On paper, the Indianapolis Colts have one of the best cornerback tandems in all of football. Adding Sauce Gardner to the mix came at a steep price, but if he's healthy, he's a shutdown corner who won't allow many, if any, scores.
The Colts also have a former Super Bowl champion and All-Pro selection in Charvarius Ward. Likewise, he's one of the shutdown defenders in the league when he's healthy, though that hasn't happened that often in recent years.
Ward has had to deal with a lot on and off the field, and he admittedly considered retirement after suffering three concussions last season. That's why the Colts might've backed themselves into a corner by not adding a suitable replacement.
The Indianapolis Colts might regret their faith in Charvarius Ward
The Colts signed Cam Taylor-Britt, who was already familiar with Lou Anarumo's defensive schemes. Nevertheless, with all due respect, he's a major downgrade from an All-Pro-caliber cornerback, even on his best day.
Despite playing in just seven games last season, Ward still drew the seventh-highest Pro Football Focus grade (subscription required) among eligible cornerbacks (77.1). He ranked 21st against the run (73.7) and seventh against the pass (77.4), breaking up seven passes and allowing an opposing passer rating of 81.6.
He's one of the best undrafted free agents in recent NFL history, and it makes perfect sense that the team still believes in him. That said, football is a contact sport, and there are some things that no one can control.
Ward is a hard hit away from never playing again. And, to be fair, perhaps he should never play again. He still has most of his life ahead of him, and he has to think about life after football; nothing's more important than health.
He's already flirted with the thought of retirement, and that's a difficult place to come back from for most athletes. So, who's to say that idea won't return midway through the season, especially if he has to deal with another injury?
As things stand now, the Colts have Taylor-Britt, Mekhi Blackmon, Cameron Mitchell, and Jonathan Edwards as potential replacements, though some of them may not even make the 53-man roster. That's a problem.
Of course, this isn't to say that they should've just turned their backs on him and gone big-name hunting to replace him. But when there's smoke, there's fire, and ignoring all the red flags and concerns is just irresponsible at this point.
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