The Indianapolis Colts entered this offseason needing to upgrade at the three-technique defensive tackle position after a down season from starter Denico Autry in 2019.
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His, and the entire group’s, poor performance as pass rushers forced the Colts to make the blockbuster trade to bring in DeForest Buckner. Now, Autry will play a complementary role on the interior while potentially seeing some time on the edge as well.
But could the situation force the Colts to make a surprise cut in Autry? Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski thinks so.
Essentially, Denico Autry has been replaced along the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive front even though he’s still on the team.
General manager Chris Ballard swung a predraft trade with the San Francisco 49ers for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. Buckner, not Autry, will now serve as the unit’s starting 3-technique.
Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus told reporters:
“So the trickle-down effect to answer that is whenever you have a defensive line—DeForest, Justin [Houston] and different guys up front—that can dominate their spot up front, it is easier to play linebacker and easier to play in coverage because everything is sped up and the line of scrimmage is changing for the run game. So there are a lot of things that are beneficial in having a really good 3-technique.”
Autry played well in 2018 after being shifted inside and established a career high with nine sacks in only 12 games. But his performance dropped dramatically in 2019, and the Colts clearly wanted an upgrade.
The 29-year-old will likely compete to start at defensive end opposite Houston, though he’s not as effective on the edge. The organization can move on from Autry and save $5.7 million.
While it is an interesting theory, Autry likely isn’t going anywhere. The Colts are fine when it comes to salary cap space and he’s still a solid pass rusher on the interior—even if he did suffer a down season in 2019.
Having depth at the three-technique will be vital. Buckner will lead the charge without a doubt, but the Colts still want to use a rotation. Autry is solid depth to have and being on the final year of his contract essentially makes his salary cap situation a non-factor.
What’s interesting is that most might consider Tyquan Lewis on the chopping block over Autry. The former second-round pick hasn’t blossomed as quickly as hoped and now will be fighting for a roster spot when training camp rolls around.
Regardless, surprise cuts are hardly anything new in the league. While it shouldn’t be expected that Autry gets the boot, only time will tell.
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