The Colts plan to audition free agent running back Orleans Darkwa, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
If he were injury-free, Darkwa almost surely would have landed a new contract by now, but a May surgery to remove a plate in his leg likely concerned interested clubs. Darkwa received medical clearance more than a month ago, but still has yet to find a new home.
Thus far, Darkwa has only met with AFC East clubs, as the Patriots, Jets, and Bills have brought in the 26-year-old for a visits (the New York and Buffalo meetings both occurred within the past week). New England doesn’t look like a landing spot any longer after the team added Sony Michel in the first round of the draft, and the Jets also have no “immediate” plans to sign Darkwa, per Rapoport.
Playing for the Giants in 2017, Darkwa posted the best campaign of his NFL tenure in by setting career-highs in starts (11), rushes (171), yards (751), and touchdowns (five). Football Outsiders ranked Darkwa as a top-25 running back in both DYAR and DVOA (meaning he was both effective overall and efficient on a per-play basis), while Pro Football Focus noted his ability to create his own yardage. Per PFF, Darkwa not only managed 67% of his rushing yards after first contact, but performed well in Yards Created, a metric which filters out game situation, score, offensive line performance, and other variables.
At present, the Colts are set to rely on Marlon Mack, Christine Michael, and rookies Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins in their backfield, at least until veteran Robert Turbin returns from a performance-enhancing drug suspension. Darkwa doesn’t represent the first free agent back Indianapolis has looked at, as the club worked out Terrance West in May before he signed with the Saints.