Kavell Conner

The 27-year-old Conner, who recorded 21 tackles for the Colts in 2013, bolsters the Chargers' depth at inside linebacker behind starters Donald Butler and Manti Te'o.

Conner is expected to battle for a starting position at inside linebacker in training camp. His tackle totals in 2012 fell to 54 from 104 the previous season in the transition to a 3-4.

Conner is a bit under the radar since Pat Angerer had more tackles for the Colts in 2011, but Conner should also be one of the better linebacker IDPs in 2012. He likely will start inside next to Angerer after racking up 104 tackles (50 solo) last year. And since they’ll be playing closer together, the tackle gap between the two likely will be smaller than it was a year ago. Like Angerer, Conner’s IDP stock benefits from what should be a troubled Indianapolis run defense, resulting in a lot of snaps and tackle opportunities. Angerer is generally the best bet to be the top IDP between the two, but Conner is more athletic and could make things closer than most anticipate.

Conner was a seventh-round pick for Indianapolis, and he's looking like a good one. He started nine of the 12 games he played, and he showed the range and explosiveness that you would expect from a Colts linebacker. Conner will compete with Ernie Sims for the starting job at weak-side linebacker.

The undersized, but speedy Conner will contribute on special teams and back up at outside linebacker.