Adam Schefter reports that Colts strong safety Melvin Bullitt is out for the season with a broken bone in his right shoulder that will require surgery.

The news is a killer for the Colts, as safety was already their thinnest position. Jamie Silva was lost for the season to injury in the preseason and Bob Sanders (biceps) is out until at least the middle of November.

This is a giant loss for a defense that’s been struggling. Bullitt is usually a steady and reliable player and it’ll be tough to replace him.

Here’s what Colts president Bill Polian had to say about depth at safety last week:

"The depth isn’t what we’d like to have there at safety, but hopefully we’ll continue to be OK. That’s probably the area where we have the least depth and that’s simply because of injury. You could never have imagined that both Jamie Silva and Bob [Sanders] would go down for extended periods in the same year, that’s just bad luck but it happens to every team. You can’t change it."

DaJuan Morgan is the top backup with Brandon King, who’s being converted from cornerback, also on the roster.

I don’t know if they consider Michael Lewis a fit, but the recently cut 49er would bring some experience.

Scouts Inc. on Lewis:

"Lewis is a big, powerful safety who is most effective when lining up close to the line of scrimmage. He is an active safety who is quick to diagnose run plays and aggressive when supporting the run. Lewis takes good angles and has the power to take on and shed blockers. He looks to punish when tackling the ball carrier. He is not as effective when tackling in space and can be inconsistent in coverage. Lewis is a bit stiff in the hips and does not break down great for open-field tackles. He can struggle when trying to mirror receivers in their routes. He does do a good job of reading the quarterback's eyes to get a jump on the ball but lacks the quick transition and burst to close on the ball."