To break the worst postseason drought in 30 years, the Indianapolis Colts must make some changes this summer.
Some of that will come from the coaching staff, as the Colts have already parted ways with former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Other options include changing some of the individuals on the roster.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report made an unexpected prediction that the Colts could split ways with right lineman Braden Smith, who has one season left on his $70 million contract.
“If there is one veteran who could be a surprise cut candidate, it is Braden Smith. The Colts would free up $16.8 million in contract space by releasing him, and Matt Goncalves may have performed well enough to justify the move,” Ballentine said.
In classic Chris Ballard manner, the Colts are in good position with the salary cap. According to Spotrac, they are in the middle of the league in terms of salary-cap space, with approximately $52.1 million.
Smith’s removal would not be strictly required, but he will incur a $19.75 cap hit in 2025. He has only played one full season since 2020, despite being a valuable contributor at right tackle when he is on the field.
According to Pro Football Focus, Smith allowed 24 total pressures in 2024, four of them were sacks.
The Colts have a lot of decisions to make, but simply cutting Smith would be unexpected given that there would almost certainly be a trade market if the front staff felt strongly about making a change.
