Among the many pending free agents for the Indianapolis Colts, safety Julian Blackmon is one of the more intriguing names on the list.
The former third-round pick is coming off a one-year deal he signed with the team last offseason following the expiration of his rookie contract.
When he’s on the field, Blackmon is a solid producer. He’ll have some lapses in terms of missed tackles and the occasional poor pursuit angle, but the Utah product has been a consistent asset in various roles since arriving in 2019.
Despite posting a career season in 2023 working both as a free safety and as a box defender, the Colts surprisingly kept Blackmon as a deep-field safety for the majority of the 2024 campaign. He was still solid, but his usage near the line of scrimmage was missed.
Blackmon now enters free agency once again and while there’s a chance the Colts bring him back on another short-terms deal given their need in the secondary, he may simply be looking for a change of scenery.
Ahead of free agency, Pro Football Focus projects Blackmon to land a three-year, $21 million deal on the open market. He ranks No. 92 on their top 100 free agents list.
“Blackmon returned to playing almost exclusively a deep safety role after lining up a lot more in the box and slot in 2023. His three interceptions in 2024 gives him seven over the past two seasons. However, a year after Blackmon ranked tied for sixth among safeties with 30 defensive stops, he ranked outside the top 50 with just 12 in 2024, in large part due to his alignment. Blackmon may be a jack of all trades and a master of none, but he’s a good football player,” PFF wrote.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Blackmon’s future, but there could be a decent market for him.
More Indianapolis Colts News
3 QBs the Colts could target as competition for Anthony Richardson
Colts free agent expected to ‘attract serious interest’
NFL analyst calls Colts ‘sleeper team’ to trade for 4-time MVP quarterback
