The Indianapolis Colts have been so busy taking care of their in-house free agents that many were getting impatient waiting for them to bring a new face to Indianapolis.
But they are officially on the board with their first rumored out-of-house free agent signing with Miami Dolphins DT Raekwon Davis.
The Colts first out-of-house free agent being a backup nose tackle may come as a surprise, but let me explain why this was a much bigger need than people realized. Last year, when DT Grover Stewart had to miss time with a suspension, the Colts depth behind him was shown to be a liability.
This led the Colts to do what many expected and re-sign Stewart to a new three-year deal, but if he were to miss time, that problem could again show itself. So the Colts made a move to sign Dolphins DT Raekwon Davis to a two-year deal, and he is set to become the primary backup behind Stewart.
The Dolphins drafted Davis out of Alabama with the 56th pick in the 2nd round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The 6 foot 7 DT started 48 of his 63 games over the past four seasons, his lowest total coming this past season when he logged only seven starts due to the Dolphins' crowded interior defensive line room.
Raekwon Davis' NFL Stats
- 2020: 40 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit
- 2021: 28 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit
- 2022: 33 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 2 QB hits
- 2023: 28 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 6 QB hits
Davis' career-high six QB hits last season was a drastic jump from previous years, which shows while he projects as an NT, he can impact the passing game as well as the run game. And with him still only being 26 years old, his play last year helped show teams the type of potential they saw in him in 2020 when he was drafted in the second round. The Colts obviously see that potential as they handed him a two-year $14 million deal, a significantly larger deal than he was projected to get. Below is a post breaking down the full terms of Davis' contract with the Colts.
Davis will now enter training camp as the Colts' backup NT to Stewart, and while the plan won't be for him to start, last season shows there will be a constant role for him. Stewart's backup last season, Taven Bryan, averaged roughly 22 snaps a game before Stewart's suspension. With the contract Davis received, I think it's fair to assume the Colts may look to give him a larger role than Bryan last year. Giving Davis more snaps could help keep Stewart fresh. There's likely even a chance for them to use both Davis and Stewart on clear run-stopping opportunities, which could also help them keep star DT DeForest Buckner fresh.
More must-reads: