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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Colts, RT Braden Smith Discussing Extension

June 30th, 2021 at 12:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jim Irsay said on draft weekend he expected the Colts to extend Darius Leonard and Braden Smith, two second-round picks from the 2018 draft. The Colts have gotten to work on one of those contracts.

Smith’s agent has entered talks with the Colts on a long-term deal, Stephen Holder of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The fourth-year right tackle is going into a contract year and is set to make $2.43MM. His salaries will likely be much higher in the future.

The right tackle market moved Wednesday morning, with Ryan Ramczyk‘s Saints extension giving the NFL a new benchmark for the oft-overlooked position. Ramczyk is now tied to a $19.2MM-per-year deal, which tops Lane Johnson‘s AAV figure ($18MM). No other right tackle earns more than $14MM annually, but the Panthers may factor into this equation soon. They have just more than two weeks to extend franchise-tagged right tackle Taylor Moton.

A right guard at Auburn, Smith transitioned to right tackle as a Colts rookie. The former No. 37 overall pick has emerged as one of the league’s top young tackles and has helped the Colts form a top-tier offensive line. Pro Football Focus has graded Smith (43 career starts) as a top-20 tackle in each of the past two seasons.

While Smith likely will not top Ramczyk’s price, he stands to be an eight-figure-per-year player on an Indianapolis O-line that should have three of those in the not-too-distant future. The Colts already have Ryan Kelly tied to high-end center money ($12.4MM on average), and they should be expected to make Quenton Nelson the NFL’s highest-paid guard. It is difficult to do more to state a case for such a contract; Nelson is 3-for-3 in first-team All-Pro appearances and has not missed a game. But the Colts have the 2018 first-round pick signed through 2022, via the fifth-year option. Because Smith was drafted a round later, he will likely beat his higher-profile line mate to a big-ticket extension.

FA Golden Tate Eyeing Titans, Colts, Rams

June 21st, 2021 at 5:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Golden Tate remains unsigned, but it sounds like the veteran receiver has his eye on a few teams. During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, the free agent wideout provided a list of three potential suitors that each offer a bit of familiarity.

“I would love to go back home to Tennessee,” Tate said (Twitter link). “Indy, over with Carson Wentz. Obviously, the LA Rams would be fantastic with Stafford.”

As Tate noted, he grew up in Tennessee, where he starred as a three-sport athlete (football, baseball, track and field). Of course, the Titans already pulled off a big acquisition at the position when they traded for Julio Jones, but there’s a chance they could be looking for more depth at receiver.

Tate’s best seasons came in Detroit, where he served as one of Matthew Stafford‘s favorite targets and collected three 1,000-plus-yard campaigns. Stafford now finds himself in Los Angeles, and the Rams already signed one veteran this offseason in DeSean Jackson, adding him to a crowded depth chart that is highlighted by Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and 2020 second-round pick Van Jefferson.

Perhaps Tate’s best chance at playing time would be with the Colts, where he’d be reunited with former Eagles teammate Carson Wentz. The duo only saw time in five games together during their stints in Philly, but Indianapolis could provide an opportunity for them to team up again. Tate would have a chance to unseat the likes of JJ Nelson and/or Dezmon Patmon for one of the final receiver spots on the roster.

The 32-year-old has seen time in 23 games for the Giants over the past two seasons, collecting 84 receptions for 1,064 yards and eight touchdowns.

Colts Move Marvell Tell To Corner

June 14th, 2021 at 9:47pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Marvell Tell opted out of the 2020 season, but the former fifth-round pick is back at work with the Colts. Tell has joined the run of secondary position changes this offseason; the Colts have moved him from safety to corner, Stephen Holder of The Athletic writes. As a safety in 2019, Tell played 252 snaps and started one game. The Colts have crowded their cornerback contingent this offseason, re-signing both Xavier Rhodes and T.J. Carrie. Both veterans are on one-year contracts. Tell’s rookie deal tolled from the COVID-19 opt-out; he is under contract through 2023.

Details On Fisher's Colts Deal

June 6th, 2021 at 8:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

He started a game for the Browns as a rookie in 2016, and then started another for the Colts in 2017. All told, he spent at least a bit of time with nine different teams. He was signed by the Browns back in January right as their season was about to end, and didn’t appear in a game. Given his Ivy League education, it’s not too surprising he had an easy time transitioning to the front office.

  • It was initially reported that Eric Fisher‘s one-year deal with the Colts would pay him $9.4MM in 2021, but it turns out it’s a bit less than that. Fisher’s 2021 compensation will actually be $8.38MM, veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson tweets. It’s only $6MM guaranteed. It includes a $4MM signing bonus, a $2MM guaranteed salary, and then $2.38MM in per game active roster bonuses. Wilson also notes that it’s technically a two-year pact with 2022 automatically voiding for cap purposes.

NFL Suspends Jared Veldheer

May 27th, 2021 at 3:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent Jared Veldheer has been hit with a six-game ban (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The reason for the suspension is not immediately clear, but it will likely hurt the tackle’s chances of finding a deal this summer. 

Veldheer, a 2010 third-round pick out of Hillsdale, has put together a 12-year career, appearing in 121 career regular season games. He joined the Colts in late December, and he ended up playing 100-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 17 and the Wild Card Round. After that, he hooked on with the Packers, making him the first player in NFL history to play at least one postseason game for two different teams in the same year. It was all thanks the loophole provided by last season’s COVID-19 practice-squad rules.

It’s worth noting that Veldheer will turn 34 in June, so it’s not clear whether he’s planning on playing this year.

Adam Vinatieri To Retire From NFL

May 26th, 2021 at 3:36pm CST by Zachary Links

3:36pm: The NFL’s all-time scoring leader confirmed he will hang up his cleats. Vinatieri acknowledged during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (video link) he will not attempt to play a 25th season. An official announcement should follow soon, and the longtime Patriots and Colts kicker should be expected to land in Canton at some point.

9:28am: Ideally, Adam Vinatieri would like to play through his 49th birthday in December. But, at this stage, the longtime NFL kicker doesn’t see it happening.

“I haven’t officially retired, but I’m probably on that way,” Vinatieri said in a recent interview with Morten Andersen (via the Indy Star). “Like I said, I’m continuing to do stuff to try and get there. It’s just not … there might be a time to officially do that here in the near future.”

Vinatieri’s contract with the Colts expired at the end of the 2019 season, making him an unrestricted free agent. The veteran planned on returning to the field in 2020, but quarantine life hampered the rehabilitation of his surgically-repaired knee. Meanwhile, the Colts moved on to undrafted rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship.

On the whole, Vinatieri’s career has been legendary. Over the course of 24 seasons, he captured four Super Bowl rings, three First Team All-Pro nods, and countless clutch kicks. His late-year injury resulted in his first missed game since Super Bowl XLIV. And, with the Colts, he had perfect attendance dating back to 2010.

With that said, Vinatieri did show some signs of slowing down in 2019. He made just 17 of his 25 field goal tries and 22 of his 28 extra points. The Colts had issues beyond the special teams unit, of course, but those misses did not help matters as they dropped out of playoff contention.

“When you get to be our age, and you’ve kicked as many balls as we have, things start to wear out a little bit,” Vinatieri said. “Unfortunately, it was a little bit more than we were hoping. We knew we had some stuff in (the knee) that needed to be fixed. But when our surgeon went in there, he said, ‘I’m not giving you the 40,000-mile overhaul; it looked like we gave you the 80,000-mile overhaul.’”

If Vinatieri returns for another NFL season, it’ll be a historic feat. Currently, quarterback/kicker George Blanda holds the league’s all-time record on that front having played at the age of 48 in the 1975 season.

Marlon Mack Returns To Colts Workouts

May 23rd, 2021 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • In more injury rehab news, the Colts had Marlon Mack back on the field this week. Mack did not participate fully in Indianapolis’ OTA sessions this week, but Stephen Holder of The Athletic notes the fifth-year running back was available for part of the voluntary workouts (subscription required). Mack sustained a torn Achilles in Week 1 last season. He re-signed with the Colts on a one-year, $2MM deal, pointing to optimism the former fourth-round pick will be ready to go to start this season.

RB Nyheim Hines Discusses Future With Colts

May 20th, 2021 at 10:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Nyheim Hines may be hitting free agency following the 2021 season, but the running back is making it clear that he wants to stay in Indy. Hines told Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star that he wants to play with the Colts for his entire career.

“I hope to play there my entire career, and I hope to establish a legacy where Indianapolis is always going to have that slasher, scat-back, that little fast guy who’s so versatile,” Hines said.

“Contract talks will come when they come. Whatever happens with that happens. My goal is to be the best leader for this team, to be the best player for this team that I can be. I feel like last year I established myself as a leader. Maybe not as much of a vocal leader, but I’m definitely a leader on that team.”

The 2018 fourth-round pick seemed to take a step back in 2019 following a solid rookie campaign. The running back bounced back in 2020, finishing with career-highs across the board, including 862 yards from scrimmage, seven touchdowns, and a team-leading 63 receptions.

The Colts are absolutely loaded at running back, with Hines joining 2020 second-rounder Jonathan Taylor, former 1,000-yard rusher Marlon Mack, and fourth-year pro Jordan Wilkins. While Hines will probably never lead the team in carries, he now understands his role, and that explains his career season in 2020.

“I think I’ve grown the most, just by my mindset,” Hines said. “Going out there, knowing that we have a lot of good players, not knowing when I’m going to touch the ball but just knowing I’m going to be ready. That’s really why I played a lot better last year, I think.”

Colts WR Parris Campbell: ‘I’m 100 Percent’, Fully Cleared

May 19th, 2021 at 4:43pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Parris Campbell has had a tough time in the NFL since the Colts drafted him 59th overall in 2019. The Ohio State product is blazing fast and has flashed a lot of potential during his brief time on the field, but has been unable to stay healthy.

In his rookie season, he was limited to seven games due to a myriad of injuries, including a hernia, broken hand, and broken foot. This past season, he went down with a serious knee injury in Week 2 and never returned. That came on the heels of a promising Week 1 showing where he had six catches for 71 yards.

2021 is shaping up to be a make or break season for the third-year pro, and fortunately Campbell is saying he’s all systems go for the offseason. “I’m 100 percent,” Campbell said Wednesday, via Stephen Holder of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Campbell told reporters that he finally received full clearance from the medical staff this week. It wasn’t a torn ACL that sidelined him, but rather PCL and MCL injuries. Campbell also said that changing his jersey number to one was part of a hope for a fresh start.

The Colts didn’t add much at receiver this offseason and T.Y. Hilton will be 32 in November, so Campbell should have a big role if he can stay available. A healthy Campbell to go along with Hilton and second-year wideout Michael Pittman Jr. would make life a lot easier on Carson Wentz in his first year in Indy.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/19/21

May 19th, 2021 at 3:57pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Colts have now officially signed every member of their draft class. We’ll keep track of all the new draftees signing their rookie deals today here:

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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