Indianapolis Colts: 5 offseason needs in 2019

2. Settle the strong safety position

There’s little doubt that the Indianapolis Colts’ defense made major strides from its recent past. Led by unsung coordinator Matt Eberflus, the club overcame a slow start on this side of the ball this past season and went onto play solid football the second half of the season.

Outside linebacker Darius Leonard rolled up 163 tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles, eight passes defensed and four total takeaways on the way to being the 2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. In his first year with the team, Denico Autry led the club with nine sacks. All told, the team finished 11th in the league in total yards per game allowed, just one year after finishing 30th in the NFL in this same category.

But one area that general manager Chris Ballard must address in the coming months is strong safety. Four-year pro Clayton Geathers and veteran Mike Mitchell, a midseason addition who proved his worth, are both eligible to test unrestricted free agency next month. The former made 12 starts and finished with 86 tackles. The latter, playing for his fourth team in 10 seasons, was around for eight games and made four starts. He finished with 28 total stops, one interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles. It’s also worth noting that reserve J.J. Wilcox is on the list of potential free agents as well.

Given the Colts’ cap space, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team bring back both Wilson and the savvy Mitchell.

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