The Indianapolis Colts have made some key moves this offseason to improve their team for the upcoming 2020 season.
One of those moves was signing veteran quarterback Philip Rivers to a one-year deal.
The other move was trading the No. 13 pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for pass rusher DeForest Buckner.
The Colts won’t have a selection until pick No. 34 this upcoming NFL Draft, but head coach Frank Reich believes the organization made the right call.
Frank Reich on the Colts trading the 13th pick for DeForest Buckner, citing the team had a big need at DT:
“This was the right move the whole way. There was very little doubt or second-guessing. I never wavered on it. I was all-in on this decision from the very start.”
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) March 31, 2020
Who is DeForest Buckner?
Buckner was selected seventh overall by the 49ers during the 2016 NFL Draft.
He played each of his first four seasons in the league as a member of the 49ers before being traded to Indy earlier this offseason.
Buckner made the Pro Bowl in 2018 after recording 12 sacks, 67 combined tackles, and 20 quarterback hits that season.
Rush Spotlight 🔦
1. Double Swipe (Fails)
2. Counters with a mean hump move
Rusher: @DeForestBuckner 💼~#Sacks4Racks #PassRush #DefensiveLine #DLine #DL #NFL #CFL #NCAA #CFB #Football #Sack #Motivation #SanFrancisco pic.twitter.com/RjxLpRVtvA
— SACKS4️⃣RACKS (@Sacks4Racks) April 1, 2020
The 26-year-old had a bit of a regression in 2019, but still managed to get 7.5 sacks, 62 combined tackles, and 14 quarterback hits last season.
He has only missed one game during his entire NFL career and has become one of the most dominate pass rushers in the NFL.
Why Did the Colts Make This Move?
“This was a big need for us and you have an elite player with elite character who fits our team, it was a no-brainer as far as I was concerned,” says Reich.
Reich goes on to say that he believes that the No. 13 spot is good, but he didn’t want to pass up on a trade like this.
The Colts are expected to get great production from a position they desperately need in exchange for one draft pick.
There is no guarantee that the Colts were going to get what they wanted at the No. 13 spot, so this deal made sense for them.
“There was very little doubt or second guessing about this move from the moment Chris (Ballard) brought this to me,” says Reich.
The Colts felt that getting a superstar pass rusher for the foreseeable future was worth their first-round pick this season.
Indy can now spend the rest of their time focusing on upgrading in other areas of concern knowing they have a star pass rusher locked up.
Was This A Smart Move by Indy?
It appears that the Colts management felt this was the best move for the organization going forward.
The Colts signed Buckner to a five-year extension that pays him $21 million per season.
Clearly, the organization believes that Buckner is going to be the guy who will lead this defense.
Indy has other concerns such as future at the quarterback position or wide receiver depth.
The organization was not sure what would be available to them at No. 13, so they went ahead and got a superstar defensive end instead.
Buckner should be a fantastic addition, whether he helps by getting sacks himself taking on double teams to free up his teammates to do damage.
The Colts needed to add a player like Buckner this offseason and they can now shift their focus to other areas at the draft.
Reich believes this trade was a “no-brainer” and on paper it surely looks like a great deal for the Colts.
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