1. Hooking A Safety
Malik Hooker was rumored to be on the trade block ahead of the draft, and then the Colts did not pick up his fifth-year option. The 15th overall pick in the 2017 draft has missed 14 games in three seasons, but when he’s on the field he has been very good and he’s only 24 years old.
The Chiefs have a top-notch safety in Tyrann Mathieu. While Juan Thornhill more than proved himself as a rookie (58 total tackles and three interceptions during the regular season), a torn ACL in Week 17 has his status for Week 1 up in the air. Hooker is making less than $2.2 million in base salary this year, with a cap hit just over $4 million, so the Chiefs can pretty easily take him on.
The Colts seem ready to move on from Hooker, despite general manager Chris Ballard’s quick assertion otherwise. They took safety Julian Blackmon in the third round of the draft, and Ballard called him a “legitimate free safety” in the NFL while citing Hooker’s drop-off last year.
Via Stephen Holder of The Athletic:
“Malik was solid”, Ballard said. “Wouldn’t say he was great”….”And I thought he tailed off a little bit there at the end.” Besides the durability concerns, there are apparently some questions about Hooker’s fit in the Colts’ defensive scheme.
The Colts have effectively put a “For Sale” sign on Hooker, and offers should still be coming. The Chiefs have to be among the top suitors, with an offer that might look like this.