The Indianapolis Colts have over a dozen free agents hitting the open market in a couple of weeks as key pieces are expected to test the waters and assess what situation is right for them.
The Colts have expiring contracts on both sides of the ball as players like safety Julian Blackmon, center Ryan Kelly, linebacker E.J. Speed, and guard Will Fries all need a new deal. The NFL is currently in the open window for any team to use their franchise tag, something the Colts haven’t done.
A new piece from CBS analyst Jared Dubin ranked the league’s best offensive free agents and listed Fries as the tenth best offensive free agent this spring. Fries is the second-highest-ranked guard after Kansas City Chiefs big man Trey Smith earned the number two overall spot in Dubin’s list.
“Any team looking for an interior lineman should be looking [Trey Smith’s] way first,” wrote Dubin. “There are other players available at the position, though, with a bunch of depth at guard in particular: Fries, [Kevin] Zeitler, [Mekhi] Becton, [Tenkin] Jenkins, [Zack] Martin, [James] Daniels and [Brandon] Scherff are all quality starters.”
Fries has been with the Colts for the past four seasons after being drafted out of Penn State University in the seventh round in 2021. Fries earned an 86.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024, good enough for fourth best out of 135 eligible guards.
Fries allowed two sacks and gave up only one penalty in 268 snaps. If the Colts want to bring him back, they’ll have to spend considerably high dollars. After establishing himself as a reliable piece of the offensive line, Fries will likely draw interest from across the league.
The NFL free agency period will begin on March 12th. The Colts have just over two weeks to analyze their situation on both sides of the ball and decide who to bring back for the near future.
