INDIANAPOLIS – The NFL’s calendar is incessant.
No sooner does the Scouting Combine take over Indy and dominate the conversation for more than a week than the next phase of the offseason approaches.
That would be veteran free agency.
One of the most hyped, costly and riskier player acquisition periods begins next Monday at noon. For two days, teams are allowed to contact and negotiate with players on other teams whose contracts expire on March 12.
Please, let’s quit calling it a two-day “tampering” period. It’s legal.
Several of the more lucrative deals for the top-tier free agents will be all but finalized shortly after the negotiating period opens. They can’t become official until 4 p.m. on March 12, which marks the start of the new league year.
General manager Chris Ballard admitted shortly after the 2025 season ended that his approach to free agency next week will be in stark contrast to last off-season when he was more committed to retaining and rewarding his own than investing in outside talent.
The Indianapolis Colts’ only free-agent signings were backup quarterback Joe Flacco (one year, a guaranteed $4.5 million) and backup defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (two years, $14 million with $7 million guaranteed).
Ballard instead funneled more than $150 million in guarantees to re-sign or extend several of his own. He failed to get the desired results as the Colts finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season.
He was asked about his roster-building plans last week at the Combine.
“There’s a lot of factors that come into it,’’ Ballard said. “Look, we have to make the team better, plain and simple. I told y’all at the end of the season, I am emotional. I am who I am in that way.
“We need to make this team good enough to win and I have not done that. I haven’t. I didn’t do it good enough the last few years. We’ve got to get this team good enough so our staff has enough to win games.”
There already have been numerous personnel meetings and more are planned to determine the specific course to take.
First, which of their own free agents-to-be merit re-signing? Unlike last off-season, while the list of players with expiring contracts is long, only a few are likely to return.
Ballard seemed to indicate he’d like to re-sign guard Will Fries and defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo, but each has an issue.
Fries was playing at a Pro Bowl level before missing the final 12 games with a broken right tibia. The Athletic ranks the Colts’ 2021 seventh-round draft pick as its top free-agent guard and the 18th-best player overall. He’ll command much more than a one-year prove-it deal as he come back from the injury.
Pro Football Focus ranks Fries No. 28 overall and projects a four-year deal averaging $14.3 million with $30 million guaranteed.
Ballard said Fries’ rehab is “progressing nicely.’’
“Hopefully, we can get something done,’’ he added. “If not, we’ll get into free agency and see what the market is.’’
Odeyingbo had a career-high 8 sacks and 17 quarterback hits in 2023 but slipped a bit to 3 sacks and 15 hits last season. The more significant figures? Odeyingbo is 6’6″, 286 pounds and doesn’t turn 26 until September. Young D-linemen with high ceilings always are in demand.
“He’s becoming exactly what we thought he’d become,’’ Ballard said. “He’s still young. I think it’s still in front of Dayo. I like where he’s headed.’’
Odeyingbo is considered the 43rd top free agent by Pro Football Focus, which predicts a four-year deal averaging $16.5 million with $39.5 million guaranteed.
“You can’t keep ‘em all. You can’t,’’ Ballard said. “There’s only so much of the pie you can have.
“We’ve had meetings. We’ll have more after the Combine about, ‘Here’s what we want to do.’ We’ve got a pretty good idea of it: ‘Here are the guys internally we’d like to have back and here are the free agents we’re going to target.’ We’ll see how the puzzle fits.”
The Colts must also determine whether right tackle Braden Smith and/or defensive end Samson Ebukam are part of their immediate future.
Smith missed the final five games last season while dealing with personal issues. He carries a $19.75 million hit against the salary cap, but the Colts can free up $16.75 million if he’s no longer on the roster. Ebukam led the team with 9.5 sacks in 2023 but missed last season with an Achilles injury. His release would free up $8 million.
Ballard revealed Smith is “doing really well and he wants to play football. We’ll work through the rest of it.’’
He sounded as if a decision already has been made regarding Ebukam.
“It’ll be good to get Samson back,’’ Ballard said.
Everything will get sorted out sooner, not later. The free-agent market will remain fluid until teams deal with their own players.
“We’ve got to get through (last) week and then (this) week,’’ Ballard said. “Who gets tagged? Who’s actually going to be on the market? And then they’ve got to want to come to you. The money has to be (right).’’
Last week, the Kansas City Chiefs used the franchise tag on guard Trey Smith ($23.4 million). Monday, Cincinnati kept receiver Tee Higgins off the market by tagging him for a second straight year, this time at $26.2 million.
And more moves are coming that will crystalize the market.
On Monday, it was reported that Philadelphia will release cornerback Darius Slay. He’s a six-time Pro Bowler, but is 34 and counts $13.765 million against the 2025 cap.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.