Is Mike Adams the Answer?

Jan 30, 2014; Jersey City, NJ, USA; Denver Broncos safety Mike Adams (20) at a press conference in advance of Super Bowl XLVIII on the Cornucopia Majesty yacht on the Hudson River. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As Delano Howell battles an injury that threatens to derail him for a while, safety Mike Adams will be thrust into the starting safety role for Indianapolis. The 10-year pro has seen everything around the league and brings his experience to the Indianapolis Colts after two seasons in Denver.

Adams is a good player who is past his prime, but he does tend to bite off more than he can chew. Allowing big plays is something that Adams-led secondaries have gotten used to. It doesn’t mean he’s a bad safety; he just has a different style of risky play.

Adams’ most logical next step is to increase the number of takeaways that he comes up with. He’s coming off a season with just one interception; that’s not enough for his style of ballhawking. Especially in Adams’ new role as the featured strong safety in the Colts’ system, grabbing interceptions and being able to bring them back for decent yardage will be essential in how he performs in Indianapolis.

However, if Adams can’t pick up the pace at his position, he has several viable candidates breathing down his back. Sergio Brown has been performing well at the position and could have an opportunity to step into the spot of Adams underperforms. Backups Colt Anderson and Dewey McDonald are both likely to make the team, so there’s plenty of depth at the position in case Adams does fail.

Delano Howell’s absence is a big problem that the Colts did not intend on having to deal with. His experience with the Colts’ playbook and his capable fill-in rolls last year immensely boosted his stock as a quality player at the safety position. However, now the Colts have to lean on Mike Adams, the old veteran.

Let’s hope he doesn’t get caught in the lights of Lucas Oil Stadium.