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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Colts, Philip Rivers Discussing Deal

March 16th, 2020 at 1:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have resided as a Philip Rivers suitor for weeks, and in the first three hours of the tampering period, the sides are communicating.

Rivers and the Colts have begun discussions about a deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. While Rapoport cautions no deal is done, he adds that the 38-year-old quarterback is a “clear target” for the Colts.

Rivers has remained close to Colts HC Frank Reich and OC Nick Sirianni — both ex-Chargers assistants — and a report surfaced earlier this offseason about the quarterback and the team possessing mutual interest. Rivers has also been linked to the Buccaneers and Redskins.

Jim Irsay indicated in February that all quarterback options were in play for the Colts, who are in the market for a veteran starter for the first time since the mid-1990s. Rivers is interested in a two-year setup with a contending team, and with the Colts having voyaged to the 2018 divisional round with Andrew Luck, they qualify as a team he could assist.

 

Colts To Release DL Margus Hunt

March 16th, 2020 at 10:03am CST by Sam Robinson

Margus Hunt‘s 2019 extension will only end up lasting one season. The Colts are releasing the veteran defensive lineman, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Hunt has worked as a starter with Indianapolis over the past three seasons. He signed a two-year deal last March. The Colts helped the former first-round pick revive his career, after the Estonian talent sputtered with the Bengals.

This move will save the Colts $4MM, though it’s not like the team is in need of cap space. Indianapolis will again enter free agency loaded with offseason funds. The team is set to hold nearly $70MM in space. That figure is a tad down from the $100MM-plus mark of 2019, but the Colts have not been known as big spenders under current GM Chris Ballard.

Despite Hunt being a 2013 draftee, he is already 32 years old. After two productive seasons, he struggled in 2019. Pro Football Focus graded him outside the top 100 interior defenders last season.

Colts Re-Sign LT Anthony Castonzo

March 15th, 2020 at 12:37pm CST by Rory Parks

The Colts and left tackle Anthony Castonzo have agreed to terms on a new contract, the team announced. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports that it’s a two-year, $33MM deal (Twitter link).

Indianapolis’ offensive line is perhaps the team’s biggest strength, thanks in no small part to Castonzo, who has anchored the blindside for Colts signal-callers since his rookie year in 2011. As ESPN’s Field Yates observes (via Twitter), Indy was the only team to start the same five offensive linemen in every game in 2019, and the current unit will remain intact for the third consecutive year in 2020.

Though Castonzo has never made the Pro Bowl, he’s started in all 132 of his games with consistently strong play. Last year, the Boston College product graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 ranked tackle in the entire NFL. His 81.3 overall score was even stronger than his 2017 and 2018 showings, proving that he still has plenty of football left in the tank.

His previous four-year, $43.8MM deal expired at the end of the 2019 season, and he was reportedly considering retirement earlier this year. However, he recently announced that he would continue his playing career, and he made it clear that he would not consider signing with a club other than the Colts.

Though that statement didn’t do much to help his leverage, it turns out he didn’t need it. The $16.5MM AAV he will see under his new contract puts him at the top of the left tackle market.

Broncos Notes: Harrises, Wolfe, OL, RBs

March 14th, 2020 at 2:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos both traded for A.J. Bouye (and a $13MM salary) and used their franchise tag on Justin Simmons, signaling Chris Harris‘ time in Denver was almost certainly up. The four-time Pro Bowler said during an NFL Network appearance the door is “pretty much” closed on a 10th Broncos season (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala). The decorated cornerback is expected to have at least 10 teams pursuing him, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. The Browns, Cardinals, Chargers, Chiefs, Cowboys, Jets, Lions, Raiders, Seahawks and Texans are expected to have “strong” interest in signing the 30-year-old defender, Renck adds. This list interestingly omits the Eagles, who have been linked to Harris at multiple junctures over the past five months.

Although Harris is arguably the best slot cornerback in NFL history, his consistent usage as a boundary player as well will likely push his market near the current corner standard of $15MM per year. He turned down the Broncos’ three-year, $36MM proposal before the trade deadline.

Here is the latest out of Denver:

  • Denver’s Week 1 starting defensive line consisted of Derek Wolfe, Shelby Harris and Adam Gotsis. All three are poised to hit the market, with Gotsis doing so after being benched early in the season. Shelby Harris would prefer to stay in Denver but has acknowledged, at 28, this is his lone chance at a big payday. The Colts are among the teams interested in the late-blooming D-lineman, Renck notes.
  • On the Wolfe subject, the eight-year veteran has been the most vocal about returning to Denver. His agent’s Combine meeting with the Broncos led him to believe he will hit the market. “[The Broncos] talked to my agent at the Combine. … It looks like they’re going to let me hit free agency, see what the market is,” Wolfe said during an interview with KOA Radio (via DNVR Sports’ Andrew Mason, on Twitter). “… It’s a nice way of saying, ‘We like you; we love you, but not for that kind of money.” The Broncos may bring back Wolfe or Shelby Harris, but not both. The team drafted Dre’Mont Jones in Round 3 last year, so it may be covered at one of its defensive end spots. Wolfe, 29, said during an interview with Sirius XM Radio (audio link) he is eyeing two to four more seasons.
  • The Broncos’ interest in a running back stems not necessarily from their current regime’s desire to replace Phillip Lindsay but to complement him, per Renck, who adds the team is expected to add a bigger back in either free agency or the draft. Royce Freeman has underwhelmed in that role over the past two seasons.
  • The Broncos plan to pursue a guard on the market, Renck notes (on Twitter). They declined Ronald Leary‘s 2020 option, so a replacement will be needed. They also may try to add a swing tackle and are likely to draft a tackle, which makes sense given left tackle Garett Bolles‘ struggles.
  • Elijah Wilkinson was supposed to work as a Broncos swing man in 2019, but Ja’Wuan James‘ near-season-long absence thrust Wilkinson into Denver’s right tackle spot. He spent time as a first-string guard in 2018 and stands to factor into the Broncos’ 2020 plans at one of those two positions. The team is expected to use a priority tender on Wilkinson, per Renck. This will likely mean a second-round tender. That will cost more than $3MM.

Colts Interested In Eric Berry, Other Teams In The Mix

March 13th, 2020 at 8:17pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Eric Berry sat out the 2019 season, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll have too much difficulty getting back into the NFL. We heard back in January that Berry was looking to get back on the field in 2020, and the three-time first-team All-Pro is already starting to garner interest.

The Colts are interested in adding Berry to their roster, according to Stephen Holder of The Athletic. They aren’t the only ones who will pursue the veteran safety, as sources told Holder that Indy will have competition and that they’ll have to beat out other suitors. Berry was drafted fifth overall by the Chiefs back in 2010 and became an instant star, making the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Unfortunately, he’s had to deal with a lot of adversity in his career.

Berry was diagnosed with cancer toward the end of the 2014 season and incredibly battled his way back onto the field to play in 2015, winning the league’s Comeback Player of the Year Award and earning his second All-Pro selection. He was once again an All-Pro in 2016, but a brutal injury derailed his career soon after.

Berry tore his Achilles in the first game of the 2017 season, and due to complications from that injury including a Haglund’s deformity, he wasn’t able to return until Week 15 of 2018. He appeared in the Chiefs’ playoff game that year but was released the following offseason and spent all of last year out of football.

One thing working in Indianapolis’ favor, as Holder notes, is that Berry is “very close friends” with current Colts defensive end and former Chiefs teammate Justin Houston. Colts GM Chris Ballard was also an executive in Kansas City from 2013-16. A few teams were apparently interested in the Tennessee product last year, but Berry intentionally took the season off to make sure he was fully healthy. Hopefully we get to see him make an impact in 2020, with the Colts or any team.

Teams Expecting Philip Rivers To Sign With Colts?

March 9th, 2020 at 1:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have been the team most closely connected to Philip Rivers this offseason. While others are linked to the eight-time Pro Bowler, the mutual interest between the Colts and Rivers has affected teams’ perception of this particular market.

Many with rival teams are expecting Rivers to sign with the Colts, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. Jim Irsay said recently all options were on the table for his team, which turned to Jacoby Brissett after Andrew Luck‘s retirement.

The Buccaneers and Redskins are also interested, likely the former more so than the latter, and a league source told CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora he expects Bruce Arians to persuade Rivers to sign with Tampa Bay. The 16-year veteran moved his family to north Florida this offseason.

While the Bucs boast the superior wide receiver tandem, the Colts have the better offensive line. And Rivers’ connections to Frank Reich and OC Nick Sirianni, both ex-Chargers assistants, will almost certainly impact the chase for the true free agent market’s second-highest-profile quarterback. Rivers remains close with both Colts staffers.

Rivers is targeting a two-year window to extend his career and wants to do so with a team in position to contend. Retirement, however, is not off the table. ESPN has entered the Rivers sweepstakes, showing interest in the 38-year-old quarterback as an analyst. Though, the network’s plans involve several moving parts.

Colts Won’t Tender Marcus Johnson

March 6th, 2020 at 6:10pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

An interesting young receiver is about to hit the open market. The Colts won’t tender restricted free agent wideout Marcus Johnson, so he’ll be entering unrestricted free agency later this month, according to Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, Erickson noted he was surprised by the move.

Erickson writes that the Texas product is “expected to get a lot of interest” from other teams now that he’ll be free to sign wherever. Johnson originally signed with the Eagles as an UDFA in 2016 and spent the first two years of his career in Philly, winning Super Bowl LII with the team. He was then traded to the Seahawks as part of the Michael Bennett deal, before Seattle traded him to Indy prior to the 2018 season.

Johnson was injured for the first half of last season, but he took on a prominent role down the stretch. He ended up starting six games and even had a 105-yard game against Tampa Bay, which is why it’s a bit surprising that the Colts are letting him walk. Overall he finished with 277 yards and two touchdowns in only eight games. Still only 25, it’ll be interesting to see where he latches on next.

Mike Adams Retires From NFL

March 4th, 2020 at 8:34am CST by Zachary Links

Mike Adams is calling it a career. On Wednesday morning, the former Pro Bowl safety announced his retirement on NFL Network (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero). 

Adams leaves the sport after 16 seasons and 228 games played. The 38-year-old suited up for the 49ers, Browns, Broncos, Colts, Panthers, and, most recently, the Texans, over the course of his career. In 2014 and 2015, his first two seasons in Indy, he stepped into the limelight with back-to-back Pro Bowl nods. Remarkably, he did it in his age 33 and 34 seasons.

Eventually, Father Time caught up with Adams. After spending two seasons as a Panthers starter with snaps at both safety spots, the Panthers allowed him to walk following the 2018 season.

Adams’ 228 games played ranks him third all-time among NFL safeties, slotting him ahead of John Lynch, Brian Dawkins, and other football legends. We here at PFR wish Adams the best in retirement.

Colts, Giants Won’t Pursue Tom Brady?

March 2nd, 2020 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts and Giants have been connected to Tom Brady in recent weeks, but Albert Breer of The MMQB has been told “pretty emphatically” that neither club will pursue the future Hall of Famer.

There was talk that the Colts (along with the Chargers and Raiders) huddled up with Brady at the combine, but we heard recently that those rumblings were not true (at least, when it comes to the Colts). Many have speculated that the Colts would make an aggressive push for Brady – they are less than committed to Jacoby Brissett under center and Brady would give them the star QB they’ve craved since Andrew Luck‘s surprise retirement. Based on what Breer is hearing, the Colts would rather go in a younger direction while spreading their ample cap space.

That’s not to say the Colts aren’t big-game hunting at QB. There’s mutual interest between Indy and longtime Chargers star Philip Rivers. Rivers, 38, has history with Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni and the Colts would offer the eight-time Pro Bowler an opportunity to win in his twilight years. The Redskins and Buccaneers may also make a play for Rivers, so the Colts will be evaluating all of their options in the coming weeks.

Back to Brady – no one is counting out a new deal with the Patriots, though there’s increasing chatter that he’s looking to move on from the only NFL team he’s ever known. If he parts ways with the Pats, the Chargers, Titans, and Raiders may be among his most likely destinations.

QB Rumors: Stafford, Dalton, Saints

March 1st, 2020 at 9:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

A rumor surfaced recently indicating the Lions discussed a Matthew Stafford trade. GM Bob Quinn denied this, and multiple key parties were quick to state the 11-year veteran quarterback does not want to leave Detroit. Stafford’s agent, Tom Condon, informed NFL.com’s Michael Silver his client does not want a trade (Twitter link). The quarterback’s wife, Kelly Stafford, shared on her Instagram (Twitter links via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett) they are not angling for a new NFL city. Matthew Stafford, 32, is under contract for three more seasons.

Here is the latest from the quarterback realm, moving to a passer who very much is available for trade:

  • Despite the Saints set to start a 41-year-old Drew Brees and apply a high tender to intriguing gadget player/backup Taysom Hill, they may not be prepared to draft a passer this year. Although some mock drafts have the Saints taking Utah State’s Jordan Love, Larry Holder of The Athletic notes (subscription required) the Saints do not appear to be interested. The Saints hold the No. 24 pick in the draft, and it might now be a surprise to see Love still on the board at that point.
  • Brees-Hill 2020 looks like the Saints’ plan. Combine buzz centered around Bridgewater’s next team, with Holder speaking to no NFL decision-maker who expected Brees’ backup of the past two years to return. Sean Payton said it would be unrealistic for the Saints to bring back all three, and Bridgewater is expected to receive interest as a starter in free agency. The Bears, Buccaneers, Chargers, Panthers and Patriots may possess some interest, Holder hears. Though, unlike Tom Brady and Philip Rivers, no team has been connected to Bridgewater yet.
  • Like Brady and Rivers, Andy Dalton has also been connected to a team. The Bears discussed a trade with the Bengals but may have to battle other teams for the nine-year veteran starter. Dalton’s agent has been working with the Bengals on potential Dalton deals, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com names the Colts and Patriots — in addition to the Bears — as teams who could potentially have interest in the contract-year passer (video link). The Colts have been connected to Rivers at multiple junctures this week, while some around the league have indeed viewed New England as a landing spot for Dalton if Brady does decide to defect in free agency. Cincinnati and New England have made multiple trades involving high-profile Bengals, and the same two decision-makers — Mike Brown and Bill Belichick — remain in place from when Corey Dillon and Chad Johnson were dealt to New England in 2004 and 2011, respectively.
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