Colts' Frank Reich 'Feels Good' About DL Depth, Defense As A Whole
What was once considered a weakness is now glowingly being talked about as a potential strength for the Indianapolis Colts.
No, it's not the wide receivers or offensive line depth. Rather, it's the defensive line depth that head coach Frank Reich spoke glowingly about following Friday night's 27-17 win over the Detroit Lions to close out the preseason.
After losing guys like Denico Autry and Justin Houston in the offseason, Colts' general manager Chris Ballard attacked the rebuild in the trenches aggressively, grabbing rookies Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo in the draft while adding names like Andrew Brown, Antwaun Woods and Isaac Rochell in free agency to try and compliment the incumbents in Grover Stewart, DeForest Buckner, Kemoko Turay, Tyquan Lewis and Ben Banogu.
Guys like Banogu and Brown have taken significant steps forward this summer, while a name like Chris Williams has truly stood out in training camp, staking a claim for a 53-man roster spot.
“We really feel like upfront we’re building depth," Reich said following the win over the Lions. "Building depth in this front we talked about really the whole off-season. We feel good about this defense. It all starts up front, getting pressure on the passer. I think that Coach Matt (Eberflus), Coach (Brian) Baker and Coach (Matt) Raich have done a good job with those guys. I think the players have worked really hard. I think those young players have worked really hard and were very productive in the preseason.”
Against the Lions, Paye recorded his second sack of the preseason, racing in to sack Lions' quarterback Tim Boyle in the first half. Rochell and Brown also recorded sacks in the win, flashing that depth and ability to make plays up front that the Colts have been searching for this offseason.
That depth the Colts have built up will make final cutdowns difficult for Ballard and Reich to decide on.
We'll see just what decisions Ballard and Reich make along the defensive line, but one thing is clear: the depth is back and in a big way in the trenches on the defensive side of the football for the Colts.
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