Tag: T.J. Carrie

The Indianapolis Colts made it a mission to add veteran depth to the secondary this offseason, which most recently came in the form T.J. Carrie.

Coming over as a free agent at the end of March, Carrie is viewed as a player that should provide immense versatility in the cornerback room. Working both on the outside and in the slot, the 29-year-old can line up all over the field.

In a conference call with Indy media, Carrie talked about where he prefers to line up.

“To be honest, I definitely like playing inside in the sense where you get a little more flexibility, right?” Carrie said. “I would say inside only because you get to blitz, you know what I mean? There are other opportunities there for you playing in that inside position. But I love playing outside as well. It’s something that I continue to pride myself on, on being able to really have a unique craft on being able to do both in times of need.”

The Colts ae excited about the development of Rock Ya-Sin on the outside, and they brought in veteran Xavier Rhodes to also compete on the outside, but one of the biggest areas of depth needed was behind Kenny Moore in the slot.

After Moore went down during the home stretch with an ankle injury, it was clear the defensive depth wouldn’t keep the unit afloat. Adding depth behind him was necessary, which led to the Colts bringing in Carrie.

Moore is someone who has caught the eye of Carrie being a fellow slot corner in the league.

“He has been able to do it for a really high level and definitely somebody who has done it, proved himself to be able to do it and is considered a top-tier in that position,” Carrie said of Moore.

The cornerback room has a lot more experience than it did entering the offseason and while Carrie is fighting for his spot, he will be providing plenty of versatility both on the outside and on the boundary.

The Indianapolis Colts announced the signing of cornerback T.J. Carrie, but the veteran is expected to get a one-year deal once the contract is made official.

First reported by Adam Caplan and confirmed by Jim Ayello of Indy Star, Carrie is reportedly getting the veteran minimum, which comes with $300,000 guaranteed and a $137,000 signing bonus. The league minimum base salary for the 2020 season is $910,000.

League source confirms the details of new Colts CB T.J. Carrie's contract as first reported by @caplannfl. Vet minimum with $300,000 guaranteed ($137,000 in signing bonus).https://t.co/DpvIOTwXe4

— Jim Ayello (@jimayello) March 30, 2020

The Colts have made it clear they wanted to bring in more veterans and durable ones at that. Carrie has played in all 16 games for the last four seasons and has been a versatile piece of the defense working both in the slot and on the outside.

The Colts have been spending far more on contracts in free agency than ever since Chris Ballard took over as general manager in 2017. But even on a veteran minimum deal like this, it won’t have any salary cap implications.

Carrie provides some nice depth for the Colts both at the nickel and on the boundary while playing on a cheap deal to help keep the cap relatively flexible.

The Indianapolis Colts are expected to sign cornerback T.J. Carrie to the roster, pending a physical, and his arrival will likely be a nice addition of depth to the secondary.

Because he is so versatile in his skill set, working both in the slot and on the boundary, it isn’t clear how the Colts want to use him primarily. But given his size (6’0, 204) and arm length (31 7/8 inches), there’s a strong chance they start him out on the boundary.

Here’s an updated look at what the top-six spots on the cornerback depth chart look like after the signing of Carrie—once it’s made official:

CB	Slot	CB
Xavier Rhodes	Kenny Moore	Rock Ya-Sin
T.J. Carrie	Marvell Tell	Quincy Wilson

With Rhodes and Ya-Sin working on the boundary and Moore in the slot on nickel packages, Carrie likely slides into that CB4 role while also coming in on dime packages. He lined up all over the formation for the Browns in 2019, including the slot, the outside and even some in the box.

Tell is likely to work behind Moore as a backup slot cornerback, but he also has seen time on the outside. Wilson, despite being on the roster bubble as a trade candidate, likely comes in at CB6 behind everyone else.

The arrival of Carrie doesn’t negate the Colts from adding a cornerback in the draft. Though they likely aren’t going to take one at No. 34 or even No. 44, but other priorities such as offensive line, wide receiver and quarterback could take precedence.

Though the Colts could and likely will still add a cornerback in the draft, they might not do so until Day 3. That player will be competing for the final spot with Wilson and Tell, most likely.

The cornerback room looks much better than it did entering the offseason with Carrie holding a vital and versatile depth role in the secondary.

The Indianapolis Colts are expected to bring in veteran cornerback T.J. Carrie, who agreed to terms on a contract Monday.

Nothing is official until the Colts themselves announce it but with Carrie set to arrive in Indy, Chris Ballard has made it clear he wants more of a veteran presence in the secondary.

Role with the Colts

Though it remains to be seen where the Colts will have Carrie line up primarily, he has the versatility to do both. He has the size (6′, 204) and length (31 7/8″ arms) to work on the outside. But he also has the experience to work in the slot—48% of 2019 snaps came in the slot, per Pro Football Focus.

On the boundary, the Colts have Xavier Rhodes and Rock Ya-Sin likely listed as the starters. In the slot, the Colts still have Kenny Moore, who is ascending quickly. Given his versatility, Carrie likely plays a dime package role while serving as a backup on the boundary.

Athlete

We know how much Chris Ballard likes his athletes, especially in the secondary. Via Kent Lee Platte, Carrie came out of college with an elite RAS score, showing superb explosiveness and speed.

With pick 219 in the 2014 NFL Draft, the #Raiders selected T.J. Carrie, CB, Ohio.

He posted an elite #RAS with great size, great speed, great explosiveness, okay agility at the CB position.#Browns pic.twitter.com/bgojKBEybN

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 23, 2019

Carrie also measured in with an arm length of 31 7/8 inches, which is just barely below the 32-inch threshold the Colts like to target for their cornerbacks.

Carrie is an extremely versatile piece to the defense. They can line him up anywhere and he’s likely to fit in fine.

Impact the draft

The Colts don’t pick until No. 34 in the 2020 NFL draft and unless they trade out of that spot, it is likely they are looking at positions other than cornerback. This isn’t to say Ballard won’t draft a cornerback. He still might.

But with the way free agency has gone, especially with signing Carrie, the Colts seem to be positioning themselves to take offensive pieces at Nos. 34 and 44—whether that be quarterback, wide receiver or offensive tackle.

[lawrence-related id=41725,41717]

The Indianapolis Colts agreed to terms with veteran cornerback T.J. Carrie on Monday, adding more experience to a young secondary.

Though there is extreme promise with some of the younger players in the Colts secondary, general manager Chris Ballard admitted they needed more of a veteran presence across the board on the defensive side of the ball.

They are getting that with the addition of Carrie. Here are three things to know about the Colts’ new cornerback in Carrie:

Career Stats

Carrie was a seventh-round pick with the Oakland Raiders in the 2014 NFL draft. He worked there as a rotational piece and starter during his four years, starting 36 games. He spent the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, starting 16 games. Carrie hasn’t missed a game in four seasons.

His career stats include:

• 92 games played (50 starts)
• Five interceptions
• 43 passes defended
• Six forced fumbles

The 2018 season was his best campaign when he allowed a 62.1% completion rate, zero touchdowns and a 78.2 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus.