INDIANAPOLIS – Will the most productive sack season of Kemoko Turay’s career lead to the Colts making him a priority in free agency?
Improving the pass rush is a need Chris Ballard has mentioned this offseason.
Ballard has pointed to affecting the quarterback in numbers, building the depth he believes is necessary over the course of a 17-game season.
Turay finished his rookie contract in 2021 with 5.5 sacks, while also having the healthiest campaign since his rookie season.
He played in 13 of 17 games, after missing 21 games in the two previous seasons combined.
Even though Turay remains a liability on run downs, he still has been the Colts best speed rusher off the edge since being drafted in 2018.
Banking on Turay all of a sudden blossoming into a double-digit sack guy is risky.
Re-signing Turay though to a one-year deal with the hope that he will rise to the occasion in another contract year seems like something the Colts should explore.
With the ’21 campaign finally turning the arrow around for Turay, the worry of letting him walk in free agency has to be there.
Was last season the start of Turay putting some things together inching closer to his potential? One would think other teams around the league might have some intrigue in thinking Turay could reach that level in a change of scenery, so he might have more of a market than most with this resume.
That’s the debate the Colts must have this offseason.
Still, the fact the Colts lack somebody with the skillset of Turay, makes him attractive to a defensive line needing more individual disruption.
