DeForest Buckner committed to Colts,

[JAFF]

https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...d/70109700007/

INDIANAPOLIS — DeForest Buckner woke up one morning in late March to two text messages that didn’t make a whole lot of sense.

They were from Buckner’s buddies who play for other teams. Both asking if the rumors were true. Both making a pitch to bring Buckner to their team.

Buckner checked Twitter. An account that claims to report credible NFL rumors had tweeted that he wanted to play for a contender and could be traded.

The Colts' best defensive lineman fired off his own tweet quickly, saying the anonymous account needed to check its sources.


“There were never any talks about me being traded, being released or any of that,” Buckner said. “People like to make headlines, clickbait, and all that kind of stuff. … I just thought it was funny.”

The rumor was false.

The reasoning held a kernel of logic. Buckner is 29 now, a difference-making, game-wrecking defensive tackle who’s spent most of his career playing for teams in transition, and he’s playing for a Colts team widely expected to draft its quarterback of the future, a decision that often forces a team to tread water for at least a year while the young passer develops.

Fresh off a 4-12-1 season that initially began with AFC South title predictions, Indianapolis hasn’t acted this offseason like a team that is trying to win now. The Colts seem to be playing the long game.

With all of that in mind, a player of Buckner’s stature could have made the case that he wanted a chance to be on a contender right away. Buckner racked up eight sacks, 11 tackles-for-loss, 52 quarterback pressures and a career-high 74 tackles last season despite playing the entire season with a torn UCL in his left elbow, an injury that will not require surgery this offseason.

“I didn’t need to get any surgery, just because I’m not a quarterback or a pitcher,” Buckner said.

If a star player is going to lay it on the line the way Buckner did last season, he typically wants to do it for a team that has a chance at a Super Bowl.

For example, teammate Stephon Gilmore was traded this offseason to the Dallas Cowboys, a move Buckner indicated was set in motion by the veteran cornerback.

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“Gilly is at a different point in his career than I am. He just finished up Year 11, and I’m going into Year 9, so you know, if I was in his position, maybe I would have considered the same thing,” Buckner said. “That’s the best decision that he made for him and his family, and I’m all for it.”

Buckner might have a little more time left on his clock than Gilmore.

But that doesn’t mean he’s entirely on board with a long, arduous rebuild.

“I hate that word,” Buckner said. “My rookie year in San Francisco, we went 2-14, the coach got fired, we brought in Kyle (Shanahan) and the majority of the roster was gone. Brought in new guys, and it took a couple of years. … We were building a team, a culture and all of that, but I was a young player, so I was able to grind through those tough years. … As you get older, rebuild’s definitely not a word you want to hear.”

Publicly, the Colts have sent mixed messages on their intentions.

Indianapolis traded away Gilmore, stuck to a conservative approach in free agency and remains focused on the draft to find an answer at quarterback, according to new head coach Shane Steichen. From Jim Irsay at the top, down to general manager Chris Ballard and Steichen, the Colts have said they know that rookie quarterbacks often require patience.

But Ballard resisted the urge to go into full tear-down mode. Ballard not only remained committed to Buckner, who would likely command a high draft pick as one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles, but the general manager also said he rebuffed trade offers for center Ryan Kelly and cornerback Kenny Moore II, former Pro Bowlers coming off disappointing seasons who also represented significant cap savings for the Colts.


Muddying the waters further, Colts owner Jim Irsay said two weeks ago at the NFL owner’s meetings that he still believes there’s opportunity to win the division, even after the miserable season Indianapolis went through ago.

The Colts still see Buckner as a cornerstone, one of the best moves Ballard believes he’s made in Indianapolis, the kind of player who can help set the tone for Steichen’s new regime.

Buckner says he knows where this team is headed, how the team plans to get back on its feet. From the way Indianapolis has operated this offseason, it seems the Colts think they’ll be able to bounce back faster than most expect.

“I had a conversation with Ballard at the end of the season,” Buckner said. “Obviously, things didn’t go the way we wanted last year and everything. We just had a conversation, him just saying, ‘Trust me.’”

Buckner is counting on the Colts to come through.