Grading the Colts’ Latest Free Agency Moves: Filling the Gaps

Welcome to the post-Michael Pittman era in Indianapolis. It’s a little drafty in here, isn’t it?

NFL free agency isn’t always about making the splashy, headline-grabbing moves that break social media algorithms and send talk radio into a frenzy. Sometimes, it’s just about plugging the gaping holes on your roster so your depth chart doesn’t resemble a local junior varsity squad. Enter the Indianapolis Colts’ latest patchwork Wednesday: signing veteran wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither.

Neither of these guys is going to trigger a sudden spike in jersey sales at the stadium team store. But if you actually watch football, you know that the gritty, under-the-radar signings are what keep a 17-game season from completely falling off the rails. Let’s grab a red pen, head to the film room, and hand out some grades.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: A Necessary Band-Aid for the Offense

Grade: B-

Let’s be brutally honest for a second. When the Colts traded Michael Pittman, a massive, blinking neon sign reading “HELP WANTED” was practically hovering over the wide receiver room. Without Pittman, the top targets behind Alec Pierce and Josh Downs were Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould, and Laquon Treadwell. With all due respect to those guys, that is not a lineup that keeps opposing defensive coordinators awake at night.

So, the front office went out and got Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Is he going to replace Pittman’s production? Absolutely not. But what he does bring is a pulse, professional experience, and a history of actually catching the football.

Westbrook-Ikhine put together four incredibly solid, blue-collar seasons in Tennessee from 2021 through 2024, averaging roughly 50 targets a year. Sure, last season with the Miami Dolphins was a disaster—he looked completely out of place and managed just 11 catches for 89 yards. But if we zoom out and look at his career, he’s hauled in 62 percent of his 225 targets, averages a highly respectable 13.5 yards per catch, and has found the end zone 19 times. He’s a guy who fights for yards after the catch and isn’t afraid to do the dirty work over the middle.

This is a B- move because it’s a high-floor, low-ceiling signing. The Colts desperately needed a veteran who knows how to line up correctly and fight for first downs. NWI provides exactly that.

Akeem Davis-Gaither: Bringing Adult Supervision to the Linebackers

Grade: B-

If you thought the receiver room was looking a little thin, the Colts’ linebacker situation before this signing was practically a ghost town. Before Akeem Davis-Gaither put pen to paper, the most experienced linebacker on the Indianapolis roster was Jaylon Carlies. Carlies has exactly 244 career snaps under his belt. That’s not a typo. That’s a terrifying reality for an NFL defense trying to stop the run in December.

Bringing in Davis-Gaither is the equivalent of hiring adult supervision for a room full of toddlers. The veteran linebacker spent his first five seasons in Cincinnati playing under Lou Anarumo, who just happens to be calling the shots for the Colts’ defense now.

Davis-Gaither is coming off an absolute career year with the Arizona Cardinals in 2025, where he racked up a whopping 117 tackles. He isn’t just a run-stuffer, either. In coverage last year, he allowed a stingy 10.9 yards per reception, broke up a couple of passes, and snagged an interception. He perfectly fits the versatile, Swiss Army Knife mold that Anarumo demands from his second-level defenders. He can blitz the A-gap, operate in space, and, most importantly, he already speaks Anarumo’s defensive language.

Will he be a Pro Bowler? Probably not. But he allows the defense to hit the ground running in training camp without having to explain the basics to a room full of rookies. It’s another B- grade for a move that was an absolute necessity.

The Final Verdict on the Colts’ Strategy

These aren’t the moves you brag about to your friends over a beer, but they are the moves that keep your team competitive in the fourth quarter. The Colts identified two areas where they were bleeding out—receiver depth and linebacker experience—and applied a pair of solid, veteran tourniquets. Now, it’s time to see if these guys can bounce back and prove they still have plenty of gas left in the tank.