The Indianapolis Colts have so much on the line in 2025, and the work starts ahead of free agency opening next week. Indianapolis must also decide on in-house talents like Will Fries and Ryan Kelly and what their futures are with the franchise.
But the Colts must also add outside free agents on both sides of the football, but none more than defense.
Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus believes two free agents fit exactly what the Colts need for defense. Starting with a Buffalo Bills free agent cornerback who’s been a reliable veteran for eight years in the NFL.
Rasul Douglas | Cornerback
Rasul Douglas has been a veteran I’ve thought the Colts should consider signing for a few seasons, but it might come to fruition this time around. There’s too much ambiguity with JuJu Brents and not enough in the corner room for Lou Anarumo.
Putting Douglas in the ranks is a solid fit. The defender has plenty of experience and mostly plays on the outside. He provided good play in 2024 and logged 58 tackles, five passes defended, and a forced fumble.
Douglas won’t cost a bunch of cap space and can hit the ground running for Lou Anarumo, even slotting in as the CB3 or CB4 on the depth chart. Brents has all the talent in the world but has hardly played in his two NFL seasons. Sadly, he can’t be trusted until he plays more than nine games.
Charvarius Ward | Cornerback
If Ballard wants to hold himself to his word of needing to bolster the defense, look no further than Charvarius Ward from the San Francisco 49ers. Ward’s 2024 was not up to his standards, playing 12 games and piling 54 tackles and seven passes defended.
Ward will be chomping to get into his 2023 form, where he logged a Pro Bowl, Second Team All-Pro nomination, and led the NFL with a crazy 23 passes defended and five interceptions. As mentioned with the Douglas entry, Indianapolis must have more for their corners.
Ward would be the immediate best cornerback, without disrespecting Kenny Moore II. The veteran needs a fresh beginning and can find it with Anarumo and the Colts’ defense that needs his services to elevate the secondary’s performance.
