Colts sign two players on PFF’s undervalued free agent roster

It’s not just about wide receiver Michael Pittman. The Indianapolis Colts have a number of high-profile free agents to consider.

NFL free agency is expected to begin next month. While wide receiver Michael Pittman has received a lot of attention from Indianapolis Colts fans, the team has numerous high-value players on the trading block.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) compiled a list of underappreciated 2024 NFL free agents at each defensive position, and the Colts signed two of the five players on the list.

The first is Grover Stewart, an inside defensive lineman.

“Stewart is somewhat one-dimensional, with just one season of earning a 65.0-plus PFF pass-rush grade in his career,” noted Gordon McGuinness on PFF. “He excels at run defense, completing 2023 with the fifth-best PFF run-defense rating at the position. He has yet to have a run-defense grade below 65.0 in a season.”
Stewart, who recently signed a three-year, $30-million contract, is expected to receive a substantial raise this spring, according to Andrew Moore of Horseshoe Huddle.

Kenny Moore II, the Colts’ second member of the PFF list, is a cornerback.

“Now 30 years old, Moore is coming off a career year in which he earned a 77.4 PFF grade that ranked 18th among cornerbacks,” McGuinness said in a statement. “Primarily a slot cornerback, he allowed a catch on 79.4% of the passes into his primary coverage, but for an average of just 9.3 yards, in 2023.”

Moore started 16 games for the Colts last season, recording three interceptions. He converted two of them into touchdowns. Moore, an undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State, was signed but later released by the New England Patriots after failing to make the 53-man roster in 2017.

The Colts claimed him, and he performed well enough to earn a four-year, $33 million contract in 2019.

Pittman, Stewart, and Moore are three significant players who will become free agents in the coming weeks. Will the Colts try to retain all three players?

Can they?

According to Spotrac, the Colts have the fourth-most cap space in the NFL, at more than $66 million. Multi-year contracts can be designed to reduce the early impact of the cap fee.

General manager Chris Ballard has positioned the team to not only retain key players, but also participate in free agency. It takes two to tango, but if the Colts decide to re-sign their free agents and the players want to return to Indianapolis, the team has the financial resources to do so.