The Colts made an exclusive-rights tender to Herron on Thursday, the team's official website reports.

The Colts made an exclusive-rights tender to Herron on Thursday, the team's official website reports.

Analysis:

Herron is an exclusive-rights free agent, which means he really isn't a free agent at all. He'll be back with the Colts in 2015, after leading the team's backfield during the 2014 postseason. He showcased a solid combination of tough running and receiving skills, but the Colts will likely want to bring in some competition for touches, at the very least. Indianapolis has been linked to some of the big-name running backs that will soon become free agents, so Herron's stock largely depends on how the rest of the offseason plays out. Trent Richardson is unlikely to be back with the Colts, and Ahmad Bradshaw (leg) -- an impending free agent himself -- is a perpetual injury concern.