Colts D-Line Coach Brian Baker’s Advice to Young Reserves Vying for Snaps
INDIANAPOLIS — Brian Baker is in his first season as Indianapolis Colts defensive line coach, but he brings 36 years of experience including 19 NFL seasons to the job.
That means he knows what to say to young NFL players trying to earn snaps — and the Colts have several players who fall into that category.
The defensive end position is seemingly overloaded with reserves looking to earn more playing time in 2020: Kemoko Turay, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Ben Banogu, and Tyquan Lewis, among others.
On a Tuesday Zoom video conference call, Baker shared his two cents on what players have been advised since his first offseason virtual meeting.
“I addressed that immediately because not only them, we also have a number of guys in the room who are obviously on one-year deals,” Baker said. “And the most important part for us to be an effective front is cohesiveness. And the best way to be cohesive is if everybody can be kind of doing the same thing. And that same thing is developing to be the best that they can be, OK? Not looking over their shoulder, not counting snaps, not comparing what they’re doing to the other guy, because those are all distractions.
“And as an NFL player, and I think really at any level as a player, you can’t achieve the best, you can’t maximize your skillset, maximize your opportunities, take advantage of your reps, and all those other things, time on the grass, time in the meeting. You can’t maximize all those opportunities if you’re distracted by, ‘OK, what if?’ Because bottom line, they can’t control the ‘what ifs?’ All they can control is the ‘ifs.’ If I become the best I can be, then I put my best foot forward, and then the results are what they are. And if they’re good, they’re good. If they’re not as good, at least you can go look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘Alright, I gave it my best. This is the best I have. This is the best I can be.’ And you really have no regrets. You may have disappointment, but you have no regrets.”
The Colts are expected to shift defensive tackle Denico Autry to defensive end opposite 2019 sack leader Justin Houston. But in pass-rush situations, it’s all about getting the best players on the field. That means Turay, who was in the midst of a breakthrough second season before suffering a season-ending broken ankle, can earn snaps when he’s healthy. Muhammad, who had the first three sacks of his three-year career, has been backing up Houston but is in position to get more snaps.
Banogu, a 2019 second-round pick, and Lewis, a 2018 third-round pick, have yet to achieve as expected. Lewis has been unable to stay healthy and Banogu had 2.5 sacks and just 11 total tackles in 16 games as a rookie reserve. But again, they will have the opportunity during training camp to force coaches to put them on the field.
Granted, the competition for snaps should be fierce. But Baker, head coach Frank Reich, and general manager Chris Ballard are convinced they have enough talent at defensive end. It’s a question of who will emerge?
“You can’t control any of that other stuff,” Baker said. “So don’t think about it. It’s absolutely a meaningless distraction. Concentrate on you perfecting your craft, developing your skillset, understanding the whats and the whys, and do it every day. Do it every day.”
(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.)
