Indianapolis Colts should sign defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh

The Indianapolis Colts should make a late free agency splash by adding defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to the mix.

The Indianapolis Colts entered this off season with a ton of cap space to work with and a roster seemingly ready to compete. Most of us expected the Colts to use free agency to put their team over the top, but they mostly sat back and waited for value. Wide receiver Devin Funchess and edge rusher Justin Houston were their only major free agent additions this off season.

For the long-term, this was probably the best plan of attack. Getting caught up in free agency and making significant long-term commitments is rarely a winning plan of attack. General manager Chris Ballard is one of the best in the business and he clearly believes in being patient and looking for value. Spending big in free agency is simply not his forte.

All of that being said, the Colts still have a ton of cap space to work with and could easily improve their roster with a couple of shrewd moves late in free agency. In particular, Ndamukong Suh stands out as an ideal target for this team.

Suh has long been one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL. While he is not as dynamic as he once was, he is still an extremely talented player who can impact a game on the inside. He is coming off of a strong season with the Los Angeles Rams, where he really made a huge impact down the stretch for the Rams’ defense during their Super Bowl run.

I would not call defensive tackle a major area of need for the Indianapolis Colts, but there is certainly some room for improvement on the inside. Denico Autry and Margus Hunt make up a solid starting duo, but injuries have always been an issue for Autry and Hunt is probably best served as a rotational player. On top of that, the Colts are not exactly loaded with depth behind Autry and Hunt.

Bringing Suh into the mix would immediately solidify the defensive tackle position for the Colts. He could start alongside Autry, while Hunt provides quality depth at the position. Suh would immediately raise the potential of the Colts’ defense, as he would likely make a big-time impact both as an interior rusher and against the run.

I will admit that signing Suh would be a bit out of character for Ballard, but the need is there and they have the cap space to work with. Plus, at this point in free agency, they would likely be able to bring Suh in on a one-year deal. Simply put, this would be a low-risk move with massive upside.