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According to veteran free agent wideout John Brown on SiriusXM NFL Radio, the Indianapolis Colts are one of his preferred destinations—along with the Pittsburgh Steelers (via The Athletic’s Zak Keefer):
On @SiriusXMNFL, F.A. WR John Brown lists Steelers/Colts as 2 potential suitors. On Indy: "The way they use TY Hilton ... when we played those guys in the playoffs I walked off and I’m like, this team, they’re up and coming, they’re going to be a problem in the next few years."
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) March 11, 2021
The 30 year old Brown was a recent veteran salary cap casualty of the Buffalo Bills, who he played the prior two seasons for.
He’s fresh off a season for the Bills in which he caught 33 receptions for 458 receiving yards (13.9 ypr. avg.) and 3 touchdown receptions during 9 games (8 starts)—as he battled a calf injury, sprained ankle, and had a stint on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list.
However, Brown’s just a year removed from a 2019 season in which he had 72 receptions for 1,060 receiving yards (14.7 ypr. avg.) and 6 touchdown receptions during 15 starts.
At a listed 5’11”, 178 pounds, with elite deep speed, Brown could provide the Colts a cost-controllable veteran ‘stretch-the-field’ option for new quarterback Carson Wentz—especially if fellow free agent veteran T.Y. Hilton signs elsewhere.
Brown could become a nice veteran complementary piece for the Colts offense on a short-term deal as a reliable downfield threat. He can ‘blow the top off’ of opposing secondaries.
That being said, the Colts cannot come away from this offseason with Brown as their sole big addition to the receiving corps. He works in combination with another significant move at wide receiver—not as purely the only move.
However, Brown provides a potential proven deep threat option for the Colts to monitor ahead of free agency—assuming the price is right—given his established interest in Indianapolis.