It was no surprise that the Indianapolis Colts didn’t use the franchise tag on any of their off-season free agents, but there were plenty of teams that did, which had an indirect impact on Chirs Ballard’s plan.
With both the players who are tagged and those who weren’t, the Colts have a clearer idea of who they can go after in free agency, officially starting March 17.
A total of nine players received the franchise tag, including a few possible targets for the Colts.
Both Allen Robinson and Chris Godwin were tagged, which is no surprise. What’s interesting is the type of edge rushers that will be hitting the market now.
Top targets for the Colts like Romeo Okwara, Carl Lawson, Yannick Ngakoue, Shaq Barrett and Bud Dupree are all on the market. The Colts have enough pay headroom to bring in a great rusher to speed up their pass.
There are also players like Jonnu Smith and Marvin Jones who will be available for the Colts if they feel like it.
Ballard has the money to make some off-season moves, and after the franchise tag designations have come and gone, he can now see a much clearer path if he needs to add to the edge or other positions.