Nine years after working his way onto the roster of his hometown team and developing into a two-time Pro Bowl tight end, Jack Doyle is calling it a career.
Doyle finishes his lengthy Colts' career having played in 131 games (84 starts), hauling in 295 passes for 2,729 yards (9.3 avg.) and 24 touchdowns, ranking third in Colts franchise history in receptions among tight ends, fifth in receiving yards, and fourth in receiving touchdowns.
A leader on the field and off in the community, the loss of Doyle to retirement leaves a gaping hole at the tight end position for the Colts, having provided serious stability at the position for the last decade.
Now, the Colts have to try and plug that hole, and fast.
With Doyle filing his paperwork for retirement from the NFL and fellow tight end Mo Alie-Cox slated to hit free agency next week with the start of the NFL's new league year, the Colts have just one tight end on the roster with any sort of NFL experience, that being first-year tight end Kylen Granson.
Though Alie-Cox is expected to return to the Colts in free agency for at least the 2022 season, the Colts find themselves in need of some upgrades at the position, which is a valuable role in Frank Reich's system.
Fortunately for the Colts, there are plenty of names on the free agent market that make sense at the position, as well as some in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Names like Zach Ertz, Kyle Rudolph, Anthony Firkser, O.J. Howard and Hayden Hurst stand out above the rest in free agency, while bargains such as Jacob Hollister, Will Dissly, and Tyler Conklin could be those under-the-radar signings General Manager Chris Ballard has built his reputation on.
The safe bet right now is Ertz, considering the Reich connection from Philadelphia, as well as the Carson Wentz friendship, assuming the Colts can't find a trade partner for Wentz and run it back another season.
According to Spotrac, Ertz's market value sits around two years and $15 million, which the Colts could easily afford. Though he's not on Doyle's level as a blocker, he'd provide a real mismatch in the middle of the field that the Colts simply haven't had in the passing game in years from the position, dating back to the days of Dallas Clark, or even the one-year wonder that was Eric Ebron.
In the draft, names like Colorado State's Trey McBride, Ohio State's Jeremy Ruckert, UCLA's Greg Dulcich, and Maryland's Chigoziem Okonkwo profile as interesting fits in Reich's system as well, though the Colts likely prefer adding a veteran to the potential pairing of Alie-Cox and Granson for the 2022 season, rather than adding another developmental tight end behind Granson, who still has a long ways to go in the NFL.
Have thoughts on the best way for the Colts to try and fill the hole left behind by the Jack Doyle retirement? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
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