The Indianapolis Colts cornerback room already had plenty of question marks entering the 2023 season, and now they’ll be without one of their projected starters.
Former sixth-round pick Isaiah Rodgers Sr. was poised to be one of the starting cornerbacks on the boundary entering the final year of his rookie deal, but he was waived following a suspension due to violating the league’s gambling policy.
The Colts used three of their 12 selections in the 2023 NFL draft at the cornerback position in the forms of Julius Brents (second round), Darius Rush (fifth round) and Jaylon Jones (seventh round). All have promising traits to be significant contributors.
But the Colts may need to look at the free-agent market to bring in some veteran experience considering Kenny Moore II is the only player in the room with more than four career starts in the NFL.
Without further ado, here are five veteran free-agent cornerbacks the Colts could consider signing to replace the recently departed Rodgers:
1
Marcus Peters
Age: 30
Arguably the biggest name available in the cornerback market is Peters. Though he wasn’t his usual dominant self in 2023, allowing a 70.6% catch rate and 113.5 passer rating in coverage, per PFF, he has a history of being a lock-down corner on the boundary.
2
Ronald Darby
Age: 29
The former Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback played in only five games during the 2022 season before suffering a torn ACL. He was released by the Broncos in March, but he was playing well before the injury. According to PFF, Darby allowed a 50% catch rate and 66.9 passer rating on 20 targets before his injury.
3
Casey Heyward
Age: 34
The oft-injured veteran certainly carries a high-risk factor considering his extensive injury history. He was released this offseason with a failed physical designation after appearing in just six games in 2022. Still, Hayward would be an interesting veteran to add to the room on a one-year deal to see if he can stay healthy.
4
Eli Apple
Age: 28
The former first-round pick is the epitome of a boom/bust cornerback. According to PFF, Apple was targeted 91 times in 2022 but allowed a 58.2% catch rate. However, he allowed 14.1 yards per reception. So he doesn’t always allow the receiver to finish the play but when he does, it usually goes for a big gain. Even so, the Colts need depth in the worst way, and Apple has starting experience.
5
Kyle Fuller
Age: 31
Another veteran option with an injury history, Fuller missed the entire 2022 season after suffering a torn ACL in Week 1. He may not be the All-Pro cornerback from his days with the Chicago Bears, but he may be a solid veteran addition to a young room if he can stay healthy.
6
Fabian Moreau
Age: 29
The former third-round pick showed some flashes during the 2022 season with the New York Giants, stepping up into a bigger role than expected. Those flashes were accompanied by some frustrating lapses, but Moreau wouldn’t come in with the expectation of being a lockdown starter. According to PFF, Moreau allowed a 60.8% catch rate on 79 targets and a 103.3 passer rating.
