Indianapolis Colts signing of LB Freddy Keiaho good move, but not urgent

The Indianapolis Colts reportedly re-signed veteran outside linebacker Freddy Keiaho Wednesday.

That’s fine. And it won’t hurt the Colts.

But it wasn’t critical, because the thing a lot of people just don’t understand is when it comes to linebackers, re-signing them just isn’t critical to the Colts.

Now, let’s get one thing clear quickly:

This isn’t to slam Keiaho. Far from it. He’s a good, physical player who may not be as spectacular as the player who recently moved from the strong side to take his weakside linebacker spot, Clint Session, but Keiaho was more consistent than Session, and there are those who believe Keiaho was the Colts’ best linebacker last season.

Yet, he was expendable.

And the reason that doesn’t slam Keiaho is that’s the reality of the Colts’ defense — that any outside linebacker is expendable. Mike Peterson was expendable, and so was Cato June, and so was Marcus Washington and so was David Thornton. They were all good players, and Colts president Bill Polian long has said he regretted allowing Thornton to sign with Tennessee as much as any recent free-agency decision he has had to made, but the year after Thornton left, the Colts won the Super Bowl.

Which is why I have found it interesting that fans and analysts alike have bemoaned the Colts’ linebacker situation in recent weeks. Many believed linebacker a pressing need in the draft, going so far as to predict the Colts would take a linebacker in the first round. They didn’t take a linebacker in Round 1. Or Round 2. Or in any other round for that matter.

That’s because the reality is the Colts’ linebacker situation before the team re-signed Keiaho wasn’t much different than it has been in most years since Tony Dungy brought the Tampa 2 defense to Indianapolis. They have typically drafted and developed the position, particularly on the outside, and their mode of operation is to have an affordable middle linebacker (Gary Brackett in recent years) with a one or two-year veteran on one side and a first-year starter on the other. Session is entering his second season as a starter and 2008 third-round draft selection Philip Wheeler is projected as the starter at the other outside backer.

The Colts also recently signed five-year veteran Adam Seward from Carolina to a one-year deal to back up Brackett in the middle and more recently re-signed five-year veteran Tyjuan Hagler, a part-time starter the past two seasons. They reportedly like second-year veteran Jordan Senn and they have several other backers on the roster.

This is not to say the re-signing Keiaho won’t help the Colts. At ther worst, he’s a well-above-average reserve and he may even start. You have to think the Colts would like Wheeler to win one outside backer job and Session was dynamic at times last season, but Keiaho was good enough the last two seasons and if he’s good enough this year, he could very well start again.

And if he does, that’s fine. And it won’t hurt the Colts.

But the reality is the Colts’ linebacker situation already was pretty normal.