DeForest Buckner Convinced Colts Can Be 'Really Special Team'

All-Pro defensive tackle acquired in a trade with San Francisco is enthusiastic about teaming up with the likes of Pro Bowl players Justin Houston and Darius Leonard.

Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — DeForest Buckner said all the right things in accentuating the positives about his new employer, the Indianapolis Colts, in a Wednesday conference call.

After the Colts confirmed the trade of their 2020 first-round draft choice, 13th overall, to San Francisco to acquire the All-Pro defensive tackle, Buckner spoke of how he’s excited to join the organization. The Colts were a 10-6 playoff team just two years ago, have reportedly signed quarterback Philip Rivers and have a lot of young talent.

Buckner, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Tuesday, sees himself fitting right into the mix.

All that said, he admitted that being the subject of trade talk was disappointing after how well he played in four seasons for the 49ers, who reached Super Bowl LIV in February.

“Yeah, I mean it’s always tough,” Buckner said. “When you play your heart out for an organization and you’re obviously one of the key guys, obviously you build a lot of lifelong relationships there and everything. To find the fact that you are a possibility to be traded, I mean obviously with any person or any guy in this profession it would kind of hurt a little bit.

“But at the same time you can’t take it personal because it’s the business of the game. It’s the business we chose. The only thing that I can control is my attitude moving forward and I’m just blessed to have this opportunity. The fact that this organization is willing to believe in me and bring me in – feeling wanted and needed at a certain place, it feels good. I’m just excited to be able to show everyone what I can bring to the table.”

The Colts not only traded for Buckner, they agreed to a four-year, $84-million contract extension that locks him up through 2024. The deal includes $44.378 million in guaranteed money, according to spotrac.com.

Buckner is a 6-7, 295-pound lineman who has the speed to rush the passer and the strength to shed blocks and be solid in run defense. He had 28.5 sacks in four years, including a career-best 12 in 2018, when he was named to the Pro Bowl. He made 263 total tackles with at least 61 each season. He was named second-team All-Pro in 2019.

In the biggest game of his career, Buckner delivered 1.5 sacks of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIV.

The Colts finished 7-9 last season and missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. But Buckner sees a team that is building.

“I mean you can see the team that Chris Ballard has put together over the years. It’s a really special team,” he said. “They have a lot of young talent and a lot of good key guys on all phases of the ball. Being able to be an addition, it’s kind of a win-now mentality, you know what I mean? We landed Philip Rivers and everything. I am just excited for the mentality of the team moving forward.

“Obviously, two years ago they were 10-6 and last year took a hit obviously losing their franchise quarterback (Andrew Luck) to retiring early. But you still saw last year they were in a bunch of close games that came down to the last play down there and just came up short. So I am excited moving forward and just ready to get things rolling.”

So what kind of player are the Colts getting? He’s confident and will be bringing his best every day, starting with practice.

“Obviously they’re looking for a three-technique and I think I’m one of the best in the league,” he said. “I can stop the run, rush the passer, obviously I’m taller but I play with leverage. I have a lot power. My length obviously helps me a lot with trucking down, whether it’s a running back or a quarterback on the run and obviously if I can’t get to the quarterback then trying to disrupt the passing lanes with my length. Just little things like that.

“I feel like I can bring my leadership whether it’s on or off the field, just being able to lead by example or speaking up when I need to to address certain things. It all starts in practice. I practice how I want to play in the game, whether it’ll piss somebody off, I’m just trying to perfect my craft (laughs). Every day, I approach the game where if I’m not getting better I’m getting worse.”

The 49ers gave Buckner’s agent permission to seek a trade when the team decided it was unable to grant him a lucrative contract extension entering the final year of his rookie deal. The swap with the Colts came after the 49ers had agreed to re-sign defensive end Arik Armstead to a five-year extension worth up to a reported $85 million. They didn’t see how they could keep both players.

Buckner expressed gratitude about how excited Colts general manager Chris Ballard is about the new acquisition.

“Just the way he believed in me – after talking to my agent and hearing how much he believes in me, he thinks I’m a key piece to what we are building here in Indy,” Buckner said. “I’m just excited. As a player, that’s what you want to hear from your bosses, you know what I mean?”

Buckner spoke of how he’s come a long way from growing up in Hawaii and playing his college ball at Oregon.

“Growing up out in Waianae, Hawaii, my entire life I always wanted to do something and be somebody,” he said. “You grow up having all these dreams being able to play at the professional level and it kind of just started with my mentality when I was younger. Being able to get up at 4:30 every morning and go to school then two hours into town. Finishing up football practice, finishing up all my homework and everything and I’m not going to sleep until 10:30 and so it was just a recycled thing.

“I just learned to really push myself and make sacrifices along the way to get to where I wanted to be. It trickled into Oregon and to where I am today.”

He spoke of how the 49ers built a championship-caliber defense with promising, young talent such as Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander. And he sees the same potential for the Colts defense.

“We’ve got a lot of talent,” Buckner said. “We’ve got a lot of great veterans like Justin Houston. I am excited to get to work with Justin. Dee Ford has told me nothing but amazing things about him, so I am ready to pick his brain a little bit. Also the young talent at linebacker with Darius Leonard. I mean watching film – sometimes we watch film on Indy and you see that guy flying around everywhere. So I am excited to have a linebacker like him behind me. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”