With all the acquisitions this offseason, the Colts can’t be quite sure what their starting defense is going to look like this year.
And defensive coordinator Ted Monachino is fine with that.
“Neither do they,” he said of his players, via Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star, “which is a good thing.”
The Colts could have as many as nine new starters on defense, a ridiculous turnover which is actually easy to justify. They did, after all, finish 30th in the league in yards allowed and 22nd in points, and weren’t in the top half of any statistical category.
New General Manager Chris Ballard has stressed adding competition throughout the roster, and that has been most evident on defense. They added six new linebackers, including free agents Jabaal Sheard and John Simon and third-round pick Tarell Basham. Last year, they started three linebackers who were 31 or older. Now, no one in assistant coach Brad White’s room is older than 28.
“Everything’s open, and that’s the best thing going right now,” White said. “There’s no, ‘You’re the guy.’ Anybody can be the guy. Anybody in this room can take somebody’s job.”
Getting to that point was crucial for the Colts, lest they waste the potential of having a franchise quarterback like Andrew Luck.