On Wednesday, Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley met with reporters for his offseason program media availability. Bradley discussed a variety of topics, including the NFL draft, along with the cornerback and safety positions.
In case you missed it, here are the highlights from what Bradley had to say. To watch the full press conference, click here.
– It’s been a good offseason. The coaching staff has had the opportunity to go over things, and it’s exciting to have the players back in the building.
– What intrigues Bradley about Laiatu Latu is that he’s very polished and has a variety of pass-rush moves, using speed and power, and plays with a high effort. Those are qualities that can take time to develop at the NFL level, and Latu has a head start on them.
– One of the things that jumped off watching Latu was his athleticism. UCLA had him drop and Bradley added that you can see how quickly he’s able to flip his hips. Latu can rush from different stances and alignments as well, giving the Colts more versatility.
– The cornerback position is “wide open.” Bradley really likes the room they have with Dallis Flowers, JuJu Brents, and Jaylon Jones coming back. In determining who starts, consistency will be crucial. “Who’s going to step up and be that guy that takes the next step as a corner,” said Bradley.
– It was challenging for Brents last season who missed time due to injury as a rookie but was relied on heavily in the secondary. Bradley says they’re focusing on the fundamentals and a key aspect for Brents are identifying the formations, the motions, and the jets that the offense is using. Brents missed a lot of that last season during walkthroughs and training camp.
– With Jaylon Carlies’ experience as a safety in college, his knowledge of pass concepts is one of the reasons that the Colts were intrigued by him. Bradly says that if a player knows that part of the game, linebackers coach Richard Smith will get him to play with his hands and being physical. Bradley mentions is time with the Raiders when they had drafted and developed Divine Deablo, a college safety who converted to linebacker.
– Like cornerback, free safety is up for grabs as well. Bradley mentions Rodney Thomas, Nick Cross, and Daniel Scott competing for that role. He says it feels like a “pretty competitive group back there.”
– Bradley says that Thomas has really learned from the ups and downs of last season. He feels that Cross will be at his best as a free safety, mentioning that in college, he saw things really well when playing top-down.
– Bradley thought that Flowers was “really impressive” prior to his injury last season. The cornerback room is competitive, and they all get along great, but everyone has the sense that there are opportunities for playing time that are available.
– Bradley reiterates the importance of consistency and the lack of it being one of the biggest issues in 2023. There needs to be trust from the front end of the defense to the back. The continuity of being in the same system for a few years should result in players playing faster and with everyone having a good understanding of their roles, there is added accountability that the experienced players are providing early on this season.
– Bradley was asked what Kwity Paye means to the defense. He brought up the level of trust that everyone has in him. Paye’s work ethic day in and day out and that there is another level of play for him to reach. “He’s in a good space right now.”