The big man had big wishes and is seeing them put in play.
The Indianapolis Colts needed to make changes. Big changes, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Anyone with a set of eyes could have told you that. One man who believed change was needed was DeForest Buckner. The leader on the defense knew things weren’t going in the right direction which led to late season frustration and a battle of egos. It looks like Buckner is liking what he is seeing now, and why shouldn’t he?
The biggest change came with the top man in charge of the defense. New coordinator Lou Anarumo is a welcome sight for those who were weary of Gus Bradley’s unaggressive style. Expect to see more physicality and aggression with Anarumo’s approach. To help with that, the Colts upgraded the defensive backfield with big free agent signings. Couple that with the return of Samson Ebukam, and this side is already looking better.
“Mooney (Ward) and Bynum are both dynamic players, big playmakers, bring a lot of energy to the defense, and I think they’re going to help us a lot moving forward.”
When asked about the new coordinator, Buckner was happy to see changes as well.
“It keeps everybody on their toes, making sure they’re in their playbook, doing the right things on and off the field…It’s encouraging, as a competitor, as a player, when you’ve got that type of accountability coming from the coach…
Fans will see shortly if these changes produce results. Offseason winners don’t always translate to wins on the field. Having new energy and excitement from the players is never a bad thing, however. Things like this could invigorate the defense and have them playing for each other and their coach. Start to win and see results on the field and DeForest Buckner and the entire defense will be all smiles.