We've long thought Ahmad Bradshaw is the most talented free agent still available. For most of Thursday, it appeared the running back wouldn't be on the market much longer.
NFL.com's Kimberly Jones reported that Bradshaw and the Indianapolis Colts were in contract talks, according to a person familiar with the negotiations, and a deal was likely to happen. But later in the day, according to Jones, talks between the sides reached a stalemate, and a deal that earlier was described as close to being done now might not be.
If the stalemate can be broken, Bradshaw as a Colt would make a lot of sense. He is a versatile back who can excel on early downs, but he's especially good on passing downs. And there are plenty of passing downs in Indianapolis with Andrew Luck, no matter how much the Colts are talking about "balance" this offseason.
Bradshaw is very tough for his size, but you can get more out of him by giving him less work. The Colts need another option at running back with Vick Ballard, Donald Brown and Delone Carter atop the depth chart. Ballard is a nice player, but he's not a true lead back.
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