Colts have tough offseason choices to consider

Colts have tough offseason choices to consider

With the draft and free agency fast approaching, what will the Colts decide to do?

Unfortunately the Indianapolis Colts’ season ended with a very one-sided, controversial loss to the New England Patriots last Sunday. To the average fan this would mean that the season is sadly over, but to the Colts’ organization it means the beginning of the 2015 season. Organizations never rest, with the NFL draft fast approaching the Colts along with many other organizations are all asking the same questions, including what positions on their teams need improvements, who they can bring in to improve those positions, and who they will we let go.

The Colts have a blaring need for improvement on the defensive side of the football. Their ability to stop the run was nearly nonexistent over the duration of the season. Even going into Sunday’s game, knowing the Patriots were going to run the football, they still could not successfully vanquish the rushing attack. A general manager’s job is to figure out ways to make their team successful and to obtain the resources necessary to sign players, re-sign players or even cut players.

One soon-to-be free agent the Colts have their sights on is Detroit Lions’ defensive tackle, Nick Fairley. Though the 26-year-old, former first round pick did not put up stellar numbers this season, he only played in eight games and still managed to find his way onto the list of top 20 defensive tackles in the NFL. Fairley would fit perfectly with the Colts, his ability to rush the passer while at the same time plug up rushing lanes is exactly what they are looking for.

Going into this offseason, the Colts have 20 free agents, marking a significant part of the roster that could look completely different by the start of the 2015 preseason. Hakeem Nicks, a soon-to-be free agent in the 2015 season, was paid nearly $4 million this season by the Colts who took a chance on the declining veteran wide receiver. Now a risk they probably wish they never would have taken, there is a definite need at the wide receiver position for the Colts. With Reggie Wayne’s retirement possibly looming, the organization will in all likelihood look to address this need during the draft.

The Colts picked up cornerback Darius Butler from free agency during the midst of the 2012 season, now they face a somewhat difficult situation with the decision of whether to release or re-sign him. Butler has turned into a rather decent slot corner during his time with the Colts, thriving in a defense that relies largely on man-to-man coverage by its nickelback. The corner is by no means irreplaceable. However, the only thing keeping him with the organization is the fact that he meshes so well with the rest of the team’s secondary. The team’s general consensus is to bring back Butler as they do not try to fix something that is not broken.

Another position that could become a problem for the Colts is their interior offensive line. Joe Reitz is highly considered one of the best utility linemen in the NFL, meaning he can play both the guard and tackle positions. The 29-year-old is was without a doubt the best guard on the team’s roster this season, and the team knows it would be foolish to let such a versatile player go. The general feel of the team is that he will stay. That being said it would not be surprising to see the team check out their other options at that position, even if they do not end up releasing Reitz.

The Colts have much promise as a team, however, that could all be thrown away if the organization does not do well in free agency or the draft. There are viable options out there for the Colts, but what they do with those options during Free Agent Frenzy remains to be seen. What choices are made at this time could truly make or break the team for the 2015 season.

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