The Indianapolis Colts have quite a few of their own free agents this offseason and none bigger than right guard Will Fries. But will he return to Indianapolis on a new deal?
Pro Football Focus recently went through several of the top free agent offensive linemen and chose a “potential landing spot” for each one. When it came to Fries, PFF selected the New York Giants.
“The Giants’ offensive line started the 2024 season strong following the additions of veterans Jermaine Eluemunor and Greg Van Roten. However, injuries—most notably to franchise left tackle Andrew Thomas—derailed their progress. By season’s end, New York’s offensive line had surrendered 215 total pressures, including 30 sacks, on 670 pass plays, finishing with an 81.7 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked 30th in the NFL.”
Fries’ 2024 season was unfortunately cut short due to a tibia injury that he suffered in Week 5 against Jacksonville. But before then, he was operating at a high level, ranking fourth run-blocking grade from PFF and 10th in pass-blocking grade.
If GM Chris Ballard sticks to what he said during his end of season press conference and does emphasize competition this offseason, then there should be some roster turnover for the Colts in 2025. However, that shouldn’t include Fries.
If the Colts lose Fries, they very quickly have a big hole to now fill at right guard with Dalton Tucker being the only viable option under contact at the moment, and he was benched late last season.
PFF is projecting that Fries lands a four-year deal worth $57.25 million this offseason. The Colts have just over $28 million in cap space currently, but do have the ability to create a lot more room if needed.
More than anything, my guess is that Fries is a potential landing spot for the Giants is because he’s a good offensive lineman, and as PFF noted, New York very much needs help there.
This doesn’t mean the Colts won’t attempt to bring Fries back, although as we saw last offseason with the guard market really taking off, other teams are likely to pursue as well. As ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler recently reported, Fries will “attract serious interest” in free agency.