franchise’s evaluation process for the NFL Draft. If the greatest ability is availability Al Woods Color Rush Jersey , it would be foolish to not emphasize how likely a young..." Indianapolis Colts Draft CentralKhari Willis emphasizes importance of decision-making, doing things the right wayNew,6commentsEDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Khari Willis emphasizes importance of decision-making, doing things the right wayTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesCharacter plays at least a bit role in every NFL franchise’s evaluation process for the NFL Draft. If the greatest ability is availability, it would be foolish to not emphasize how likely a young man is to professionally conduct himself through a rigorous season, off-season, and the kind of attention he will likely receive as he steps onto the big stage of a professional athlete. Will this young man make decisions that will represent his team, teammates and the league in a positive way or is he at risk of making poor decisions that will carry a heavy cost? Figuring these things out through limited interactions has to be incredibly difficult. If it was easy, no team would make the mistake of signing a hot headed player like Jeff George as the franchise quarterback. No team would draft Quinn Pitcock, who would quickly leave the game due to a video game addiction. Mike Ditka wouldn’t have leveraged the Saints’ future on Ricky Williams, whose battle with social anxiety derailed much of his career.The NFL Draft is immensely valuable to every team. There is no greater chance to build a roster. Getting it right will lead to success and the possibility to play for championships. Notable failures can set a franchise back for years.These observations make the 2019 NFL Draft interesting for the Colts. Perhaps no other Colts draft class is so clearly dominated by young men who have displayed leadership, earned the respect of their peers, vocalize their appreciation for their coaches and teammates, and broadly do an incredible job of representing themselves publicly.Will these traits translate to the football field? Did the Colts focus too much on character at the cost of finding those who are most likely to succeed against the best athletes in the world? That question will take some time to answer but one thing is clear, Chris Ballard has made locker room and culture-building a priority and this group of rookies will go a long way to solidifying the foundation he has been pouring.Rookie safety Khari Willis is a born leader. He grew up with 9 sisters and brothers https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Erik-Swoope-Jersey , spent much of his time involved with sports at a free recreational center his father has directed for more than two decades, and donates considerable time giving back to his community. It is very important to him that he helps other young people navigate through a variety of circumstances, to make good decisions and to put themselves in position to reach their goals.His teammates at Michigan State clearly respected the man he was on the field and in the locker room. His coach and other Big 10 coaches were blown away by his leadership and character. His athletic abilities and on-field accomplishments are also entirely worthy of a third round selection. There is very little doubt that Willis will put in the work. He will dedicate himself to being the best player he can be and to helping the people around him succeed. He will very likely have a major off-field impact on the Indianapolis community. Do yourself the favor of sitting some time aside to watch a few videos that will help tell Willis’ story. Listen to his Big Ten address as he talks about his values and what is important to him. It is hard not to feel confident in the Colts’ future with young men like Khari Willis helping to lead the way. Even if the team falls short of its lofty goals, it will be super easy to cheer for a group like the one that is coming together at West 56th Street. The Indianapolis Colts and the rest of the NFL are only a few short days away from free agency kicking off. While there is some obvious excitement from Colts’ fans as the team holds a ton of cap..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Filed under:Colts NewsFree AgencyMatthias Farley should be Colts next extension as free agency nearsNew,7commentsEDTShareTweetShareShareMatthias Farley should be Colts next extension as free agency nearsStew Milne-USA TODAY SportsThe Indianapolis Colts and the rest of the NFL are only a few short days away from free agency kicking off. While there is some obvious excitement from Colts’ fans as the team holds a ton of cap space heading into the 2019 season, GM Chris Ballard has already taken care of re-signing a few important players internally in recent weeks.The Colts signed extensions with Mark Glowinski, Ross Travis, and Margus Hunt thus far and there are a few others who might still be scooped up previous to free agency officially getting underway. Glowinski went from a virtual camp body to a pivotal starter throughout the course of the season, Travis offers a very interesting skill set to the tight end room and looked extremely promising previous to a year-ending knee injury. Hunt was a part of Ballard’s initial free agency process and has grown into his own with the Colts for the first time in his career.One of those Colts who is set to become a free agent as the new league year kicks off is safety Matthias Farley. Now the Colts also have cornerback Pierre Desir and safety Clayton Geathers in the mix for possibly being re-signed. 32-year-old Mike Mitchell doesn’t seem to be quite as likely a candidate to come back, and the team has already stated that they won’t offer Corey Moore a return to Indy either.Additionally, the Colts have some interesting options around the league to bring in to plug in at safety if they aren’t to agree on extensions with their respective teams and there’s an interesting field at the position in the draft as well. Aside from Malik Hooker and George Odum — an UDFA in 2018 — there isn’t much in the cupboard under contract for 2019.Farley adds quite a bit to the safety corps for the Colts and it makes sense to bring him back via an affordable contract which Farley would likely manage regardless of whether he comes back to Indy or is allowed to test the market. Re-signing Farley certainly doesn’t hamper the Colts’ plans for the position regardless of where they would possibly look to add top-end talent to the position.We’ve seen year in, and year out that quality depth is not only good to have, but pertinent to having the ability for absorbing injuries, poor play as well as adapting to various team’s offensive systems.Farley has been good in coverage for the Colts and fits well in a Cover 2 shell moving forward under Matt Eberflus. He only played in 5 games last year for the Colts, but defended 4 passes Malik Hooker Jersey , added an interception, and 19 total tackles. He continued to be a powerful hitter, and the versatility to sit atop the coverage or move down into the box under any assignment given to him.In 2017 Farley was very important to the team’s efforts finishing third on the team in total tackles (95), and was second on the team in passes defensed (7) as well as third with 2 interceptions. Farley, for my money, in this 2017 season, proved that he was not only an excellent rotational option for the Colts at safety, but also capable of being a reliable starter when called upon.Farley doesn’t bring the top-level money value to the free agency period this year, as he’s coming off of a short year due to injury. But, he’s familiar and works well within the Colts’ defensive system, they absolutely love his leadership and knowledge he brings to the back end of the Colts’ defense, he’ll only be 27 this year, and the Colts constantly talk about keeping their own in the building.I definitely believe that Farley has done enough in every aspect of what the Colts are looking to do, in order to be brought back to bolster the Colts defensive depth moving forward.
