Another potential starting safety option bites the dust. This time to an AFC South divisional rival.
According to NFL Network’sIan Rapoport, the Tennessee Titans are signing former Seattle Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs to a 1-year, $3 million deal (with up to an extra $2 million in incentives)—leaving the Indianapolis Colts with potentially one less quality veteran option in the remaining free agent market:
The 31-year-old Diggs was a 3x NFL Pro Bowler (2020-22) with the Seattle Seahawks, having been drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 6th round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He’s coming off a 2023 season for the Seahawks in which he recorded 95 tackles (63 solo), a tackle for loss, an interception, and 5 passes defensed during all 17 starts.
Given the quality of the player, the Colts lingering need at the starting safety job next to Julian Blackmon, and the ultimate price-tag, it’s a little bit of a head-scratcher as to why the Colts didn’t sign the still available Diggs—who instead landed with an AFC South rival.
It’s not the first time that the Titans upgraded while the Colts remained pat—as Tennessee traded for former Kansas City Chiefs prized cornerback L’Jarius Sneed earlier this offseason (*which Indianapolis’s actual level of interest in Sneed depends on who you actually ask). The Titans have chosen to make meaningful upgrades at both cornerback and safety, which arguably remain key deficiencies for the Colts secondary going forward.
The Colts drafted 6th round Marshall cornerback Micah Abraham in the recent NFL Draft, and otherwise it’s been largely running back the same group at safety (minus 2nd-year safety Daniel Scott, who was lost to another season-ending injury in minicamp).
The Colts free safety spot has so far been an enigma among a group of challengers that includes Nick Cross, Ronnie Harrison Jr., and Rodney Thomas II—with no one having run away with the starting job adjacent to Blackmon outright in training camp. It’s gotten to the point where Blackmon himself has even taken starting reps at free safety, which still leaves the question of who exactly is starting next to him regardless.
To be fair, Diggs didn’t have a great season last year in Seattle. Per PFF, he ranked as their 87th best safety with a +55.1 overall grade, which was actually 8 spots behind Rodney Thomas II—who by all accounts had a pretty underwhelming 2nd-year season in coverage for Indianapolis.
It’s a fair question of whether father time has caught up with Diggs after 9 NFL seasons.
That being said, this was a potential opportunity for the Colts to add some ‘veteran insurance’ at seemingly a reasonable price. Something that they’ve failed to do at other positions in the recent past including at left tackle, right guard, and wide receiver among other positions—that has gone on to then predictably plague their seasons.
There’s still former Denver Broncos All-Pro Justin Simmons hanging out in free agency, who could really be a savvy late offseason signing by the Colts. However, for how much longer remains the question, as NFL teams have a better idea of their safety situation midway through training camp and could ink the veteran as an upgrade shortly.
