Tag: Samson Ebukam

Stock report from Colts’ 31-20 win over Texans

Taking a look at the stock report from the Colts’ 31-20 win over the Texans.

The Indianapolis Colts (1-1) put together a pretty complete game in the 31-20 victory over the Houston Texans (0-2) in Week 2 at NRG Stadium.

Even though rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson exited the game after the first quarter due to a concussion, Shane Steichen’s offense kept rolling with Gardner Minshew under center. Meanwhile, the front seven collected 6.0 sacks and nine quarterback hits on Texans rookie C.J. Stroud.

When taking stock of a player’s performance, it’s best to be fluid. A player’s stock will fall and rise throughout the season so none of this is set in stone. However, it is important to take note of the narratives and storylines taking place as the campaign progresses.

A player’s stock can be impacted by factors such as their performance or the type of snaps they receive during the games.

Here’s a look at the stock report for the Colts following the Week 2 win:

1 Colt from each position to watch at training camp

Keep an eye on these Colts players during training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts officially regroup for the 2023 season down at Grand Park for training camp at the end of July.

With the season looming on the horizon and the team looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 showing, eyes will be on the Colts and the different talent, young and old, on the roster.

Here is one player from each position to keep an eye on during training camp and the preseason leading up to the start of the regular season:

11 winners from Colts offseason workout program

Taking a look at 11 winners from the Colts’ offseason workout program.

The Indianapolis Colts have roughly one month until the arrival of training camp, which is when the real competition for the final roster spots will take place.

Though we should be careful about how much information we take seriously during the spring practices, it never hurts to monitor the players who stand out in OTAs and minicamp. Jobs are not won in the spring, but the foundation for the competitions is being laid out.

Here are 11 winners from the Colts offseason workout program in 2023:

7 biggest takeaways from Colts’ minicamp

Here are the biggest takeaways from Colts’ minicamp.

The Indianapolis Colts spent two days wrapping up the offseason workout program last week with mandatory minicamp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.

Minicamp is essentially an extension of the organized team activity (OTA) practices the Colts went through during the months of May and June with the slight difference in that the media is permitted to attend every practice.

Here are the seven biggest takeaways from Colts minicamp in 2023:

8 players to watch as Colts begin minicamp

Here are eight players to watch as the Colts begin mandatory minicamp.

The Indianapolis Colts are set to begin mandatory minicamp Tuesday at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, which is the final time the team will be together before summer break.

There will be a lot going on during the three days at minicamp, and this will be a great time for players to make a strong impression while building some momentum for when they arrive back for training camp at the end of July.

Here are eight players to watch as the Colts begin minicamp Tuesday.

Samson Ebukam finding smooth transition to Colts defense

Samson Ebukam meshing well with his role within the Colts defense.

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The Indianapolis Colts went into free agency needing to add some depth to the pass rush and came out having signed an intriguing player in the form of defensive end Samson Ebukam.

As the 27-year-old makes the transition to his new team, he’s finding many of the concepts being similar to what his responsibilities were with the San Francisco 49ers, the team he previously played for.

“Basically, the same honestly – just get off the rock and try to make plays. It’s that simple,” Ebukam said of his role in OTAs. “Yeah, I definitely think so because it was the same thing I was doing in San Fran. I think it’s just more refined now. So, it’s definitely going to come alive this year I’m feeling like.”

Likely taking over the LEO role in Gus Bradley’s offense, Ebukam will be the replacement for Yannick Ngakoue, who remains a free agent despite leading the Colts with 9.5 sacks in 2022.

Ebukam’s numbers may not pop off the page, but he’s shown steady improvement throughout his career. He added career-high marks in 2022 with 5.0 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hits.

However, he posted a 14.9% pass-rush win rate, according to PFF, which was good for 24th among all edge rushers and better than any mark by a Colts edge rusher in 2022. For comparison, Ngakoue’s 11.0% pass-rush win rate ranked 50th among all qualified edge rushers.

Transitioning to a new team and defense are not easy tasks, but Ebukam has found it beneficial to use this time in the offseason without pads to focus on refining his technique.

“It’s kind of hard to practice like I want to practice without pads on, but at the same time it’s all technique based right now,” Ebukam said. “It allows me to have the time to focus on technique and just refining the things that I can do well and then the things that I didn’t do so well last year I can work on it now with this time and just sharpen it up so it’s good for the season.”

With Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo entering their third seasons, Ebukam is a strong addition to the rotation. In fact, he’s been starting opposite Paye on the defensive line through the first two weeks of OTAs.

Considering the young secondary, a strong pass rush can make a world of difference for the Colts defense.

And Ebukam has a chance to be an integral part of the unit right away.

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Ranking the best moves made by Chris Ballard this offseason

Breaking down the 12 best moves Colts GM Chris Ballard made this offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts have some buzz around them with the excitement of their first-round pick, Anthony Richardson, being the new face of the franchise but for the most part this offseason, the team itself has been relatively quiet.

General manager Chris Ballard is known for not being a big spender in free agency, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been offseason splash news in his tenure.

Whether it was the trade back from No. 3 to No. 6 in 2018 with the New York Jets that landed Quenton Nelson, signing Philip Rivers in 2019, the trade for DeForest Buckner in 2020, trading for Carson Wentz in 2021, last year when he traded for Matt Ryan and signed Stephon Gilmore, there have been some big moves made in recent memory.

There weren’t any star-studded players added to the roster this offseason, but Ballard made some quality moves this offseason.

Let’s take a look at the best ones that he made over the last few months:

1 player at each position to watch at Colts OTAs

Keep an eye on these Colts as OTAs begin this week.

The Indianapolis Colts are set to begin organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, marking the first time this offseason the entire roster will be on the field competing against each other.

While there will be no pads worn or contact permitted, we will get a glimpse of some 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills throughout the 10 OTA sessions through the middle of June. The same will be said during veteran minicamp, which caps the end of spring practices.

With OTAs set to begin, here’s a look at one player at each position to watch for the Colts:

Grading the Colts’ free agency moves in 2023

Grading every move the Colts have made in free agency this offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts have turned their attention to the 2023 NFL draft after making some waves since the opening of free agency last month.

While the Colts are still likely to add a handful of pieces to the roster before the draft—specifically at cornerback and offensive line—the majority of their moves have been made in free agency.

If and when those moves are made before the draft, we’ll add them to this list of grades.

Even with the noise quieting down, we’re still tracking the moves the Colts are making in free agency and will do so through the month of April.

Here’s a look at our grades for the Colts’ moves in free agency, which also includes the notable moves of a trade and the release of a pair of starters:

PFF names favorite, least favorite free agency moves for Colts

Here’s what PFF listed as their favorite and least favorite free agency moves for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts have been pretty active since the start of free agency in the middle of March, going through some relatively extensive roster changes.

Most of the players they’ve brought in likely will hold rotational roles at their respective positions while they’ve seen the departure of a handful of starters from the 2022 season.

Pro Football Focus listed their favorite and least favorite moves for each team thus far through free agency. Here’s what they said about their favorite move for the Colts:

Favorite: Signing edge defender Samson Ebukam

Ebukam earned career highs across the board in 2022, with a 69.1 overall grade, 43 quarterback pressures and 11.8% pressure percentage. The former fourth-rounder profiles as a solid replacement for Yannick Ngakoue in Indianapolis as the smaller wide alignment edge rusher, with Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo the bigger defensive end types.

Ebukam has been touted as one of the better signings of the offseason throughout the entire league. Likely to take on the LEO role in Gus Bradley’s defense, he’s a perfect fit as an explosive pass rusher while adding more impact as a run defender than Yannick Ngakoue gave the Colts in 2022.

As for PFF’s least favorite move regarding the Colts in free agency, it’s the departure of a starting wide receiver who finally showed what he can do with a fully healthy season.

Least favorite: Losing wide receiver Parris Campbell

Campbell’s production in 2022 exceeded his three-year cumulative totals from 2019-2021 in nearly every statistical category once he was finally healthy, with nine games of at least 40 receiving yards on the year. The New York Giants continue to load up their roster with slot receivers, a trend that has spanned across multiple regimes, but the $4.7 million one-year flier for Campbell is a great value. The Colts’ offense ranked dead last in expected points added per dropback in 2022, and while a new quarterback can change that more than Campbell ever could, he certainly would’ve helped.

Losing Campbell is a relatively significant blow to an offense that is lacking stable depth in the wide receiver room. The Colts shouldn’t have gone all in for the oft-injured speedster, but re-signing him to a deal similar to what the Giants gave him would have made a ton of sense.

The Colts wound up signing slot receiver Isaiah McKenzie to a one-year deal, but he’s far from a proven commodity on the offensive side of the ball. If both players are healthy, that switch should be considered a downgrade.

Regardless, the Colts have been far more active in free agency than expected. No one knows how everything will turn out, but the start of the offseason is far from a failure from the team’s perspective.

Keep up to date with the latest news, signings and rumors through our free agency tracker for the Colts.

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