SPORTS

Colts swing trade for Raiders linebacker Sio Moore

Stephen Holder
IndyStar
Sio Moore was traded to the Indianapolis Colts from the Oakland Raiders on Sept. 4, 2015.

On a day the Colts defense suffered a potential major blow, the team got a possible shot in the arm by landing another defensive contributor.

Starting defensive tackle Art Jones underwent surgery Friday and could be lost for the season, but the Colts later in the day swung a trade for Oakland Raiders linebacker Sio Moore, a talented player who had lost his job after undergoing hip surgery last season.

The Colts yielded a late-round 2016 draft pick to Oakland to complete the deal, a relatively small price for a player who two years ago was a third-round pick.

Moore brings some intrigue to the Indianapolis defense, possessing the versatility to play both inside and outside linebacker. One NFL source projected Moore could see time both as a weakside inside linebacker and rush linebacker in the Colts' 3-4 defensive scheme. With the Raiders, Moore was labeled a weakside outside linebacker in Oakland's 4-3 scheme.

His addition shakes things up on the Colts' defense.

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Depending on where the Colts intend to use Moore, his acquisition impacts other players. As an inside linebacker, he would be in competition with veterans D'Qwell Jackson, Jerrell Freeman and Nate Irving. Rookies Amarlo Herrera and Junior Sylvestre have been competing for roster spots there, too.

And if Moore spent time in Indianapolis as an outside linebacker, he'd join a unit that already has legitimate depth, with Trent Cole, Robert Mathis and others already onboard. Former Raiders coach Dennis Allen once said he projected Moore as a solid edge rusher.

With final roster cuts looming Saturday – NFL teams must reduced their rosters to 53 men by 4 p.m. – a related move could be in the cards. Moore's addition might ultimately cost someone else a roster spot.

Moore fits the profile of the type of player Colts coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson covet. They talk constantly about the topic of "position flexibility," a quality they value over many others.

The Raiders had not shown a willingness to give Moore his starting job back after he returned to practice last month. Coach Jack Del Rio said Moore might be reduced to being a "role player," a decision probably set in motion the events that led to Friday's trade.