Colts Linebacker Anthony Walker Enthused About Offseason Addition of Fellow Floridian Xavier Rhodes
The Indianapolis Colts’ offseason addition of All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is typically the first move mentioned when assessing the team’s most important changes, but linebacker Anthony Walker’s list started with a different player first.
“Yeah, I think we added pieces that took us from what we feel had a chance to be a good/great defense to an elite defense,” Walker said in a Wednesday Zoom video conference call. “So, you add Xavier Rhodes, you add DeForest Buckner, Sheldon Day.”
The extra love for Rhodes is because he and Walker are both from Miami and they’ve known each other for years. Now that they’re teammates — Rhodes signed a one-year, $3 million deal in free agency — the Floridians have been working out together in the Sunshine State. Nickel cornerback Kenny Moore II has also worked out with Rhodes.
“I’ve known Xavier for a while,” Walker said. “Just watching him as I was growing up, he was one of the top recruits in the state of Florida when I was a younger player coming up. Seeing how hard he worked, playing hard at Florida State, playing at Miami Norland Senior High School down here, which is known for having great talent – standing out there, going to Florida State, and then going to Minnesota.
“Trust me, if you are from Miami and you get the big contract everybody is going to know who you are. He got his big contract in Minnesota. This is my first time actually training with him so seeing how hard he works and the energy that he brings every day in the workouts, I can just imagine the energy he is going to bring to the locker room and on the defense. I am excited, I am excited to have him here.”
Rhodes, 29, wants to show he’s worth a long-term, lucrative deal like the five-year, $70.10-million extension with $32.8 million guaranteed that he signed with the Vikings in 2017. He went out and has his best season that year, named first-team All-Pro.
But the last two years, Rhodes hasn’t been the same dominant cover corner, partly he says due to injuries, but the Vikings cut their losses in releasing him on March 13. He signed with the Colts 17 days later and cited the chance to work again with Colts defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive backs/safeties coach Alan Williams, both former Vikings assistants.
Cornerback Xavier Rhodes signed a one-year, $3-million deal to join the Colts in 2020.
Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports
Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus remembers the Rhodes, who is a physical 6-1 and 218 pounds, from the Pro Bowl after the 2017 season.
“We had him there and I just fell in love with him in terms of his work patterns,” Eberflus said in a Zoom conference call last week. “I was just amazed at how the guy could move for how big he is. I mean the guy looks like a big safety and he is playing corner. We just really fell in love with him. He is a physical, really good tackler and he has played at a Pro-Bowl level.
“We are excited to get him back to that point. We certainly feel great about Jonathan Gannon and Alan Williams in the back end coaching him because they have some familiarity with him. But we are excited about where he is. We feel that – I know (GM) Chris (Ballard) has said this as well – (Rhodes) has a chip on his shoulder in lieu of the circumstances and we are excited about that. We will see where he goes from there but let’s get him on the grass and start working with him. We are certainly pleased with having ‘Xav.’”
Walker, 24, is entering a contract year after leading the Colts with 124 total tackles last season. The 2017 fifth-round pick is hoping another solid season on an improved defense will enhance his contract negotiations after 2020.
“You already had some guys at pretty elite positions – Darius Leonard, Bobby Okereke, Justin Houston, Kenny Moore II, you already had those guys (and) Malik Hooker,” Walker said of the Colts defense. “You add the pieces that we added this offseason and now we have to go out there and put it all together on the field together.
“On paper it looks great, like a beautiful drawing right now. We’ll piece it all together like a puzzle and hopefully we’ll get to clicking as soon as we get into the facility working out together and everything like that and Week 1 we can go ahead and put it on display.”
Another change will be Walker wearing No. 54 instead of his No. 50. He gave u the old jersey number to Colts sack leader Justin Houston, who wore No. 50 while with Kansas City. Houston then gave up No. 99 to Buckner, who had that number in San Francisco.
Walker smile when asked if wearing No. 54 meant he one-upped linebacker and good friend Darius Leonard, who wears No. 53.
“It had nothing to do with that as far as me and Darius,” Walker said. “I was actually happy to be closer to him so in the team picture we can be next to each other. But yeah, it was good.
“For me, I was happy to see those guys be able to get the numbers they always had in their careers. D-Buck coming in, he was 99 at San Fran, so for him to get his number back. Justin wore 50 in K.C., so for him to get his number back. It’s cool. I loved it. I love the guys being able to feel comfortable with their numbers and everything like that. For me, I am good. I like being No. 54 now.”
When asked if he drove a hard bargain with Justin to give up No. 50, Walker smiled again.
“We’ll keep that in-house between us three, so that’s cool,” he said.
(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)
