Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Indianapolis Colts &l..."/> Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Indianapolis Colts &l..."/>
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Report: Colts Met With NC State Pass Rusher Mike Rose at Pro Day

By Luke Schultheis

Nov 1, 2014; Syracuse, NY, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive end Mike Rose (90) prepares to make a tackle on Syracuse Orange quarterback AJ Long (4) during the second quarter of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2014; Syracuse, NY, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive end Mike Rose (90) prepares to make a tackle on Syracuse Orange quarterback AJ Long (4) during the second quarter of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Indianapolis Colts were among the NFL teams that had an individual meeting with North Carolina State pass rusher Mike Rose following his pro day:

North Carolina State’s pro day was this past Monday, and by all indications, Rose performed well:

The 6’2″, 261 pound pass rusher is coming off a solid senior season for the Wolfpack, recording 10.5 sacks, 51 tackles–including 15 tackles for loss, and 2 forced fumbles. He was rewarded by receiving 2nd-team All-ACC honors this past season.

While Rose may not have a ton of “quick twitch” athleticism to the naked eye, he’s been highly regarded for both his relentless motor and power as a pass rusher:

Of course, the Colts could clearly use an infusion of youth at the pass rusher position.

The team has a pair of aging pass rushers Robert Mathis (35) and Trent Cole (33) with little else, as the Colts released two of their young pass rushers Bjoern Werner and Jonathan Newsome earlier this offseason. Consequently, there’s some room for an outside linebacker or two as a situational pass rusher on the depth chart.

The Colts defense struggled generating consistent pressure off the edge last season, as they were tied at 22nd for the least amount of sacks in the regular season with 35 total sacks.

Compared to the Super Bowl winning Denver Broncos, who had 52 total sacks and led by Von Miller, showed that a dominant pass rush can ultimately win championships, the Colts have considerable room for improvement.

In that sense, a highly productive collegiate pass rusher such as Rose could make quite a deal of sense.

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