Colts sign DT Caraun Reid

Written by: Adam Ruder

The team adds a much needed body to the interior defensive line.

The Colts picked up a familiar face in defensive tackle Caraun Reid. The man drafted out of Princeton by the Lions lasted two years in Detroit. From there, he’s spent time on four different teams. One of those teams included San Diego in 2016 which included a matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium. I had a front row seat to see him return an Andrew Luck fumble 61 yards for a TD. It’s also the same game I missed out on the ‘Kiss Cam’ because I was peeing. I’m not sure I’ll ever be forgiven for that.

This would mark his second arrival in Indy since he spent time on the roster late in 2017 and stayed on until August 2018. The 6’2 305lb. man played a position in Dallas nearly identical to the one used in Matt Eberflus‘ scheme. He’s not a prototypical 4-3 defensive tackle, but he has the versatility the Colts are looking for. He can quickly shoot gaps thanks to being slightly undersized. This is a start to adding depth at the spot, and the Ivy-League-intelligent Reid seems like a no-brainer “horseshoe guy.” It only takes a brief google search to see that the Chargers & the Cowboys recognized his flashes of talent (see link above).

Considering the Colts 2018 defense didn’t allow a single 100-yard rusher, the bar’s been set pretty high for them. While it’s not impossible to match that production, I still think the roster’s light on defensive tackles; specifically on traditional three techniques. When I say ‘traditional 3 technique,’ I mean a 4-3 defensive tackle like Warren Sapp. The 3 tech. term gained popularity in the late 90’s thanks to Tony Dungy’s Buccaneer Defense. The player(s) lines up on the outside shoulder of the center and will rarely ever line up outside. Some players generate stronger pass rushes inside (see DT Gerald McCoy) than others. Although the Colts boast a select group of versatile players that can play both spots.

Tyquan Lewis and his 2nd round pedigree sounds well-liked and they think he can play inside and outside. Denico Autry can play both spots, and he clearly proved that last season. In 12 games, he had a team-high 9 sacks in what I thought was a Pro-Bowl worthy year. Regardless, great free agent find by Chris Ballard.

Grover Stewart was the lone 6’4 333lb. man supposed to “specialize” in stopping the run and garner double teams. Part of that role is having the size & strength to take on the offensive interior linemen with full force. He has 40 tackles & 0 sacks in 2 seasons. The fourth round pick from Division II Albany State needs to be relied on less. I’m not intending too tear him down, but Stewart is a role player at best. We’ll see how much he can step up in the next few months. Hopefully he can take a big leap this year and become a force in stopping the run.

As one of Ballard’s first signings in 2017, Al Woods played this role quietly well the past two seasons. The 6’4 330lb. giant was placed on IR after a foot injury late last year. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 10th best player at his position in 2017: https://seahawkswire.usatoday.com/2019/05/12/how-addition-of-al-woods-impacts-seahawks-defensive-line/.

He played the run well with a powerful presence. AND he could disrupt the pocket like this bull rush from Week 1 against the Bengals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WTJeRgU96U.

Ballard inked Woods to a modest deal in 2017 and was one of his most underrated signings: even for the usual sneaky Ballard signing. Strong run support paired with an ability to rush the quarterback is a luxury at that size. I was miffed when the Colts apparently didn’t show enough interest allowing Seattle to sign him.

Hassan Ridgeway was another body 6’3 317lbs. that was traded to the Eagles this off-season. This transaction confused me because although he was a Grigson holdover, he was still young and inexpensive. I remember Ballard saying you can’t have enough versatile linemen (offense and defense). Ridgeway also had the aforementioned traits of run support and brought an inside pass rush. Injuries might have been the tale of the story, but nonetheless him and his versatility were sent to Philadelphia.

I get that Ballard is finishing his cycle of detoxing the roster from the Ryan Grigson days. Part of that is getting rid of slower yet proven players (see the talented Henry Anderson and Jon Hankins). Some of those player’s talents are more ideally suited as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. Ironically, newest Colts GM ended up aiming for what Hall of Famer Bill Polian built: an undersized 4-3 defense that made up for it in quickness. Hopefully the Colts can continue to add veterans who know how what they expect from them. It’s relieving to Reid added so he can step in and play the position right away.

The addition of Jarrod “Chunky” Clements (after passing on Gerald McCoy) hadn’t convinced me they have the talent to compete in camp. The 6’2 299lb. defensive tackle was last seen playing for the Arizona Hotshots in the now folded AAF. Clements played with Jihad Ward at the University of Illinois. There they both played under current Colts defensive line coach Mike Phair. This will be Clements fourth NFL team he’ll try to catch onto.

Accruing depth should be necessary if they want to have heavy run-support packages. It may prove useful for slowing down dominant running situations on 4th & short. The Colts didn’t have too many run problems like that last year on defense, although Tyreek Hill can leave a sting in the off-season film. I’m confident Eberflus will work his scheme in order to match last years’ efficiency. Hopefully Reid can provide veteran leadership and become a cornerstone of that depth for the D-line.