Colts: What fans can expect from new CB Anthony Chesley

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 21: Chad Beebe #12 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball after catching a pass against Anthony Chesley #47 of the Indianapolis Colts (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 21: Chad Beebe #12 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball after catching a pass against Anthony Chesley #47 of the Indianapolis Colts (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

There are plenty of holes in the Indianapolis Colts‘ boat at the moment, but one of the biggest issues has been the secondary, which has been sliced up by Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford, and Ryan Tannehill early in the season. Now, players like Anthony Chesley are being called on to help clean up the mess.

While Rock Ya-Sin has been making some improvements this season, injuries to Xavier Rhodes and TJ Carrie as well as uncharacteristic poor performances from Kenny Moore and Khari Willing have contributed to the 0-3 start.

Carrie was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, meaning that Indy just lost one of the veterans in a unit leaning on youth and potential. In order to fill his spot, Indy has elevated a former Chanticleer from their practice squad.

Chelsey, who was brought in earlier this year, is coming up to the 53-man roster. What can fans expect to see out of him?

What can the Indianapolis Colts get out of Anthony Chesley?

After a productive career at Coastal Carolina, Chesley went undrafted in 2019, latching on with the Bengals immediately after he didn’t hear his name called. He spent the last two seasons with one of Indy’s rivals in the Houston Texans, recording just one tackle in the limited number of snaps he received last year.

The Colts likely rolled the dice on him due to his athletic ability. Listed at 6-0 and 190 pounds, Chesley had a surprising 4.46 40-yard dash time, all while posting above average splits in the vertical and broad jump. He’s not the best at forcing turnovers, but that frame and speed could help him stick with some of the better athletes he’ll face in the NFL.

The Colts could’ve just held onto Andre Chachere, a preseason standout that had knowledge of the playbook and the requisite versatility needed to play both safety and cornerback, and avoided this. It’s on Chesley to put all of that in the past as he looks to stick in the NFL.

Of course, this move comes with a great degree of risk, as Chesley’s NFL experience is severely limited. He’ll be asked to take on a great deal of responsibility in a short amount of time, though he has enough athleticism to pull that off. Maybe getting some new blood into the defensive back rotation is exactly what this team needs to wake up in Week 4.