3 Hidden gem Colts free agent targets who could end up being the diamonds in the rough of free agency
3 under-the-radar targets that wouldn’t break the bank for the Colts but could end up being home run signings.
The NFL’s two-day negotiating window, or better known as the legal tampering period, begins at 12 p.m. Eastern today. And as always, all eyes will be on the pick ticket free agents who are about to cash in on massive contracts.
Those players have earned a payday, and it’s great to see them collect, but usually the true winners of free agency aren’t those who spend the most. Instead, it’s the teams that find the best value signings that outperform the contracts they are given.
The Indianapolis Colts need to be on the lookout for the hidden gems in this year’s free agency class. After scouting the market and watching film on countless free agents, I’ve found three free agents on the defensive side of the ball who could be diamonds in the rough. Luckily for the Colts, all three would be solid fits for their needs on that side of the ball.
Green Bay Packers EDGE Kingsley Enagbare
First up is an edge rusher, a position that is one of the Colts top needs. There are some higher-profile names on the market that I’m sure fans want to see the Colts get in on, but I think a nice rotational piece with upside for the future is Kingsley Enagbare from the Green Bay Packers.
During his four years with the Packers, he’s only logged 21 starts, with his career high at seven, which occurred during his rookie year in 2022 and again in 2024. He’s recorded 11.5 sacks with his career high being 4.5. So it’s safe to assume he won’t be breaking the bank this offseason.
Enagbare’s brute strength is evident on film, and I think he has a lot of untapped potential as a pass rusher. He isn’t a player the Colts would sign to start in 2025, but he’s a guy you take a shot on with a multi-year deal at a low yearly salary and hope he takes that next step in his career, and you end up with a productive rotational pass rusher, or who knows, maybe even better.
Giants safety Dane Belton
The Colts are most likely going to lose starting safety Nick Cross. The safety group in the 2026 NFL Draft is pretty deep, so I would imagine the team wants to take a shot there at the position, but a cheap veteran on the free agency market will also likely be added.
If the Colts really want to abide by the “younger and faster” mantra that Chris Ballard has said over and over this offseason, an option I like is Dane Belton from the New York Giants. Belton was a player, I believe, the Colts liked in the 2022 NFL Draft, but he landed in New York.
He hits hard in open space, and even without being a full-time starter for the Giants, he has proven ball skill production. He’s had at least one interception every single season in the NFL and has six total as well as 16 pass deflections over his four-year career. He just turned 25 in December and seems to be someone the Colts could get pretty cheaply.
Giants linebacker Micah McFadden
The last hidden-gem free agent is a linebacker, a position the Colts have made even thinner as of late by trading away Zaire Franklin. Micah McFadden is the second Giant on this list and has ties to the state of Indiana. McFadden spent his college years at Indiana University and was a fan favorite for Hoosiers fans.
So there would be a portion of the Colts fan base that would buy into the move right away. He’s also had a lot of success with the Giants. He had back-to-back 100+ total tackle seasons in 2023 and 2024, and also had 26 tackles for loss in his first three years. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury after just one game in 2025, and as a result, he isn’t expected to get the contract his play in 2023 and 2024 warrants.
The Colts need a full makeover at linebacker, and McFadden would be a solid start toward doing just that and could probably be had fairly cheaply, given last year’s injury. He is still only 26 years old, and the last time we saw him healthy, he had a career-high 3 sacks, showing off the pass-rush ability he displayed in college with the Hoosiers.
Giants LB Micah McFadden’s career stats
- 2022: 59 total tackles, 2 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble
- 2023: 101 total tackles, 1 sack, 12 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 5 pass deflections
- 2024: 1017 total tackles, 3 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass deflection
- 2025: 3 total tackles (Only played 1 game before suffering a season-ending injury)
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