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Taking a look at five under-the-radar Colts to keep an eye on at training camp.
The Indianapolis Colts start training camp next week where temperatures will be hot, but several Colts battles will be hotter. The team needs a spark, and these players could provide a much-needed boost.
With head coach Shane Steichen now leading the team, who will thrive under his leadership?
Here are the five under-the-radar Colts players to watch:
How Isaiah Rodgers Sr.’s suspension impacts the Colts.
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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Sr. is expected to receive a season-long suspension from the league for violating the NFL’s policy on gambling.
The news was handed down Wednesday in response to an investigation that raised concerns that Rodgers was part of numerous bets on NFL games, reportedly including some that involved the team.
The expected unavailability of Rodgers casts serious doubt on the strength of the Colts’ cornerback unit. Despite returning veteran Kenny Moore II, the group is fragile regarding experience.
Several players are limited in starting experience, instead having niche skillsets related to special teams. Not to mention, the remaining unit is exceptionally young including this year’s draft class haul of Julius Brents, Jaylon Jones, and Darius Rush.
If the team chooses not to sign a veteran cornerback to replace Rodgers, fifth-round pick Darius Rush could get the nod to start in his place. Rush has elite athleticism with long arms that could help his assimilation into the role. However, asking Rush and several rookies to start in the secondary will be very challenging for the Colts and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
What could help these young players is a quick, explosive pass rush that can disrupt games and stop passing attacks. The team’s 11th-ranked defense, which produced 44 sacks and a pressure rate of 22% in 2022, will need to step up again to help mitigate the secondary youth. Additionally, this could be a prime opportunity for Kenny Moore to shine.
Before the beginning of last season, he wanted a new contract that matched his belief that not only was he the best slot corner in the NFL, but one of the best in the league, period. This is his chance to prove that as he enters his second year in Bradley’s system. Elite play on the field and accompanying mentorship could help lessen the weight of Rodgers’s absence.
The most important thing for fans to remember is that this will continue to be fluid. The coaching staff will continue to tweak the lineup based on production, matchups, and specific packages. Patience is needed and warranted.
Colts S Nick Cross enters a big Year 2.
One of the more confusing developments for the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 was the lack of playing time for rookie third-round pick Nick Cross.
Despite the elite athleticism and the fact that he was making plays during training camp and the preseason, Cross wound up losing the starting safety role just three weeks into his rookie campaign.
While speaking with reporters Wednesday, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley detailed what kept the Maryland product from seeing the field.
“He is extremely talented, he is fast, he’s got the ability. Now it’s just playing fast on the field. That part we didn’t see in the beginning of the year. We felt like he was thinking a lot,” Bradley said of Cross.
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The physical tools certainly are there for Cross. He has the size and elite speed and explosiveness to be a strong starter in Bradley’s defense. But the processing and play speed aspects of his game were lacking.
It’s one thing to have elite physical traits at the NFL combine. It’s an entirely different story when it comes to effectively using those traits on the field. Everything happens so quickly on a football field that even the best athletes struggle if they’re thinking too much.
“The conversation was more about doing things right rather than just reacting and it slowed him down some. I think as the season went on, conversations towards the end, it was more like ‘I felt it. I know what that feels like now.’ Where you’re thinking too much and not playing as fast as maybe I did in college,” Bradley said. “So, if he can recognize that, own that and say now in the next year, let’s get back to playing fast.”
Cross was a young prospect entering the league. He’s still just 21 years old so there’s still hope he can bounce back from a disappointing rookie season.
But this will be a big year in terms of his development, especially now that he has a full season of working in Bradley’s defensive scheme.
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The Colts are likely to keep CB Kenny Moore II. Here’s what that means for the team.
When the 2021 season ended, Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II expected changes. Moore had one of his better seasons in a Colts uniform, earning his first Pro Bowl honors.
He approached the 2022 season with an edge, hoping to be compensated for his talent as one of the NFL’s best slot corners.
Despite his best efforts to stand firm during a self-imposed “hold-in,” the Colts didn’t budge, putting pressure on Moore to strengthen his case.
Unfortunately, his 2022 season was underwhelming. Injuries and sub-par play stifled his campaign for more recognition, making him a potential cap casualty during the early portion of the offseason.
However, Moore is now expected to remain with the team for the 2023 season. What does Moore staying with the franchise mean?
Here are five thoughts about what keeping Moore means for the Colts:
Gus Bradley is returning as the defensive coordinator for the Colts.
The Indianapolis Colts will be retaining Gus Bradley as defensive coordinator under new head coach Shane Steichen, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
While it wasn’t clear if Bradley would return, especially after special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone took a promotion with the Cleveland Browns, the Colts won’t see many changes to the defensive side of the ball.
Gus Bradley will remain with the #Colts as defensive coordinator for new head coach Shane Steichen, per sources. This has been the expectation league wide as teams filled jobs. Colts keep continuity on the defensive side of the ball.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 27, 2023
It’s not a surprise Bradley is returning considering the connection he has with Steichen from their days on the west coast.
Bradley was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angles Chargers for four seasons (2017-2020). At the same time, Steichen was the quarterbacks coach for three of those seasons (2017-2019) and the interim offensive coordinator (2020) following the firing of Ken Wisenhunt.
The Colts defense was a solid unit throughout the 2022 season despite not having All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard. They will need to add some depth to the defensive line and secondary, but the group was strong for the majority of the campaign.
You can keep up to date with the latest coaching hires through our tracker.
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Shane Steichen was non-committal on retaining Colts DC Gus Bradley and STC Bubba Ventrone.
With Shane Steichen now officially the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, his first order of business is to fill out the coaching staff.
Though the decisions seem relatively easy for Steichen considering the connection he has with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and the recent success of special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, the new head coach was non-commital on retaining them.
During his press conference Tuesday, Steichen simply stated they are going to get into that process this week.
“That’s the next process that I’m going to go through, is hiring a staff. Those guys will have those conversations in the next few days,” Steichen told the media.
This doesn’t mean anything in terms of the fates of Bradley and Ventrone. It likely means they haven’t had an in-depth conversation about it yet, and it gives the Colts a chance to look at other options just in case.
As we learned throughout the process of finding a head coach, the Colts are willing to take their time finding coaches if it means getting it right.
It also should be noted that both Bradley and Ventrone were on hand for Steichen’s press conference Tuesday, which is not insignificant.
Bradley has a strong connection to Steichen as the two worked on the same coaching staff with the Chargers for four seasons. Steichen was the quarterbacks coach (2017-2019) and interim offensive coordinator (2020) while Bradley was the defensive coordinator.
While Steichen doesn’t seemingly have any tangible connection to Ventrone, the Colts may look to convince the head coach in retaining him. The special teams unit has been regarded as one of the best in the NFL and has ranked in the top 10 in each of the last three seasons.
The Colts would like to fill out the coaching staff sooner rather than later, but those conversations are likely coming throughout the weeks to come.
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New Colts head coach Shane Steichen may not have to look far for his potential defensive coordinator.
The Indianapolis Colts have their new head coach in former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, and his first order of business will be to fill out his coaching staff.
Fortunately, he may really only need to focus on the offensive side of the ball when it comes to putting his staff together. That’s because the Colts still have defensive coordinator Gus Bradley on staff, and he has plenty of history with Steichen.
In fact, Steichen gave Bradley a glowing review when the Colts and Eagles played each other during the 2022 season.
Shane Steichen on Gus Bradley on Nov. 17th:
“I’ve got a ton of respect for Gus Bradley. I worked with him for four years in L.A. Hell of a football coach, hell of a human being.”
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) February 13, 2023
Bradley was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angles Chargers for four seasons (2017-2020). At the same time, Steichen was the quarterbacks coach for three of those seasons (2017-2019) and the interim offensive coordinator (2020) following the firing of Ken Wisenhunt.
It also would make sense if Steichen wanted to keep Bradley on the staff, especially after it was reported that several candidates intended to keep the veteran coach in his role, which led to the Colts blocking other teams from interviewing him for defensive coordinator roles.
The Colts defense was a bright spot during the 2022 season despite not having linebacker Shaquille Leonard. They lost a bit of gas toward the end of the season, but Bradley proved he can give the Colts an above-average unit.
Now, Steichen may not have to look too far to find his defensive staff, which means he can quickly put together his offensive staff as the Colts hope to get out of this rebuild quickly.
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Several of the Colts head coach candidates reportedly want Gus Bradley as the DC.
The Indianapolis Colts are hopefully in the final days of their search for a new head coach, and it seems a number of the candidates intend to bring back Gus Bradley as the defensive coordinator.
While new head coaches typically want to fill out their entire staff, Bradley has connections to just about every remaining candidate throughout his coaching career.
Furthermore, it would explain why the Colts have blocked Bradley from leaving for another defensive coordinator job.
Zak Keefer of The Athletic reported that several of the candidates vying for the head coach job want Bradley back as the defensive coordinator.
“The Colts have blocked a few teams from interviewing defensive coordinator Gus Bradley for the same position because there’s a good chance he stays in Indianapolis. Several candidates for the team’s head-coaching job have told Colts brass in interviews that they intend to bring Bradley and his defensive staff back in 2023.”
Though the offense was extremely disappointing and was the main reason for the team’s demise in 2022, the defense was a bright spot. At all three levels of the unit, there were positives.
Having that consistency and continuity would be huge for a defensive unit that still has some playmakers throughout all three levels, especially if linebacker Shaquille Leonard makes a full recovery following his latest surgery.
The Colts still need to add some depth to the defensive line and cornerback room, but the unit seems to be in pretty good shape entering the offseason.
With a strong support staff of minds like Ron Milus, Nate Ollie and Richard Smith, the defensive staff could be mostly intact despite a new head coach arriving in the Circle City soon.
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The Colts are reportedly blocking DC Gus Bradley from leaving.
The Indianapolis Colts are going through their head coaching search after roughly a month of interviews, but it appears they are set on keeping Gus Bradley as the defensive coordinator.
While new head coaches typically like to bring in their own staff, it appears the Colts are blocking Bradley from leaving, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated in his Monday Morning Quarterback column.
As Breer was discussing the connections that some of the finalists have, he brought up the fact that Bradley and Raheem Morris have a history. Also, that the Colts have blocked Bradley from leaving.
“Morris’s ties to Indy are logical ones, too—DC Gus Bradley (whom Indy’s blocked from leaving) was with Morris in Tampa from 2006 to ’08; and Ballard’s NFL upbringing in Chicago was with former Bucs people (Jerry Angelo, Lovie Smith).”
This certainly is an intriguing wrinkle to the process. Bradley’s defensive unit was solid for the majority of the 2022 campaign even though they faltered a bit down the stretch of an exhausting season.
While Morris may not have an issue with Bradley being retained as the defensive coordinator, it isn’t clear if other candidates would prefer to bring in their own coach to hold that role, which may limit one’s desire to take the job if offered.
Bradley proved he can do some great things with what the Colts have on defense, and that was without linebacker Shaquille Leonard.
Hopefully, we get an understanding of who the next head coach will be and whether that will include Bradley as the defensive coordinator.
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This could change in a hurry, but Kris Richard isn’t reported among the candidates Panthers coach Frank Reich and owner David Tepper favor for defensive coordinator:
This could change in a hurry, but new Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Kris Richard wasn’t among the candidates the Carolina Panthers are discussing for their open defensive coordinator job. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports that new Panthers head coach Frank Reich and owner David Tepper have differing opinions on who they should pursue for that vacancy, with Reich wanting to bring Gus Bradley with him from the Indianapolis Colts while Tepper likes Marquand Manuel.
Richard received an interview request for this job early in January, but that was before Carolina hired Reich. And he could still emerge as a candidate if neither of these guys are an option. Bradley is still under contract with the Colts and Manuel has been linked to the Houston Texans head coach favorite DeMeco Ryans. If the Panthers strike out there, Richard makes a lot of sense. He worked with Bradley on the Seattle Seahawks and has run similar systems in the past with the Dallas Cowboys.
So there’s still a chance Richard leaves New Orleans this offseason, even if it doesn’t seem very likely right now. He doesn’t call plays with the Saints (Dennis Allen has held onto that responsibility after being promoted to head coach) but he would get that opportunity in Carolina or on another staff around the league. It’s something to watch out for in the days ahead, but you have to hope the Saints don’t lose both of their co-defensive coordinators to division rivals after the Atlanta Falcons hired Ryan Nielsen.
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