Another preseason game in the books and another reshuffling of the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive backfield. And unfortunately, another injury. Undrafted free agent Johnathan Edwards had to leave Saturday’s game against the Green Bay Packers with a concussion.
Edwards has been in a shifting battle for one of the reserve cornerback spots all summer. Injuries have already thrown the position into chaos. Rookie Justin Walley, who could easily have claimed a starting role this season, tore his ACL last week and is out for the year.
Veteran slot corner Kenny Moore II’s knee injury does not appear to be as severe as initially feared, but it remains a concern. Projected roster locks Jaylon Jones and Juju Brents have both been sidelined by hamstring pulls.
That has cleared the way for a group of hopefuls to claim one or two open spots. After the Packers game, a new name has vaulted to the front of the pack.
Indianapolis Colts veteran makes the most of his chances against Green Bay
Actually, Chris Lammons’ name isn’t exactly new. The 29-year-old has played 60 NFL games over his six-year career. The last two years were spent with Indianapolis. He played a few games late in 2023 and became a solid contributor on special teams last year. But it did not appear that the veteran was in Indy’s plans going forward. He was not re-signed during the early free agency period back in March.
Then, a few weeks ago, Indy released Corey Ballentine, one of the free agents they had signed to ostensibly replace Lammons. And just like that, Chris Lammons was back in a Colts uniform.
There were still a lot of names ahead of him on the depth chart, but with those injuries, the picture grew very murky. From one minute to the next, Duke Shelley and Alex Johnson appeared as front-runners for a depth spot. Samuel Womack has performed well and seems to be in good shape for a spot as well.
But then Lammons got his shot on Saturday and turned in an inspired performance. He was beaten on one deep out by Mecole Hardman, but otherwise made plays all over the field. Five tackles. Three passes defended.
One of those tackles resulted in a fumble, which led to a Colts field goal just before halftime. On the ensuing series, Lammons ran right through Packers running back Emanuel Wilson and sacked QB Taylor Elgersma. It was Indy’s only sack of the day.
That all happened in the first half, before Lammons gave way to some of the other contenders in the defensive backfield.
Was that performance enough to elevate him into the top six? A lot of this decision is going to come down to injuries. Moore’s health is particularly significant. Charvarius Ward and Jaylon Jones are primarily perimeter corners. Brents, Edwards, and Alex Johnson are also most comfortable on the outside.
Lammons is more effective in the slot, where Moore figures to start. Shelley is in the same boat, while Womack offers a little more flexibility. New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo got good production out of slot corner Mike Hilton in Cincinnati and figures similarly to use Moore. The versatility Lammons displayed on Saturday, both in pass coverage and as a blitzer, has to have caught the coach’s eye.
Injuries don’t only make it hard to predict which players will survive the final cut. They also make it difficult to figure out how many spots will be allotted to each position. If several top-tier corners are still dealing with nagging hamstrings come cutdown day, Shane Steichen may choose to keep an extra corner at the expense of another position.
If there are any questions about Moore’s health for game one, the likelihood of Lammons winning a roster spot climbs higher.
Based on his play against Green Bay, he may not need the added help. He may have just played himself onto the roster, less than a month after it appeared his career might be at an end.