Getty Bleacher Report NFL writer Kristopher Knox called the Indianapolis Colts the best fit for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown.
The Indianapolis Colts signed veteran Eric Fisher at left tackle following the retirement of Anthony Castonzo last season. If the Colts choose the veteran approach again at left tackle and don’t re-sign Fisher, there’s one option that’s a great fit.
At least that’s what NFL writer Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report says. He writes that great fit is five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown.
“Teams in need of offensive tackle help are running low on veteran options,” Knox wrote. “At 36 years old, Duane Brown isn’t a long-term play, but he can be a reliable starter for a season or two.
“Brown started all 17 games for the Seattle Seahawks last year, and while he did allow eight sacks, per Pro Football Focus, he wound up with a Pro Bowl nod. He’s a five-time Pro Bowler who also started all 16 games in 2020.”
Brown will turn 37 in August. In addition to five Pro Bowl appearances, including his most recent one last season, he made first-team All Pro in 2012.
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How Duane Brown Fits in Indianapolis
Without Fisher in Indianapolis, the Colts have no obvious starting left tackle currently on the depth chart. That’s a bit of an issue considering the team’s Super Bowl window is small with soon-to-be 37-year-old quarterback Matt Ryan.
Obviously, the Colts would likely prefer to fix left tackle on a long-term basis, but a plug-and-play option for 2022 isn’t a bad idea.
The Pro Football Focus player grades ranked Brown 37th-best out of 83 offensive tackles from last season. PFF also ranked Brown the third-best tackle available in free agency this offseason, ahead of Fisher.
Brown is more than five years older than Fisher, but he could potentially make the Colts offensive line better in the short term.
“The Colts need to protect new quarterback Matt Ryan, and Brown represents a great way to help do that,” wrote Knox.
Spotrac reports the Colts have $21.7 million left in salary cap space, but some of that money will go towards recently signed defensive backs Stephon Gilmore, Rodney McLeod and Brandon King.
All added in the first half of April, what those three players will count towards the 2022 salary cap has yet to be disclosed.
Other Left Tackle Options for Colts
While it makes sense for the Colts to consider Brown, the team appears content going in another direction.
Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard spoke highly of swing tackle Matt Pryor while on The Pat McAfee Show on March 22. The Colts re-signed Pryor to a contract worth upwards of $6 million for 2022 this offseason.
“Matt Pryor played really good for us this year, and I think people kind of ignored it,” Ballard said. “Even against the Raiders, when you go back and watch the Raider game, he was outstanding at left tackle, so we’ll give him the first shot at it.”
Including against the Raiders, Pryor started five games in 2021. Indianapolis acquired him in a trade with a seventh-round selection from the Philadelphia Eagles for a sixth-round pick.
It’s also been popular in 2022 NFL mock drafts for the Colts to draft an offensive tackle.
Both draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN and analyst Chad Reuter of NFL.com recently predicted Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann to the Colts at No. 42 overall in the second round. College football analyst Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus also projected an offensive tackle to Indianapolis with that selection — Trevor Penning of Northern Iowa.
For addition offensive tackle depth, the Colts signed Brandon Kemp to a one-year contract worth $705,000 on April 15.
While Brown is another obvious addition for the Colts to make, the team has yet to express genuine interest.