Notable Free Agents

RB: Ahmad Bradshaw, Donald Brown

WR: Darrius Heyward-Bey

OL: Justin Anderson, Mike Johnson, Mike McGlynn

DE: Ricardo Mathews, Lawrence Sidbury

DT: Aubrayo Franklin, Fili Moala

LB: Pat Angerer, Kavell Conner

CB: Vontae Davis, Cassius Vaughn

S: Antoine Bethea, Sergio Brown

K: Adam Vinatieri

P: Pat McAfee

2014 Draft Picks

1. Round two, pick 27
2. Round three, pick 26
3. Round five, pick 26
4. Round six, pick 27
5. Round seven, pick 17

Biggest Offseason Needs

1. Inside linebacker: Without a doubt, the Colts’ main focus in the offseason needs to be on defense. They are much weaker on that side of the ball, and a great first step toward improving the defense is to pick up another linebacker. Jerrell Freeman has been the only proven performer on the inside of the defense. They do have Angerer as well, but no word yet on whether or not he will be back. With the umber of pending free agents the Colts have, it’s hard to see Angerer being at the top of their list. This is a position that should really be looked at in the draft.

2. Center: The Colts already know the future of their franchise lies on the shoulders of Andrew Luck, so why not protect him? Every offensive line position is important, but the center is the focal point and leader of the line, and Indy will need to find a center who isn’t Samson Satele. Satele really struggled in 2013, as he did the previous year with the Colts. They do have Khaled Holmes on the roster, but the Colts would be better off finding another anchor for their o-line.

3. Free safety: Bethea and LaRon Landry are two solid NFL safeties, but neither should be playing free safety. Even if Bethea returns, the Colts shouldn’t be completely sold on his mediocre 2013 performance, and should look for a true free safety. This is also a great offseason to be on the hunt for a free safety, with Jairus Byrd and T.J. Ward all potentially being on the market. This last need could be replaced by almost any defensive position given how poorly the unit played last season, but grabbing a free safety in the offseason would go a long way to turning that play around.

One Player Indianapolis Should Target

The Colts need someone who can rush the passer and provide leadership on a struggling defense. Enter Karlos Dansby. He might be a little older, but there’s no arguing with his numbers. Dansby had 6.5 sacks in 2013, his highest sack total since the 2006 season with the Cardinals. He also picked up 114 total tackles and four interceptions. Even though he is 32, the Colts might be able to sign him to a two or three year deal. Dansby will immediately bring some name power to the defense, and is an upgrade over any linebacker they already have on the roster.

One Player Indianapolis Must Retain

There are a lot of strong candidates for this one, especially because of the sheer volume of free agents that the Colts have to deal with. But if they want to get back to the playoffs in 2014, they need to make sure they bring back Donald Brown. Yes, the Colts gave up two draft picks for Trent Richardson, who looked completely lost in Indy, but they can’t simply let Brown walk. Richardson could potentially come back with a strong season, but they can’t risk having him come out and run for 2.9 yards per carry again. The tandem of Brown and Richardson brings balance to Indianapolis’s offense, and they don’t’ have enough playmakers on offense (especially if Reggie Wayne can’t come back completely healthy) to have Luck constantly airing it out. There are players to bring back on the defensive side of the ball, but Brown gives the Colts a safety net in the backfield they can’t  lose.

Player in Need of an Extension: Jerrell Freeman

This offseason, Indy’s current contract situation looks pretty good. Luck will eventually need a long-term contract, but not immediately. But, Freeman deserves a four or five-year deal this offseason. Not a lot of money, but the Colts should look to lock him up for the long term. Freeman has only played two seasons in the NFL, but is 27, after playing for a few years in the Canadian Football League. Still, he led the team in tackles this season, and had even more tackles in 2012, his rookie year in the NFL. Freeman isn’t that experience in the NFL, but he brings football experience to the roster and has shown that he deserves a starting spot with the Colts (and way more than $576,000 a year).

Overall Offseason Outlook

This is going to be a tough offseason for the Colts. Seven of the 19 unrestricted free agents for the Colts were starters in 2013, but they do have $39.9 million in cap space, so there’s plenty of room to either re-sign them or find replacements. Plus, they can release Satele and save themselves another $4 million. They can’t build as much through the draft after the Richardson trade, but if the Colts can add some personnel on defense in free agency, look for them to be a contender for the AFC title in 2014.