Tag: EJ Speed

Indianapolis Colts linebacker EJ Speed will be active for the team’s Week 11 matchup with the New York Jets.

After playing 100 percent of the defensive snaps against Buffalo in Week 10, Speed popped up on the injury report as he dealt with a knee injury. Speed was limited on Wednesday and Thursday, but a full participant on Friday.

While we don’t know the specifics of this knee issue that Speed was working through, it was a knee injury that kept him out of the team’s Week 7 matchup with Miami.

With Speed avaialble, the Colts can maintain what has become their normal linebacker rotation over the last few weeks with Jaylon Carlies out. When in nickel, which will be the majority of the snaps, Speed will line up next to Zaire Franklin.

Then when the Colts go into their base 4-3 look, Grant Stuard will come on as the third linebacker, joining Speed and Franklin.

Speed has totaled 79 total tackles this season for the Colts and seven quarterback pressures as a blitzer. He’s forced one pass breakup in coverage and came away with his first interception off of Josh Allen last week.

Although the Colts being on a three-game losing streak, the defense has held its own, and done so against some good opponents.

A key factor in this game for the Colts’ defense will be limiting Breece Hall in the run game. If the Colts can accomplish that, there is then a positive trickle-down effect to the rest of the defense, with the Jets offense then routinely having to deal with long down-and-distance situations, which is advantageous for the defense.

Indianapolis Colts linebacker EJ Speed met with the media recently, while players take part in offseason programs.

Here are the highlights from Speed’s availability. To watch the full video, click here.

– “That is dope,” said Speed about Zaire Franklin getting an extension earlier this offseason. Speed adds that he and Franklin have had similar paths, with both getting their starts on special teams.

– “It’s everything,” said speed about the Colts defensive front and the energy that they have right now. Speed was excited seeing Laiatu Latu’s film with all the sacks and over throws he helped create. “This is probably the best front line I’ve played with.”

–  Speed wants to improve on being more comfortable being himself on the field. He thought he played well, but analyzed the areas he needs to improve and worked on them this offseason.

– Speed on being in the final year of his deal: “ No, I don’t think too much about it. As long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to all that stuff will work out itself. I’m trying to win something, actually.”

– Speed spent the offseason in Dallas working with his trainer. He didn’t want to get into specifics about what he was focusing on, but did mention explosiveness and balance. He adds that he reached the offseason goals he was striving for.

– A successful OTA period for a player consists on honing in on the areas of improvement while still making sure you’re improving at the things you’re already good at. For a team, it’s about creating that bond and trust.

– Colts have to generate more takeaways this season, OTAs helps that by getting a better understanding of the defense with new players being added, along with how offense’s attacked them last season. “I think we’re heading in the right direction in that aspect.”

– Speed says to be a leader, you’ve got to make plays, and not only in practice but in the game. Speed adds that what happened last season doesn’t matter now. “To gain the right to talk, you’ve got to go out and make plays again.”

Indianapolis Colts linebacker EJ Speed is entering a contract year, however, that’s not something that he’s worried about.

“No, I don’t think too much about it,” said Speed during his media availability. “As long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to all that stuff will work out itself. I’m trying to win something, actually.”

Speed got his start with the Colts by being a core special teams contributor. In 2022, his role on defense would increase, with Speed playing 316 snaps, and then last season, he was one of the starters, playing 730 defensive snaps.

In coverage, Speed was very good at bottling up pass catchers, limiting them to just 7.4 yards per catch. He really thrived as a run defender, with the 14th-best grade among all linebackers from PFF, while also ranking sixth in run-stop rate.

“Just getting more comfortable becoming me,” said Speed on where he wants to improve, “and just the little things that came with low repetitions just starting to flourish. I think I played well. There were sometimes where, somethings that I needed to work on.

“I analyzed those over the offseason, and I’m ready to correct them. Just keep going on with my career, man. It’s been a ride. Just keep going on and putting my best foot forward.”

Earlier in the offseason, the Colts did extend Speed’s running mate Zaire Franklin, which did help provide some longer-term stability to the linebacker position, with him now under contract through the 2027 season.

But who will be lining up next to Franklin in 2025 is a bit of an unknown right now.

Ronnie Harrison is a free agent after the upcoming season. I’m sure the hope is that rookie fifth-round pick Jaylon Carlies can take on a larger role at that time, although that’s not a given as he makes a position change from being a college safety to an NFL linebacker.

Grant Stuard and Segun Olubi have both been core special teams players, with Stuard also set to hit free agency in 2025. Both Franklin and Speed began their careers on special teams before becoming defensive starters, so the path has been paved for Stuard or Olubi to do the same, but I don’t know that the Colts are banking on that, either.

At any point between now and through the season, the Colts could choose to extend Speed. The theme this offseason for the Colts has been continuity, with GM Chris Ballard extending or re-signing many of his own players.

If Speed replicates what he did last season in Indianapolis, as he said, the contract stuff will work itself out.

“I was down in Dallas with my trainer, Mo Wells,” said Speed of his offseason. “We do a good job of just working on explosion, all the balance and stuff, just early stuff going on and then we come out here during OTAs and play football. I don’t want to give away my secrets, but it was a good offseason and I reached some goals and strived, it was cool.”