Cam Bynum is a fan of Indianapolis Colts rookie AJ Haulcy. He implied as much while speaking to the media this week, and even better, the veteran believes the first-year player will make the defense far more effective immediately.
Will Haulcy start in Week 1? That seems to be a safe assumption, especially from Bynum's point of view.
"AJ’s skill set makes it a little easier for us," Bynum told The Athletic's James Boyd. "For me to be in the box sometimes, for him to be in the box (other times). He can play really well in the (open) field...Having another versatile guy, we're gonna push each other to grow in those spots where we're able to do a little bit of everything and be able to open up the defense more...Last year, typically I’m the guy in coverage...it was kind of easy to pick up."
Cam Bynum is a true believer in Indianapolis Colts rookie AJ Haulcy
No one should think that Bynum was disrespecting Nick Cross, though. Cross left in free agency, but he was quite good against the run. In the press conference, Bynum also praised his former teammate, but what he made clear was that Cross didn't offer the same versatility as Haulcy.
That will likely be glaring in one aspect. While Cross could crash the line of scrimmage and help against the run, he wasn't very good in coverage in the middle of the field.
In the last two seasons combined (his only years as a full-time starter), Cross gave up 10 touchdown passes and had a quarterback rating allowed of 107.5. That's not good for a player tasked with protecting the deep middle.
Haulcy bounced around in college, starting at New Mexico, going to Houston for two years, and finishing with one season at LSU. In his final two years combined, he gave up just three touchdown passes but had eight interceptions. His quarterback rating allowed was a paltry 62.3. He was also solid against the run, though he does need to perfect his tackling technique.
While Cam Bynum didn't specifically say this, but instead implied it, the veteran appears to believe that he knows wherever he ends up in a certain play's defensive alignment, the other safety position will be solid too. If Bynum is playing closer to the line, he knows Haulcy will play better in deep coverage than Cross was capable of.
That security should help the overall defense. Lou Anarumo's unit can focus on their specific task instead of thinking that while they are achieving their goal, it's all for naught, as a safety that's poor in coverage is allowing an explosive play. AJ Haulcy is less likely to do that than Nick Cross, and Cam Bynum knows it.
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