Colts: 3 players who’ll see their roles reduced in 2021

Much to the dismay of fans, the Indianapolis Colts have spent the better part of free agency spectating from the sidelines.

In fact, the only real splashes they’ve made thus far have been the re-signings of wide receiver TY Hilton and cornerback Xavier Rhodes.

While those moves were viewed as a necessity to most fans, it still doesn’t sit right with them that Indy hasn’t welcomed any quality newcomers.

After all, several supposed contenders, including teams in their own division, have done just that this offseason.

The Colts’ lack of urgency on the open market could open the door for certain players to assume an increased role next season. For example, if the defensive end position isn’t addressed, the likes of Tyquan Lewis and Kemoko Turay could be thrust in as starters on the edge.

On the flip side, however, the margin for error on this team will be incredibly small after they finished 11-5 and qualified for the playoffs a season ago. That means mistake-prone or unproductive players could see their respective roles reduced.

With that in mind, let’s attempt to single out a few players who could be faced with this harsh reality in 2021.

Which Colts players will see their playing time reduced next season?

3. Rock Ya-Sin

Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin struggled with penalties last season.

There’s no arguing that the Colts’ secondary was the weakest component of their defense last season. Not that it was necessarily a disaster, but it didn’t come close to mirroring the dominance and overall success that the front seven displayed.

Perhaps no player embodied the secondary’s shortcomings more than cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, who became an easy target among fans amid his persistent penalty woes. During a four-game stretch, he was flagged for defensive pass interference three times and an illegal use of hands foul. For context, his PI offenses surrendered 81 yards and two of them came on third down.

This was the last thing Indy expected after Ya-Sin put together an exceptional rookie season, in which he surrendered a 64.2% completion percentage across 56 targets and earned a 65.3 grade from Pro Football Focus. He even showed promise as a pass rusher and run defender.

Once viewed as a no-brainer starter, Ya-Sin could struggle for playing time in 2021 if the Colts were to add another cornerback — whether it be through free agency or the draft, which is loaded with elite prospects — before the start of next season.

The 2019 second-round pick deserves the chance to redeem himself, but if his susceptibility to penalties returns, the coaching staff might have no other choice but to bench him. After all, they experimented doing so over the final five weeks, as he played just 48.2% of the defensive snaps during that span compared to his 76.5% snap share across his first eight appearances.