The Colts brought in defensive back help earlier tonight, agreeing to terms with veteran corner Antonio Cromartie, and the reason for the signing is now readily apparent. Indianapolis cornerback Vontae Davis has suffered ligament damage in his ankle and is now expected to miss at least the first month of the regular season, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
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Head coach Chuck Pagano had been designating Davis “week-to-week,” but as Mike Wells of ESPN.com noted earlier today, Pagano had used that terminology before, only to see players significantly more time. That seems to be the case in this instance, as Davis is now set to miss at least six weeks of action from today’s date. If Davis is sidelined for only the first four games of the regular season, he’d miss contests against the Lions, Broncos, Chargers, and Jaguars.
Aside from Cromartie, the Colts do have other options in their secondary, but no one that rivals the singular talent of Davis. Indy signed former Chargers cornerback Patrick Robinson to a three-year deal this offseason, and though he’s currently dealing with a groin injury, he’s expected to be ready for Week 1. Darius Butler, Jalil Brown, 2015 third-rounder D’Joun Smith, and others make up the rest of the Colts’ back end.
Davis, 28, has become one of the league’s best corners since being traded to Indianapolis in 2012, as he’s been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons, and was named an All Pro in 2014. He started all 16 games last season, posting four interceptions, 16 passes defensed, and graded as the NFL’s No. 29 CB, according to Pro Football Focus.
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