Hilton Has Hamstring Injury, Will Miss Week 5
- Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton had to leave the team’s loss to the Texans with a hamstring injury, and coach Frank Reich told reporters Hilton probably won’t be able to play in the team’s Week 5 game against the Patriots, according to Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The Colts will be playing on a short week on Thursday Night Football, and will be tasked with beating New England on the road without their best offensive playmaker.
Ballard Unlikely To Spend Big For Bell?
- The risk Le’Veon Bell will wear down as his late-20s seasons commence should induce the Colts to stay away from the soon-to-be 27-yard-old running back in free agency, at least at the price he seeks, Nat Newell of the Indianapolis Star writes. Chris Ballard‘s repeated mantra reiterations of building through the draft makes it unlikely the Colts will trade for Bell, Newell adds. The Colts are projected to possess a staggering (and league-most) $126MM in cap space in 2019. They could more than afford Bell and do not have much in the way of proven ball-carrying talent. But the risk of not getting value from this unique free agent would make an investment risky.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/18
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released from IR: RB Tra Carson
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Mo Alie-Cox, RB Jeremy McNichols, DE Carroll Phillips
- Waived: LB Skai Moore, TE Erik Swoope
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: RB Jonathan Williams
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Darius Kilgo
Colts To Place OL Joe Haeg On IR
While the Colts have been hesitant about placing yet-to-debut left tackle Anthony Castonzo on IR, they will move another of their key offensive linemen off the active roster.
Starting right tackle Joe Haeg will head to IR because of a high ankle sprain, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The Colts do not believe this is a season-ending injury. The hope is the third-year blocker can return by November, per Rapoport. Haeg cannot come off IR for eight weeks.
Haeg started three games for the Colts this season, serving as their right tackle. The team used multiple players during the preseason in an attempt to fill this role, but Haeg — who played on the right edge at times during his two previous Indianapolis seasons — ended up staying there. Austin Howard and second-round rookie Braden Smith were tried on the right side during the preseason.
A fifth-round pick during Ryan Grigson‘s final draft, Haeg has started 32 games for the Colts. He will be an IR-return candidate. This puts the Colts down two tackles for Sunday, with Frank Reich having already declared Castonzo will miss a fourth straight game due to his persistent hamstring trouble.
Anthony Castonzo To Miss 4th Game
- Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo will miss another week because of his injured hamstring. Frank Reich confirmed (via The Athletic’s Stephen Holder, on Twitter) the eighth-year veteran is out for Sunday’s game against the Texans. Castonzo has not played in a game this season and has now experienced multiple setbacks in attempts to surmount this hamstring problem. He’s not yet being considered for IR, however.
NFL Workout Updates: 9/24/18
Today’s workout updates are below. There were some notable names, including veteran quarterback Landry Jones, who was released by the Steelers at final cuts.
Cleveland Browns
- DTs Josh Banks, Henry Mondeaux, Aziz Shittu; TEs Pharaoh Brown, Donnie Ernsberger; LBs Obum Gwacham, Calvin Munson, Jacob Pugh; DEs Anthony Lanier, Damontre Moore; CB Kalan Reed
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Reggie Davis; S Marwin Evans; CB D.J. Killings; DE Cameron Malveaux; OTs Rees Odhiambo, William Poehls, De’Ondre Wesley
New England Patriots
- QB Landry Jones; CB David Amerson; WR Dontrelle Inman
New York Jets
- OL Isaiah Battle, Austin Pasztor; LBs Gimel President, Aaron Wallace; WR Ka’Raun White
Looks like the Browns are searching for defensive help, working out a slew of players on that side of the ball. Jones working out for the Patriots is interesting, as he isn’t really young enough to be seen as a developmental project, and Brian Hoyer is entrenched as Tom Brady‘s backup.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/24/18
Here are today’ practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Dezmen Southward
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Pharaoh Brown
- Released: TE Pharoah McKever
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OL Rees Odhiambo
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/24/18
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers from the Browns: DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
- Released: DE Jacquies Smith
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: C Hroniss Grasu
- Waived: DB Robertson Daniel
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed off waivers from the Saints: DB Arthur Maulet
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Justin Jackson
- Waived: RB Detrez Newsome
Colts Cut RB Christine Michael
The Colts are releasing veteran running back Christine Michael, a source told Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). The 27-year-old lasted just three weeks in Indianapolis, the latest stop in his long-winding career.
Michael was always someone thought by evaluators to be high on talent, but could never put it all together. He re-signed on a one-year deal with the Colts this March after spending all of 2017 on injured reserve. Through three weeks, he appeared in just two games, carrying the ball twice for nine yards. Rookie Jordan Wilkins has emerged as a solid runner this year, and the team apparently feels comfortable moving forward with just Wilkins, Marlon Mack, and fellow rookie Nyheim Hines on the depth chart.
Michael was drafted by the Seahawks in the second round back in 2013, but never made a huge impact in Seattle. At the beginning of the 2015 season, he was traded to the Cowboys for just a conditional seventh round pick. Just a couple months later, he was waived by Dallas. After a short stint on the Redskins’ practice squad, he found himself back with the Seahawks. He spent parts of the next two seasons as Seattle’s starting running back, and played well, but was surprisingly waived in November of 2016.
He spent the rest of 2016 with the Packers, before signing with the Colts. It’s been a long journey for Michael, and he’ll likely resurface somewhere on a team that needs running back help. For his career he’s rushed for 1,080 yards on 254 carries (4.3 YPC) with seven touchdowns.
Anthony Castonzo Not IR Candidate
- Another AFC South tackle won’t play Sunday, but Anthony Castonzo‘s second hamstring setback in as many months has not caused the Colts to consider placing him on IR. Indianapolis’ left tackle remains week-to-week in his recovery, Frank Reich said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Zak Keefer, on Twitter). Were Castonzo to land on IR, he would not be able to return for eight weeks.