Keep or Cut: Potential Cap Casualties for the Indianapolis Colts
Cutting veteran players in the offseason isn't a fun task.
But, for Ryan Grigson and the Indianapolis Colts, it's one that will have to be completed. I mean, Grigson and cap expert Mike Bluem have prepared for this very day for the last three years by signing players to contracts that could be terminated down the line with little penalty.
The heavy round of free agents to reach that line come this year, with the 2013 free-agent signings beginning to see their guaranteed money peter out.
With a multitude of holes to fill, the Colts will need as many resources as possible, and that means clearing some cap space. The team already has roughly $30 million in space, but with restricted free-agent tenders and rookie contracts to consider, that number will dwindle quickly.
So, if the Colts really do want to bring in more help this offseason, how can they most efficiently use their money?
All cap information taken from Spotrac.com. All snap count information comes from Pro Football Focus.
Greg Toler
1 of 9
2015 Cap Number: $5.83 million (including incentives)
Potential Dead Money: $333k
Projected Cap Savings: $5.5 million
The Colts signed Greg Toler to a three-year, $14.25 million contract back in 2013, the final year of which is now looming in 2015. With the guaranteed money from the deal all but paid up, Toler can be cut this season with little penalty. In fact, outside of Anthony Castonzo, whose fifth-year option of $7.4 million is guarantee-free, Toler is the player who can give the Colts the most cap space back if cut.
However, Toler is also one of the most difficult players on this list to dump.
While Vontae Davis is a stud on the opposite side, the Colts will retain virtually none of the rest of the secondary this offseason. Slot cornerback Darius Butler is an unrestricted free agent, as is dime corner Josh Gordy and starting safety Mike Adams. If the Colts were to cut ties with Toler, it would leave a big hole in a secondary that is already looking thin.
That being said, Toler isn't irreplaceable. He's a decent press-man corner and a good partner for Davis, but he's certainly overpaid. If the Colts were able to use the savings from Toler's contract to sign a better corner, it may be worth it.
Verdict: Keep Him Around
Yes, Toler gets picked on and he's paid more than he's worth. But if Toler is cut, the only way to make up the difference is to both bring Butler back and sign somebody like Kareem Jackson or Perrish Cox. The amount of young corners who can play press-man as much as Toler currently does is small. Cutting Toler would make Vontae Davis the lone returning cornerback on the roster, and that's a dangerous place to be.
Ricky Jean Francois
2 of 9
2015 Cap Number: $6.125 million
Potential Dead Money: $1.25 million
Projected Cap Savings: $4.875 million
Like Toler, Jean Francois was signed during Grigson's free-agency spree of 2013, and was overpaid. The former San Francisco 49er was only a backup prior to coming to Indianapolis, but the Colts paid him to be a starter, and a good one at that. Jean Francois was signed to a four-year, $22 million contract at the time, making him one of the few 3-4 defensive ends in the league with a $20 million contract.
The problem is Jean Francois isn't one of the best 3-4 ends in the league, and the difference between contract value and value on the field is staggering. Just ask LeGarrette Blount. One of the reasons why the Colts paid Arthur Jones $33 million over five years (the sixth-biggest contract among defensive tackles) is because Jean Francois didn't work out as a game-changing force as hoped.
Jean Francois finished with a +0.4 grade from Pro Football Focus this season, finishing 26th-best out of 47 qualifying 3-4 ends. And +3.0 of that grade came from coverage on a handful of screen plays, a tiny percentage of the season.
On the other hand, while Jean Francois was mediocre at best this season, he was still the Colts' second-best defensive lineman while Jones struggled to recover from injuries. Like with Toler, he would leave a big hole behind especially with Cory Redding being a free agent (and possibly a retiree).
Verdict: Let Him Go (With a Contingency Plan) or Restructure
If the Colts can't cut Toler, than Jean Francois represents the best chance at clearing significant cap space for a potential game-changing free-agent signing. But if the Colts do want to part ways, it has to be because they are planning on signing one of the top interior linemen in free agency and need the cash to do so.
The other option is to work with Jean Francois to restructure his contract. He's simply not worth more than $6 million for the year.
Erik Walden
3 of 9
2015 Cap Number: $4.25 million
Potential Dead Money: $500k
Projected Cap Savings: $3.75 million
Like Jean Francois and Toler, Walden is overpaid as a result of the 2013 spending spree. At the time, it seemed like the worst contract given out. But, unlike Toler or Jean Francois, I gave cutting Walden hardly any consideration.
Why?
Well, Walden was a key part of the Colts defense this season, despite the stigma surrounding him. With Robert Mathis out, Walden stepped up and actually provided a bit of pass-rush to add to his otherwise well-rounded skillset. While he's still overpaid, it's not as egregious as it once looked.
Verdict: Keep Him Around
Sure, the Colts could save a chunk of change by dropping Walden, but would it be worth it? The only other linebacker on the roster who could play strong-side outside linebacker is Bjoern Werner. Do the Colts trust Werner? Well, they sat him for Shaun Phillips and an extra depth cornerback in the AFC Championship Game.
While part of that was lingering injuries for Werner, it's clear he hasn't been on the top of the Colts' priority list over the last year. Rookie Jonathan Newsome began to overtake him at ROLB as the year went on, and Werner was rarely effective. Unless they plan on spending another first-round pick on a strong-side linebacker, the Colts should keep Walden around.
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Trent Richardson
4 of 9
2015 Cap Number: $3.18 million
Potential Dead Money: --
Projected Cap Savings: $3.18 million
According to CBS Sports' Joel Corry, the recent, murky suspension of Trent Richardson for "conduct detrimental" does in fact void the guarantees on his base salary in 2015. Richardson signed a fully guaranteed contract as a rookie in 2012, and the Colts absorbed those guarantees when they traded for him in 2013. It was assumed by many those guarantees may have kept Richardson on the roster in 2015.
But if the suspension voids those guarantees, the Colts can part ways with Richardson, picking up more than $3 million in cap space and finally moving past the horrific trade of September 18, 2013.
Now, there has been talk of the NFLPA potentially protesting the suspension, which has had little details released. Some have speculated it was rooted in Richardson missing a walk-through before the AFC Championship Game because of a "family emergency," but Grigson merely said the suspension was for "personal reasons," per Kevin Bowen of Colts.com.
Verdict: Let Him Go
If the contract guarantees truly are voided with the suspension, this is a no-brainer. If the contract still counts against the cap, it's a bit trickier, but still may be worth ridding the Colts of the headache the Richardson situation has become.
The team went with undrafted free agent Zurlon Tipton and an off-the-streets Michael Hill over Richardson in the playoffs, even before the suspension. He's clearly not somebody the team trusts, and he's not worth a roster spot. I would understand the viewpoint of somebody wanting to give him the offseason and giving him another shot in August, but at this point it's time to move on.
Grigson now has a second chance to answer the question: "Would you make the Trent Richardson trade again?"
It should be an easier decision this time.
LaRon Landry
5 of 9
2015 Cap Number: $4.93 million
Potential Dead Money: $3.5 million
Projected Cap Savings: $1.43 million
One of the most glaring errors on Grigson's resume, the playmaking safety that was signed to a four-year, $24 million contract never showed up in Indianapolis.
Instead, the Colts got a mediocre-at-best, crippling-at-worst LaRon Landry, who missed four games in 2013 due to injury and missed five in 2014 due to a PED suspension. And sad as it is, Landry may have been worse when he was on the field.
When he returned from the suspension in Week 11, Landry was benched for former special teams captain Sergio Brown, who outplayed Landry in many respects. By Week 15, Landry had earned his snaps back, but Brown still finished with a Pro Football Focus grade more than three times higher than Landry.
Landry simply doesn't make many plays, in either the run or pass game. He's not one of the worst safeties in the league, but he's been average at best in Indianapolis, which simply isn't enough for a contract with $11 million guaranteed.
Verdict: Let Him Go (Contingent on re-signing Mike Adams)...But Most Likely Not
The tricky thing for Indianapolis is Landry's guaranteed money makes the savings minimal in 2015. Cutting him in 2016 is a much easier decision, as it would save roughly $6 million. But less than $1.5 million in 2015? Well, that complicates things.
The other difficult part is the contingency plan. Fellow starter Mike Adams is a free agent, as is Brown. I think letting Landry go would be the best move in the long run, but only if the team is able to ensure Adams will be able to man one safety spot next year. Bringing Brown back would assuage some fears as well. The Colts need to draft a young safety for the future, but they may not want him to start right off the bat.
But, while this is my verdict, it's not the most likely one. Taking the above points into consideration, Landry is most likely back on the Colts roster next year.
Donald Thomas
6 of 9
2015 Cap Number: $3.75 million
Potential Dead Money: $500k
Projected Cap Savings: $3.25 million
After Andrew Luck's rookie season, the Colts wanted to make it a priority to protect him. After all, the signings of Samson Satele, Mike McGlynn and Winston Justice in 2012 hadn't exactly worked out well.
So the Colts signed Gosder Cherilus and Donald Thomas, neither of which have quite lived up to expectations. But it's only Thomas who is in real danger of being cut in 2015, as Cherilus' guarantees would cause the Colts to lose money.
Thomas is the most likely player on this list to be cut, frankly. He's lost both of the last two seasons by tearing his right quad, in addition to tearing his bicep in 2013. Thomas played just one complete game (Week 1, 2013) over the last two seasons, and it's hard to see him recovering and being worth betting on in 2015.
Verdict: Let Him Go
There's no caveat here. Thomas presents an opportunity to clear significant cap space and doesn't have much, if any, upside to keep him around. Two consecutive season-ending injuries is often career-ending for players, and unfortunately for Thomas, that might be what we are seeing.
Shaun Phillips
7 of 9
2015 Cap Number: $2.65 million
Potential Dead Money: --
Projected Cap Savings: $2.65 million
Though Shaun Phillips has a strong history of rushing the passer, something the Colts desperately need, his age and injury history have relegated him to waivers in recent months.
Phillips was great in San Diego as a situational pass-rusher and starter alike from 2004-2012, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2010. In 2013, he signed a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos and picked up 10 sacks while starting all season.
But after turning 33 in May of last year, it seems Father Time finally caught up with Phillips. He signed with the Titans but was cut after 11 games. The Colts picked him up off of waivers on the next day, but he played just 136 snaps in eight games and got just six tackles without recording a sack.
Verdict: Keep Him...For Now
Phillips' contract isn't guaranteed at all, so the Colts don't have to worry about the June 1 deadline that can sometimes complicate these matters. With Robert Mathis, Erik Walden, Bjoern Werner and Jonathan Newsome all returning, it seems likely to me that Phillips will be the odd one out, especially if the Colts want to draft any pass-rushing youngsters in the 2015 NFL draft.
But with Mathis returning from an Achilles tear, it couldn't hurt the team to keep him around throughout the offseason. If Mathis' rehabilitation doesn't go well, Phillips can help pick up the slack in that department. If Mathis is ready to go, the Colts can let Phillips go without a second thought and still save $2.65 million.
Lance Louis
8 of 9
2015 Cap Number: $1.01 million
Potential Dead Money: $12.5k
Projected Cap Savings: $1.085 million
The Colts signed depth guard Lance Louis from the Bears in the 2014 offseason, hoping he could regain his pre-ACL injury form. Louis didn't quite do that, but he did provide the Colts with depth at the position and finished with 753 total snaps, the fourth-most among the Colts linemen.
Unfortunately, the quality of those snaps was rather poor. Louis finished with a -15.1 grade from Pro Football Focus, the second-worst overall grade on the entire team. With the team trying to revamp the run game and get younger on the line, there may be better places to go with that money.
Verdict: Let Him Go
Louis does provide some veteran presence on the line and knowledge of the Colts' scheme, but how much is that worth? I'd rather see the Colts use Louis' money to re-sign Joe Reitz and then go out and get another veteran guard in free agency for depth.
Hopefully Hugh Thornton takes a leap, making this point irrelevant, but if he continues on his current path the Colts will need somebody who can step in and start effectively. That's really not Louis, so what's the point in paying him more than $1 million?
Josh Cribbs
9 of 9
2015 Cap Number: $970k
Potential Dead Money: --
Projected Cap Savings: $970k
A big name without a big game.
Josh Cribbs' best days are behind him; it's as simple as that. He was released by the Cleveland Browns in May of 2013, signed and released by the Oakland Raiders by August, signed and placed on the injured reserve list by the New York Jets by December and then left unsigned throughout 2014 until the Colts came calling in mid-November.
Let's just say there is a reason Cribbs wasn't getting any suitors.
People kept waiting for the big play to come, but it never did. While Cribbs had a couple good returns early, it was nothing completely game-changing, and it was completely outweighed by his four fumbles, one of which came in the AFC Championship Game and completely changed the game in New England's favor.
Verdict: Let Him Go
Sure, the savings seem minimal, but ask yourself this: Would you rather have a roster spot and $1 million or Josh Cribbs?
Kyle Rodriguez is Bleacher Report's lead featured columnist for the Indianapolis Colts. He is also the editor-in-chief of Colts Authority and Colts Academy and a PFWA Dick Connor Writing Award recipient. Follow him on Twitter for year-round Colts and NFL analysis.
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