INDIANAPOLIS – Changes will be made. That’s how it is with every team after every season.
While there are still eight teams in the playoffs, the Indianapolis Colts are likely already doing an assessment of their roster after finishing 9-8.
The Colts will have 23 unrestricted free agents. They’ll have about $45 million in salary cap space to work with during the offseason.
Here’s a look at the unrestricted free agents on the Colts' offense.
WR T.Y. Hilton
2021 stats: 23 receptions, 331 yards, 3 TDs
Re-sign/let walk: This may end up being an easy decision because Hilton is contemplating retirement.
He said at the end of the season that he would take some time before deciding if he wants to play an 11th year. If Hilton continues playing, the Colts have to think about whether he has enough left to be a consistent contributor for them, considering his production has slipped in recent years, largely because of a number of injuries. He’s missed 16 games over the past four seasons.
RB Marlon Mack
2021 stats: 28 rushes, 101 yards
Re-sign/let walk: Sprint away is more like it.
Mack, who rushed for 1,091 yards in 2019, spent the majority of the season as a healthy inactive stuck behind Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines on the depth chart. The Colts tried to trade him at the deadline. Mack, more than a year removed from tearing his Achilles in Week 1 of the 2020 season, will be only 26 next season, so he still has a lot of football ahead of him. Expect him to sprint away via free agency.
WR Zach Pascal
2021 stats: 38 receptions, 384 yards, 3 TDs
Re-sign/let walk: Let walk.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard had high praise for Pascal during his season-ending press conference. But the reality is, Pascal had a disappointing season, considering the need for help at receiver for the Colts. His production dipped after having back-to-back seasons of at least 40 receptions and 600 yards.
TE Mo Alie-Cox
2021 stats: 24 receptions, 316 yards, 4 TDs
Re-sign/let walk: Re-sign.
This move isn’t because Alie-Cox is ready to take over the role as the No. 1 tight end for the Colts. It’s more out of a need for tight ends, especially when you consider veteran Jack Doyle is thinking about retiring. Everybody is still waiting for Alie-Cox, the former college basketball player, to make a substantial leap as a complete tight end, not a tight end who occasional makes highlight-type plays.
LT Eric Fisher
2021 stats: 15 starts
Re-sign/let walk: Let walk.
Fisher deserves a lot of respect for being able to return from a torn Achilles, which occurred in January 2021, and start 15 of 17 games this season. But that’s it for Fisher. He struggled in pass protection – possibly because he was coming off the injury – throughout the season. The problems the Colts face are they don’t have a first-round pick, and they also don’t have a left tackle waiting to step in as Fisher’s replacement.
RG Mark Glowinski
2021 stats: 16 starts
Re-sign/let walk: Re-sign.
The Colts would ideally like to keep the group of Glowinski, Braden Smith, Ryan Kelly and Quenton Nelson together, but the price tag to re-sign Glowinski may end up being too high.
OT Sam Tevi
2021 stats: DNP injured
Re-sign/let walk: Let walk.
Tevi tried to hold down the left tackle position until Fisher returned. That didn’t go well, as he struggled all of training camp. Tevi suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the preseason finale at Detroit.
OT Julie’n Davenport
2021 stats: 4 starts
Re-sign/let walk: Let walk.
Davenport went from getting playing time early in the season – starting four games – to spending the majority of the second half of the season as a healthy inactive because of his poor play.
OL Matt Pryor
2021 stats: 5 starts
Re-sign/let walk: Re-sign.
Ballard didn’t rule out the possibility of Pryor being their starting left tackle. That would give the Colts one less thing to worry about with the offensive line if that’s the case. Pryor was one of the most dependable backups on the roster for the Colts during the season because of his flexibility.
OL Chris Reed
2021 stats: 6 starts
Re-sign/let walk: Re-sign.
The Colts will be fine at right guard if they re-sign Reed because the price tag for Glowinski is too high. Reed was very dependable when he stepped in at guard for Glowinski and Nelson at different points in the season. The Colts may be able to re-sign Reed at bargain price too.