Film Room Breaks Down Newest Colts' Safety
The Indianapolis Colts have made another signing this offseason, agreeing to a deal with former Philadelphia Eagles' safety Rodney McLeod. McLeod, 31, is coming off of his 10th year in the league.
McLeod is long-time NFL safety that won a Super Bowl with the Eagles back in 2017. For his career, he has accumulated 593 total tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 52 pass deflections, 16 interceptions, and 11 forced fumbles.
In today's article, I dive into the film to look at what this long-time starter brings to the Colts' secondary.
Run Defense
McLeod is not a dominant, physical presence in the run game, but he is a savvy vet that understands how to sift through traffic. He won't blow up a block in space, but he knows how to work himself into positions to make plays.
This play below is a great example of what I'm talking about. He comes down from his deep safety spot to help out in the run game. He keeps his eyes in the backfield and jumps back inside as the running back tries to cut back on the play.
Once the running back moves back to the interior, McLeod is there waiting for the stop.
McLeod is very Julian Blackmon-like in his run defense. He won't pile up the tackles for a loss or run stops each season, but his athleticism and his ability to run the alley does flash from time to time.
This play is a perfect example of running the alley. He keys on his run fit early in this play, and he is able to make the stop for a short gain up the middle. While run defense isn't the major selling point in McLeod's game, he is not a liability in the slightest in this department.
Pass Coverage
Now, pass coverage is where McLeod has really shined in his career. He has graded out with a coverage grade of 70+ (according to PFF) in seven of his 10 years in the league. He has done this while shifting back in forth between single-high safety and strong safety in his career.
His ability to break on underneath passes is top notch. He may not possess elite, 4.3 long speed at this point in his career, but his explosion is still there on film. On this play below, he keys the slant route coming over the middle. He quickly breaks on the ball and deflects it away, where his teammate catches the pass and returns it for a score.
With the Colts moving to more of a cover-three/MOFC defense in 2022, McLeod is the perfect player to have as depth on the backend. He can excel at either safety spot, and he can give good snaps as a deep player over the middle.
On this play, he recognizes early that the Detroit Lions want to attack the middle of the field with the deep in route. He comes down from his safety position and breaks on the pass with great closing speed. He is able to jump the route and make a nice diving break up on the play.
Interceptions are a highly volatile stat that fluctuates from year to year. Some years, a player will have 10+ chances for an interception. Others, a player will have maybe one or two. The key to a good defensive play-maker is being able to convert those chances into turnovers.
McLeod has been doing this long enough where he is able to make those big plays. This play below came against Washington in week 16 last year. Washington was down just four points with under a minute to go in this game.
Washington's quarterback sails this pass a little high on the play, and McLeod takes advantage by making a diving interception.
The Bottom Line
Rodney McLeod is a solid NFL safety that gives the Colts exactly what they needed on the backend. With Khari Willis and Julian Blackmon both yet to play a full NFL season in their careers, a player like McLeod was absolutely necessary to add to the secondary.
He is a beloved player in the locker room that can play strong safety or free safety, and he can excel on special teams. This isn't a signing that pushes the Colts over the top by any means, but it does give the team a quality depth option that can actually be relied on in a pinch.
With how disastrous the Andrew Sendejo experience was last year, I would call grabbing a player of McLeod's caliber an A+ move.
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