Looking to end the longest playoff drought in 30 years, the Indianapolis Colts need to make some changes this offseason.
Some of that will come with the coaching staff as the Colts have already cut ties with former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Other ways could come by changing some of the personnel on the roster.
In a surprising suggestion, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report predicted that the Colts could part ways with right tackle Braden Smith, who has one more season remaining on his $70 million contract.
“If there’s one veteran that could be a surprise cut candidate, it would be Braden Smith. The Colts would clear $16.8 million in cap space by releasing him, and Matt Goncalves might have played well enough to justify that move,” Ballentine wrote.
In typical Chris Ballard fashion, the Colts are in solid standing with the salary cap. They are right around the middle of the league with roughly $52.1 million in salary-cap space, according to Spotrac.
Cutting Smith wouldn’t be an absolutely necessary move, but he will account for a $19.75 cap hit in 2025. He has played a full season just once since 2020 even though he’s been a strong asset at right tackle when he is on the field.
During the 2024 season, Smith allowed 24 total pressures, including four sacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
There are a lot of moves the Colts need to make, but simply cutting Smith would be a surprising one considering there would likely be a trade market if the front office felt strongly about making a change.
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