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USA Today
03-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
3 Takeaways from Colts training camp practice No. 9: Anthony Richardson bounces back
Here are the three big takeaways from the Colts' ninth training camp practice on Sunday. The Indianapolis Colts returned to the field on Sunday for their second straight training camp practice and their ninth overall. While there's always a lot that takes place, let's dive into the three big takeaways from Sunday's practice. Anthony Richardson bounces back It was a rocky showing from Richardson during Saturday's practice, but he was able to bounce back on Sunday. According to Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan, Richardson went 10-for-14 passing during the team portion of Sunday's practice, where he worked mostly with the first team offense. This included Richardson converting a red zone touchdown and leading the offense into field goal range during a two-minute period. Prior to Saturday's practice, Richardson had put together multiple strong performances. Bad days are going to happen, but seeing Richardson bounce back like he did today is important. "I thought he did some really good things today," Shane Steichen said. "I thought he bounced back really well today." As far as Daniel Jones goes, Bowen also had him completing 10-of-14 passes. Shane Steichen has said that he's looking for consistency at quarterback, but before Sunday's practice took place, Jake Arthur of Horseshoe Huddle posted that Jones "could use some more flash." Is the starting spot next to Zaire Franklin up for grabs? All offseason, we've presumed that Jaylon Carlies will be starting next to Franklin--and that very well could end up being the case still. However, we also can't ignore the play of Joe Bachie, who seems to make a play every practice. Bowen would write that Bachie "has flashed more than Carlies." Bachie doesn't have ample defensive experience in his career, but he is the more seasoned NFL player compared to Carlies, not to mention that he's spent the last few seasons playing under Lou Anarumo in Cincinnati, so he is very well-versed in this new-look Colts' defense. "He played some really meaningful snaps for us in Cincinnati," Lou Anarumo said, via Horseshoe Huddle, "and we won some games with him operating – not only as just a guy, but as the green dot when Logan Wilson got hurt and Joe stepped in. So, I have the utmost confidence in Joe. He's a worker. He's a great guy. He's going to be in the right spots more than the wrong.' It's also important to point out that due to offseason shoulder surgery, Carlies was unable to practice during OTAs and minicamp, so to a degree, he's playing catch-up right now. The defensive line dominates the line of scrimmage As Nate Atkins of the Indy Star posted, the Colts' offensive line struggled mightily against the defensive front. By Atkins' count, the Colts' defense had around eight sacks just in today's practice. Defensive ends Laiatu Latu and Kwity Paye were two of the defenders who stood out to Atkins, and Steichen mentioned their play as well afterward. "Phenomenal," Steichen said of the play of the defensive line. "They were in the backfield a lot today. They had a ton of sacks there. I let it play out a little bit just to let the drill get going, but those guys are rushing hard. Latu had some really good rushes. Kwity had a good rush. Those guys are doing a great job." This is a position group that GM Chris Ballard has invested heavily into over the years, both in terms of salary cap space and draft capital, but this unit should also get a boost from playing in Lou Anarumo's more aggressive and disguise-heavy scheme, which up front, should also feature more movement to help generate mismatches.
Indianapolis Star
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
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. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. 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.
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Indianapolis Colts' linebackers near the bottom of PFF's 2025 rankings
The Indianapolis Colts' linebacker unit ranks near the bottom of PFF's rankings ahead of the 2025 NFL season. The Indianapolis Colts' linebacker unit ranks near the bottom of Pro Football Focus' rankings ahead of the 2025 NFL season. PFF's Dalton Wasserman recently ranked all 32 linebacker units, and coming in at No. 31--just ahead of the Tennessee Titans--were the Colts. "The Colts' linebacker unit consists of one constant, Zaire Franklin, and a ton of variables. Franklin is a tackling machine who has posted identical 60.9 PFF overall grades in each of the past two seasons. For the moment, Jaylon Carlies is expected to start alongside Franklin, but he played just 242 snaps in his rookie season." As Wasserman noted, there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to the linebacker room, and a lot of that stems from the overall lack of experience. After Zaire Franklin, Jaylon Carlies and his 242 career defensive snaps makes him the next most experienced player at this position. Beyond Franklin and Carlies on the depth chart is Joe Bachie, who played under Lou Anarumo in Cincinnati, Segun Olubi, and Cameron McGrone. All three have been core special teams contributors in their careers. While on the outside, there are obvious questions around this unit, internally, the Colts are very bullish on Carlies, who was a sound tackler and held opponents to just 6.0 yards per catch in 2024, and as GM Chris Ballard noted earlier this offseason, Indianapolis has a strong track record of developing this position. 'We've had a lot of success at linebacker, I believe, with drafting and players we've brought in that we think can ascend,' Ballard said, via the Indy Star. 'We think (Jaylon Carlies) can really ascend.' One reason for optimism when it comes to the Colts' linebacker unit is Anaruom's defensive scheme and how he deploys this position group. With Carlies--a former college safety--bringing an added coverage element to the position, that could free up Franklin to play closer to the line of scrimmage more often, which is where he's at his best. In addition to that, while Carlies is inexperienced, he seems to be a very good fit for this new defense because of that coverage presence. Under Anarumo, there will be an emphasis on having coverage defenders on the field, especially on third downs in what Anarumo called a "matchup league." The more disguise-heavy scheme in the secondary can also create hesitation and keep an offense off balance, helping to put the linebackers in advantageous situations.
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Colts position review after minicamp: Zaire Franklin, Jaylon Carlies and the LBs
With offseason programs now behind us, let's take a position-by-position look at where things stand for the Indianapolis Colts. Next up are the linebackers. With offseason programs now behind us, let's take a position-by-position look at where things stand for the Indianapolis Colts. Next up are the linebackers. If you missed our other positional reviews, you can find them below. After an All-Pro season, what's next for Zaire Franklin? Last season, Franklin made his first Pro Bowl, and he was also named a second-team All-Pro. Franklin led the NFL in tackles last season. He also forced four fumbles, which was tied for the second-most among all linebackers, and came away with two interceptions as well. Combined, the six forced takeaways were among the most at his position group. Now, like any player, there are areas of growth that still exist. Quarterbacks were efficient when targeting Franklin in coverage, and missed tackles--which comes with the territory when making as many as Franklin does--did pop up at times. According to PFF, Franklin missed 11.6% of his attempts, which ranked 24th out of 53 eligible linebackers. However, this new defensive scheme under Lou Anarumo could really benefit Franklin. For one, he's going to have more opportunities to get after the quarterback. In addition to that, with Anarumo relying more heavily on defensive backs, that can help take some of the coverage responsibilities off the linebackers' plates, not to mention that starting alongside of Jaylon Carlies--who played safety at Missouri--can add a coverage element alongside of Franklin. All of that should allow for Franklin to see more opportunities closer to the line of scrimmage, where he is at his best and can make the biggest impact. A big opportunity ahead for Jaylon Carlies As Carlies himself said, "everybody's competing," but on the outside, he is the presumed starter next to Franklin. A fifth-round pick in 2024, Carlies was the Colts' third linebacker last season and appeared in 10 games as a rookie, which also included missing time on injured reserve. Carlies proved to be a sound tackler, and he was very good at limiting opponents in coverage, holding pass catchers to only 6.0 yards per reception. His background as a former college safety makes him an ideal fit for Anarumo's defense where, as mentioned, there will be an emphasis on having coverage defenders on the field. 'It's a matchup league,' Anarumo said, via the Indy Star. 'If the offense puts out a certain personnel group, you want to be able to match it with what they're doing. Especially on third down. You want to try to get cover guys covering receivers and, nowadays, these tight ends … The days, to me, of putting linebackers on tight ends is not ideal for the defense.' With that said, with Carlies having just 242 career defensive snaps under his belt, he is still a relatively inexperienced player, and with that can come some ups and downs and he still navigates the NFL's learning curve. An inexperienced linebacker unit Outside of Franklin, this is a very inexperienced linebacker room that the Colts are going to be relying heavily on. Carlies' 242 career defensive snaps are the second most on the team right now. Joe Bachie has played 238, and Segun Olubi 136. With inexperience comes unknowns, but as GM Chris Ballard pointed out earlier this offseason, the Colts have a strong track record of developing the linebacker position. 'We've had a lot of success at linebacker, I believe, with drafting and players we've brought in that we think can ascend,' Ballard said, via the Indy Star. 'We think (Jaylon Carlies) can really ascend.' The Colts have gotten a good look at these players during offseason programs with Franklin sidelined with an ankle injury and Carlies out with a shoulder injury. Watch the special teams snaps Linebacker is a special teams-heavy position. Olubi, Bachie, and Cameron McGrone are all experienced in this regard, and that likely gives them an upper hand when it comes to competing for the final roster spots. Of course, there will be a prerequisite that these players have to meet from a defensive perspective, but how they perform on teams could be a differentiator when it comes to building out the depth chart order, and therefore playing time. Indianapolis Colts' linebackers
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Indianapolis Colts' OTAs: The big question at linebacker
Indianapolis Colts' OTAs: The big question at linebacker Indianapolis Colts, let's take a look at one big question facing each position group. Up next are the linebackers. The Indianapolis Colts will begin Phase III of the offseason programs on May 28th, which means the start of voluntary Organized Team Activities (OTAs). Rather than only doing individual drills as the Colts have been doing, they will now be permitted to do 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 team drills, although no live contact is allowed. So with this important part of the offseason schedule about to begin, I wanted to highlight one big question facing each position group. Up next are the linebackers. Below you can find our previous position previews. Do the Indianapolis Colts have enough depth at linebacker? This was a position where throughout the offseason, I kept waiting for an addition to be made. That didn't mean I was expecting a high-profile addition, but I thought there would be some competition brought in for Jaylon Carlies. However, the only outside additions included signing Joe Bechie after the draft, who has mostly been a special teams player, signing UDFA Solomon DeShields, and perhaps drafting Hunter Wohler, although he is listed on the team site as a defensive back. Carlies put together a very solid rookie season as the Colts' third linebacker in their 4-3 scheme at that time, along with making two starts. He was a very reliable tackler and limited YAC in the passing game. As a former college safety, he can add some needed coverage abilities to the position. With that said, Carlies has 242 career defensive snaps. Assuming he can step into a full-time starting role seamlessly comes with some risk. Also, behind him and Zaire Franklin on the depth chart, there is very little defensive experience. 'It's a position we've been pretty good drafting and developing. I give our coaches and scouts a lot of credit for that," GM Chris Ballard said via the Indy Star. "Don't forget now, E.J. Speed, it wasn't like he came on right away. No, it took him a little time. Zaire Franklin did not come on right away. Great special team player but eventually became a linebacker that was a good player." In Lou Anarumo's scheme, we are going to see more blitzing from the linebackers, not to mention there will be more disguising of coverages at the second and third levels. In this defense, there will be a greater reliance on the defensive backs than the linebackers. But even so, the Colts are going to enter the 2025 season with question marks at this position--until shown otherwise--given the lack of experience around Franklin.
