The Indianapolis Colts received news that cornerback Marvell Tell and safety Rolan Milligan have decided to opt out of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This will likely shake up the depth chart a bit.
While neither player held a starting role, both served as depth pieces at positions that are considered thin for the Colts. The cornerback room has several question marks at cornerback, especially on the boundary.
Milligan figured to be the fourth safety in the rotation following Malik Hooker, Khari Willis and George Odum until rookie Julian Blackmon returns. Now, the Colts may have to dig deeper for some depth by re-signing some of the players they just released or by looking at veterans in free agency.
Here’s a look at the cornerback depth chart following the decision of Tell to opt out:
| CB1 | CB2 | Slot |
| Rock Ya-Sin | Xavier Rhodes | Kenny Moore II |
| T.J. Carrie | Lafayette Pitts | Isaiah Rodgers |
While the Colts signed Carrie to compete for the depth role in the slot behind Moore, he has the flexibility to work on the boundary as well. His signing becomes much more important after the opt-out of Tell.
Here’s a look at how the safety depth chart looks:
| FS | SS |
| Malik Hooker | Khari Willis |
| George Odum | Julian Blackmon |
| Donald Rutledge Jr. |
Most of the depth chart here remains the same. Blackmon could start the season on the PUP as he recovers from a torn ACL in December. This means the undrafted rookie in Rutledge Jr. is next in line behind Odum, but there is also a chance the Colts bring in a veteran safety to provide depth.
It will be interesting to see what kind of additions the Colts make to the roster, but these opt outs aren’t insignificant when looking at the depth of the secondary.