The Indianapolis Colts have officially begun the tear down of their roster by moving on from aging veterans as they look to build the roster in the shape that suits their new head coach, Shane Steichen.
The cornerback group is set to look a lot different in 2023 after agreeing to trade veteran Stephon Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys.
The veteran corner was brought in last offseason to help shore up a defense for a playoff run and while he certainly did his job, the rest of the team didn’t. The move makes sense to move on from the 32-year-old who only has one year left on his contract with the franchise entering a rebuilding year.
This subtraction from the roster has created a huge hole in the defense for Gus Bradley. The Colts will be missing both of their 2022 opening day starting outside corners with Gilmore headed to Dallas and Brandon Facyson heading to the Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent.
They still have Isaiah Rodgers Sr., who looks like he is set to be one of the starting outside corners, but the spot opposite of him is open for the taking. Dallis Flowers got some playing time in the position at the end of the year but I would feel pretty nervous if I was Bradley if there isn’t more competition brought into the group.
Then, there is the Kenny Moore II situation. He’s in the final year of his contract, wanted a pay raise prior to the 2022 season, and it has been reported that the Colts could also potentially trade him this offseason. Will some of the cap space created possibly go to Moore II in an extension or does Chris Ballard also create a hole at the nickel corner spot by moving him to a different team?
As of now, this is what the cornerbacks look like on the depth chart:
CB: Isaiah Rodgers Sr.
Nickel CB: Kenny Moore II
CB: ????
Backups: Dallis Flowers, Darrell Baker Jr., Kevin Toliver II, and David Vereen
I’d expect that Indianapolis will look for a veteran addition in free agency and a Day 2 rookie to add to this group at the least. The next few weeks will determine if the cornerback position will remain a pressing need outside of quarterback for this roster.
Keep up to date with the latest news, signings and rumors through our free agency tracker for the Colts.
