The Indianapolis Colts are described as being the best fit for one of the biggest remaining NFL free agents.
The Indianapolis Colts feel comfortable with using a committee approach to fill their need at the third wide receiver spot, but it doesn't have to be that way.
The team traded Michael Pittman Jr. away this offseason, which leaves a significant void, as he'd been their top receiver for the majority of the time since 2020.
With the draft and bulk of free agency passed, the Colts did not add anyone to be the unquestioned Pittman replacement to line up alongside Alec Pierce and Josh Downs.
The Colts did sign free agent Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and draft Deion Burks, and have spoken positively about incumbents Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell, but none of them is an obvious starter.
That leaves open the possibility that the Colts could still sign a free agent with part of their estimated $31.8 million in salary cap space rather than rely on a mixture of the aforementioned players to fill Pittman's shoes.
When evaluating the best team fits for 14 of the most prominent remaining NFL free agents, ESPN's Matt Bowen landed on the Colts as the ideal destination for wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
"The Colts added veteran receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine this offseason, but Samuel would bring a unique skill set to coach Shane Steichen's offense as a complement to Alec Pierce and slot man Josh Downs," Bowen wrote. "Steichen can create a long runway for Samuel to get up to speed on crossers, while building in manufactured touches on screens and fly sweeps.
"Signing Samuel, who caught 72 passes last season in Washington, would also give quarterback Daniel Jones another catch-and-run target alongside tight end Tyler Warren. Both Samuel and Warren ranked in the top 15 of yards after the catch last season."
Bowen isn't the only national analyst who sees Samuel and the Colts as a productive pairing, as SI.com's Gilberto Manzano made the same connection in April.
Samuel (6'0", 215, 30 years old) obviously is no longer the same player that made First-Team All-Pro in 2021 with over 1,700 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns, but he proved last year in his lone season with the Washington Commanders that he still has utility.
He caught 72-of-99 targets for 727 yards (10.1 avg.) and five touchdowns to go with 17 carries for 75 yards (4.4 avg.) and another touchdown. All of that while the quarterback Samuel joined the Commanders to play for, Jayden Daniels, missed 10 games.
In 2025, despite Samuel's average depth of target (5.5) being almost three yards shorter than Pittman's (8.4), Samuel had a higher rate of yards after catch per reception (6.5 vs. Pittman's 3.4) and yards per route run (1.66 vs. Pittman's 1.46).
Obviously, Samuel was getting more high-percentage throws than Pittman, but he was doing more with them.
Considering quarterback Daniel Jones' return from an Achilles injury, the Colts' passing game may rely heavily on yards-after-catch opportunities, featuring Downs and Tyler Warren. However, YAC has always been Samuel's modus operandi, which could allow him to fit in seamlessly.
So, could the Colts' plan of rotating the likes of Dulin, Westbrook-Ikhine, Burks, and Treadwell work? Probably. But why not opt for some consistency by adding one player to absorb most of the work?
