Colts Sign Hometown Product Camaron Beard

Fresh off of signing wideout Tyler Rutenbeck, the Indianapolis Colts announced that they have made yet another roster move, as the team signed defensive lineman Camaron Beard and waived undrafted rookie cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz in a corresponding move.

Via the team’s official press release:

"“The Indianapolis Colts today signed undrafted free agent defensive lineman Camaron Beard and waived cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz.Beard, 6-5, 290 pounds, worked out with the Colts on a tryout basis during Indianapolis’ three-day rookie mini-camp after going undrafted out of Cincinnati. He played in 41 games as a Bearcat and finished with 75 tackles (22 solo), 2.0 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed. As a senior in 2014, Beard had 37 tackles (eight solo), 1.0 sack and two tackles for loss. The Indianapolis native played locally at Cathedral High School.Al-Shabazz, 6-0, 200 pounds, originally signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent on May 5, 2015. He played in 47 games at West Chester University, notching 151 tackles (100 solo), 32 passes defensed and nine interceptions.”"

Sep 12, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats defensive tackle Camaron Beard (90) against the Toledo Rockets at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Like Jack Doyle before him, the Colts are taking a shot at another hometown product in Beard, who played his high school football at Cathedral before attending the University of Cincinnati. It makes for a nice feel-good story, all things considered.

If nothing else, Beard should provide additional organizational depth through the end of the team’s offseason training practices and heading into training camp. However, he does have a great opportunity right now to make an impression on coaches and stick to the roster, perhaps even become a practice squad stash later on.

Beard figures to challenge defensive lineman like Earl Okine and Kelcy Quarles for spots lower on the depth chart along the defensive line. While he’ll have his work cut out for him, he has a chance to play professional football for his hometown team, which is nothing short of a fairy tale ending for a lot of players.

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