Why Colts are thinking about giving FS Camryn Bynum the green dot
· Yahoo Sports
WESTFIELD — The Colts are experimenting with the possibility of putting the green dot on the helmet of free safety Camryn Bynum.
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The green dot signifies which defensive player gets the calls from defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, relaying the play call and any other instructions Anarumo can pack into the 15 seconds he’s allowed to talk to the defender.
Traditionally, the middle linebacker has been the on-field play-caller for defenses at all levels of football, and second-round pick CJ Allen is the favorite to wear the green dot if he opens the season as the team’s starter.
But it’s possible that Anarumo decides to shift the responsibility to Bynum.
“CJ was doing a great job, we didn’t take it away from him,” Anarumo said. “I just feel like Cam needs to get practice with it, just in case.”
Anarumo has put the green dot on a safety’s helmet before. When Anarumo was the coordinator in Cincinnati, veteran strong safety Vonn Bell wore the green dot as the defense’s primary communicator.
In Anarumo’s eyes, there isn’t any reason to give a team’s middle linebacker the green dot, other than the position’s historical status as the traditional defensive play-caller. The linebacker is closer to the line of scrimmage, giving him better access to the defensive line, but the communication from the defensive coordinator comes before the defensive line puts its hand in the dirt.
If the safety is wearing the green dot, the middle linebacker would still be responsible for relaying checks and audibles to the defensive line; the safety is already responsible for communicating those changes to the rest of the secondary. Switching the helmet communication from the middle linebacker to the free safety would not affect that process.
“It benefits me, to be honest, to have a DB, because I’m always telling the linebacker to tell the safety something in that 15 seconds,” Anarumo said. “Now, I can tell Cam a lot.”
Bynum has spent his entire career playing in complex defenses.
A player like Allen or fellow rookie Bryce Boettcher is likely going to have to work through a lot of things that Bynum will know immediately, thanks to his experience.
“Especially when you have young linebackers, if you have a veteran guy that’s out there that can be calm, you don’t have to worry about processing all of it, all at once,” Anarumo said. “It’s just one less thing on their plate.”
Anarumo hasn’t made any final decisions on who will wear the green dot yet.
He has two clear options.
Even if one is unconventional.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Colts are thinking about giving FS Camryn Bynum the green dot