31-07-2025
Heard of Austin Ajiake? Why he may be the key to the Colts' little-known linebacking crew
Can Jaylon Carlies stay healthy enough to fill one of the Colts' linebacker roles? If he can't, who will?
Joe Bachie came to the Colts from Cincinnati with new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo
Undrafted Austin Ajiake has made a splash day seemingly everyday in training camp
WESTFIELD, Ind. — The only proven linebacker on the Indianapolis Colts roster remains sidelined.
Middle linebacker Zaire Franklin has sat out the first six practices of training camp, still recovering from offseason surgery to clean up his left ankle.
On the one hand, new Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo would love to have his leader on the field, growing in the new scheme with the rest of the defense. On the other hand, Franklin's absence has given Anarumo and linebackers coach James Bettcher a long look at the unheralded group of linebackers the Colts have assembled to play alongside and behind Franklin this season.
'It has allowed the competition in the group to be high,' Bettcher said. 'There's a lot of different two guys together. It's all intentional.'
The Colts have rotated a group of four different linebackers with the starters in the first week of training camp, a group that includes Jaylon Carlies, the odds-on favorite to start on the weak side, the other starting spot in a defense that will typically play just two linebackers.
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Carlies was a college safety whose size convinced the Colts to draft him in the fifth round as a linebacker and he made 36 tackles, a sack with a pass breakup last season. Because of his range and length, Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard is high on Carlies's potential to develop into an impact cover linebacker in the NFL, a critical role against today's spread-out, pass-happy offenses.
The Missouri product still has to earn his place.
Carlies underwent offseason surgery to repair his shoulder, and because of the missed time, Carlies has shared the weak-side job through the first week of training camp.
The athleticism is obvious. No linebacker on the Indianapolis roster closes in the open field like Carlies.
'Some of that is the elite length that he has, some of that is that he's been a space player most of his life and some of that is the guy loves ball,' Bettcher said. "You see that when you watch him play.'
But Carlies is still raw as a linebacker, even though he's played more defensive snaps in the NFL (242) than any of the other, older linebackers competing for a roster spot. Carlies has shared snaps on the weak side at times with Lawrence Central product Cameron McGrone, who has played special teams for Indianapolis for three seasons, although he's taken just eight snaps on defense.
McGrone has grown as a linebacker this offseason, according to Bettcher, although he may be dealing with a setback now. McGrone sat out Tuesday's practice due to a quadriceps injury, and any missed time in an open competition opens a door.
Indianapolis could also turn to veteran linebacker Joe Bachie, the player who knows Anarumo's scheme best.
Bachie spent four of his five seasons in the NFL playing in Anarumo's system in Cincinnati, and even though he's played just 238 career snaps defensively, he has the coordinator's trust.
'Joe has played some meaningful snaps for us in the past in Cincinnati, won some big games for us,' Anarumo said. 'He can plug and play at a number of different positions. It doesn't have to be MIKE. It could be the WILL backer for us, the backer of the dime sub, so we'll find a role for Joe.'
Bachie has spent most of the time in his middle, displaying a knack for breaking up throws over the middle and serving as a leader for the defense.
'If you go back to Cincy, opportunities where we needed him to go in and start … Joe performed, and he performed at a starting linebacker level,' Bettcher said. 'He's been disruptive, he's been an elite communicator. Joe is very smart.'
Bachie might be a worthy successor to the role Grant Stuard played for the Colts before leaving for Detroit in free agency. Stuard spent most of his time on special teams, but he could play defense in a pinch; Stuard came up with 18 tackles in a spot start against Miami last offseason.
Then there's the dark horse.
Bachie has shared time in the middle with Austin Ajiake, an undrafted free agent from UNLV who has spent the past two seasons fighting for a place in the NFL. Ajiake bounced around as a rookie, landed a spot with the Colts and stuck on the practice squad all season.
Ajiake has made his fair share of plays on the practice field, too, announcing his presence with a leaping deflection on the first day of training camp and following it up with a splash play seemingly on every day.
'Austin has elevated his game,' Bettcher said. 'His trajectory and arrow is up. … The one he's impressed me with is his ability to take things from the classroom to the field.'
The tests will get more difficult in the coming weeks.
Indianapolis is less than a week away from a joint practice and a preseason opener in Baltimore, followed by another joint practice and a preseason game at home against Green Bay. Any linebacker fighting for a roster spot and a role on the defense will have to prove himself in the preseason, not only on defense but on special teams.
At some point, the Colts expect Franklin to be back.
Franklin's coverage numbers have never been top of the line, but he is a prolific tackler in the middle of the Indianapolis defense, racking up 167, 173 and 179 tackles the last three seasons and earning a Pro Bowl berth for the first time a year ago.
'He's got a great football mind, just as we sit and talk,' Anarumo said. 'Another veteran guy that's been around, but just seeing how he approaches things, I'm not worried about where he'll be at mentally.'
The Colts are counting on Franklin to be the rock of the linebacking corps.
And they're hoping the rest of the position continues to surprise.
