Colts eager to put ‘ego’ issues behind them and for DC Lou Anarumo to hold them accountable

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INDIANAPOLIS — DeForest Buckner’s tone was different as he entered the Indianapolis Colts media room last week and plopped down in a chair to speak to reporters for the first time in months. He began by expressing gratitude about the birth of his third child and first daughter, Gianna Marie, who arrived in April, and joked that he’s already sweeter to her than his two sons.

“When you’re tired and stuff like that, it’s kind of like, ‘Oh, what do you need, baby girl?’” Buckner said. “Versus (with my boys) being like, ‘Aw, what now?’”

Buckner cracked a wide smile as he laughed about his growing family before flipping his attention to his family on the field. Five months ago, when Buckner was in the same room, in the same spot, he vented about a failed 2024 campaign. The star defensive tackle and team captain called his unit the worst defense he’d been a part of in his five seasons with the franchise and cited “ego” as a culprit in its downfall.

Changes had to be made, and they were, starting with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley not being retained after his three-year contract expired. Bradley was replaced by former Bengals DC Lou Anarumo, who’s already made a strong impression on Buckner. One of the first things Anarumo made clear to Buckner and his peers was that he doesn’t care about their resumes. Every player will have to earn their reps in his revamped defense.

“It keeps everybody on their toes and making sure they’re in their playbook, doing the right things on and off the field,” Buckner said of Anarumo’s blunt approach. “It’s encouraging as a competitor, as a player, when you got that type of accountability coming from the coach. Now, it’s up to the players to relay that message amongst each other.”

Beyond Anarumo’s attitude, Buckner also praised his new coordinator for his mind. Anarumo is known for using a chameleon-like approach with his defensive game plans. His adaptable schemes, coupled with talented players in Cincinnati, were a big reason the Bengals reached back-to-back AFC Championship games in 2021 and 2022.

“When I was doing my research on him … I saw that a lot the players back in Cincy used to call him, ‘The Mad Scientist,’” Buckner said. “I found out why when I got the first (defensive) install.”

A big key to Anarumo’s creativity is his having high-IQ and versatile players, particularly on the backend. When the Bengals lost starting safeties Jessie Bates III and Von Bell in free agency in 2022, Cincinnati’s defense took a significant step backward that ultimately led to Anarumo being fired. The Colts refused to put him in the same position in Indy, upgrading the secondary with the pricey free-agent additions of free safety Cam Bynum and cornerback Charvarius Ward. The latter was a second-team All-Pro in 2023, and Anarumo hinted that, at times, he’ll have Ward shadow an opponent’s best receiver.

“I think he’s up for that,” Anarumo said. “I’ve always kind of done that — match guys up with who I think is a good matchup for us and maybe give us a little bit of an advantage.”

Colts GM Chris Ballard has repeatedly stated that the Colts will be more open to using dime packages (six defensive backs) than in years past. Anarumo concurred as he peeled the curtain back on his philosophies.

“The days, to me, of putting linebackers on tight ends is not ideal for the defense,” Anarumo said. “So, you always want to get a bigger, longer athlete that maybe can run a little bit (with a) DB mindset. More DBs out there in pure passing situations, I think, is something we’ve always tried to do and will continue to do.”

But questions remain about the Colts’ personnel, and it will be Anarumo’s job to toggle with the lineups as he tries to find answers. Zaire Franklin, coming off a second-team All-Pro nod in 2024, is Indy’s starting middle linebacker. Jaylon Carlies, a 2024 fifth-round pick, will presumably replace E.J. Speed (now in Houston) as the team’s starting weakside linebacker. Both players will be sidelined throughout the Colts’ offseason training program, however. Frankin recently underwent ankle surgery, while Carlies is still recovering from shoulder surgery. The Colts are hopeful both linebackers will be available when training camp begins in July. However, their absences raise concerns about Indy’s depth. The other linebackers on the Colts’ roster have started just four games combined.

Additionally, Indianapolis can no longer rely on Dayo Odeyingbo in the trenches. The 25-year-old edge rusher, who played more snaps than any Colts defensive linemen last year (745), joined the Chicago Bears in free agency. Indy will look to replace Odeyingbo by committee, with second-year pro Laiatu Latu perhaps facing the most pressure to step up.

Samson Ebukam will be under the microscope, as well. The 30-year-old defensive end suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in training camp last year and said he’d be cleared by training camp this year. But can Ebukam once again be the 9.5-sack player he was in 2023?

Ebukam is confident he can get back to being that player, but he welcomes all feedback — good or bad — especially when it comes from his coordinator. Regardless of the circumstances, Anarumo won’t sugarcoat who should or shouldn’t be on the field, and Ebukam wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Now, nobody knows it’s a locked-down road for you,” Ebukam said. “… Because he’s new, he’s trying to figure out himself, too, so I think him just being straight up with us, that’s all the respect (we need). Now we just gotta go out there and perform and show what we can do.”

(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)

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