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One sign of a well-run NFL organization is when there are no salary cap casualties, and fortunately for the Indianapolis Colts, PFF predicts zero cut candidates for general manager Chris Ballard’s franchise this offseason:
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: NONE
Current Projected cap space: $43,635,239
There are really only two options here, and both are likely to stick in Indianapolis, especially considering the team doesn’t have cap space issues at the moment. Right guard Mark Glowinski is a solid player, and with left tackle Anthony Castonzo‘s retirement, the Colts likely don’t want too much turnover along the offensive line for new quarterback Carson Wentz.
Tight end Jack Doyle is also an outside possibility, but the tight end room in Indianapolis is thin, and Doyle is the best player they have at the position for now.
Former 2x Pro Bowl tight end (and fan favorite) Jack Doyle may be the closest cut candidate (with a $5.85M cap hit in 2021), but the Colts don’t actually need the extra ‘wiggle room’ right now—featuring $43.6M of available cap space.
Specifically, it’s not until next offseason when Darius Leonard, Braden Smith, and Nyheim Hines are set to become free agents—that the Colts may have to free up some extra cap space and get a little creative.
With the Colts’ thin depth at tight end right now—as both Mo Alie-Cox (ERFA) and Trey Burton (UFA) are free agents this offseason (although Alie-Cox is a formality to return), Doyle is needed as a stabilizing veteran presence at the position—as he is versatile and does a lot of the ‘dirty work’. Therefore, the beloved tight end seems like a longshot to be actually cut this offseason.
Right now, the Colts are ‘bottom-heavy’—being a really young team with a lot of key players still playing on rookie contracts, as only a handful of guys are making serious money at the team’s top (relatively speaking of course).
Ballard and team salary cap guru Mike Bluem have placed the Colts in a flexible position going forward—as the franchise is in good shape to retain their core homegrown talent and potentially add an impact piece or two in this year’s free agency.