3 CB free agents the Colts should target post-NFL trade deadline

The Indianapolis Colts (3-5) elected to stay quiet at the NFL Trade Deadline.  Which leaves their struggling CB room as is. With trades no longer being an option, the only way the team could add to the room is via free agency.  The team could still desperately use some added depth at corner, so I […]

Destin Adams — NFL News Writer
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Nov 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Anthony Brown (3) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium.
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The Indianapolis Colts (3-5) elected to stay quiet at the NFL Trade Deadline. 

Which leaves their struggling CB room as is. With trades no longer being an option, the only way the team could add to the room is via free agency. 

The team could still desperately use some added depth at corner, so I looked at the best free-agent fits available if the team elected to go that route. 

Anthony Brown

Anthony Brown is a 29 year old veteran who has been. in the NFL since 2016, when he was drafted in the 6th round by the Dallas Cowboys. He turned being drafted in the 6th round into a seven-year stint with the Cowboys before signing with the San Francisco 49ers this past offseason.

Brown would give the Colts a speedy player who ran a 4.33 40-yard dash back at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine who has experience playing on the outside and in the slot in the NFL. Brown would be a solid depth corner for a team that desperately needs players they can trust behind their two rookies, Juju Brents and Jaylon Jones, as well as veteran Kenny Moore II.

Casey Hayward

Casey Hayward is 33 years old and a two-time pro bowler. One of those seasons was in 2017. His defensive coordinator that season was Gus Bradley. 2017 was the first season Hayward had played for Bradley; it wouldn't be the last, though, as Hayward played under Bradley from 2017-2020 with the Chargers and then again in 2021 when both moved to the Raiders. 

Hayward looked like he had regressed quite a bit last season with the Atlanta Falcons, but he could still be an upgrade to the struggling depth options we've seen take snaps for the Colts this season (Darrell Baker Jr., Tony Brown). And with his experience in Bradley's scheme, the team wouldn't have to get him up to speed on that front, allowing him to play earlier than your typical mid-season addition. 

Desmond King

Desmond King is 28 years old and is a former First Team All-Pro. Like Hayward, King has experience playing under now Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. King played with Bradley from 2017 to 2020 before being traded to the Tennesee Titans during the 2020 season. King has played multiple roles during his NFL career to date. He has spent time in the slot and outside as a corner. As well as being an excellent returner during his career. 

If the Colts added King, they'd have some options for deploying their corners. It would give them a reliable option to play in the slot if they wanted to move Kenny Moore II to the outside at times. But he also would give the Colts an additional option as a returner to pair with Isaiah McKenzie and prevent having to use their listed backup rookie Josh Downs, who, in my opinion, has become too valuable of a WR to risk being the team's returner if anything were to happen to McKenzie. 

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