Potential 2013 Indianapolis Colts roster changes
The 2012 season is over for the Indianapolis Colts, and now we look onto the potential 2013 Indianapolis Colts roster changes. The Colts will potentially put 21 players out to pasture in 2013. The biggest decision this off season for the Colts is whether to re-sign Robert Mathis or let him loose, and they already have. Mathis went under the radar this past offseason and signed a 4 year extension worth 30 million dollars on March 5,2012. Mathis has been to five straight Pro Bowl’s since 2008, but has always been seen as a compliment to Dwight Freeney. However, Mathis still has the ability to get to the quarterback, but it’s all a matter of how many seasons he has left to be effective.
It was wrongly reported that he was not already re-signed by me, and I apologize for the mistake. A.Q. Shipley, Jeff Linkenbach and Winston Justice also become unrestricted free agents in 2013. That’s more than half of the starting offensive line potentially gone and that needs to be addressed if Andrew Luck is going to continue to improve.
Donnie Avery becomes a free agent in 2013, but T.Y. Hilton has shown to be the potential number two wide receiver for the future. It would be nice to have Avery back, but there should be more wide receiver prospects in the draft and free agency.
There is no too much happening with the linebackers this off season but they do need some serious talent injections. Some 3-4 inside linebackers or convertible linebackers to the 3-4 schemes will be sought after during the draft and free agency. Darius Butler, Josh Gordy and Cassius Vaughn become free agents in 2013, and that is almost on a setup for the 2013 draft. The only problem with the 2013 draft for the Colts is they only have four picks. One 1st rounder, one 3rd rounder, one 4th rounder and a 6th rounder, and that doesn’t include compensatory selections. The Colts will have to be creative, if they want to remain successful in 2013.
James Cobern is a Featured Journalist for TPF and can be contacted at JCobern@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com.
Robert Mathis signed a 4 year extension before the 2012 season so there is no decision on whether to resign him. And Ryan Grigson announced earlier this week that the Colts will get their 7th round pick that they originally traded to the Eagles because it was a conditional pick and the conditions weren’t met.