Roster Move: Colts send S Mike Mitchell to IR, elevate S Roland Milligan to active roster

Today the Colts sent safety Mike Mitchell to injured reserve with a calf injury and elevated safety Roland Milligan to the active roster in his place. Additionally, defensive end Anthony Winbush is back on the practice squad.

The Colts have been the beneficiaries of some very solid free agent additions this season. Guard Matt Slauson is almost an afterthought on the offensive line since going to IR back in early October. His loss set the stage for Mark Glowinski to take over the right guard spot, and the current iteration of the offensive line to take shape.

Najee Goode has offered a similar voice in the linebacker room, guiding the young group and gathering them ahead of the playoffs to show off his Super Bowl ring and remind them what they were playing for. Despite being largely a special teamer, Goode has been a big part of helping grow a group of men who are still very new to this league.

Similarly, Mike Mitchell came in mid-season with Clayton Geathers out dealing with a neck injury and immediately added some attitude and a bully mentality to the secondary. It has been discussed already how he meshed well with Quincy Wilson and helped teach him how to be a pro. That veteran presence in the locker room has helped grow a young group of defensive backs into better players and the progress has been noticeable.

Mitchell left the game against the Texans last Saturday, and the reports sounded pretty bad in terms of his likelihood to be ready this week. However, there is still a role that Mitchell will play for the team. He will still remain with the team in the meeting room and on the sidelines and continue to provide that mentor-like presence he has done since his arrival.

It is tough to quantify what those kinds of players mean in a locker room. We forget how young this team is, but it has been great to have seasoned veterans who are unselfish and willing to help guide and mold them into better players. They deserve credit for helping make this team into what it is, and Chris Ballard deserves credit for bringing them in to continue building this team’s culture.