Former Georgia Bulldog Justin Houston finally picked his new home, ending his free agency. His new team, the Indianapolis Colts run a 4-3 defense, unlike the 3-4 defense he played for the start of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. Houston, was one of the best remaining free agents and will line up at 4-3 DE and will be primarily a pass rusher. It’ll be interesting to see how the Colts utilize him in rushing situations. Houston is 30 years old, and there are some questions of how much gas he has left in the tank, despite him recording 9+ sacks in each of the past two seasons.
Even with these concerns, Houston has been one of the top pass rushers in the NFL in recent years:
Houston fills a void on the Colts and will be a premier pass rusher for a Super Bowl contender. Houston is another piece to build around Andrew Luck. The Colts looked like a much more complete team in 2018 compared to previous years that relied heavily on QB play.
I think it is safe to say the signing looks like a great move for the Colts on paper, but the conversion to 4-3 DE may be a tricky one for Houston, who played as a 3-4 OLB at Georgia and with the Kansas City Chiefs. Houston has the ability to make the conversion and may benefit from opportunities to rush the passer without his hand on the ground as he did at 3-4 OLB. NFL defenses are striving for more multiple looks, so Houston will help provide that for the Colts.
