Indianapolis Colts: 5 Players to Follow During Training Camp
By Kyle Nishida
Safety T.J. Green
Despite entering the 2016 season as a rookie, the Indianapolis Colts are expecting safety T.J. Green to be a key contributor for them.
The former Clemson Tigers’ safety exploded onto the scene during his junior year; his only year a starter. In his final season, Green accumulated 95 combined tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three pass deflections and two forced fumbles.
Despite his lack of his safety experience, the Indianapolis Colts expect Green to be a productive player in 2016. He was their second round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. They are expecting production as a result.
Currently, safeties Mike Adams and Clayton Geathers are above Green on the depth chart. Green is not a starter, but he is one Adams’ injury or Geathers’ injury away from becoming one. There will be a lot people curious to see how he is developing during training camp.
Although he will not be starting, the Colts will find ways to get Green on to the field. Last year, they used Geathers in sub-packages, which helped build Geathers’ experience. The Colts will most likely do this with Green during training camp to get him some meaningful reps.
Green will eventually replace Adams, who is 35 years old, in the starting lineup, but it will not happen any time this season unless there is an injury. For the time being, the Colts need to give Green quality reps in training camp to help prepare him for the daily grind of the NFL.
As a result, a lot people will be watching Green to see if he developing quickly. If his development is slow early, there may be a couple of folks who will be a little worried.
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