Despite being released from the only team he’s ever played for in the NFL this offseason, veteran cornerback Xavier Rhodes got a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts. A player who has looked up to him is now one of his teammates in Rock Ya-Sin.
Entering his second season in the NFL, Ya-Sin had a rocky rookie campaign. It was more good than bad and his second-half showed he was making strides of development.
Now, he gets to learn under Rhodes, who will most likely be working on the boundary position opposite Ya-Sin.
“I’ve known of Xavier for a long time. I’ve watched him be an All-Pro corner. I’ve watched him shut down Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and top receivers in our league for a long time,” Ya-Sin said this week. “When he ended up in Indianapolis, I couldn’t be anything but happy to be able to compete with a guy like that, to be able to learn from a veteran like that. I was very excited to get to play with him.”
Rhodes himself is hoping to bounce back from a down year in 2019. Whether it was injuries or simply the game getting away from him, Rhodes had arguably his worst season since entering the league as a first-round pick in the 2011 draft.
But the Colts have confidence in the veteran to be both a leader and a productive asset in the secondary. He has gotten some work in with another Colts cornerback this offseason in Kenny Moore, who said the veteran is already showing leadership qualities.
The secondary will be an interesting position group to watch this season. Ya-Sin and Moore appear steady but there are several question marks throughout the cornerback and safety rooms.
This is a big year for Ya-Sin but it should help to have a veteran like Rhodes in the room to help him continue his development as a boundary corner.