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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Colts Trade Antonio Morrison To Packers

August 26th, 2018 at 12:18pm CST by Rory Parks

The Colts have traded linebacker Antonio Morrison to the Packers, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Demovsky hears that Green Bay will send cornerback Lenzy Pipkins to Indianapolis in return, which has since been confirmed by multiple reporters.

Morrison, whom the Colts selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, started 15 games for the club last year. While he showed some promise, racking up 108 tackles in the middle of the Colts’ defense, he lacks the speed and athleticism that new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has been stressing. He was firmly on the roster bubble, so GM Chris Ballard decided to get something for him rather than potentially letting him go for nothing.

Indianapolis does need help at corner, and the team hopes that Pipkins will provide some depth in that regard. He started one game for Green Bay last year and appeared in 12, picking up 14 tackles and a pass defensed.

The Packers, meanwhile, needed help at linebacker, as rookie Oren Burks is expected to miss time with an injury (per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, via Twitter). Green Bay has already lost Jake Ryan for the season.

AFC South Notes: Texans, Watt, Colts

August 24th, 2018 at 2:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

J.J. Watt continues to insist he will be on the field with his Texans teammates when they open the regular season, but the severe injury he sustained last season — a tibeal plateau fracture — did not have doctors 100 percent certain the three-time defensive player of the year would play again.

“They weren’t even sure if the surgery would work and if he would be able to run anymore. That’s what was so scary for us,” said Watt’s girlfriend, pro soccer player Kealia Ohai, via Jenny Vrentas of SI.com. “An ACL is difficult, but it’s pretty straightforward. With J.J.’s, because of the type of injury, I remember the doctors were not exactly sure how his leg and his knee would react to [the surgery]. From the beginning, he wanted to work hard and come back. But for a while, [the question] was, would he be able to come back and play at the same level, and support that much weight? Will his leg ever be the same again?”

Watt’s returned to Texans practice, taking part in team drills, but he’s now missed 24 games over the past two seasons. It’s uncertain how the 29-year-old defensive end will look after this extensive rehab process.

Here’s the latest from the South divisions:

  • D’Onta Foreman likely will not be joining Watt and other healthy Texans in Week 1. The second-year running back is likely to land on the Reserve/PUP list to start the season, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle notes. Foreman currently resides on the Active/PUP list, but if Houston places him on the regular-season version of the PUP, he must sit at least six weeks. Alfred Blue will take Foreman’s place as Lamar Miller‘s primary backup. Foreman tore an Achilles’ tendon in November.
  • The Colts‘ backfield might not have its projected leader back by the season’s first Sunday. Marlon Mack‘s nursing a hamstring injury, and it’s “no slam dunk” he’ll be available for the opener, Frank Reich said (via Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star, on Twitter). While the Colts are hopeful the second-year back can return by then and take his place with the starting offense, they may have to wait a bit for that to occur. The Colts will also be without Robert Turbin for the first four games of the season due to a suspension; they have rookies Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines, along with the well-traveled Christine Michael, in their backfield behind Mack.
  • The Jets contacted the Jaguars this week regarding the trade availability of Dante Fowler.
  • Derrick Morgan appears likely to miss the start of the Titans’ season due to meniscus surgery.

Colts Waive/Injured QB Brad Kaaya

August 24th, 2018 at 8:33am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts announced that they’ve waived/injured quarterback Brad Kaaya and signed cornerback Juante Baldwin.

Kaaya, 22, was once viewed as the potential first overall pick in the 2017 draft, but ended up falling to the sixth round after an inconsistent final season at Miami. Since being selected by the Lions, Kaaya has bounced around the NFL via waiver claims and free agent deals, spending time with the Panthers, the Lions (again), and — most recently — the Colts. He’s yet to appear in an NFL game.

Despite his lack of production, Kaaya could still conceivably garner interest on the waiver wire. Any number of teams that expressed interest in Kaaya leading up to the 2017 draft — a list that includes the Bears, Giants, Dolphins, and Texans — could theoretically put in a claim. If Kaaya isn’t claimed on waivers, he’ll revert to Indianapolis’ injured reserve list.

Andrew Luck and Jacoby Brissett are locked in as the Colts’ top two quarterbacks, while Phillip Walker is the club’s No. 3 option. However, Indianapolis is only expected to keep two signal-callers on its 53-man roster, meaning Walker’s time on the squad will likely end soon.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/22/18

August 22nd, 2018 at 4:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Colts Never Talked Brissett Trade With Seattle

August 20th, 2018 at 9:50pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard yesterday that the Colts‘ had rejected the Seahawks offer of a second-round pick for quarterback Jacoby Brissett. However, Colts general manager Chris Ballard is saying the front office never talked trade with Seattle. The executive told ESPN’s Booger McFarland that the two sides had never discussed a trade for the 24-year-old (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com).

We learned back in March that the Colts had rejected a pair of trade offers for Brissett, who they acquired from the Patriots last year. Colts owner Jim Irsay recently said that his club wouldn’t trade Brissett for a first-round pick, so it sounds like the organization is content with the quarterback as their potential longterm backup to Andrew Luck. Brissett was solid as a starter last season, compiling 3,098 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for an additional 260 yards and four scores.

[SOURCE LINK]

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/18

August 20th, 2018 at 2:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: FB Jalston Fowler, WR Julian Williams
  • Waived: FB Luke McNitt, WR Taj Williams

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Colts Rejected Seahawks’ Offer For Jacoby Brissett

August 19th, 2018 at 10:13am CST by Rory Parks

From a statistical standpoint, Jacoby Brissett was not especially impressive as the Colts’ starting signal-caller last season, but teams apparently saw enough in the former third-round pick to try and pry him away from Indianapolis this year. We heard back in March that the Colts had rejected two trade offers for Brissett — though the identities of the two teams and the strength of the offers were not known — and Colts owner Jim Irsay recently said that his club would not even trade Brissett for a first-round pick.

While it’s unlikely that the Colts have been tempted with a first-rounder, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports that the Seahawks did recently offer a second-round choice to Indianapolis in exchange for Brissett, and the Colts declined. Seattle, of course, does not need a starting quarterback with Russell Wilson under center, but the team apparently believes it could upgrade its backup situation. Austin Davis, who served as the team’s No. 2 QB last year, has not attempted a regular season pass since 2015, and the other quarterback on the roster, Alex McGough, is a rookie and was a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft. Seattle recently worked out Josh Johnson, which also suggests the team is not sold on either Davis or McGough should Wilson be forced to miss time.

The Colts, meanwhile, are thrilled to have Andrew Luck back and apparently healthy, but given his serious and well-documented shoulder problems, it is understandable that they would like to have a capable backup should Luck suffer any more setbacks.

Brissett is under contract through the 2019 season. Last year, his first as a full-time starter, he complied a 4-11 record and an 81.7 quarterback rating, throwing for 3,098 yards and 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He did rush for an additional 260 yards and four scores, and given his relative inexperience, the Colts’ porous offensive line, and the fact that he was traded from New England to Indianapolis just before the 2017 regular season began, he did about as well as could be expected (as evidenced by the trade interest he has generated).

Colts Not Currently Interested In Dez Bryant, Jeremy Maclin

August 18th, 2018 at 7:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While they don’t have much depth at wide receiver (especially after losing promising rookie Deon Cain to a torn ACL), the Colts are not currently interested in adding a veteran pass-catcher such as Dez Bryant or Jeremy Maclin, general manager Chris Ballard told Mike Florio on Pro Football Talk’s podcast (link via Andrew Walker of Colts.com).

“Good players, without question,” Ballard said. “Right now internally we’re just gonna continue to work with this young group we have, and continue to go down the preseason path.”

The Colts project to deploy T.Y. Hilton, Ryan Grant, and Chester Rogers as their top three receivers, but the depth chart following that trifecta is relatively barren. Fifth-round pick Daurice Fountain could conceivably log playing time, as could a cavalcade of other options including K.J. Brent, Kasen Williams, Seantavius Jones, James Wright, Matt Hazel, and Zach Pascal, among others.

Bryant, for his part, has drawn limited interest since being released by the Cowboys earlier this year. His recent dalliance with the Browns doesn’t appear to be heading for an accord, and he’s reportedly “not on the front burner” in Cleveland. Maclin, meanwhile, was on the Eagles’ radar at one point, but no official meeting ever took place.

Ballard did not completely rule out signing Bryant or Maclin at some point down the road, admitting each would be “on the list” of free agent receivers the Colts would call if more depth is required.

Colts Sign S Robenson Therezie

August 18th, 2018 at 10:52am CST by Ben Levine

The Colts opened a roster spot today after releasing defensive tackle Caraun Reid. Well, it sounds like they’ve already filled that opening, as IndySportsCentral.com’s Mike Chappell reports (via Twitter) that the team has signed defensive back Robenson Therezie.

Back in 2015, it looked like the Falcons had found a diamond in the rough after signing the undrafted free agent out of Auburn. Therezie finished his rookie campaign with 33 tackles, two passes defended, and one interception in 13 games (two starts). His role was diminished in 2016, and he’s failed to make a regular season appearance over the past two years. During that span, he’s had stints with the Saints, Jets, and Bengals.

The five-foot-nine, 212-pound safety will probably have a tough time making the Colts roster, and it has nothing to do with the fact that he’ll instantly be the team’s shortest defensive back. Rather, the Colts are already rostering five other safeties in Malik Hooker, Matthias Farley, T.J. Green, Clayton Geathers, and Ronald Martin.

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