Oehser on the LBs

Johnny O looks at the linebackers

At the third position, Philip Wheeler enters his third season, and is widely expected to be the starter after starting the last half of last season.

Wheeler, a 2008 third-round selection from Georgia Tech, lost the starting job to veteran Tyjuan Hagler during last year’s training camp, but re-gained it when Hagler sustained a season-ending biceps injury. Hagler became an unrestricted free agent following this past season, and while there was speculation the Colts might re-sign him for a second consecutive season to a one-year contract, that hasn’t happened. That likely means Wheeler will enter camp with his job far more solidified than last season. He’s a more prototypical linebacker than the Colts have had in recent seasons, and if he can continue to develop as he appeared to late last season, the Colts could have one of their strongest starting linebacker groups in recent memory.

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