-
Stephen Holder
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts defensive deal with DeForest Buckner was not content material to merely settle for different individuals’s phrase when it got here to forming an opinion of recent defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
So, shortly after the previous Cincinnati Bengals coordinator joined the Colts in January, Buckner began digging. And when the Colts returned to Indianapolis for the beginning of offseason exercises in latest weeks, a lot of Buckner’s findings have been confirmed.
“Once I was doing my analysis on him, I noticed that a number of the gamers again in Cincy used to name him the ‘Mad Scientist’,” Buckner mentioned. “And I came upon why once I bought the primary set up. It has been some great things.”
It is nonetheless a full 4 months earlier than the Colts kick off the 2025 season, however Anarumo’s influence is already being felt all through Colts headquarters.
He’s altering the best way the Colts take into consideration protection in large and small methods. One instance: The best way he plans to deploy free agent signee Charvarius Ward to, at instances, shadow opponents’ high wideouts no matter the place they line up within the offensive formation. That is one thing not seen in Indianapolis because the late Vontae Davis did it, periodically, within the mid-2010s.
“He will let me press, he will let me do my factor,” mentioned Ward, a second-team All-Professional choice in 2023. “Be aggressive and simply be me — be that man that they paid me to be.”
In the meantime, linebacker Zaire Franklin — like Buckner — was not intimately accustomed to Anarumo earlier than he was employed. However as he has hung out conversing with Anarumo and his assistants in latest weeks, the expertise has been eye-opening.
“The extra [time] I’ve needed to clearly sit and speak with Lou … I simply see the alternative ways they’re in a position to assault offenses, put themselves in positions to succeed and take away what the offense does finest,” Franklin mentioned. “Simply extraordinarily excited to be taught from a brand new coordinator.”
There would possibly even be some enlightenment for the Colts’ returning coaches, too. It was coach Shane Steichen’s previous struggles as an offensive playcaller towards Anarumo that, partially, knowledgeable his resolution to rent the veteran coordinator as a substitute for Gus Bradley.
“He introduced up about 4 coordinators and mentioned, ‘Look, these guys give me points each time we play them,'” basic supervisor Chris Ballard mentioned. “And Lou was one among them.”
The hope is the Colts protection might be equally confounding for upcoming opponents.
The seeds for which can be being planted now, as Anarumo goes about plotting his schematic assault together with his new gamers. He particularly prioritized the secondary this offseason as an space the place upgrades have been wanted, and people additions will play a key position in Anarumo’s technique.
Ward, former Minnesota Vikings security Camryn Bynum and even perhaps third-round choose Justin Walley will likely be closely concerned, together with do-everything slot cornerback Kenny Moore II.
One instance of Anarumo making a shift from what has traditionally been seen from the Colts protection: He’ll make larger use of lineups that use further defensive backs, like dime packages (six defensive backs).
“If the offense places out a sure personnel group, you need to have the ability to match it,” Anarumo mentioned. “Particularly on third down. You need to attempt to get cowl guys protecting receivers and, these days, these tight ends …
“The times, to me, of placing linebackers on tight ends will not be perfect for the protection [anymore]. So, you at all times need to get a much bigger, longer athlete that perhaps can run somewhat little bit of DB mindset. Extra DBs on the market in pure passing conditions, I believe, is one thing that we have at all times tried to do and can proceed to do.”
Luckily for Anarumo, he’ll have a pleasant assortment of expertise with which to work. As Cincinnati’s defensive personnel losses mounted in recent times, Anarumo’s outcomes suffered. With gamers comparable to defensive again Jessie Bates III departing the previous two years, it sophisticated Anarumo’s potential to make use of his complicated techniques with youthful gamers within the lineup. Amongst these complexities is his tendency to range his defensive assault based mostly on a given week’s opponent.
However with the skilled personnel he’ll have in Indianapolis, Anarumo has larger flexibility.
“They’ve seen the fastballs, they’ve seen the curveballs, and it isn’t like they’ll be starstruck after they get on the market,” Anarumo mentioned of his veterans.
Stated Bynum: “I believe it’s going to be a very open playbook for Lou and what he does in his protection.”
Within the months to return, the Colts will discover out whether or not permitting the “Mad Scientist” to go deeper into his playbook brings the outcomes they have been on the lookout for.
