The Colts inked free agent-to-be cornerback Kelvin Hayden to a five-year deal worth $43 million. The move was the first by the team to make sure they don’t lose him or some of their other bigger name players in free agency, which starts in eight days.

The team had been thinking about putting the franchise tag on Hayden, but instead of having to do that, he gets the new five-year deal that will pay him about $8.6 mil per season. If they would have put the tag on him, it would have cost the team about $9.9 million.

Hayden intercepted three passes each of the past two seasons. The team is still looking at options for center Jeff Saturday – a thee-time Pro Bowler, running back Dominic Rhodes, linebacker Tyjuan Hagler and punter Hunter Smith.