The Indianapolis Colts agreed to terms with veteran cornerback T.J. Carrie on Monday, adding more experience to a young secondary.
Though there is extreme promise with some of the younger players in the Colts secondary, general manager Chris Ballard admitted they needed more of a veteran presence across the board on the defensive side of the ball.
They are getting that with the addition of Carrie. Here are three things to know about the Colts’ new cornerback in Carrie:
Career Stats
Carrie was a seventh-round pick with the Oakland Raiders in the 2014 NFL draft. He worked there as a rotational piece and starter during his four years, starting 36 games. He spent the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, starting 16 games. Carrie hasn’t missed a game in four seasons.
His career stats include:
- 92 games played (50 starts)
- Five interceptions
- 43 passes defended
- Six forced fumbles
The 2018 season was his best campaign when he allowed a 62.1% completion rate, zero touchdowns and a 78.2 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus.
Emphasis on veterans
As mentioned earlier, the Colts seem to be harping on adding a veteran presence to the defensive side of the ball. Chris Ballard mentioned earlier in the offseason that allowing some of the veterans to walk in free agency had a negative impact because of what they bring to the locker room.
In addition to Carrie joining the secondary, the Colts also signed veteran cornerback Xavier Rhodes, who has extensive work as a starter in the league. Defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Sheldon Day also bring a veteran presence having been key cogs in the defensive line for the San Francisco 49ers over the last few seasons.
Carrie certainly has experience playing in the league, which in turn should help the younger players develop.
He’s an athlete
The Colts like to harp on athleticism and versatility on both sides of the ball. It’s tough to be successful without being an athlete. Carrie doesn’t have to worry about that and while he’s not the exact same from when he got drafted, he still posted an elite RAS score coming out of college.
Couple the fact of being versatile working both in the slot and on the outside for the Browns, Carrie looks more and more like the type of cornerback that Chris Ballard loves to bring in.
