NFL Analyst Believes Colts Blockbuster Trade Helps D-Line
In what can be considered the biggest trade of the 2025 NFL trade deadline, the Indianapolis Colts acquired two-time Pro Bowler Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets in exchange for two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
The secondary was the one weakness for the Colts this season, as the team was allowing 244.8 passing yards per game, which is the seventh most in the league.
Gardner will be an immediate asset to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and the rest of the defensive players.
With the addition of the former All-Pro to Indianapolis’ defense, one NFL analyst believes it can help another area for the Colts.
Sauce Gardner Helps Defensive Line
GettyIndianapolis Colts pass rusher Laiatu Latu #97
The defensive line was one of the biggest strengths for the Colts in the 2024 season and the biggest strength entering the new season.
Headlined by three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and promising second-year EDGE rusher Laiatu Latu, NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms believes the Colts’ acquisition of Sauce Gardner allows the D-linemen more time to get to opposing quarterbacks.
“Where [trading for Gardner] can maybe help, maybe Lou Anarumo can give him a little more confidence in blitzing,” Simms said on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned show.
“I think that’s where you at least look at it and go, ‘that can help the pass rush.’ It gives them a little more flexibility. It gives the defensive coordinator a little more confidence to go, ‘I trust my back end maybe to dabble in man-to-man just a few more snaps every game now’ to where I can send something kind of off the radar, blitz pressure.”
Gardner now finds himself on a team with one of the best records in the league and a defense that only allows 20.1 points per game, the seventh fewest in the league.
He will be a major piece for the defense in the future for Indy, as they used two first-round draft picks to acquire the player and will take his four-year, $120.4 million contract.
Weakness Turned Strength
GettyIndianapolis Colts safety Camryn Bynum
The Indianapolis Colts recognized that the secondary was a top priority during free agency, spending over $100 million on the position.
Indy signed safety Camryn Bynum to a four-year, $60 million contract and cornerback Charvarius Ward to a three-year, $54 million deal to improve the secondary.
Pairing Gardner with Ward will give the Colts one of the best cornerback duos in the league and now one of the better secondaries as well.
Ward is currently on injured reserve with a concussion, but should return to the team in a couple of weeks. Once back on the field, it could cause problems for opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers.
The Colts made the final moves to polish their roster to be considered a serious contender to make a run in the playoffs.
Browns' Kevin Stefanski on the Brink of Firing After Desperation Move to Shift Play-Calling
The buzz around the Cleveland Browns has not taken a back seat at all this season; heck, the seat has been getting warmer for some members of the organization.
The Browns sit at 2-6 this year, after going 3-14 the previous season, and the media and fans are not holding back their criticism of members of the front office, especially the head coach, Kevin Stefanski.
Although Stefanski has led the team to two playoff appearances and won coach of the year in two seasons, the recent struggles loom larger than the further back success. The main criticism this year has been the offense, only scoring 15.8 points per game, which is third third-fewest in the league, and being in the bottom five in total yards per game (263.5), passing yards per game (174.0), and rushing yards per game (89.5).
Stefanski has been the play caller this season, until yesterday, when he handed over the duties to new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, marking the second straight season Stefanski has started as the play caller only to give it away midway through the year.
Former Browns offensive guard from 2011-2016, John Greco, went on 92.3 The Fan today and was asked his opinion on how changing play callers affects the locker room.
“It's desperation. When you're in that room, the obvious is becoming a reality,” Greco said. “You have a heightened sense of awareness that this is the next attempt before people start getting fired."
Greco seems to be saying that Stefanski is feeling the pressure to win games and perform, and is pivoting to Rees as the fall guy of sorts. We saw this last year after Stefanski gave the play-calling to Ken Dorsey, although there was not much buzz that Stefanski could be fired, Dorsey got fired at the end of the season.
Greco has experience in this matter, too, as during his time in Cleveland, he had four different head coaches, including Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, and Hue Jackson. So Greco knows what it looks like and what things happen when a firing may be on the horizon.
This move may not be the only one the team makes to try to elevate the offense, either, as there is still a possibility that Shedeur Sanders will get to start soon. Dillon Gabriel has just gotten four games as the starter for the Browns, but with the situation Cleveland is in, where they have multiple picks in the first round of next year's draft, they need to find out what they have soon.
Another desperation move Stefanski could make would be changing the quarterback for the second time this year, but with the change of play callers, they may give Gabriel more time to grow.
