The Colts should let four pending free agents depart

The Indianapolis Colts must make judgments on their in-house free agents within the next month. We recently addressed which pending free agents should be retained, but now it’s time to decide which should be released.

These are difficult judgments, but the National Football League is a business. Here are four pending free agents that the Colts should release this offseason.

Bryan was one of the Colts’ first free agents signed during the 2023 offseason, but things didn’t go as planned. That happens to players on one-year, prove-it contracts, and Bryan failed to demonstrate why he should be brought back. Bryan played in all 17 games, starting seven of them, and recorded 22 tackles (12 solo), 2.0 sacks, four tackles for loss, and one quarterback hit while accounting for 29% of snaps.

McKenzie’s potential as a WR4 was also limited, with only 11 receptions on 14 targets for 82 yards (7.5 yards per catch) and no touchdowns. Even before he was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team late in the season, it was clear that he should not be re-signed. McKenzie lost his position as a punt returner to rookie Josh Downs, who performed better in that role.

Brown, the other player suspended for conduct detrimental to the club late in the season, was kept on the team because of his involvement on special teams. Brown is a quality special teams player, so it wouldn’t be unexpected if the Colts re-signed him following his suspension. However, he has little influence on defense, and the Colts could find a substitute on special teams.

This is a tricky one because Pinter has already shown promise. Prior to the starter attempt, Pinter had some promise as a spot starter behind Ryan Kelly at center. However, when he was assigned the starting right guard position in 2022, his performance did not meet expectations. Then, Pinter sustained a torn ACL, ending his 2023 season. Wil Fries had a solid season with the Colts in 2023, but it may be wise to add a veteran with more experience as a depth piece.