Colts Claim DE Rakeem Nunez-Roches Off Waivers

The Colts continue to be active in the waiver market, claiming Rakeem Nunez-Roches from the Chiefs off waivers.

Chris Ballard continues to work on the trenches, this time retrieving a defensive lineman off of waivers. The Colts announced they claimed defensive end Rakeem Nunez-Roches.

Nunez-Roches is a young player, having only been in the league three years. He was taken in the sixth round of the NFL Draft in 2013. Before that he played his college ball at Southern Mississippi University.

Nunez-Roches is a big guy at 6 foot 2 and 307 pounds. That is a rather large size to be at and play defensive end in a 4-3 defensive scheme, which is why he was used in the Chiefs 3-4 scheme. He would be the perfect size to be a 3-4 end, but now that the Colts have switched schemes, it’s an interesting pick up.

The Colts seem to be making his pickup to see if Nunez-Roches can shed some pounds and maybe play defensive tackle. He doesn’t have a ton of playing experience though, only having started in 16 games in three years. He has only recorded 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his career.

Ballard is probably picking up Nunez-Roches based on his potential. He is very athletic for his size. If he can be coached up, he could be a decent role player for the Colts. He definitely needs time to lose some weight and to learn the NFL game though.

All in all, this is a low risk pickup. There’s a chance Nunez-Roches doesn’t make it through training camp. But if he works hard and shows a commitment to getting better, he could earn a spot on the Colt’s roster.

Next: Colts 2018 Draft Analysis: Zaire Franklin

The Colts are not done picking up players. Don’t be surprised if they continue to make signings, as they still have a lot of cap space left.