As the Indianapolis Colts continue to evaluate players in free agency and the 2019 NFL Draft, there is a certain criteria each player must fit when it comes to the culture being built in the locker room.
Both head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard harped on the fact that there is a mentality and culture being built in the locker room. The mindset the players must have each week isn’t for everyone, especially those who put themselves first over the team.
“I think we are a team on the rise and the reason is we got the right players in the locker room. It’s the right kind of culture and that culture starts with the guys in that locker room,” Reich said at the combine this week. “It’s not open to just anybody – that locker room is not just open to any great player.”
The biggest names that come to mind with the fit in the locker room are pending free agent running back Le’Veon Bell and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Both are excellent on the field and arguably the best at their position, but they have shown to put themselves before the team. Bell sat out the entire season due to contract disputes while Brown requested a trade and has constantly aired the team’s dirty laundry.
Putting the team first is a huge piece of the criteria regardless of how talented the player might be. This isn’t to say Brown or Bell couldn’t fall into line with the Colts’ way of thinking, but it doesn’t appear they are fits for the locker room.
Reich doubled-down on the notion that the Colts are trying to build a team-first mindset throughout the locker room.
“You’ve got to be the right guy, you’ve got to be the right player, you’ve got to want to join the other players on this team on the mission that we are on to get up to the top of that mountain,” said Reich.
The Colts are on the rise, and they should be a desired landing spot for many free agents and draft prospects, but Indy won’t even consider them if they don’t meet the required criteria of fitting in the locker room.
