3 Reasons Colts Must Retain Julian Blackmon

The Indianapolis Colts need safety help, and they may have it available to them already.

The Indianapolis Colts defense finished the 2023 season with an unenviable 28th rank in points allowed per game at 24.4.

Partial blame could go to inconsistent pressure on quarterbacks but also overall efficiency from the safety position. Free safety Rodney Thomas II had a massive drop off in productivity from his impressive rookie season, allowing big plays and ineffectively communicating in coverage. 

Ultimately, Nick Cross got the nod to play 210 snaps at free safety and performed better than Thomas. Also, Ronnie Harrison Jr., who was a safety converted to linebacker, logged 82 snaps at the position. 

But the Colts can't rely on this situation moving forward. The answer? Keep Julian Blackmon. 

Here are three reasons why Indy has to re-sign the veteran defender. 

The Colts Need Safety Help

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Building off of the breakdown of the 2023 season, Indianapolis currently has a depth issue at strong and free safety. This is still true even with Blackmon on the roster. 

Blackmon is already a four-year veteran and is a mere 25 years old. While he's had some injury woes, he's also the undisputed best safety on the squad. 

Blackmon switched to strong safety in 2023, which fits his skillset better and led to the best season of his career. This is one of the biggest arguments why the Colts must retain him. 

Speaking of Blackmon's impressive season. 

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He's Coming Off a Career Year

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Blackmon did miss the final two games of the season with a shoulder injury, and Indy sorely missed the playmaker. However, after 15 games, he was impressive, to say the least. 

Blackmon had 88 tackles, five for loss, eight passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and four interceptions (team lead). All of these metrics were career-best for the former Utah Ute. If he played the final two games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans, he may have eclipsed 100 tackles and grabbed a few more turnovers. 

With how hot Blackmon was playing to finish the season, the Colts need to figure out how to pay him and retain his services. The good news is that he likely won't break the bank, and Indy has the funds to make this happen. 

He Won't Be Expensive to Re-Sign

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Blackmon has completed his rookie contract. Now, he's warranted a new one and has earned the right to receive it. 

However, this year's crop of free agent safeties likely aren't getting massive deals outside of a few names, mainly Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar Antoine Winfield Jr. or Washington Commanders strong safety Kamren Curl. 

Per Spotrac, Winfield ($18.4 million annually) and Curl ($15.3 million annually) have big market value. While Blackmon played fantastic football, he won't make near this money. But perhaps Blackmon commands around $8 to $11 million per year on a new deal. 

The exact value of Blackmon isn't the easiest to predict since safety isn't a big-money position by NFL standards. But Indy has the fourth-most cap space in the league, with $66,350,395 available to spend. Given how dire the safety need is for Gus Bradley's young defense, they need to pay Blackmon. 

Even with other free agents like cornerback Kenny Moore II, defensive tackle Grover Stewart, and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. up for new contracts, the Colts can still pay Blackmon. It's also worth noting that he might be the cheapest to keep out of the four. 

We'll see what the Colts do as they look to the 2024 off-season to build and bolster a secondary that needs depth, experience, and playmakers to succeed in a highly competitive AFC conference. 

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