Quote:
Originally Posted by YDFL Commish
I'm only basing that on last season's production per snap count. Clowney can get you 8 to 9 sacks just getting out of bed ...... Bosa's sack count combined, over the last two seasons is only 10.
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7 Pass Rushers Whom the Colts Should Consider Adding to Play Alongside Laiatu Latu
(By James Boyd)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/733...eveon-clowney/
Laiatu Latu doesn’t need any reminders of what’s at stake. The expectations were already high when the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the No. 15 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, making him the first defensive player off the board. Through his first 2 years, he’s shown flashes of being the game-wrecking defensive end the Colts envisioned he could be, but more is required in Year 3, especially amid the team’s defensive makeover.
Veteran edge rushers Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis are no longer on a roster that finished 23rd in pressure-rate last season (34.2%), according to Pro-Football-Focus metrics. And while arguments can be made for why none of them were retained, arguments could also be made that the Colts haven’t replaced them with upgrades. Indianapolis signed veterans Arden Key and Micheal Clemons, then drafted George Gumbs Jr. and Caden Curry in the 5th and 6th rounds, respectively. The Colts are also optimistic that 2025 2nd-round pick Jaylahn Tuimoloau, who hardly played as a rookie, can contribute in his 2nd season. But everyone in the organization knows the weight of its pass-rush will fall on the shoulders of No. 97.
“I definitely understand (the pressure), and I know that,” Latu said after OTA's this week. “I carry myself in that way, knowing that I’m relied on.
Latu tallied a stellar 14.7% pressure-rate and notched 8 1/2 sacks last season, up from the 4 that he had as a rookie. But he’s also one of the first to acknowledge how close he’s been to notching a few more sacks, which is what motivated him to get stronger this offseason. The plan with his retooled frame is to secure the sacks that were just beyond his fingertips before.
“I'm just making it easier to get dudes off me,” Latu said of why he added strength. “Or that last little stretch where the quarterback’s right there, I can just throw the offensive lineman by and make that play.”
Of course, Latu’s growth will be a huge part of any successful Colts pass-rush. But Colts GM Chris Ballard hasn’t ruled out the possibility of adding another veteran in free-agency. The Colts’ dream scenario would’ve been to add 4-time Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson, whom Ballard said that the team pursued in free-agency before the pass-rusher ultimately signed with the Baltimore Ravens, the team whom the Colts will face in Week 1.
While there aren’t any Hendrickson-level edge rushers left in free-agency, there are veterans on the market who could add some needed juice to the Colts’ defensive line while potentially taking attention off of Latu’s loaded plate ...... here are 7 vets whom they could consider.
Joey Bosa
Bosa’s name, like many on this list, carries more weight than his current performance. The 2016 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and5-time Pro Bowler is not the player he once was, but he played in 15 games last year with the Buffalo Bills, the most he’s appeared in since 2021, and held his own. Bosa, 30, posted 5 sacks, 9 tackles for loss and delivered 16 QB-hits in 2025 while playing 64% of the Bills’ defensive snaps. He has 77 sacks in his career.
Cameron Jordan
Jordan is a 3-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler, but a few years ago, he appeared to be on his last legs. He compiled just 6 sacks combined in 2023 and 2024. The 2011 1st-round pick, however, had a resurgent 2025 campaign with 10 1/2 sacks, marking his 7th season with at least 10 sacks. Jordan, with 132 sacks in his career, and could be enshrined in Canton one day, but he turns 37 in July, so any questions about how much he has left in the tank are plenty valid.
Jadevean Clowney
Clowney has become something of a football mercenary, playing for 6 different teams over the last 7 seasons. But the 2014 No. 1 pick has still been productive in the latter stages of his career. Last season, Clowney notched 8 1/2 sacks, 12 tackles-for-loss and 10 quarterback-hits in 13 games for the Dallas Cowboys while remaining a stout run defender. The 33-year-old has totaled 66 1/2 sacks in his career, and his 23 1/2 sacks in the last 3 seasons are more than any Colts player has had in that span. (Kwity Paye, now with the Las Vegas Raiders, had 20 1/2 sacks during that same time period.)
Leonard Floyd
Floyd, like Clowney, is well-traveled, having played for 4 teams in the last 4 seasons. He appeared in 15 games last year for the Atlanta Falcons, but he only had 3 1/2 sacks while playing 49% of the team’s defensive snaps, the lowest mark of his career. Floyd, however, was a lot more productive with the San Francisco 49ers in 2024, posting 8 1/2 sacks and 16 QB-hits. He has 70 sacks in his career, but Floyd will turn 34 in September, so it’s fair to wonder whether or not he can turn back the clock.
Derek Barnett
Barnett spent the last 2-plus seasons with the Houston Texans, whose defense only allowed 17.4 points per game in 2025, the 2nd-best mark in the league. Star edge-rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter headlined the Texans’ fierce pass rush, but Barnett made his presence felt as well with 5 sacks in each of the last 2 years. Barnett, who turns 30 later this month, played just 34%t of Houston’s defensive snaps last year, though he’s proven that he doesn’t need a lot of playing time to make an impact.
* * * * * * * * )))))) Others to Consider )))))) * * * * * * * *
Denico Autry
The 35-year-old, who previously played for the Colts, was also a part of the Texans’ stifling defense the last 2 years. Though he dealt with injuries and missed 12 games in that span, he still notched 6 1/2 sacks and remains a solid run-stopper with the versatility to play inside and out.
Von Miller
The 8-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl 50 MVP had 9 sacks last year with the Washington Commanders. He has 138.5 sacks in his career, and even at age 37, his resume suggests that he’s still worth kicking the tires on for a team that needs a quality situational pass-rusher.
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