INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts have made their first outside signing of the 2022 free agency period.
On Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours before free agency officially begins on Wednesday, the Colts reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with Brandon Facyson
At the minimum, Facyson should be viewed as a long cornerback body that will improve depth. At the high end, Facyson could be a potential replacement for Xavier Rhodes.
While the Colts have some young corners who took a needed step forward last year, the 27-year-old Facyson now gets thrown into a mix as a long, outside corner, with Rhodes hitting free agency at the age of 31. Veteran T.J. Carrie is also a free agent this offseason.
An undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech in 2018, Facyson first teamed up with Gus Bradley and the Chargers. After playing for Bradley from 2018-20, Facyson then made the transition over to the Raiders, joining Las Vegas last October. And now, for a third time in 5 NFL seasons, Bradley and Facyson are together.
Facyson, who stands 6-2 and weighs 197, has mostly been a reserve in his career (along with special teams duty), but did start 9 games for the Raiders last year.
In coverage, Facyson allowed a 55.6 completion percentage and had an impressive 13 passes defensed last season. He did struggle as a tackler.
Looking ahead to 2022, the Colts have the likes of Kenny Moore and Isaiah Rodgers still under contract. The trade of Rock Ya-Sin is a sign of how the Colts view Facyson. As of now, it’s quite possible he could be a Week 1 starter. Facyson is clearly someone that Bradley, the Colts new defensive coordinator, has viewed fondly.
Cornerback wasn’t a major need this offseason for the Colts, but in today’s NFL you can never have enough. And the Colts would be wise to explore it more this offseason.
A trio of Facyson, Moore and Rodgers is one that will be tested with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott and Derek Carr on the schedule.
