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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/20

September 6th, 2020 at 5:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Sunday’s minor moves. The players who landed on injured reserve are eligible to come off teams’ respective lists after three weeks. For 2020, teams can also activate an unlimited number of IR players — as opposed to the two-man max of 2019.

Atlanta Falcons

  • Claimed (from Washington): T Timon Paris

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Claimed (from Dolphins): G Deion Calhoun
  • Signed: CB Torry McTyer

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Colts Place DT Sheldon Day On IR, Set Practice Squad

September 6th, 2020 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The other 49ers starting defensive tackle from Super Bowl LIV the Colts added this offseason, Sheldon Day will miss time to start the season.

Day, who came to Indianapolis after the Colts’ DeForest Buckner game, underwent a knee surgery this offseason and will begin the 2020 campaign on IR. However, he will not have to miss the customary eight games required for IR-return players.

Teams can activate players off IR after three weeks this year, thanks to the COVID-19-related rule adjustments for this season. There is no limit to how many players can return from IR. The new CBA will allow for three in future years, assuming the NFL nixes the pandemic-induced rule changes in 2021, but this year the league will permit maximum roster flexibility to aid teams in this unusual landscape.

Day started each of the 49ers’ three playoff games last year but mostly worked in a reserve capacity in San Francisco. The former fourth-round pick will join Kemoko Turay as Colt D-linemen unavailable to start the season. Turay will begin the year on the Colts’ reserve/PUP list, which still requires a six-game absence.

The Colts signed tackle Chaz Green to take Day’s roster spot. They also added 14 players to their practice squad Sunday. Longtime Steelers tight end Xavier Grimble agreed to join the Colts’ P-squad, after the team made him one of its Saturday cuts.

Here is the full list:

Saints Sign Anthony Chickillo, Margus Hunt To Practice Squad

September 6th, 2020 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the Saints’ most notable Saturday cuts will stay with the team. Both Anthony Chickillo and Margus Hunt opted to stay with New Orleans, joining the practice squad Sunday.

The Saints signed Chickillo, a five-year Steelers linebacker, and Hunt — a former first-round defensive lineman whom the Colts cut earlier this year — earlier this year. Each will represent a veteran slot on the Saints’ P-squad.

Teams are permitted, thanks to the COVID-19-altered rules, to carry six veterans of unlimited service time on their taxi squads this year. Here is New Orleans’ full squad:

Colts Place DE Kemoko Turay On PUP List, Cut Roster To 53

September 5th, 2020 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the players the Colts cut to slash their roster down to 53 players Saturday:

Waived:

Released:

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

Turay’s PUP placement will shelve him for at least the season’s first six games. It is a concerning sign for the former second-round pick, who suffered a broken ankle last October. The Colts were counting on him to play a key edge-rushing role, potentially as the counterpart to starter Justin Houston. The team has not been connected to Jadeveon Clowney since March and also avoided investments in other available pass rushers this offseason.

Kelly spent time on Indianapolis’ practice squad last year and could well end up there again. The Colts recently signed Hunt, a former Seahawks backup/spot starter, and added Grimble this offseason. Both Grimble and his ex-Steelers teammate, Roosevelt Nix, failed to make the Colts’ roster. However, despite the players’ extensive experience, each could be placed on Indianapolis’ 16-man practice squad this year. Teams are permitted to carry six practice squad players with unlimited experience.

Colts Waive K Chase McLaughlin

September 5th, 2020 at 12:42pm CST by Ben Levine

It looks like Rodrigo Blankenship will be the Colts starting kicker in 2020. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Indianapolis has waived kicker Chase McLaughlin.

Indy has been hunting for their first kicker in the post-Adam Vinatieri era, and there was some hope that it could end up being the 24-year-old McLaughlin. The 2019 undrafted free agent out of Illinois ended up seeing time with five different teams (Bills, Vikings, Chargers, 49ers, and Colts) as a rookie, and he saw playing time for those latter three teams.

In total, McLaughlin appeared in 11 games last season, connecting on 18 of his 23 field goal attempts. In fact, he was perfect in all nine of his attempts from inside the 40, and he also connected on his three field goals of 50+ yards, but he struggled from 40-49 yards out (5 for 10). McLaughlin also converted all 26 of his extra point tries.

Back in April, “Hot Rod” Blankenship joined the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia. The kicker earned a number of honors during his collegiate career, including a First-Team All-SEC nod in 2019.

Colts, C Ryan Kelly Agree On Extension

September 3rd, 2020 at 5:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Kelly‘s extension talks progressed to an accepted offer Thursday. The Colts have announced they extended their veteran center.

The former first-round pick signed a four-year, $50MM contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Kelly will receive $34MM in guarantees. In terms of per-year salary and guarantees, this contract makes Kelly the NFL’s highest-paid center by a comfortable margin.

Going into what was set to be a contract year, Kelly said at multiple junctures this year he sought a long-term stay in Indianapolis. This represents a key commitment for a Colts team that returns all five of its offensive line starters, forming one of the league’s top fronts. They re-signed left tackle Anthony Castonzo in March, ensuring their entire quintet would be back for the 2020 season.

Kelly’s $12.5MM-per-year average comes in well north of Rodney Hudson‘s previous center high-water mark, topping the market by more than $1MM in average annual value. The guarantees given to the Colts snapper top the previous No. 1 figure by $5.5MM. Kelly, 27, is now signed through the 2024 season.

The Colts drafted Kelly 18th overall out of Alabama in 2016. He made his first Pro Bowl last season, when the Colts placed third in Pro Football Focus’ year-end O-line rankings. Philip Rivers has said the Colts’ O-line played a key role in his decision to sign with Indianapolis. Rivers’ eventual successor will now be set to take snaps from Kelly, who has ranked as a top-10 center — per PFF — in each of the past two seasons.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/3/20

September 3rd, 2020 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Khari Lee

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/1/20

September 1st, 2020 at 5:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Waived: K Elliott Fry

Colts’ Trey Burton Suffers Calf Strain

August 29th, 2020 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trey Burton‘s attempt at a rebound season may be on hold for a bit. The recent Colts addition suffered a calf strain Saturday, Frank Reich confirmed.

The former Eagles and Bears tight end will miss time, with Reich categorizing him as week-to-week. Burton did not put any weight on his injured leg upon being helped off the field, Stephen Holder of The Athletic tweets.

This marks a familiar bad break for the seventh-year veteran. Burton’s Bears tenure ended early because of injuries, with a calf malady ending his 2019 season. Burton also underwent surgery for a sports hernia issue last year.

After a 569-yard, six-touchdown debut in Chicago in 2018, Burton amassed just 84 yards in eight games in his second Bears season. The Bears released him in April. He signed with the Colts on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum soon after.

Burton, who played for Reich in Philadelphia, profiles as the Colts’ No. 2 tight end. The team did not bring back Eric Ebron but has longtime staple Jack Doyle in place as a starter. The Colts also have Mo Alie-Cox on their active/PUP list, so Burton’s setback may require a stopgap tight end signing at the very least.

South Notes: Ngakoue, Benson, Campbell

August 28th, 2020 at 2:55pm CST by Rory Parks

A little over a week ago, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic reported that the Jaguars were on the verge of a deal that would ship disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue out of Jacksonville. Jags GM Dave Caldwell refuted the report, saying no trade involving Ngakoue is imminent.

But Lombardi has doubled down and insists a trade will happen soon (subscription required). He says Ngakoue is not motivated by money right now, he is motivated by a change of scenery, so he is not worried about missing game checks. According to Lombardi, if Ngakoue is not traded, he will not report until the 10th game of the season, the deadline for him to be able to count the 2020 season as an accredited year towards free agency. And at that point, the trade deadline will be in the rear-view mirror and the Jaguars will be left with nothing but a comp pick when Ngakoue signs elsewhere.

On the other hand, Lombardi’s second report linked above was published on August 21, and nothing has materialized on the Ngakoue front since then. It is, as ever, a situation to keep an eye on.

Now for more from the league’s south divisions:

  • Saints owner Gayle Benson tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced. Luckily, the 73-year-old was not hospitalized and is recovering at her New Orleans home. Benson is the second NFL owner to test positive, joining the Cardinals’ Michael Bidwill. Bidwill was hospitalized for his symptoms but appears to have made a full recovery, and it sounds as if Benson will do the same.
  • Mike Chappell of Fox 59 reports that Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell is in the concussion protocol following a minor car accident earlier this week. Indianapolis nabbed the Ohio State speedster in the second round of last year’s draft, and after his rookie campaign was derailed due to injury, he was in the midst of a solid training camp this year. He is a roster lock, of course, but it’s unfortunate that his positive momentum has been slowed a bit.
  • The Texans activated Gareon Conley from the PUP list earlier this month, and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports that the 2017 first-rounder is progressing well from his offseason arthroscopic ankle surgery. Houston declined Conley’s fifth-year option for 2021, so he will be eligible for free agency next year and could cash in with a strong platform campaign. However, Wilson says second-year pro Lonnie Johnson and Conley are neck-and-neck for a starting job, as Conley has been inconsistent since his return to the field.
  • We learned earlier today that the Buccaneers are interested in extending longtime LB Lavonte David.
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