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- Mar 19, 2019
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» Who will step up in place of Jabaal Sheard?
Jabaal Sheard was a solid, solid presence off the edge for the Colts' defense the past three years; over that span, he played in 45 games with 44 starts and collected 127 tackles (27 for a loss) to go along with 15.5 sacks, 36 quarterback hits, nine passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. And while Sheard provided pressure on the passer, he was a major reason why the Indy defense has ranked seventh against the run the last two seasons; the consistent way in which Sheard set the edge and kept backs contained to the inside should not be overlooked. But Sheard is now a free agent, giving others a shot to fill his role with the Colts in 2020. While Houston stands to be one of the starting defensive ends, who will start in Sheard's place moving forward? Will it be the aforementioned Turay, or will defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus want to utilize him more in a specialized pass-rushing role? What about Al-Quadin Muhammad, who has played well in Sheard's place in the past? What about Denico Autry, who has the freedom to move around now that Buckner will be starting at the three-tech spot? Then there's Ben Banogu, a second-round pick in last year's NFL Draft who, like Turay, seems to have plenty of upside. The Colts have options at defensive end opposite Houston; they just need someone to step up and grab the job.