The Colts went into the offseason knowing the middle of their defense needed a reset, and they attacked it hard.
Indianapolis sent Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers, let Germaine Pratt walk, then brought in veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither and added two rookies with real upside in CJ Allen and Bryce Boettcher. On paper, that gives the Colts a much different look at inside linebacker. In practice, it may leave Jaylon Carlies fighting for his place.
That’s the tricky part of Lou Anarumo’s defense. The off-ball linebacker spot doesn’t carry a huge load in this system.
The job is pretty straightforward: hold up against the run, be dependable in coverage, and don’t do much damage. Franklin and Pratt struggled badly in coverage, which helped push them out the door.
Now the Colts may not keep more than four inside linebackers on the 53-man roster, and three of those spots already look spoken for. Davis-Gaither, Allen, and Boettcher are the likeliest locks, with Austin Ajiake in the mix for the fourth.
That leaves Carlies on the outside looking in.
He also hasn’t helped himself by missing so much time. In his second season, he spent 12 weeks on injured reserve because of shoulder and ankle problems and logged only two defensive snaps all year. That’s a brutal setback for a young linebacker trying to carve out a role.
Carlies did get a real look as a rookie in 2024, when he played 242 defensive snaps, started six games, and recorded a sack. But the coverage numbers were rough: he allowed 14 completions on 15 targets, including a touchdown, and finished with a quarterback rating allowed of 124.4.
The offseason hasn’t done him any favors either. While Allen is expected to push for a Week 1 starting job and handle the green dot in Anarumo’s system, Carlies has been stuck waiting. Allen is being talked about as the kind of player who could grow into a multi-year Pro Bowler, and Boettcher brings his own appeal after excelling in pass coverage in college.
Davis-Gaither also has a built-in advantage. He spent five seasons from 2020 through 2024 under Anarumo with the Cincinnati Bengals, so he should be able to help Allen and Boettcher get up to speed quickly.
That’s the reality facing Carlies now. If the Colts trim the roster the way it looks like they might, he could be the one left without a chair when August ends.
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