The Indianapolis Colts continue to shake up their active roster and practice squad following t he move to place Juju Brents on their injury reserve list.
Their most recent move was to bring back Ronnie Harrison Jr., a familiar face who joined the team last season.
The Colts first signed Harrison during the 2023 training camp as a safety but released him as part of their 53-man roster cuts. He stuck around on their practice squad, and following the Colts' shocking decision to release former All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard, the team signed Harrison to their active roster but as an "LB" instead of safety for the first time in his career.
He appeared in seven games with the Colts in 2023 and made three starts. And while he didn't even play in half the team's games, he ended the season with solid production. He recorded 20 total tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions, one of which was a pick-six.
This career rejuvenation out of Harrison had many expecting to see him fully work as an LB during training camp this season, but that wasn't the case. The Colts essentially moved Harrison back to safety, with him competing for the team's starting free safety job, which he lost. Eventually, they released him to cut their roster down ahead of the 2024 season, which was a shock to many.
He now rejoins the team amid multiple roster moves as they attempt to figure out what to do after losing starting outside cornerback Juju Brents. Harrison offers them a player who can play multiple positions, which could be valuable during the uncertainty surrounding the team's defense at the moment.
I personally still believe Harrison's best spot in the long term is at LB. The position plays to his strengths while allowing his weaknesses to be hidden at a much higher rate than when he lines up as a safety. If he ever had to play safety, I'd honestly rather the team move Julian Blackmon back to FS and allow Harrison to operate as the strong safety next to him. For the time being, though, he is still only on the team's practice squad. However, with the defense struggling so much in Week 1, I wouldn't be shocked if they wanted to get a player with Harrison's experience on the field and see if it would help improve the group as a whole.
