Free Agent Quandre Diggs Could Be An Excellent Pickup For The Indianapolis Colts, Forming A Duo With Fellow Safety Julian Blackmon.
The 2024 season is right around the corner, and the Indianapolis Colts still need to address the safety position. Signing Quandre Diggs makes a ton of sense. The three-time Pro Bowl safety is one of the top free agents left on the market.
To clear salary cap space, the Seattle Seahawks released Diggs back in March. Surprisingly, no team has swooped in and signed him yet.
This offseason, the Colts focused on re-signing free agents. The team retained guys like Michael Pittman Jr., Kenny Moore, and Grover Stewart. They also handed extensions to DeForest Buckner and Zaire Frankin. Besides Joe Flacco and Raekwon Davis, Indianapolis didn’t make many additions when it came to players outside the organization.
That needs to change. The Colts need to go out and sign Diggs, who can help improve their inexperienced secondary.
Quandre Diggs’ Career
Quandre Diggs played four seasons of college ball with the Texas Longhorns. He won Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and was named to the Second-team All-Big 12 twice.
The Detroit Lions selected Diggs in the sixth round (200th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. He would play cornerback during his first two years before switching to safety. The Texas native stayed in Detroit until he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2019.
Diggs played five seasons in Seattle. During that span, he made the Pro Bowl three times: 2020, 2021, and 2022. He was voted a team captain in 2022 and 2023. Diggs recorded 18 interceptions and 32 pass deflections while starting 72 games as a Seahawk.
Why the Colts Should Sign Him
Heading into this year’s draft, safety was one of the Colts’ biggest needs. The team drafted two designated safeties in Missouri’s Jaylon Carlies and Auburn’s Jaylin Simpson. However, they will both move to different positions. Carlies switches to linebacker while Simpson moves to cornerback. That means the Colts didn’t address safety via the draft.
Julian Blackmon, the best safety on the Colts roster, was re-signed earlier this off-season. In 2023, he had a career-high 88 tackles and four interceptions.
Blackmon will start at strong safety, but the free safety spot is up for grabs. Nick Cross hasn’t shown enough yet to be a starter. Plus, Daniel Scott is out for the season with a torn Achilles.
With that said, signing Quandre Diggs would be the right move. At 31 years old, he might be considered past his prime. Yet, he is just one year removed from three straight Pro Bowl selections.
Diggs is a veteran who can mentor Indy’s younger safeties. He has intercepted 24 passes and produced 56 passes defended during his career. He could certainly teach the young guys what it takes to be a successful defensive back.
Diggs could team with Blackmon to form a terrific safety duo in Indy. While they wouldn’t necessarily be an elite combo, they would make the Colts’ secondary better than it was last year. A season ago, the secondary got shredded by their opponents consistently. Again, a Quandre Diggs signing is the way to go.
