Last year, the Indianapolis Colts gave their fans reason to celebrate, both with a 7-1 start and by acquiring an NFL superstar in Sauce Gardner. Unfortunately, it all collapsed when breakout star quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a knee injury. The Colts went 1-8 the rest of the trip, so much so that they turned to 44-year-old Philip Rivers in desperate times.
Jones is still recovering from his concussion, but eventually, the Colts will be back at full strength. We saw how capable Shane Steichen's offense was last season, and the Colts spent a lot of money keeping their group intact, retaining Jones and receiver Alec Pierce in free agency. Still, there might be a way to further weaponize the offense in Indianapolis.
Recently, ESPN's Matt Bowen said the Colts are the "best team fit" for former All-Pro and Pro Bowler, free agent receiver Deebo Samuel.
"The Colts added veteran receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhin this offseason, but Samuel will bring a unique skill set to coach Shane Steichen's offense to complement Alec Pierce and slot man Josh Downs. Steichen can create a long runway for Samuel to add speed on crossers, while producing touches on screens and fly sweeps. He caught 72 passes last season in Washington. Signing Samuel would also give quarterback Daniel Jones another catch-and-run target. Samuel and Warren both ranked in the top 15 yards after the catch last season.
ESPN's Matt Bowen on Deebo Samuel
The 30-year-old Samuel spent last season with the Commanders, where he appeared in 16 games and recorded 72 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns. Still, the Commanders didn't utilize him as much as a rusher, where Samuel had only 17 rush attempts for 75 yards and one touchdown, both rushing totals his lowest since 2020.
Samuel's last season with over 1,000 all-purpose yards came in 2023, yet he has only had one season with fewer than 800 yards from scrimmage. This could make him an ideal complementary weapon to Warren, Pierce, Downs and Westbrook-Ikhin.
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