Getty Could the Colts Add to the Secondary?
It is no secret that the Indianapolis Colts have needs in the secondary. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s scheme relies heavily on the boundary cornerbacks, and the Colts need to find help opposite All-Pro corner Stephon Gilmore. And help could be coming before the trade deadline.
Heavy’s Matt Lombardo reported that New York Jets cornerback Bryce Hall is available as the trade deadline looms. Chris Ballard has never shied away from a trade, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Will he pull the trigger once again?
Bryce Hall’s Decline in New York
As a fifth-round pick out of Virginia in 2020, Hall burst onto the scene. In his rookie season, Hall played 547 defensive snaps in 8 games, tallying 36 tackles, 3 pass deflections, and 1 interception. He followed his promising rookie season by starting all 17 games in 2021, adding 79 total tackles, including 4 tackles for loss.
But in his second year under head coach Robert Saleh, Hall plummeted down the pecking order. Rookie Sauce Gardner and free agent signing D.J. Reed earned the starting snaps ahead of the third-year corner. During their week one matchup against the Ravens, Hall played in only five defensive snaps. But since then, absolutely nothing.
While Hall may not be a true number one corner, he is still very much serviceable. Teams should be able to pry him away from New York for next-to-nothing, and Indianapolis seems to be a logical destination.
Cornerback Problems Compound for Indy
Gilmore has been worth every dollar of his two-year, $20 million contract. But on the other side of the field, Indianapolis has too many questions.
The Colts signed cornerback Brandon Facyson to a one-year deal worth $3.84 million as competition for third-year corner Isaiah Rodgers. Facyson, a fifth-year journeyman, has struggled so far this season. Per Pro Football Focus, he has allowed 10 receptions on 12 targets for 113 yards.
Rodgers, on the other-hand, has the athletic upside and raw potential. After missing the first two games and easing into the season, Rodgers has out-snapped Facyson over the past three weeks. PFF has charged Rodgers with 3 receptions on 3 targets for 18 yards. Fans have been calling for Rodgers to completely overtake Facyson’s snaps, but that does not look to be the case in Indianapolis.
“We’ve always felt like we’re going to need three to four corners throughout the year, so there’s going to be times when some guys are playing really well and some guys didn’t have a great game. But as a coaching staff, we believe in them and then we just believe that the next opportunity they get, they got to take advantage of it,” said Bradley of the rotation at cornerback.
Even though the rotation will continue, Bradley did hint that Rodgers’s snaps could continue to increase. “He (Facyson) just needs to tighten up his game and play like he’s capable of playing.” Clearly an indication that the veteran corner needs to improve.
But even with the planned rotation at cornerback, it would not hurt for the Colts to bring in more competition and depth in the secondary.
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Could Colts Be In On Trade Block Candidate?