The Indianapolis Colts had a boring finish to their 2024 campaign at 8-9 with no playoffs, but there were still silver linings during the season that stand out.
In a recent piece from Bradley Locker at Pro Football Focus highlighting the best-graded free agents from each NFL team, a Colts' offensive lineman makes the ranks; none other than seventh-round selection out of Penn State, guard Will Fries.
Fries was in the midst of a breakout season before a leg injury ended his season after only five games. On 268 total snaps, he generated a career-high 84.9 PFF run-blocking grade and let up only six pressures (although two were sacks). Fries was the NFL's second-highest-graded guard through the first five weeks of the year.
As Locker mentions, Fries was on a heater in 2024 before going down for the year with a broken tibia. The four-year pro logged fantastic PFF marks of 86.9 overall and 74.9 pass-blocking. The overall (fourth) and run-blocking (fifth) were good enough to be in the top five for NFL guards in 2024.
While backups Dalton Tucker and Mark Glowinski fought hard to shore up the void left behind by Fries, it was far less superior quality. Fries might have been injured and only played five games but earned a new contract with Indianapolis.
The Colts sit 18th in the NFL in available cap space with $28,467,573 (Over the Cap), so they can make the deal happen. Given that Fries broke out despite a small sample of games, it might be foolhardy for Indy to allow him to walk.
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Fries might command around $11-12 million annually if he's inked to the Colts, but it's well worth the coin. Quarterback Anthony Richardson needs protection for his development, and Fries will stick around for years ahead.
Also, the Colts' ground game and Jonathan Taylor benefitted from Fries' interior blocking to jar loose consistent runs and big plays. The writing is on the wall for the Colts to pony up the money to keep Fries' services with position coach Tony Sparano Jr., who's assisted in bringing the best out of Fries.
While center Ryan Kelly and right tackle Braden Smith's futures with Indy hang in the balance, Fries must remain. Fries had a shaky 2022 and a better 2023 but looked like a Pro Bowl player in 2024 and has only improved every season since joining the NFL.
General manager Chris Ballard should run a checkbook to Fries right now to secure him for years with Shane Steichen and Richardson. Protection and having consistency in the offensive trenches is paramount for a developing QB and head coach finding his groove.
Expect Indianapolis to keep Fries, having no problem giving him a contract to secure him with names like Bernhard Raimann and Quenton Nelson, along with potential future starters Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves.