The Indianapolis Colts are definitely going through a transitional period. Anthony Richardson is healthy but out, while free agent acquisition Daniel Jones is in. Two of the starting five offensive linemen are new.
The backend of the defense is going to look different, too, but to fans of the 2023 Minnesota Vikings, things will look pretty familiar. Indy signed free safety Cam Bynum in free agency this past offseason.
He has been a good player through four years, all with the Vikings, and 2024 was his best. His passer rating allowed was just 77.6, and he had three interceptions. In 2023, he also missed on just 6.8 percent of his tackle attempts, a good number for a safety.
Indianapolis Colts team Cam Bynum with Mekhi Blackmon again
He and Nick Cross could form one of the best safety duos in the NFL. Both are good and aggressive tacklers. Cross can play in the box more with Bynum roaming the middle of the field behind him. The Colts' defense should be very good.
Plus, general manager Chris Ballard might have just pulled off a sneaky good move by trading a sixth-round 2026 draft pick to Minnesota for third-year cornerback Mekhi Blackmon. The huge question about Blackmon is how healthy he is and whether he can get back to his pre-injury level.
The cornerback tore his ACL ahead of last season, and he missed the year. Before the injury, the expectation was that Blackmon would start for the Vikings. As a rookie in 2023, the third-round draft pick played in 15 games, started three, and had a passer rating allowed of a solid 81.8.
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He was ascending toward being a long-time important player for Minnesota, until he was never going to be again. He was not good this preseason, but that doesn't mean he isn't going to be good again. The preseason is a small sample size, and there is no game-planning for the other team. Preseason statistics are misleading.
Mekhi Blackmon is not expected to start right away for the Indianapolis Colts, but the team's cornerback group has been hit hard by injuries. Blackmon could definitely get meaningful reps, but playing with Cam Bynum should help him transition to his new team quickly.
That might be the key to the trade for Indy and the player. Blackmon should have a level of comfort playing with Bynum since the two have been used to on-field communication with one another. Blackmon could get on the field quicker with the Colts because of it.