Colts 2016 player preview: Inside linebacker Sio Moore

The Indianapolis Colts will report to training camp on July 26 with their 90-man roster, which will be cut down to 53 players by the end of the preseason.  To pass the time until camp, we're taking a look at every player on the Colts' 90-man roster.  Today, we're looking at inside linebacker Sio Moore.

Who is he?

Shortly after the preseason ended last year, the Indianapolis Colts sent a sixth round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for linebacker Sio Moore.  The linebacker was originally drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by Oakland, and in his first two years with the Raiders he played in 26 games and started 22, recording 140 tackles, 7.5 sacks, a pass defensed, and two forced fumbles.  He seemingly fell out of favor with the Raiders, however, and they were willing to trade him for a late-round pick.  He didn't play nearly as much as many people expected with the Colts, however, as he played in 12 games (starting zero) and recorded just 13 tackles.

What is his role?

It may be easy to forget about Sio Moore because of his lack of impact last year, but he had a significant role in offseason workouts for the Colts this year.  With Jerrell Freeman now with the Bears and D'Qwell Jackson missing some time, Nate Irving and Sio Moore received the "lion's share" of reps at inside linebacker this offseason, according to head coach Chuck Pagano.  It's expected that Irving will win the starting spot, but Moore will push him in training camp and preseason and will be a player to watch as someone who could see his playing time increase quite a bit from a year ago.  Without Freeman this year, the Colts could opt to go with a committee approach at inside linebacker to replace him, in which case Moore would certainly be right in the mix.

What are his chances?

He has a good chance of making the roster and will push for a starting spot and significant playing time.