The Indianapolis Colts were able to acquire DeForest Buckner in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts, and Frank Reich is excited to add the Pro Bowl defensive tackle. Less than three weeks until the 2020 NFL Draft, Reich shared his thoughts on the Buckner trade.
“My immediate reaction was – knowing a little bit about DeForest (Buckner) and knowing schematically what’s important to our defense, and knowing what we had in the works with Philip (Rivers) – I was 100 percent behind it,” Reich told reporters Monday via the ColtsWire. “This was a big need for us and you have an elite player with elite character who fits our team, it was a no-brainer as far as I was concerned.”
Entering the offseason, the Colts had a question mark at the quarterback position. For months, some scouts believed that Indianapolis could target a quarterback with the No. 13 pick in this year's draft.
However, in the Buckner trade, the Colts sent the 13th overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers. By doing so, Indianapolis showed that they are confident in Rivers under center. At the same time, they aren't enthralled with the options that would be available at No. 13.
As for Buckner, he gives the Colts a dominant interior defender that can make a difference immediately. In his past two seasons with the 49ers, Buckner has accumulated 19.5 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.
On the other hand, Indianapolis has struggled to develop interior defenders in recent years. While the Colts no longer have a first-round pick, Reich is content with Buckner essentially being their first-round pick.
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