Two Colts linebackers will fill Shaquille Leonard’s void
After shocking the NFL by waiving linebacker Shaquille Leonard, the Indianapolis Colts made room for two defenders who were eager to make an impact.
In an unexpected move that no one saw coming this early, the Indianapolis Colts waived former four-time All-Pro, Defensive Rookie of the Year, and three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaquille Leonard.
Leonard has made no secret of his displeasure in recent weeks over his meager snap totals and the way he was being used to support Gus Bradley. For better or worse, Leonard is no longer a Colts linebacker, which allows two defenders to assume the position of unquestionable leaders of the second level.
E.J. Speed and Zaire Franklin, the linebacker duo, will now try to establish themselves as the position’s permanent solution. While some may view Leonard’s departure as a setback moving forward, Speed and Franklin have the experience and are prepared to take on the major challenge.
E.J. Speed
Speed emerged as a formidable run defender for the opposition’s ground attacks during the previous campaign. A career-high 63 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and a sack would be recorded by him.
Still, Speed is headed back to career-best numbers after ten games. As of right now, the linebacker has 41 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 sack. With a solid 82.6, he is also the team’s best run defender according to Pro Football Focus. In addition to that statistic, Speed’s overall linebacker grade of 65.9 makes him the best in the linebacking corps.
It’s important to remember that Speed is playing as effectively as ever and will probably continue to do so with more opportunities in front of him, even though Pro Football Focus isn’t the analytical bible. As the Colts enter their final seven-game stretch, look for Speed to be a key factor in their chances of making the postseason.
Zaire Franklin
Last season, in addition to Speed, fellow linebacker Franklin also started in place of the injured Leonard. In the process, he broke Leonard’s previous single-season tackle record (163) for the Colts, setting it at 167. In addition, he would record two forced fumbles, six passes defended, and three sacks.
With 117 total tackles this season, Franklin is third in the NFL in terms of total tackles and is playing at an entirely different level. It’s important to note that he has missed nine games in total, while linebackers T.J. Edwards of the Chicago Bears (121 tackles) and Roquan Smith of the Baltimore Ravens (118 tackles) have played 11 games. With 76 solo tackles, Franklin still leads the league in that category.
In addition, Franklin has 1.5 sacks, three pass defenses, and two forced fumbles. In addition to these stats, he ranks second on the Colts’ coverage linebacker grade (63.2), just behind Segun Olubi (64.4). It’s important to note that Franklin leads Indianapolis’ linebackers in snaps (634), while Olubi has only played 80 this season.
Expect Franklin to keep up his current level of performance every week. Although Franklin may need some time to get used to life without Leonard, he has already demonstrated the ability to rank among the top five NFL linebackers and is likely to be selected to his first Pro Bowl or higher.
Outlook
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