6 Free-Agent Linebackers Who Fit the Colts

The biggest splash move the Colts could make this offseason is signing Greenlaw. At 27, he has been part of the best linebacker duo in football for the entirety of his career. Sliding in next to All-Pro Fred Warner, Greenlaw was the perfect blend of physicality and playmaking ability in that 49ers defense. The only real concern in his game is the injury history.

In six career seasons in the NFL, Greenlaw has been limited to under three games played in two of them. He suffered a groin injury back in 2021 that held him out for the majority of the season, and missed most of this past season due to an Achilles tear that he suffered in the 2023 Super Bowl. Those two major injuries, combined with some other minor ones sprinkled in, make him a bit of a risk in free agency.

If the Colts are desperate enough to take the risk, they could nab a truly dominant linebacker on the open market. He'd be a great fit next to Franklin on the starting defense and he would give the Colts a physical presence that can consistently get ball carriers to the ground. This type of move is risky for sure, but the Colts may need to take some risks to get over the hump in 2025.

Buy Low/Lower-End Options

Divine Deablo, Las Vegas Raiders

The Colts need to improve in coverage at the linebacker position, and a player like Deablo could be an intriguing buy-low option to fill that need. Statistically, he hasn't been much better than Speed or Franklin in coverage in his career, but traits and flashes are certainly worth looking at on the open market.

Deablo is a player who is eerily similar to Jaylon Carlies, as he's a former safety who was moved to linebacker by Gus Bradley's defensive staff. Deablo has been in and out of the lineup over the past few seasons in Vegas, but a scenery change could be exactly what the young player needs to unlock his full potential. HIs traits alone are well worth a look on the open market.

Akeem Davis-Gaither, Cincinnati Bengals

New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo might want to bring over some of his Cincinnati guys to Indianapolis this offseason, so grabbing a guy like Davis-Gaither could make a ton of sense for everyone involved. Davis-Gaither is far from an established defender, only seeing over 350 defensive snaps once in his NFL career. He is, however, a valuable special teams player who was a team captain with the Bengals under Anarumo.

This type of signing would be more of a familiarity/depth signing rather than a massive upside swing. Davis-Gaither is what he is at this point in his career, and the Colts could use a quality backup-level player who knows the system and is well-respected by his peers. As long as the price tag is relatively cheap, the Colts should be all over Davis-Gaither this offseason.

Troy Dye, Los Angeles Chargers

Dye is another intriguing, buy-low option for the Colts. He has primarily been a reserve linebacker in his career, but his traits are certainly noteworthy. He has the arm length and athleticism that Chris Ballard typically covets, and his ability to play multiple linebacker roles is particularly interesting.

Last season, Dye saw a nice uptick in defensive snaps with the Chargers. As a result, he had a career year, notching new career-highs in tackles and tackles for a loss in a single season. Even if he performs at a level similar to last season with the Colts, it would still be a welcomed addition to the Colts' lackluster linebacker core.

Cody Barton, Denver Broncos

Barton is the ultimate floor-raiser at the position. He will never be a massive impact player with his athletic limitations, but he has fantastic eyes in coverage and good instincts that make him a solid player, no matter the destination. He has hit over 100 tackles in each of the past three seasons with three different teams.

Barton would be a massive upgrade for the Colts in coverage, as he is one of the better zone backers in the NFL. He understands how to get to his drops and knows how to limit plays over the middle of the field. Signing a player like Barton to slide in as a starter simply makes this Colts' defense much better without having to dish out a massive contract.

Malik Harrison, Baltimore Ravens

The final player to look at today is another buy-low candidate in Harrison. He is another highly-touted prospect who hasn't put it all together in the NFL thus far. He has shown some good skills as a two-down thumper with the Ravens, but his game hasn't taken a step beyond that.

He could be an interesting developmental player to take Grant Stuard's role in the defense. Harrison could provide the Colts with a special teams demon that also gives them some early down juice as a run stuffer. At the very least, it never hurts to bet on players with his size and athleticism and see how it all plays out in camp.

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