ESPN’s Matt Bowen put together his list of the top 50 free agents this offseason and included was Indianapolis Colts’ right guard Will Fries.
Along with Fries being apart of this list, ESPN’s NFL insider Jeremy Fowler provided some insight into Fries’ recovery from the tibia injury along with what his free agent market might look like:
“Fries expects to be fully cleared by the beginning of free agency, and he’ll attract serious interest,” wrote Fowler.
Fries’ 2024 season was cut short after suffering a season-ending tibia injury in the Colts’ Week 5 matchup with Jacksonville.
However, before that, he was operating as one of the best guards in football. According to PFF’s grading system, through five games, Fries ranked fourth among all guards as a run-blocker and 10th in pass protection, allowing just six pressures.
“He might lack high-end traits, but the tape tells us he can upgrade the interior of an offensive front,” wrote Bowen. “He has a fundamentally sound play style, the lower-body mobility to handle power rushers and an ability to sustain blocks on contact.”
It’s not easy finding quality offensive linemen, which is why as we saw last offseason, the guard market in free agency really took off.
Fries, thanks to his play, could now benefit from that this offseason. PFF recently projected that he will earn a four-year $57.25 million deal on the open market.
The Colts currently have $28.4 million in available cap space, according to Over the Cap, which ranks as the 18th most. They do, however, have the ability to create a lot more room if needed.
If Fries ends up playing elsewhere in 2025, the Colts would have a big hole to fill at right guard. Danny Pinter and Mark Glowinski–neither of whom are long-term answers–are both free agents as well.
