Colts Remain Bullish at Safety Halfway Through Training Camp

The Indianapolis Colts continue to hope for a safety to separate themselves from the pack and earn a starting spot.

Indianapolis Colts safeties Nick Cross (20) and Trevor Denbow (43) talk between plays during day #9 practice of Colts Camp, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 at Grand Park in Westfield. / Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Indianapolis Colts are halfway through training camp and it appears that their plan for the safety position is not unfolding exactly how they had hoped.

Safety is one of only two position groups on the roster that did not see an outside addition this offseason (the other being tight end); no free agents from other teams, no draft picks, and no undrafted free agents. This isn't entirely unusual when there are established starters and solid depth pieces in place, but the Colts are lacking both.

Julian Blackmon is the one piece of the safety puzzle that will allow Colts general manager Chris Ballard to sleep easier at night. The 25-year-old safety signed a one-year deal this offseason to return to the Colts after not seeing the market develop for his services as he had hoped. Originally, the plan was to continue having Blackmon occupy the strong safety position, which he thrived in after switching from free safety last season. However, the performance so far from the other members of the safety room has forced defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's hand.

During Sunday's practice, Blackmon looked to be taking snaps at free safety and strong safety, an option head coach Shane Steichen confirmed the Colts were looking into. It is hard to say with certainty after personally watching just one practice of this so far, as it could have just been the standard rotation the Colts had planned, but it appeared that where Blackmon lined up largely had to do with the other safety on the field with him at the time.

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When Nick Cross was on the field with Blackmon and the first-team defense, it was Cross who was, more often than not, walked up into the box and occupying those shorter zones while Blackmon remained as the last line of defense. The same seemed to be true when Blackmon and former safety, turned linebacker, turned back to safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. shared the field. However, when Rodney Thomas II got first-team snaps, a scenario that seems to be growing less and less common, Blackmon returned to his strong safety position.

Communication seems to be the sticking point for the lack of confidence the Colts appear to have in their safeties not named Julian Blackmon. After the second-team defense allowed a completion during an 11-on-11 period, Gus Bradley's voice cut through the noise, a colorful demand for the secondary to talk.

All of the safeties battling for playing time possess the athletic ability to do the job, but whether it be a fault of communication, processing, mindset, or something else none of them have taken hold of the second starting safety role. The Colts would have hoped for more clarity at the position halfway through camp. This has led to plenty of discourse online amongst Colts fans clamoring for the team to finally make the outside addition to the group that they did not during the offseason.

Shortly after practice concluded on Sunday, the Tennessee Titans reached an agreement with former Seattle Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs, a three-time Pro Bowler.

Veteran free-agent safety Quandre Diggs reached agreement on a one year deal worth up to $5 million with the Titans, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2024

Diggs was not the only available safety on the market, but this gives the Colts one less option to turn to if they decide they are unsatisfied with the performance of their current group. The decision to not make this type of move will be magnified even more as they will face off against their division rivals from Tennessee twice this season.

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