When any team hires a new head coach or coordinator, it makes sense to acquire maybe a player or three that that coach has worked with before. This is especially true if the players have proven to be productive. The Indianapolis Colts have taken some chances this season with that scenario.
Specifically, after the Colts hired Lou Anarumo to be the defensive coordinator, the team added inside linebacker Lou Bachie. Then, after a series of cornerback injuries, Indy signed veteran Mike Hilton. On Wednesday, according to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Indianapolis signed recently released Germaine Pratt.
The problem is that so far, the two former Cincinnati Bengals that have been signed (Anarumo was Cincy's defensive coordinator before coming to Indy for the same role) have not worked out well. Bachie has seen plenty of snaps at off-ball linebacker and has been unimpressive.
Indianapolis Colts sign another Lou Anarumo disciple in the person of linebacker Germaine Pratt
The assumption is that Pratt will play next to Zaire Franklin and take Bachie (and every other inside linebacker not named Franklin's reps). In sheer production, Pratt has made a bunch of tackles. He has also been rumored to be a locker room issue.
Rumors swirled that one reason Pratt was unexpectedly released by the Las Vegas Raiders one day after Vegas played Indy in Week 5 (Pratt didn't make the trip) was because he and star Maxx Crosby might have gotten into a scuffle. Will Pratt be good fit in the Colts locker room?
That's a huge risk for general manager Chris Ballard to take on yet another Lou Anarumo disciple, as the team is currently 4-1 and the vibes are good. Pratt must be immediately productive for the gamble to pay off.
Meanwhile, Joe Bachie has been targeted 17 times in coverage and has allowed a completion each time. Those catches have resulted in 166 yards, and the linebacker has a quarterback rating allowed of a terrible 107.4. 75 of those yards have come after the catch.
He also has two penalties, and one came on special teams in Week 5 that saw a special teams touchdown to be negated. Of course, no off-ball linebacker playing next to Zaire Franklin has worked out well, but Bachie needs to be replaced.
The other former defensive Bengal to be signed was Mike Hilton. Indianapolis lost Kenny Moore II to an Achilles injury early in the season, and he will likely remain out for a bit. Hilton was seemingly a decent short-term replacement, but he is also 31 years old, and older players tend to get hurt more often.
This is what has happened to Hilton. He was placed on the practice squad injured reserve this week after he hurt his shoulder in Week 5. He won't be available for at least a month, though the hope is that Moore can come back before that.
To replace Hilton, and therefore, Moore, the Indianapolis Colts signed Troy Pride Jr. Pride was a fourth-round pick for the Carolina Panthers in 2020, but he has only played three games since 2020. In other words, he isn't truly a player that Indy wants to have to count on.
Now, the Colts just brought in another former Bengals defensive player. Even while they are familiar with Anarumo's scheme, the first two didn't help. The jury is currently out on whether Germain Pratt will.