Colts To Consider WR Addition

Depth beyond those two is a question mark, though. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was signed during free agency, and the seventh-year veteran is the most experienced option to handle a regular complementary role in the passing game. As Nathan Brown of the Indy Star writes, Westbrook-Ikhine looks to be in line for the WR3 gig at this point. He has made 42 starts across a five-year run in Tennessee and a single Miami campaign last season.

Laquon Treadwell and Ashton Dulin are also vying for the No. 3 spot during training camp, Brown adds. Treadwell has been in the NFL for a decade, but his last significant offensive role came in 2021. Dulin, meanwhile, has spent his entire career in Indianapolis but has totaled just seven catches in the two years following his return from an ACL tear. It would thus comes as little surprise if Westbrook-Ikhine were to secure the spot this summer.

A receiver acquisition between now and Week 1 will be something to watch for, however. The WR3 spot “feels primed” for an outside move, Brown writes. GM Chris Ballard also recently said (via Fox59’s Mike Chappell) Indianapolis will “probably talk through” some of the top available free agents at the receiver position. With over $31MM in cap space, the Colts could certainly afford a one-year deal for one of the veterans still on the market at this time.

The list of available wideouts was thinned out last week with Deebo Samuel returning to San Francisco, but a number of other experienced pass-catchers are still unsigned. Keenan Allen is among them, and he has been floated as a logical target in the Cots’ case. Allen and head coach Shane Steichen overlapped over a seven-year period with the Chargers, and that level of familiarity could help result in a deal being struck. The six-time Pro Bowler may not be limiting his free agent options to the West Coast, although he has not yet been specifically linked to interest from the Colts.

Pierce remains sidelined as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery but he will face substantial expectations upon returning to the field after he inked a $114MM deal to remain in Indianapolis. Downs is a pending 2027 free agent, so his market will be greatly affected by how the coming campaign plays out. Second-year tight end Tyler Warren figures to remain a focal point in the passing game, but it will be interesting to see if a veteran presence is sought out in the near future to provide better receiver depth.