Colts miss out on another safety upgrade

The free safety position for the Indianapolis Colts remains a significant weakness, yet the franchise has allowed another potential upgrade to pass it by.

On Sunday, the division rival Tennesse Titans inked former Seattle Seahawks defensive back Quandre Diggs to a one-year, $5M deal , per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Meanwhile, the Colts and general manager Chris Ballard continue to sit on their collective hands.

The starting spot battle was supposed to consist of third-year safeties Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas, but both are coming off lackluster 2023 campaigns. Per Pro Football Focus, Cross graded 75th among safeties in tackling (66.7) and coverage (63.2), while quarterbacks recorded a 97.9 passer rating against Thomas , who allowed 21.2 yards per reception.

Depth at free safety was a concern coming into the year. But, since the start of training camp, it's reaching red-alert territory.

Cross and Thomas have struggled so much that strong safety Julian Blackmon has taken snaps at free safety. The 25-year-old started his career at the position, but despite thriving in his current role, head coach Shane Steichen is exploring the possibility of moving him again, per Stephen Holder of ESPN.

For now, the Colts seem content to ride with what they have. However, if reshuffling their secondary is necessary to do so, perhaps investing in a veteran option would be the better move.

According to Spotrac, Indianapolis has the ninth-most cap space ( $24.8M ) available. Meanwhile, several free safeties with experience are available on the market, including Justin Simmons, Tracy Walker III and Jayron Kearse.