The Colts’ decision to move on from Kenny Moore II looked risky when it happened. Months later, it looks a lot smarter.
Indianapolis spent the offseason trying to fix a pass defense that gave them too many problems last year, and that meant making some uncomfortable calls in the secondary. Moore was one of them.
He had been a reliable piece for the Colts more often than not and even made a Pro Bowl, but he was never viewed as an ideal match for defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s system. Moore understood that, too, and knew a change of scenery could help him.
Still, the Colts took heat for releasing him after they couldn’t find a trade partner. The criticism made sense at the time. A nine-year veteran slot corner with a Pro Bowl on his resume usually doesn’t sit around long in free agency.
That’s exactly what has happened here.
Moore is still waiting for his next team, and that lack of interest has become its own kind of validation for Indianapolis. The league has clearly moved away from one-dimensional corners, and Moore’s strengths in zone coverage haven’t been enough to separate him in a landscape where teams want defenders who can handle more than one job. Hybrid looks and more complicated schemes demand versatility, and that’s where the Colts seem to have bet the market was heading.
The financial side of the move matters, too. By parting with Moore, Indianapolis cleared nearly $10 million in cap space. They haven’t turned that into a major splash yet, but the season is long, and the Colts have already shown they’re willing to make a bold move when the right player comes along, as they did with Sauce Gardner.
On the field, the Colts don’t look better at nickelback on paper without Moore. Justin Walley and Austin Brown are set to handle most of those snaps, while rookie A.J.
Haulcy and Cam Bynum will mix in as well. But the expectation inside the building is that Anarumo’s system will get more out of the players there because the fit is cleaner, even if the names aren’t as established.
For Moore, the door isn’t fully closed. He could still land on a roster before the season begins. What seems clear now, though, is that he won’t be collecting anything close to the $9.49 million base salary he would have earned had he stayed in Indianapolis.
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