The Indianapolis Colts got some potentially awful news this Tuesday at practice when two year starting cornerback Jaylon Jones went down with an apparent leg injury.
“Jaylon Jones collapsed on a 1-on-1 coverage rep and reached for his hamstring,” reported Nate Atkins of the Indy Star. “He stayed down on the turf for minutes before he was helped up and onto a cart without the ability to put any weight on his legs.”
Jones has been an unexpected star in his two years in the league. The former seventh round selection became a starter towards the end of his rookie campaign. He started all 17 games last season recording 100 tackles and two interceptions opposite of Samuel Womack.
This is not the first injury to slam this cornerback room early on in this year’s training camp.
“The Colts have potential worrisome injury concerns at cornerback,” writes ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “(Jaylon Jones) was carted off the field and did not return. Third-year cornerback JuJu Brents was already missing the practice with a hamstring injury of his own.”
Colts’ Cornerback Depth After Jaylon Jones Injury
The good news for Indy is that they have one more All-Pro in the cornerback room than they had last season. The signing of Charvarius Ward was considered a good singing at the time, but it is looking better and better as this room continues to get beat up.
Another offseason decision that is aging like wine is the team’s third round selection this April, Justin Walley. Walley was a steal at pick 80, the five-foot-ten corner ran a 4.4 flat forty yard dash at the combine and was widely considered a top-seven corner in this class.
Now, Walley is shining in training camp and Atkins reports he might be fighting for a starting job. Should the two injured backs be ready for the season, this team will have five corners that could realistically see action this season making it a massive strength on the team currently enduring one of the longest playoff droughts in the league.
Breer Calls Secondary Team’s Biggest Strength
One of the best journalists in the NFL, and Sports Illustrated’s lead man, Albert Breer, says the team’s secondary may turn out to be it’s single greatest strength.
“The remade secondary already looks like the strength of the team, and got to the ball non-stop in the team periods I watched,” Breer recounts. “Cam Bynum, coming over from Minnesota, should play the Jessie Bates role in the Anarumo defense, as the whip-smart, versatile safety who sees everything.”
Breer continued with an epilogue of all the new players that make this unit great, but what he failed to mention is how the team’s run first attack makes it all the more dangerous.
Should new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo put together a winning game plan, having an offense that keeps the ball on the ground (albeit by necessity) will shorten football games. Additionally, having a team that’s hard to throw against will cause opposing team’s to keep the ball on the ground as well.
This could lead to a few stolen wins in games where neither team posts much more than ten possessions.
“Overall, the malleability of the group should give Anarumo a chance to turn the defense around,” Breer concludes. “Remember, the Colts won eight games last year despite having the third-most giveaways (29) in football and the league’s 29th-ranked defense. If Anarumo can turn his group around—and the Colts take care of the ball—things could flip fast.”
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