According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, former Arizona Cardinals starting linebacker Kyzir White is visiting the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday:
The 6’2”, 234 pound linebacker recorded 137 tackles (60 solo), 9 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, an interception, 3 passes defensed, and a fumble recovery during all 17 starts for Arizona this past season.
Per PFF, White received just a +48.8 overall grade in 2024, but did have a +73.0 run defense grade.
Having recently placed 2nd-year linebacker Jaylon Carlies on injured reserve with a designation to return because of an ankle injury, the Colts have been recently kicking the tires on extra veteran linebacker depth.
Specifically, the Colts claimed former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Chad Muma off of league waivers and are also reportedly bringing in a familiar face, linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., for a workout on Thursday too.
Kyzir White, LB
2024 team: Cardinals
Why he’s still a free agent: Once a safety, White can be a tweener in some NFL defenses, which might see him as more of a weakside linebacker than the middle linebacker role he played in Arizona over the past two seasons. Teams prioritized paying three-down linebackers Nick Bolton and Robert Spillane early in free agency, but even while White has been an every-down linebacker, he might not have a ton of teams seeing him as that sort of player in their own defenses.
Why teams should be interested: He’s fun! White makes a ton of tackles; his 11.9% tackle share last season ranked 16th in the league, an impressive figure given that Budda Baker ranked third by the same metric. White’s missed tackle rate was reasonable (5.5%), and he had 2.5 sacks and eight knockdowns as a blitzer.
White has been a favorite of coach Jonathan Gannon, as he followed the former Eagles defensive coordinator to Arizona in 2023. A reunion with the Cardinals would probably make the most sense for all parties involved, especially given that his market hasn’t really developed to the point where he would be out of the mix for Arizona. The Cardinals brought in Akeem Davis-Gaither from the Bengals on a two-year, $10 million deal, but that shouldn’t necessarily close the door on White in Arizona. If it does, a team with a creative defensive coordinator should find a useful role for him.
Ideal landing spots: Cowboys, Colts, Texans
Whether that comes to fruition following White’s scheduled workout with the Colts, remains to be seen.
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