- The Colts continue to add to Frank Reich‘s first staff. They’ve hired Tom Manning as their tight ends coach, reports Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register. The former Iowa State offensive coordinator led the Cyclones to two of the best offensive seasons in team history. He previously served as the offensive line coach at Toledo and Mount Union.
- Regarding Reich’s first offense, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star notes it’s expected to be a significant change from Rob Chudzinski‘s attack. Reich is expected to install an uptempo setup to help a Colts offense that ranked 31st last season. However, Andrew Luck being at the controls had the Colts at No. 10 offensively in 2016. So, improvement will largely come from Indianapolis’ starter being back in the fold.
- Sean Weatherspoon has played in just six games for the Falcons the past two seasons and has missed all five of Atlanta’s playoff contests in that span. The 30-year-old linebacker is now a free agent. He would like to return to Atlanta but acknowledged a connection to former Missouri defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who now has a first-time opportunity as an NFL DC with the Colts. “My college coach, who recruited me to Missouri, is the (defensive) coordinator for the Colts now,” Weatherspoon said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There are a lot of things, I love Atlanta, but I’m just looking for an opportunity. I’d love to be here. If things work out, this is where I’ll be.” Prior to his injury trouble during his second Falcons stint, the former first-round pick started 40 games with the Falcons from 2010-13. Given where he is in his career, Weatherspoon would likely be available for the veteran minimum.
The quarterback situations on the Colts, Jaguars and Saints represent key news as the eight South-division teams venture to the Combine. But plenty of other news came out of some South teams’ headquarters on Friday. Here’s the latest:
- Bobby Johnson interviewed for the Raiders’ HC job, although it might not have been the most on-the-level meeting since a Jon Gruden deal was reportedly already agreed upon. But the former Raiders tight ends coach now has a gig elsewhere. The Colts hired Johnson as their assistant offensive line coach, Alex Marvez of Sporting News reports. Johnson spent the past three seasons on Jack Del Rio‘s staff as Oakland’s TEs coach and spent time on the Jags’ and Bills’ staffs prior to that. Johnson will be working under Dave DeGuglielmo, who was caught in a tough spot when he agreed to terms with Indianapolis when Josh McDaniels was still set to become head coach. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) Johnson also interviewed to be the Cowboys‘ O-line coach.
The Colts and Adam Vinatieri have officially agreed to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), setting up an opportunity for the veteran kicker to break the NFL’s all-time scoring record.
Vinatieri’s deal is worth $3.63MM in total, with $1MM upon signing and $2.63MM in base salary, per Schefter (on Twitter).
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Wednesday that Vinatieri would be returning for his 23rd season and that he was nearing a deal to re-sign with the Colts.
Vinatieri currently owns the second-most points in NFL history with 2,487 and is second all-time with 559 field goals made. Hall of Famer Morten Andersen is the league’s all-time leader in points at 2,544 and field goals made with 565. Vinatieri, 45, hit 29 of 34 field goals last season, with a long of 54 yards. His 85.3% accuracy rate placed him at No. 13 in the league and was his worst since 2013, the season before he connected on a career-best 96.8% of his field goals. He’s also converted 12 field goals from over 50 yards between the last two seasons.
Vinatieri has been with the Colts the last 12 seasons after spending the first 10 seasons of his career with the Patriots. He stands as one of the most accomplished postseason kickers as well, hitting 56 of 68 career postseason field goal attempts. He’s been a part of four Super-Bowl winning teams (three with the Patriots, one with the Colts).
Nick Folk, Kai Forbath, Matt Bryant, Graham Gano, and Sebastian Janikowski now serve as the top kickers due to become free agents with Vinatieri off the market.
Adam Vinatieri is coming back to the Colts this season. The kicker’s agent is nearing a new deal to re-sign with the Colts, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Vinatieri has been with the Colts for the last 12 seasons and the team is now looking to make it a baker’s dozen. The kicker recently celebrated his 45th birthday, but the team believes that he still has enough left in the tank.
Technically speaking, Vinatieri’s completion percentage has been sliding since he connected on a career-high 96.8% of his kicks in 2014. He’s still doing okay in his old age, however. In 2017, Vinatieri made 85.3% of his attempts, placing him 13th in the NFL. He also nailed five kicks of 50+ yards and missed only two extra points.
Vinatieri already has his place in the record books as he is No. 2 all-time in points with 2,487 and field goals with 559. Witha nother 58 points, he can surpass Morten Andersen’s watermark of 2,544.
Vinatieri is off the market, but this year’s free agent class of kickers still includes names such as Nick Folk (who just received medical clearance this week), Kai Forbath,Matt Bryant, Graham Gano, and Sebastian Janikowski.
Veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri intends to continue his career in 2018, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The 45-year-old Vinatieri will become an unrestricted free agent in March, as his previous two-year deal with the Colts has expired. It’s unclear if Vinatieri has any interest in receiving offers from other clubs, or if Indianapolis wants to retain its longtime placekicker, but given that he’s spent the past dozen years with the Colts, a return seems likely. Vinatieri had been earning $3MM annually, a figure which placed him just inside the top 10 contracts at kicker.
Vinatieri’s field goal percentage has been dwindling ever since he hit a career-high 96.8% of his kicks in 2014 — this past season, Vinatieri made 85.3% of his attempts, good for 13th in the NFL. However, Vinatieri converted five kicks of 50+ yards (the second most of his career), and missed only two extra points.
If he does hit the open market, Vinatieri will join a free agent class of kickers that also includes Matt Bryant, Graham Gano, Kai Forbath, and Sebastian Janikowski, among others.
It’s official. The Colts have hired Chargers wide receivers coach Nick Sirianni as their new offensive coordinator, according to a team press release. 
Before Josh McDaniels backed out of the Colts’ head coaching job, it appeared that the team would hire either former Seahawks play caller Darrell Bevell or Raiders quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz as OC. New head coach Frank Reich inherited several assistants from McDaniels’ would-be staff, but he had some say in this choice and the team landed on Sirianni as his right-hand man on offense.
Reich and Sirianni spent multiple seasons together in San Diego. Reich was the Bolts’ quarterbacks coach in 2013 before graduating to offensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015. Sirianni was an offensive quality control coach in ’13 before advancing to QB coach when Reich was promoted.
Reich did not have the opportunity to call plays when he worked under Doug Pederson in Philadelphia, so it stands to reason that he will call the plays in Indianapolis. Still, this is a big step up for the 36-year-old Sirianni.
Josh McDaniels‘ decision to break his agreement to become the Colts’ next head coach could hypothetically push the NFL to change its hiring rules, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Currently, teams aren’t allowed to formally hire coaches who are still employed by playoff clubs, but that hadn’t been an impediment given that no presumptive head coach had backed out of a reported deal. Had McDaniels been able to be officially offered the Indianapolis job several weeks ago, the Colts may have been aware of his wariness at the time. The NFL discussed a possible hiring rule change in 2017, but tabled the discussion, per Florio.
- Former Patriots assistant Ray “Bubba” Ventrone will be hired as the Colts‘ new special teams coordinator, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. Ventrone, who played for four NFL teams, had been a New England staffer since 2015, but this will be his first run as a coordinator. Indianapolis is also expected to hire ex-Lions defensive backs coach Alan Williams for the same role, per Marvez, while Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link) former Buccaneers assistant Dave Borgonzi will become the Colts’ next linebackers coach.
After reports that the Colts were expected hire Chargers quarterbacks coach Shane Steichen for their vacant offensive coordinator role, ESPN’s Field Yates reports (Twitter link) that the team will in fact hire the Chargers wide receivers coach Nick Sirianni for the post.
The Colts requested permission to interview Sirianni on Sunday and moved fast to make him the team’s new offensive coordinator. Yates noted in a followup tweet that Sirianni is highly thought of with an extremely sharp mind and has the makings of a future NFL head coach.
The confusion is only par for the course for this Colts offseason. The team expected to hire Josh McDaniels as its new head coach following Super Bowl LII, but the Patriots offensive coordinator backed out at the last minute after several assistants had already signed contracts. The Colts then swooped in for Frank Reich, the Eagles offensive coordinator, and signed him to a deal on Sunday.
Sirianni received his first job in the NFL as an offensive quality control coach with the Chiefs in 2009. He served in that position until being named the team’s receivers coach in 2012. In 2010, he worked with the team’s quarterbacks and helped Matt Cassel earn his lone Pro Bowl selection. He became the Chargers quarterbacks coach in 2014 and transitioned to receivers coach in 2016.
The Colts are expected to hire Chargers quarterbacks coach Shane Steichen as the team’s new offensive coordinator, sources told CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link). 
In 2017, Steichen completed his second season as the Chargers’ quarterbacks coach, helping Philip Rivers throw for 8,901 yards and 61 touchdowns in those two campaigns. He replaces Rob Chudzinski, who held the position in Indianapolis since 2015.
In 2013, Steichen worked as an offensive quality control assistant with the Browns, working with the quarterbacks. That season, three different Cleveland signal-callers threw for 300 yards in a game. That led to a move to the Chargers, where he again served as an offensive quality control coach before being promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2016.
His work with Rivers surely played a role in catching the Colts’ eye. That experience with a veteran quarterback should help Steichen reintegrate Andrew Luck back into the offense after missing a season. That is, if he is fully healthy in 2018.
With Luck out of the lineup in 2017, the Colts ranked 30th in passing yards, 31st in passing touchdowns and 31st in total offense.