Colts land big-name free agent in pass rusher Justin Houston
Joel A. Erickson and Zak Keefer
INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts dabbled, waited, watched as the initial wave of free agency rose to a crescendo of ballooning contracts and then crashed, most of the big fish already plucked from the water.
But a massive catch was still in the water, there for the taking a week after the opening of free agency, and Chris Ballard finally saw the right opportunity to make the splash everybody's been expecting.
Indianapolis has signed Kansas City Chiefs pass rusher Justin Houston to a two-year, $24 million contract, multiple sources told IndyStar, a win-win deal that lands the Colts arguably the best available player at their position of greatest need.
Houston, 30, is a bona fide edge rusher who has racked up 78.5 sacks in eight seasons but was released by the Kansas City Chiefs for salary-cap reasons.
A four-time Pro Bowler who led the NFL with 22 sacks in 2014, Houston has battled injuries in the four years since then, but he's as productive as he's ever been when he's on the field. Over the past four seasons, Houston has 30 sacks in 43 games, including 18.5 over the past two years.
And he plays a position that Ballard has ticketed all season as a must. Always a 3-4 outside linebacker in Kansas City, Houston will play defensive end for the Colts, a transition that should be fairly easy given that the Chiefs often rushed out of a four-man front in nickel situations.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts land big-name free agent in pass rusher Justin Houston