The Indianapolis Colts recently defeated division rival Houston Texans to improve to 7-6 on the year.

The defensive line has propelled Indy in recent weeks Adam Vinatieri Jersey , led by Denico Autry with five sacks in the last two games. Margus Hunt finally appears healthy too. He is due to hit free agency and could opt to bank in on his career season. He is top ten in the NFL in QB hits and a team with a lot of cap space may take a chance on the 31 year old. Behind them is Al Woods— also slated to hit free agency— and former 4th round pick Grover Stewart, who has had a rough season. With only Autry as a likely shoe-in to return at defensive tackle, the Colts will likely look to add talent in the draft. Luckily, the 2019 defensive line class is quite deep with many calling it one of the best positional groups in years. With guys like Quinnen Williams, Ed Oliver, and Raekwon Daviseating much of the attention, we turn our focus on other defensive linemen who may be available when at the Colts pick in the draft. Dre’Mont Jones, DT (6’3” 286)James Lang-USA TODAY SportsBackgroundDue to the hype around guys like Oliver and Williams, people are over looking the stout Ohio State lineman. The former high school basketball player has transformed himself over the years as one of the best defensive players in football. He finished his career with 111 total tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, and 9.5 sacks. He was named First Team All-Big Ten his Junior season after his dominant 8.5 sack season.AnalysisVery quick off of the line, natural athlete with excellent burst. Shows an array of pass rush moves that will work at the next level. Has the quickness to win with speed up the gut and the hand usage to beat experienced linemen. Should excel with twists and stunts as his bend and speed will be nightmares for offenses. Great range in run defense as he tracks running backs down all over the field.Film ReviewWay too quick off of the line here as he shoots the gap for the sack.Able to rip and pull his way past the guard and then accelerate to the quarterback here. Look at that speed on display.Not consistently the best run defender, but when he gets a good jump and keeps his head up, he can make plays like this.Fit with the ColtsJones would be an excellent fit up front with Autry. Autry was signed mainly due to his athleticism and range as a defensive tackle. Jones is similar in this regard and may be an even better athlete overall. Jones offers more size, which could give the Colts the benefit of playing both players at the same time. Jones is a pure athlete who can get after the passer. The Colts would be wise to draft this athletic tackle if he falls to their first round pick.Renell Wren, DT (6’4” 295)Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesBackgroundThis dominant senior lineman may be the biggest riser in this draft. Making Bruce Feldman’s “Freak List” in the off-season, Wren was reportedly clocked at a 4.85 40 yard dash to go along with a 34.5 inch vertical jump. He also reportedly can squat 600 pounds and bench 430. For his on field career, Wren tallied 75 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, and 3 sacks.AnalysisStout run defender with insane strength and power. Dominates linemen at the point of attack and drives them back into the backfield. Plays with great leverage. Bendy and explosive as well, maybe the best burst off of the line in the entire class. Sack numbers are not great but he has the athleticism and physical traits to be a dominant pass rusher in the league.Film ReviewWren drives the center straight back into the quarterback’s lap, forcing a scramble on third down with only a three man rush.Wren bull rushes the guard into the ground en route to a huge sack against Washington.Fit with the ColtsWren would be the perfect Margus Hunt replacement— or a great candidate to rotate with Hunt if he re-signs. Wren is is a similar athlete, in that he and Hunt both win with burst off of the line. However, Wren is stout enough as a run defender and adept enough at using leverage to find playing time early in his career. He should be able to find instant success in the Colts’ scheme as well as he would use his burst and quickness to fire through gaps. Ricky Walker Marvin Harrison Color Rush Jersey , DT (6’2” 304)Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY SportsBackgroundA former three star recruit, Walker has risen to become the leader of a very good Virginia Tech defense the last two seasons. The veteran defensive lineman has piled up quite the list of accomplishments with the Hokies. For his career, Walker has 127 total tackles, 30.5 tackles for a loss, and 8 sacks. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC Honors in 2018 and Honorable Mention All-ACC in 2017.AnalysisReally nice burst off of the line and balance when engaged with blockers. Very strong at the point of attack as he controls lineman with strong hands. Maintains run fits very well as he understands gap discipline and the importance of filling space. Solid athlete who can win at times by flying past slower linemen. Displays flashes of pass rush productivity with a wide array of moves. Film ReviewRelentless rush here as he fights his way through two blockers to get the sack on the quarterback.Great balance and strength here as Walker (#8) fights through the traffic and a double team to make the stop.Walker (now wearing #25 as most Virginia Tech Captains do at least once in their careers) splits the double team again for the big run stuff.Fit with the ColtsWalker could easily step in and fill the void that will be left by Al Woods this off-season. Woods has been a bit of disappointment for the Colts this season but he is still a decent athlete who understands how to fill space. Walker would be one of the bigger linemen in the Colts’ defensive scheme but he would be perfect as the run stuffing, big lineman up front. With Walker’s ability to also flash pass rush productivity and the fact that he is a better athlete overall than Woods, Walker would be an upgrade in every facet.Terry Beckner Jr, DT (6’3” 305)Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY SportsBackgroundThe physically gifted Beckner has been through a lot throughout his collegiate career. After coming into Missouri with high expectations of a 5-Star recruitment rating, Beckner tore up the SEC his Freshman year en route to First-Team Freshman All American Honors. After that though, Beckner suffered two season ending knee injuries. For his career, Beckner tallied 117 total tackles, 30.5 tackles for a loss, and 12 sacks. AnalysisPowerful player who excels at getting his hands inside and dominating at the point of attack. Tough, physical player who flashes some impressive pass rush moves including a very nice swim move. Although knee injuries have slowed him a bit, he still possess above average quickness and athleticism at the snap of the ball. Team leader who does the dirty work along with making highlight plays.Film ReviewEffortlessly swims past the center and has to be held to prevent the sack. Nasty nasty swim move.Good swim off of the snap here and then strafes down the line for the backside tackle.Throws the guard multiple times here and is able to draw the hold on the play.Fit with the ColtsBeckner would be an excellent addition to the Colts defensive line from a talent and leadership perspective. He has the athleticism and strength to excel in a gap shooting scheme like the Colts, where he can easily maneuver around one-on-one blocks. He also would be a great asset in the twist game as his natural strength and motor would harass opposing QBs. From a locker room perspective, Beckner would just add another hard working high character guy to the team. Final ThoughtsOverall, the Colts need more youth and depth on the defensive line next season. Hunt and Autry have played much better than expected and adding youth to the rotation behind them will only make them stronger as players. Each one of the players above are very talented, young defensive lineman who would be excellent fits with the Colts defense.So far this year we have done full length Scouting Notebooks on wide receivers and defensive tackles, the Colts’ biggest needs heading into 2019. Which position group should be the next focus for a future Notebook? Running back? Safety? Cornerback? Comment below which position you’d like to see featured in a future Scouting Notebook. Many fans and analysts are wondering why the Indianapolis Colts, who started free agency with the most cap space (well over 100M), are not splurging and spending money on big free agents. The Colts..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesStampede Blue homepageHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityFollow Stampede Blue online:Follow Stampede Blue on TwitterFollow Stampede Blue on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchStampede Blue main menuFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Breaking NewsAndrew Luck Retires×The Reason Why The Colts Aren’t SplurgingNew,294commentsEDTMany fans and analysts are wondering why the Indianapolis Colts, who started free agency with the most cap space (well over 100M) https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Tarell-Basham-Jersey , are not splurging and spending money on big free agents. The Colts have only made one free agent acquisition and that was Devin Funchess, whom they signed to a 1 year, 10M dollar deal that can turn into 13M with incentives. They have re-signed Pierre Desir to a nice deal and tendered a few of their restricted free agents, but the Colts have been one of the quietest teams in free agency, despite their enormous wealth. There is one big reason why they aren’t splurging: they have a lot of big free agents they need to re-sign next year.As it stands right now, the Colts are looking at these names as free agents next season:Anthony CastonzoJabaal SheardEric EbronJack DoyleRyan Kelly (Player Option)Devin FunchessKenny MooreJoe HaegMatthias FarleyHassan RidgewayLe’Raven ClarkChester RogersRigoberto SanchezJacoby BrissettThis list doesn’t include all the minor free agents and does not include any potential “surprise” players who might perform well this season. If the Colts were to re-sign Castonzo, Sheard, Ebron, Doyle and Kelly (on his 5th year player option), that alone would equate to somewhere between 46M and 58M dollars in cap space. Those figures are based on their current market value. Throw in quality, mid-tier players like Kenny Moore, Joe Haeg, Hassan Ridgeway, Rigoberto Sanchez and Matthias Farley, and you could be looking at another 15 to 22M. If the Colts like Devin Funchess and he plays well this season, then re-signing him might be another 12M. In short, the Colts have a lot of their own to take care of next year and that will require a lot of cap space. If we took the high end figure that was listed, then re-signing those players mentioned might cost the Colts 93M in cap space next year. That’s just 11 players and doesn’t include restricted and exclusive right free agents the Colts decide to tender. The Colts might also have to drop a few bucks on a new backup quarterback if Jacoby Brissett is on a different team next year. There is a decent chance that Chris Ballard is saving 110M dollars for next year’s Colts free agency group. Ballard has proven that he wants to re-sign his current crop of players instead of branching out into the free agency market. He did it this year with Pierre Desir and tendered several players. He also did something similar last year and two years ago with a few players like Jack Doyle and Adam Vinatieri. Ballard's model is similar to that of Green Bay’s during the Ted Thompson era, which was to build purely through the draft and use the cap space on their own free agents and to keep a strong core together. This worked as they won a Super Bowl in 2011. If the Colts were to not sign any more free agents and sign their projected draft class (without any significant trades), they would walk into free agency next season with approximately $165M. If we use the 110M figure that was listed before, then that leaves the Colts with 55M next year and that does not include next year’s draft class. It’s not to say the Colts are tight on cap space, they aren’t by any means, but if they intend to keep their own, then it will cost them a lot of money next year. If we assume next year’s draft class accounts for 10M in cap hits Tyquan Lewis Jersey , and it costs 110M to retain all the high-end and mid-tier free agents on the Colts, then that leaves the Colts with 45M left over for next year. That is a lot of money, but it doesn’t mean they can overpay on players like Trey Flowers and Dee Ford. The value-signing approach that Ballard has done over the past few seasons still needs to be in place as big money that’s wasted could come back to haunt the team in a couple of seasons. Over the first few days of free agency, we saw a lot of big players get massive deals. By most measures, the biggest free agency signings were overpaid. It doesn’t mean they were bad signings, but the amount of money they received exceeded their market value. If they don’t perform as expected, then those signings aren’t only bad on paper, but they have a stranglehold on a team’s cap situation for years to come. Ndamukong Suh’s deal with the Dolphins is a perfect example, as they are still paying Suh and are still taking in 12M in dead cap hit because of his release. Free agency is less than a week old, and as the second week approaches, we should see more contracts where the players receive deals more indicative of their market value. I still don’t expect Chris Ballard to start burning through paper, but we should see the Colts make a couple more signings when this “second session” approaches. The Colts also have TY Hilton as a free agent in 2021, so saving as much money as possible over the next few years is crucial.This isn’t about defending or bashing Ballard; when you get a patient general manager who is very hesitant to throw big money around in the first place and add in the fact that the Colts have a bunch of big free agents next season, the fact that he has been quiet this offseason shouldn’t be surprising.The one minor issue that will arise is the 89% threshold that each team must reach when spending money. The rule works that over a 4-year period, a team must spend 89% of their total salary cap. The rule states that from 2017 to 2020, the Colts must spend 89% of their salary cap in cash. The Colts have not reached that point yet, and still have another offseason to reach it. However, if they don’t reach 89%, the penalty isn’t severe as they must distribute the difference (between 89% and whatever they actually spent) amongst their own players and potentially lose a minor draft pick. With the amount of free agents next season, there’s a good chance that the Colts reach 89% in next year’s offseason alone. When managing a salary cap, a general manager must have a long-term approach. Anyone can sign players in a given season, but poor spending always catches up to you. It’s become obvious that Chris Ballard has a long-term approach to the salary cap and spending money.