According to The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia and NFL.com’s Nick Shook, a Indianapolis Colts are the best free agents suitable for ex-Kansas City Chiefs attack Eric Fisher and Seattle Seahawks passes rusher Carlos Dunlap among the main remaining free agents respectively:
Indianapolis Colts: Eric Fisher, OT
The Colts need help with the wide receiver, left tackle and defensive end. You could certainly give them someone like TY Hilton or Justin Houston here. But is Indianapolis really going to go through all this work of negotiating with Carson Wentz without making sure he has an answer on the left tackle? Unlikely. Fisher had 113 career starts and was twice a Pro Bowler, but broke his Achilles tendon in January. The Colts signed with Sam Tevi, who can be a backup or bridge until Fisher is healthy. As a reference, Eagles guard Brandon Brooks tore the Achilles tendon in January 2019 and started all 16 games the following season. So being healthy for Fisher in week 1 is not out of the question.
Carlos Dunlap
IN Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have a ton of space on the edge – the second largest in the league, by Over The Cap – and Dunlap has yet to find a home, despite proving in Seattle that he still has a little bit of energy left, as evidenced by his five bags in 2020. The Colts achieved similar success last season with the additions of veteran Xavier Rhodes (who was thought to have overcame the hill but played very well with them in 2020 and just signed again as a result) and Justin Houston (whose departure he created this need). Why not add another veteran and put him on the same defensive line as DeForest Buckner?
As for Fisher, the first general choice of the 2013 NFL Draft was developed in a 2x Pro Bowler for the Chiefs, but now 30 years old and coming out of an Achilles tendon at the end of the season (which can be a devastating career injury) ), it is fair to ask A) when Fisher will be fully ready during the 2021 campaign and B) whether he will still recover his previous form of upper blind back.
The 6’7 ”, 315 pound left tackle made 113 career starts for the Chiefs.
Of course, general manager of Colts Chris Ballard is already familiar with it – having been in the Kansas City football operations when Fisher was elected the top overall recruiting choice in 2013.
By PFF (subscription), in 2020, Fisher was his 16th best tackle with an overall score of +80.1 over 15 games – including a +77.0 blocking pass. It was the highest overall score of his 8-year career before suffering the injury at the end of the season.
In pass protection, Fisher allowed 3.0 sacks and 34 total QB pressures during 702 total pass blocking snaps last season.
With longtime veteran anchor Anthony Castonzooff-season retirement, the Colts have a blatant hole in the left tackle, like the recently signed Sam Tevi and imminent reported signature of Julie’n Davenport they are presumably just a competition for a reliable swing-tackle role next season.
This is a deep draft class although in offensive tackle, so the Colts may well choose a plug-and-play beginner at the beginning of the late April NFL Draft – instead of spending a lot of money on an equally veteran substitute. famous.
That said, if the Colts are looking for the ‘best available prospect’ early on (and not looking to fit the tackle on the left) and believe that Fisher can return sooner than anticipated in 2021, his hiring may actually be a well-seasoned veteran for the franchise – assuming he can return close to his old Pro Bowl caliber form.
At the very least, it is worth considering for the Colts.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old veteran defense ends Carlos Dunlap is yet another complementary rotating pass rusher at this stage in his impressive career.
However, the former 2x Pro Bowler can still be productive after the quarterback, registering 6.0 sacks and 27 total QB pressures last season during 15 games (10 matches) in 2020 – for both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks .
By PFF, last season, Dunlap was the 61st best passer with an overall score of +61.9.
With 6’6 “listed, 285 pounds and 34 5/8″ arms, Dunlap has the necessary size and length that Ballard really loves with his pass rushers – and previous experience in Seahawks’ Cover 3 defense, which is a derived from the defense of the Colts zone ” Cover 2 ”.
Obviously, the Colts have some current advantage needs, as the team has lost the senior veteran Denico Autry at the free agency, and other free agents Justin Houston and Al-Quadin Muhammad could soon join him in the recent defensive end games.
Dunlap is no longer the same star pass rusher as before, but the former 2010 selection in Florida’s 2nd round of games by the Bengals can still be a complementary and productive veteran on a team rotation – if you have the potential opportunity.