NFL free agency: One player each team should sign in 2019

Indianapolis Colts: WR Devin Funchess

It seems as though the Indianapolis Colts have a strong faith in Andrew Luck’s arm holding up; he’s on pace to throw the most passes through a single season in his career, averaging a little more than 41 attempts per contest.

With the confidence in Luck’s surgically repaired shoulder, the Colts must surround him with better offensive assets on the perimeter. The front office signed wide receiver Ryan Grant to a one-year, $5 million deal in March; he’s been mediocre at best, accumulating 27 catches for 276 yards and a touchdown in seven games.

Luck will have tight ends Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron along with his top receiving threat T.Y. Hilton for another year as a solid pass-catching trio. Nevertheless, a solid complement to the lead wideout could take the Colts aerial attack to another level.

At Devin Funchess’ size (6-foot-4, 225 pounds), he profiles as an ideal receiver for Luck, who’s connected with Ebron (6-foot-4, 253 pounds) and Doyle (6-foot-6, 262 pounds) as solid red-zone options. Adding another big body gives the Colts signal-caller a third target with a wide catch radius.

Funchess has put together a productive campaign in his walk year, hauling in 39 catches for 477 yards and three touchdowns with a 65 percent catch rate. Over the last two years, the Michigan product has led the Carolina Panthers wide receiver corps in catches and yards.

In the No. 2 role opposite Hilton, Funchess would likely continue to develop as a viable pass-catching threat who can find the end zone.