Desir’s release is evidently a financial move. He was signed to a three-year, $25 million extension in 2019 with $9 million guaranteed — all of which was buried in the first year of his deal. Desir represented a $6.85 million salary-cap hit in 2020 with no guaranteed money, but $3 million of his 2020 salary would have become guaranteed Sunday had he remained on the roster.

And why wouldn't they want to get Desir back on the roster? Since growing through the lower-level ranks of Washburn and Lindenwood University, Desir made it onto the NFL radar and was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He bounced from roster to roster before winning a starting job with the Colts in 2017. Since then, Desir has been a starting outside cornerback and was a high-impact player in Matt Eberflus' zone-heavy defense.

The starting job opposite Desir was always a weakness for the Colts until 2019. Indianapolis selected Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin at 34th overall in the draft and immediately slotted him as the second outside corner. With Desir, Ya-Sin and Kenny Moore II, the Colts had a quality starting cornerback trio with a lot of potential to grow.

But now the Colts don't have a first-round pick to replace Desir. Remaining on the roster is 2017 first-round disappointment Quincy Wilson, who saw reserve action as an outside corner last season but never panned out with quality play; veteran Briean Boddy-Calhoun and developmental safety convert Marvell Tell III. Remaining on the free-agent market? Only veteran options like Xavier Rhodes, Jimmy Smith and Prince Amukamara. All are serviceable year-by-year options for a team looking to compete with Philip Rivers on his immediate, guaranteed deal.

The Colts could again address the cornerback position through the draft. For the second season in a row, they own pick No. 34. Indianapolis has no first-round pick as a result of the DeForest Buckner trade, leaving No. 34 as the best pick it has. With it — and No. 44 overall — the Colts have to fill starting spots at wide receiver, tight end, the interior defensive line next to Buckner and now outside corner.

They were not in a desperate cap situation before cutting Desir and could accumulate even more cap room if they're able to get veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett off the books — something they're likely to try and get done as a consequence of Rivers’ deal. Perhaps a big-time signing at receiver (Robby Anderson), cornerback (Logan Ryan) or defensive line (Jadeveon Clowney, Ndamukong Suh) is in line for the soon-to-be-competing Colts.

But for now, the biggest question: Where will a starting-caliber corner in Desir end up now at the height of his game and a sudden late addition to an expensive free-agent class at corner? And will the Colts' faith in Ya-Sin as a CB1 on the outside be returned with production in Year 2 for the raw Temple product? This is a surprising gambit for a Colts team that didn't necessarily need to take it, and if a corresponding move doesn't strengthen their roster, then Indianapolis could very well find itself longingly watching Desir dominate for another team during the 2020 season.