Colts Trade Franklin, Bet on Allen

0:00On April 30th, the Indianapolis Colts just shook up their linebacker spot big time this off-season, trading away 8-year veteran and team captain. Zaire Franklin, to the Green Bay Packers for defensive lineman, Colby Wooden. Franklin spent his whole career with Indy, rising from a late round pick to all pro status, but now they're handing the keys to a fresh face. 20-year-old C.J. Allen out of Georgia. Franklin's 2025 season was rough, missing a career high percentage of tackles and struggling in coverage with a high passer rating. Against him, per pro football focus stats, that came amid the team switch to their third defensive coordinator in recent years, making the split feel inevitable. C.J. Allen's been ahead of the game since day one, earning real snaps as an 18-year-old true freshman at Georgia after their back-to-back national. Titles. He grabbed the starting Mike linebacker role mid-season and held it through college, even landing first team All-American honors last year, at 20.

1:00Colt's GM, Chris Ballard, is already seeing his praises, and where from Georgia is Allen basically ran the defense, making calls and adjustments on the fly unless coaches stepped in for specific spots. It's a bold move betting on this throwback talent to steady a defense that got too risky last year, but Allen's track record says he thrives under. Pressure. Allen D's lineup could snap back quick.