Quick Hits: Isaac Rochell Excited to Compete, Impressed By Colts Organization

The Indianapolis Colts have needs at defensive end, and they made a move to aid that need when they signed Isaac Rochell this week.

Rochell potentially fits a similar profile as Denico Autry, who the Colts lost in free agency recently. With that in mind, the Colts are already familiar with how they can use the talents of someone like Rochell.

The fifth-year defensive lineman out of Notre Dame spoke to the media for the first time since joining the Colts this week.

Here are the quick hits:

Fit with the organization, scheme, opportunity for playing time attracted Rochell to Colts: The Colts had a lot to offer Rochell in terms of their culture, scheme, and the opportunity for Rochell to earn playing time.

In free agency you have options and you kind of have to weigh what fits best with you, both your personality with that organization, who you are as a player, opportunity as a player – all these things. I just felt like the Colts was the best situation for me. It’s so weird because you almost feel like you’re back in college because you have ‘offers’ and you have to choose what your best fit is. In the same way, that’s kind of what I had to do.

It just made a lot of sense with the scheme, with the opportunity for me to be able to come in and compete and play. It just checked a lot of boxes, so super excited about it and it’s just random. Apparently, all roads do lead to Indiana, so I’m right back in Indiana where I started. I’m super fired up about this opportunity.

Rochell is beyond familiar with Colts All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson: Rochell and Nelson were together at Notre Dame between 2014-16, and are about to renew the battles they used to have at practice in South Bend. Rochell knew Nelson was going to be a great player, so he wanted to face the best.

I used to go against Q all the time. It was always funny, in my senior year and I’m going through this transitional process where I know I’m going to go to the NFL, we have scouts at practice. I used to intentionally go against Q because I knew people loved Q and I’m like, ‘I want to go against Q then.’

Back at Notre Dame I used to love competing against him, knew back then even when he was young that he was going to be a great player. I’m super excited to compete against him again. The dude is great. To answer your question, I used to go against Q all the time back at Notre Dame.

Nelson reached out to Rochell after getting signed: Rochell spoke to Nelson after agreeing to terms with the Colts and is excited to get back to the state where he played his college ball.

Coming home to Indiana, that’s funny. We have chatted a little bit. A lot of it is like, where do you live? More of – you’re a teammate and a friend, less about football and more about, ‘I need your help getting set up in Indiana and knowing what the deal is.’ But super excited about coming back to the ‘Hoosier State.’

I think this is Irish Country through and through, but we’ll say it’s the Hoosier State. I’m excited. Like I said, it’s just crazy that I’m coming back. After living in California for four years, I definitely was a little spoiled, but I love the Midwest, I love Indiana and I’m excited to be back.

Both present and former players have gushed about the culture inside the Colts' organization to Rochell since signing: Since entering free agency and signing with the Colts, Rochell has talked to former and current Colts players about what to expect.

The guys that I know that have played for the Colts – obviously Quenton, Phil Rivers, an absolute legend, Matthias Farley, guys like that. They mentioned the culture. When I talked to Q, the first thing he says is, ‘You’re going to love the locker room. You’re going to love the guys.’ Then Matthias, kind of the same thing. Even though he is with the Jets now, same types of conversations.

I’m just assuming there is a culture that I will mesh with. When I talked to Chris Ballard and other people in the building, he is radiating what the culture is. You talk to him and you’re like, ‘I have a clear picture of what this thing is going to be like, and I love it.’ My assumption is I’m going to get into the locker room, meet the guys, meet all the coaches, meet all the support staff and I’m going to fall in love with the environment.

Rochell expects to display his versatility by playing both defensive end and tackle with the Colts: At 6-4, 280 pounds, Rochell has the perfect size to play inside or out on the Colts' line, and the opportunity is there to replace a similarly-used player in Autry.

Yeah, definitely. That’s a big thing just in the NFL, period – just adding value. I think it was something I was able to do in my first few years of my NFL career, just playing all over the place. I did it at Notre Dame too, just played all over the place and had the opportunity to create a lot of versatility.

I’d expect the same thing here – first and second down I’m an end. Then I think always on third down, given what I’ve done and what I can do, there is always a chance for me to get bumped inside. There are a lot of options there which I’m excited about.

It's up to Rochell to claim his playing time: From what Rochell knows, he's been told he's being given the opportunity to compete for playing time. How much he receives is up to him.

If you don’t walk into any room in any situation, knowing you are going to compete and expecting to play a lot, then you are kidding yourself, right? This is not a league where you can just come in casual and expect to be a backup. So I’m going in with that mindset. As far as my role and what they’ve said, again, it is, ‘You are going to compete.’ What does that look like when we have our first game? I don’t know who we play first – doesn’t really matter. From now until then, there is a lot that has to happen, right? I want to play and that’s my assumption.

I think I’m a great player, I think I have a great opportunity to do some really cool things in this next year to make the whole Colts organization and Colts fans and everybody super excited that I’m there. Again, it’s a competition situation. I think to maybe answer your question, I think the ball is in my court though, right? It’s on me to do what I need to do to be in the position that I want to be in. That may be a little vague, but I think you understand what I’m trying to say. I have an opportunity to compete.

Rochell already knows a bit about his new teammates and is impressed: Rochell was asked what he knows about some of his new teammates, particularly defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, and linebacker Darius Leonard, but he's impressed by more than just the players.

Those guys are beasts. I had a very quick Instagram D.M. conversation with DeForest, but I’m just excited to come out and work with these dudes. DeForest is an unbelievable player. He has great skill sets and I’m just excited and antsy to get out and get to work with those guys.

But you mentioned other names, this team is stacked with great players. I think what the organization has done really, really well – speed of the leader, speed of the pack.

This starts with Chris Ballard. He set a standard for nutrition, for how you need to take care of your body – kind of all these other things outside of just learning a scheme because that’s the easy part. You can go find a guy standing outside the 7-Eleven who can learn a scheme. It’s everything else that makes teams great. You have great players, then you have great leadership and you see the results of that.

I think that’s what I’m most excited about is to kind of get in the building and start working with these guys. I met Rusty (Jones). You talk to Rusty, he’s the guy who handles – I don’t know exactly what his title is but the guy is a legend. I just met him, and I already know he’s a legend. Take guys like that, working with elite athletes like all the guys you mentioned – you have a real chance to be great.

I am just so excited, but you are exactly right, a lot of great players. There are a lot of cool opportunities.

Follow Jake on Twitter and Facebook @JakeArthurNFL.

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