Colts hire Gus Bradley as new Defensive Coordinator
 

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/st...43166223925256

https://twitter.com/zkeefer/status/1489748377822707715

Get on The Gus Bus!

3-4 or 4-3 doesnt matter. You wind up with 4 up front before the snap. Bradley will use the zone concept that the Colts already use. They wont need to retool the entire D

I like it!!!

Slip out the back, Jack and make a new plan, Stan.

<larry_david_face.gif>

o


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMJ_cnj2g2g

o

Experienced guy responsible for one of the best defenses in history

Raiders defense played a lot better down the stretch of the season and he didn’t have the best talent on the roster outside of Crosby and Yannick

I’m excited to see what he can do with this roster and hopefully he can get the pass rushers to improve

Also wonder if Bradley’s hire will entice some of his former players to come here

Seems like a 'safe' hire. Old white guy. Doesn't excite me in the least, but really not coaching hire would have. I understand that most freaks and Colt fans think our biggest need is QB. Not me. Teams have won the Super Bowl with mediocre QBs before and will again. A team with Wentz at QB can win, just not because of him. A team that rushes the passer like we have the last few years will never win a Super Bowl. To me it is our biggest weakness, one that is impossible to overcome with the quality of QBs we play. It explains why we suck at holding a lead and are shit in the 4th quarter. Bradley blitzes less than even we did last year so our young guys better make a move if we are going to be anything more than a bubble team trying to be one and done as the best we can do. I have zero faith but tons of hope.

Agree that pass rush is a huge issue, but it should probably do considered 1B in Ballard's priorities with QB being 1A. Looking at the last 10 Super Bowls at least 1 team (typically the winner) has/had an elite QB and more often that not both teams do/did.

'21- 2/2 (Stafford/Burrow)
'20 - 2/2 (Brady/Mahomes)
'19 - 1/2 (Mahomes/Garoppolo)
'18 - 1/2 (Brady/Goff)
'17 - 1/2 (Foles/Brady) - Although Foles caught lightening in a bottle in the NFCCG and SB
'16 - 2/2 (Brady/Ryan)
'15 - 1/2 (Manning/Newton) - Could arguably be 2/2, but putting 1/2 b/c Peyton was done in '15.
'14 - 2/2 (Brady/Wilson)
'13 - 2/2 (Wilson/Manning)
'12 - 0/2 (Flacko/Kaepernick) - Arguably 1/2 b/c Kaepernick was really good that year and the following before dropping like a rock

I keep reading here and there that Ballard is obsessed with the "legion of boom" defense that Seattle had ten years ago and wants to replicate it with Bradley. The problem with that is the Colts don't have anywhere near the level of defensive talent the Seahawks had. Do a google search for that old LOB roster. We're nowhere near it. Maybe Buckner and Leonard could have played with those guys. And now I'm reading that Ben Banogu is supposed to have a big role in the new defense. Yikes.

Where are you reading that?

That is my point. All of those teams could rush the passer. I agree it is much easier with a pass rush AND a great QB but if I can only have one it would be the pass rush.

Well there can’t be another Chancellor because his hits would be illegal today

Brylok, where did you hear Banogu is part of the plan?

It wasn't an official announcement or anything. I read Colts stuff from several places: here, dotcom, stampede blue, Colts reddit (r/Colts), and various Twitter accounts from Colts related people (Keefer, Holder, Chappell, Wells, Bremer, Doyle, Bowen, Kravitz, etc). So it was somewhere in those. I just kinda rolled my eyes when I read that and kept scrolling. Keefer I'm sure mentioned the LOB. Others did too but I don't remember where it was specifically. I just thought it was weird and cringeworthy.

There's mention of it in a reddit thread talking about the scheme Bradley is going to run. I've seen it elsewhere too, but that's one example. Again, it isn't anything official.

Banogu intrigues me. He doesn't even suit up most games but is still on the roster. Somebody in the organization likes the guy and I would like to find out why. He plays so sparingly it is hard to have an opinion on the guy. Maybe new coaching and a somewhat different scheme will change the direction of his career. I'm not holding my breath but why not?

In that reddit thread it was suggested that he didn't fit into Eberflus' scheme and was left on the bench. He's supposed to fill the LEO/Joker spot under Bradley... whatever that means. I don't know...

Pass rush from the LB spot. Moves the line around to some 3 down lineman and the LEO or 4 down and the extra pass rusher. More evidence Ballard has always wanted the Seattle style D. He said it back in 2019 I think

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...w-does-it-work

I would love to get some value out of that second rounder we used on Banogu

Y'all know FAR more than I do about technique, schemes, x's and o's, etc, than I do. I always learn stuff here.

Those people are all full of it. Bradley has barely been on the job a few days and suddenly these guys think they know exactly what he's going to do with these various players.

So I've just done some reading on this LEO defense, and while Banogu could maybe fill that LEO role, where does that leave Kwity Paye?

As I understand the LEO defensive line, Stewart could be the 1 tech, Buckner the 3 tech, and LEO rushes from the weakside and you need a "Big End" as the 5 tech (or sometimes 6-tech) on the strong side. This "Big End" would be built more like a DT, than an edge-rushing DE.

So it seems more likely to me that Odeyingbo, listed as 25 lbs heavier than Paye, would play the Big End role and Paye (backed up by Turay? or Banogu) becomes the LEO. Odeyingbo would be playing the same role that Joey Bosa played in the Chargers defense when Bradley was there, and Paye would be in the Melvin Ingram role.

Looks like Bradley has his DB Coach on board.

https://twitter.com/HolderStephen/st...88554838089733

Honestly, I'm just bored and reporting what I've read. Personally, I'm down on Ballard, Reich, and the Colts in general. I don't think we'll win the division or a playoff game next season, and I'm just looking for some hope. And this board is usually dead as a doornail and boring during the off season.

I'm definitely NOT a technical/scheme/x and o's guy. I leave that to y'all who know about that sort of stuff. I just watch the games and try to learn from those of you with knowledge of the technical things.

Paye is athletic, quick and strong. Freeney could have played it, with his speed, so its not as if its one size fit. Paye has a good motor, he needs more coaching on how to play the outside. Paye played inside often at Michigan. How would it look if they stepped him down to DT and put Bruckner at RDE?

Maybe this will help

https://twitter.com/ZachHicks2/statu...aiRm6mtGK7UV9w

I also asked Lawrence Owen @Colts_Law to do a breakdown for us

I forgot about Zach Hicks. I'll add him to the follow list.

Bradley met with the media today. Joel Erickson captured several talking points.

Video of the press conference is also available on colts.com.



https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/st...57863004434436

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/st...58222057787394

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/st...58503965392896

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/st...59080329773056

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/st...59526784135170

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/st...60260187492356

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/st...62434388856838

https://twitter.com/JoelAErickson/st...64612050612226

The Milus hiring is official. Also appears that the Colts are bringing in Richard Smith as the LB coach.

https://twitter.com/FieldYates/statu...68836515590149

https://twitter.com/mchappell51/stat...80834779537408

well he wasn't a top 4 de and he didn't excel at special teams. that would lead to not suiting up most weeks

Mathis says on twitter that the only issue with the Colts defensive line is coaching. He thinks the athletes are there but haven’t gotten the coaching they need. I’m hoping he is correct If so the next DL coach will be very interesting and important

Ole Rob is posturing for a job. HA

Didn’t we hire Rob, and he decided he wanted to go private?

All the sports writers seem to agree the coaching there has been sub par and that they need a good coach there.

That's what I thought too :cool:

The Colts have added Mike Mitchell to the staff as an Asst Secondary Coach.


https://twitter.com/HolderStephen/st...90399914602497

https://twitter.com/HolderStephen/st...91636156739584

Wasn't Mike Mitchell a big influence on getting Quincy Wilson to play halfway decent for a season? If so, then that's probably a really good hire.