The time has never been more opportune for the Indianapolis Colts to sign Trey Hendrickson.

With 3 days until NFL's legal tampering period for free agency opens, the Colts are $4.7 million over the salary cap. Options for clearing cap space

With free agency on the horizon, here are three free agents that the Colts should be ready to move on from.

If the Colts move forward with a trade, it signals a shift toward a younger defensive core. Most projections for the upcoming 2026 NFL draft have the Colts focusing on the defensive front seven, and there are several linebacker options expected to be starting-caliber players who could fill Franklin's shoes.

Chris Ballard didn’t just hint at changes; he drew a line in the sand. The Indianapolis Colts need an injection of youth and raw speed on the defensive side of the ball.

Before free agency begins, let's take a look at the current state of the Indianapolis Colts' defense.

The Colts are talking with teams about a trade for linebacker Zaire Franklin, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The team is $4.71 million over the $301.2 million salary cap, according to overthecap.com,