INDIANAPOLIS – Chris Ballard’s belief of playing in waves along the defensive is a specific focus going into the 2022 offseason.
For yet another year, the Colts will enter an offseason needing to affect opposing quarterbacks at a higher rate.
Ballard knows this.
“We have to be able to rush the passer better,” the 6th year GM said following the end to the ’21 season.
When Ballard goes into specifics on what the Colts need more in that area, he stresses a quantity over quality approach.
Depth in the trenches has always been top of mind for Ballard. That emphasis only grew when the NFL extended the regular season schedule to 17 games this past year.
With the Colts ranking near the bottom of the NFL in pressure created and sacks per pass attempt last season, Ballard wants to find some more numbers this offseason.
“We have to add to our defensive line,” the GM says. “We need 8 (guys to rotate).”
As the Colts look at their 2022 roster, they have some in-house defensive line decisions to make on free agents Kemoko Turay (12.0 career sacks), Tyquan Lewis (8.5 career sacks), Al-Quadin Muhammad (11.0 career sacks) and Taylor Stallworth (4.5 career sacks).
The likes of DeForest Buckner (45.0 career sacks), Grover Stewart (4.5 career sacks), Kwity Paye (4.0 career sacks) and Dayo Odeyingbo (0.5 career sacks) are the longer-term pieces already known. Ben Banogu (2.5 career sacks) is scheduled to go into the final year of his rookie contract.
While the Colts have DL ‘numbers’ under contract for the ’22 campaign, there’s no question that upgrades need to be explored.
The Colts aren’t dynamic enough off the edge to play at a consistently high defensive level.
Development of Paye and/or Odeyingbo (or a career year from a re-signed Turay) would do wonders for the Colts in 2022. That has to be at the top of Gus Bradley’s priority list.
Still, banking on that is a risk the Colts can’t afford to take, especially with a new defensive coordinator who is not too fond of blitzing.
One thing that Ballard lamented from last season was the Colts being just 2-5 in one-score games.
Having a more potent pass rush would have certainly made a difference (see the Super Bowl for confirmation on that).
While adding numbers is one thing, making sure those new bodies bring an actual upgrade in individual talent, and not just another guy to rotate, is what truly matters.
“You have to have 8 (defensive linemen) and I failed us,” Ballard said of last season. “I didn’t do a good enough job to make sure the right 8 this year. You have to have 8. To think the next one is going to be the next Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis, I don’t know that’s always being the most realistic. It’s something to shoot for, yeah.
“We drafted two guys last year who we think both have upside and we like them and they played pretty good football this year. But we have to be better rushing the passer.”
