- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,129,887
- Reaction score
- 59
At the NFL league meetings, Indianapolis Colts' GM Chris Ballard discussed the current state of the linebacker unit.
This is a position for the Colts that has major question marks at the moment, largely given the inexperience within this room. Outside of Akeem Davis-Gaither, a free agent addition, the next most experienced player on the roster is Jaylon Carlies, a third-year linebacker with 244 career snaps, 242 of which came during the 2024 season.
"We've got some young guys in the locker room," Ballard said of the linebacker position. "We brought in Gaither-Davis, who we like. Lou's had him. So he knows his skill set really well. There's still a couple guys in free agency that we'll still consider. We'd really like to see JC (Jaylon Carlies) -- JC's got to stay healthy, but we think he's got the skill set to be a really good inside backer.
"And look, there's been other years we've gone into this really young. and we're not afraid to go into it with a young player as long as they win the job and can execute what Lou and them want. We feel good about kind of the guys we have, some young players, but also some guys that are still out there and plus the draft."
Davis-Gaither's experience in Lou Anarumo's defense, coupled with Anarumo knowing what he does best, should help him hit the ground running.
For most of his career with the Bengals, Davis-Gaither took on more of a rotational role. However, as a free agent last offseason, he signed with Arizona, where he would go on to make 13 starts and appear in 17 games.
There, he had his most productive year in the NFL, which included recording 117 total tackles. In coverage, he allowed 10.9 yards per catch with one interception and two pass breakups, according to PFF.
Carlies was a Day 3 pick by the Colts in 2024 and is a converted safety, bringing coverage skills and the ability to operate in space to the linebacker position. Unfortunately, Carlies missed a large portion of last season with an injury, and once back, he saw almost no playing time on defense.
Beyond those two on the depth chart, the Colts have Austin Ajiake, John Bullock, Joseph Vaughn, and Devin Veresuk.
This is a position that Ballard must continue to add to, whether that be in free agency or the NFL draft. Ideally, multiple additions will still be made here to help elevate the floor of this unit.
Depth is needed, and more competition for playing time is needed. You name it, the Colts need it at linebacker. Relying on the current iteration of this room to make an impact comes with risks, given the lack of experience.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL league meetings: Chris Ballard evaluates Colts linebacker position
Continue reading...
This is a position for the Colts that has major question marks at the moment, largely given the inexperience within this room. Outside of Akeem Davis-Gaither, a free agent addition, the next most experienced player on the roster is Jaylon Carlies, a third-year linebacker with 244 career snaps, 242 of which came during the 2024 season.
"We've got some young guys in the locker room," Ballard said of the linebacker position. "We brought in Gaither-Davis, who we like. Lou's had him. So he knows his skill set really well. There's still a couple guys in free agency that we'll still consider. We'd really like to see JC (Jaylon Carlies) -- JC's got to stay healthy, but we think he's got the skill set to be a really good inside backer.
"And look, there's been other years we've gone into this really young. and we're not afraid to go into it with a young player as long as they win the job and can execute what Lou and them want. We feel good about kind of the guys we have, some young players, but also some guys that are still out there and plus the draft."
Davis-Gaither's experience in Lou Anarumo's defense, coupled with Anarumo knowing what he does best, should help him hit the ground running.
For most of his career with the Bengals, Davis-Gaither took on more of a rotational role. However, as a free agent last offseason, he signed with Arizona, where he would go on to make 13 starts and appear in 17 games.
There, he had his most productive year in the NFL, which included recording 117 total tackles. In coverage, he allowed 10.9 yards per catch with one interception and two pass breakups, according to PFF.
Carlies was a Day 3 pick by the Colts in 2024 and is a converted safety, bringing coverage skills and the ability to operate in space to the linebacker position. Unfortunately, Carlies missed a large portion of last season with an injury, and once back, he saw almost no playing time on defense.
Beyond those two on the depth chart, the Colts have Austin Ajiake, John Bullock, Joseph Vaughn, and Devin Veresuk.
This is a position that Ballard must continue to add to, whether that be in free agency or the NFL draft. Ideally, multiple additions will still be made here to help elevate the floor of this unit.
Depth is needed, and more competition for playing time is needed. You name it, the Colts need it at linebacker. Relying on the current iteration of this room to make an impact comes with risks, given the lack of experience.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL league meetings: Chris Ballard evaluates Colts linebacker position
Continue reading...
