furthermore, the Colts only have 16 million in cap space; what can they do with little money?! Well, to calm your concerns, it is extremely easy to create more cap space. It is as simple as converting base salaries to signing bonuses. There are more ways than just that, but I promise you, the Colts will have more cap space in the next several days. I would guess the Colts would have around 35-45 million here soon, somewhere in that range. With that being said, football finance aside, it is time to examine who would be a great fit to join Matt Ryan in Indianapolis!
WR, Julio Jones, (Formerly of TEN)
How else could I start this article without mentioning Julio Jones? A guy who spent 10 years in Atlanta with Matt Ryan and was just released by the Titans; I think it could make sense to bring Julio Jones to Indy on a short-term deal. Coming off of a year where he recorded career lows in 31 catches, 434 yards, and one touchdown, he could be the bargain that Chris Ballard usually looks for. Julio Jones’ numbers would’ve been good enough for 2nd best on the team last year, which came in a down year for him. Julio Jones would bring another veteran voice to the receiver room and could be another fantastic mentor for Michael Pittman Jr. in addition to new WR Coach Reggie Wayne. The downside to bringing in Julio is that he is coming off such a down year, and he has struggled to stay healthy recently, that is why I think the only way this makes sense is if it is a 1 Year Prove it deal for Julio.
LT Duane Brown (Formerly of SEA)
After re-signing Matt Pryor, I would love to see the Colts bring in a veteran Left Tackle like Duane Brown. He is still a capable starter in the NFL, and I think his addition would solidify the offensive line. I think it would give the Colts some short-term stability at the position and enable them to draft a Left Tackle. This allows Matt Pryor to be a swing tackle for the Colts, where he is at his best. It also gives you starter depth at the position, which is definitely necessary for today’s NFL. I would sign him to a 2-year deal at most, but likely I’d just have him around for 1 year because the Colts would probably like to get the long-term answer there as well.
Sources tell myself & @ShaadMcGinnis of @TheBlue_Stable that a big name FA to watch for the #Colts is Tyrann Mathieu! There’s been plenty of mutual interest this FA cycle but the QB domino needed to fall before the conversations could heat up!
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) March 21, 2022
S, Tyrann Mathieu, (Formerly of KC)
As our own Destin Adams and Rashaad McGinnis have reported, a name to keep an eye out for to join Matt Ryan in Indianapolis is former All-Pro Safety Tyrann Mathieu. Also, it sounds like there is mutual interest! I think this signing makes a ton of sense because the Colts need a 3rd safety (and maybe even a 4th). After all, Julian Blackmon will be returning from a Torn Achilles this season, and the only other safety with starting experience on this roster is Khari Willis. To deploy more 3 safety looks Gus Bradley’s defense will employ, the Colts simply need a third safety. Who is better than Tyrann Mathieu to fill that role? He is a versatile player who brings a veteran presence and is essentially a model player to play this role for the Indianapolis Colts. After the end of last season, we heard how the Colts got complacent last year and how they took their foot off the gas after the win against the Cardinals from players on the team. I don’t think a former super bowl champion like Tyrann Mathieu would let that happen to any team he is on. This would be a great signing and be a terrific infusion of energy into this defense.
TE Jordan Akins, (Formerly of HOU)
An athletic pass-catching tight end, the Colts need to add another tight end to a room that only consists of Mo Alie Cox and 2021 draft pick Kylen Granson. While the latter looks to play a more significant role in the passing game, the Colts could use another receiving option at Tight End. Last year in Houston, Jordan Akins struggled a bit and ended up a healthy scratch a couple of times. The Colts will need to investigate why that happened. However, Jordan Akins is exactly what the Colts need next season. Only 2 years ago, he recorded 37 catches, 403 yards, and a touchdown with 10.9 yards per reception, with Deshaun Watson as his Quarterback. With Matt Ryan, I would expect that he could put up similar numbers in this offense, and I wouldn’t expect him to cost that much for the Colts.
Jerry Hughes ranks among Edge Rushers this season
💪 81.2 pass rush grade (15th)
💪 46 hurries (10th)
💪 19.1% pass rush win rate (13th) pic.twitter.com/ZnmG4pMVEu— PFF BUF Bills (@PFF_Bills) February 10, 2022
EDGE Jerry Hughes, (Formerly of BUF)
If the Colts wanted to continue to bolster their pass rush, adding a former Indianapolis Colt would make sense right now. The Colts have already added a premier pass rusher in Yannick Ngakoue, but Jerry Hughes could make a ton of sense as a backup LEO and rotational pass rusher. As a rotational pass rusher, adding a player who ranked 13th in pass rush win rate and 10th in QB Hurries makes way too much sense. Having another veteran in the room for Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo can’t be a negative, and I think that can only be a positive for a Colts team desperate for more production from their pass rush.
