Both cornerback JuJu Brents and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner were back on the practice for the Colts on Wednesday, according to several members of the Colts’ media, as they faced the Arizona Cardinals in their first of two joint practices.
Brents and Buckner would both miss last Friday’s practice and neither would play in the preseason opener against Denver. Brents’ absence was precautionary on Sunday as he dealt with a shoulder injury.
For Buckner, it was a vet rest day. It remains to be seen if Buckner will play in any of the preseason games, which certainly isn’t a necessity for him.
Prior to Brents’ brief time missed, he was playing some of his best football of the summer. We’ve heard on a few occasions during the offseason and even from GM Chris Ballard right before camp began that the only certainty at cornerback was that Kenny Moore would be starting.
However, since offseason programs, Brents has been a mainstay in the starting defense.
“I feel great,” Brents said recently via Colts.com. “And I would say the main thing is my mentality. I ain’t got to come out here right now and think about doing this and that, now I can just allow my body to do it ’cause I’ve put that work in.”
Also returning to the practice field for the Colts on Wednesday was rookie linebacker Jaylon Carlies who had been dealing with a hip injury and missed the last several practices.
Prior to his injury, Carlies had caught the attention of the coaching staff with his coverage ability at the linebacker position as a former college safety–even seeing some snaps along side Zaire Franklin and EJ Speed as the Will linebacker in base.
As a first year player, however, he will now be playing catchup after missing some valuable time. It looks like when the Colts are lined up in their 4-3 base, Franklin will be the middle linebacker, Speed the Will, and Segun Olubi the Sam.
“You’ve seen us evolve to where a little bit like we’re willing to go, hey, let’s take a safety and maybe he hasn’t had a lot of opportunity to use his hands and strike and shed,” said defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
“But we feel like, alright, we can coach that part up. That’s JC. He’s a safety that’s playing linebacker, but he’s got really good length and he has that mindset, he just has to develop the skill set.”