Ballard on state of Colts LB unit; still considering outside options
At the NFL league meetings, Indianapolis Colts' GM Chris Ballard discussed the current state of the linebacker unit. This is a position for the Colts that has major question marks at the moment, largely given the inexperience within this room. Outside of Akeem Davis-Gaither, a free agent addition, the next most experienced player on the roster is Jaylon Carlies, a third-year linebacker with 244 career snaps, 242 of which came during the 2024 season.
"We've got some young guys in the locker room," Ballard said of the linebacker position. "We brought in Gaither-Davis, who we like. Lou's had him.
So he knows his skill set really well. There's still a couple guys in free agency that we'll still consider. We'd really like to see JC (Jaylon Carlies) -- JC's got to stay healthy, but we think he's got the skill set to be a really good inside backer.
"And look, there's been other years we've gone into this really young. and we're not afraid to go into it with a young player as long as they win the job and can execute what Lou and them want. We feel good about kind of the guys we have, some young players, but also some guys that are still out there and plus the draft.
" Davis-Gaither's experience in Lou Anarumo's defense, coupled with Anarumo knowing what he does best, should help him hit the ground running. For most of his career with the Bengals, Davis-Gaither took on more of a rotational role. However, as a free agent last offseason, he signed with Arizona, where he would go on to make 13 starts and appear in 17 games.