Colts: Linebacking corps among most stacked units in NFL after roster cuts

The Colts linebacking corps is absolutely stacked following roster cuts.

Like the rest of the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts were busy trimming their training camp roster to prepare for the start of the 2020 regular season this past weekend. When all was said and done, the front office waived 22 players, released two veterans and placed another on the PUP list to meet the required 53-man total.

Looking at the finished product, most fans would assert that the offensive line and running back positions stand out among the rest, and understandably so. However, we’re here to tell Colts Nation to take the team’s linebacking corps more seriously.

How serious, you ask? Well, it should be viewed as one of the most stacked units in the NFL.

The buzz out of training camp suggested that Indy was loving how its linebackers were performing, so it isn’t entirely surprising that the team decided to keep all seven of them on the roster (for now).

As things stand, the Colts will roll with a group of Darius Leonard, Anthony Walker, Bobby Okereke, EJ Speed, Matthew Adams, Jordan Glasgow and Zaire Franklin. It’s literally impossible to read that list and not get excited for what lies ahead this season, which starts in exactly six days.

Leonard, Walker and Okereke should form one of the most formidable linebacker trios in the NFL, as they combined to post 310 tackles (!), 11 passes defensed, 10 QB hits, 8.5 sacks and seven interceptions last campaign. Keep in mind that the latter was a rookie in 2019 and played just 46% of the defensive snaps, so we can expect those numbers to rise this campaign, assuming he takes on a bigger role.

What’s so promising about their potential? All three of them are 25 years old or younger and are just now entering their respective primes.

The Colts bolstered both their defensive line and secondary this offseason, but make no mistake about it: Their budding linebacking corps will undoubtedly be the anchor of their defense in 2020.