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NFL: JUN 13 Cincinnati Bengals Minicamp
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INDIANAPOLIS – Yes, Shane Steichen remembers what Lou Anarumo defenses had done to him in the past.
It certainly was a factor in Steichen wanting to have Anarumo running the defensive unit with him in Indianapolis.
From a training camp scrimmage last year, to in-season matchups with the Colts and Chargers, Steichen has struggled when Anarumo has been on the opposite sideline.
“When I was going through that (defensive coordinator) process I was looking at schematically what teams do, what has given myself fits (and) he’s one of those guys that I have lot of respect for,” Steichen said of the former Bengals defensive coordinator.
“He’s multiple on the back end, tight coverage, press man, it will be a good switch up for us and excited to have him on our staff.”
Among the list of things the Colts defense expects to be different, they point to more multiplicity, more coverage disguise, where/when/how pressure will be brought and a general uptick in aggression.
When Chris Ballard was thinking about Anarumo joining the Colts, he found it difficult to think on how things quickly changed on how the NFL viewed the long-time defensive assistant a few coaching cycles ago.
“It’s amazing in this league how you can go from being one of the top head coaching candidates to…Lou is an outstanding coach,” a pausing Ballard said at the Combine.
When Ballard walked off the practice field in Cincinnati last August following a joint practice, he mentioned to his head coach about the defensive versatility they had just witnessed.
“Probably a little more multiple, a little more aggressive from a pressure standpoint,” Steichen adds on Anarumo’s approach. “That would probably be the biggest difference you’ll see.”
Player wise, Ballard is eager to see what Anarumo can do with rookie Laiatu Laut.
There’s belief from the GM that moving Latu more across the defensive front will lead to additional disruption.
Positionally, the Colts defensive line is a group that will need to be scouted a bit differently as the franchise begins to look for new faces up front.
In free agency, Ballard has already given Anarumo some new defensive faces with significant resources invested in the back end.
But if you listen to the Colts talk about their recent defensive struggles, you don’t hear many regrets about the personnel, particularly in the front seven.
The powers that be are adamant that straying away from a more vanilla defensive approach in recent years will create desirable results.
And now Steichen is eager that Colts opponents feel what he’s felt in facing Anarumo.