Andrew Luck Yet To Resume Throwing
A January report indicated Andrew Luck was “very close” to resuming a throwing program. Well, as mid-April nears, he’s not there yet. Luck, though, did show up to Day 1 of Frank Reich‘s Colts program.
However, Indianapolis’ franchise player has yet to throw an NFL-sized football this offseason.
“I have not picked up The Duke and started throwing it yet,” Luck said, via Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter), about resuming throwing. “I don’t want to skip steps. I’m trusting the process I’m in now very, very much.”
Luck said (via Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, on Twitter) his return to the practice field in the fall required him to push too hard, something he “paid for” en route to IR and, eventually, Europe. Holder adds (via Twitter) Luck mentioned that his playing through injuries during the 2015 and ’16 seasons may be contributing to his current status. Holder doubts, based on Luck’s comments Monday, the seventh-year quarterback will participate in Indianapolis’ offseason program (Twitter link). Luck had hoped to partake in some of the Colts’ offseason work back in December.
The 28-year-old passer has a timetable but isn’t sharing that just yet, per Mike Chappell of Fox 59 (on Twitter). The Colts, of course, traded out of the No. 3 spot and collected high-value picks from the Jets to do so. They are not expected to draft a quarterback high, remaining committed to Luck’s recovery.
“I’ve made a lot of progress, but there’s still a bit of the road to go,” Luck said, via Chappell. “I’m very excited to be back in the building.”
Jets Meet With DT Johnathan Hankins
Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is visiting with the Jets, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former Giants second-rounder was cut by the Colts in March after one year with the team. 
The Colts dropped Hankins as they switched to a 4-3 scheme, but the Jets are intrigued by the possibility of plugging Hankins in as their starting defensive tackle. Currently, Steve McLendon stands as the team’s top nose tackle in their 3-4 set.
Hankins recently met with the Redskins, but the two sides are said to be in a holding pattern. Washington may be unwilling to meet Hankins’ asking price, but the cash-flush Jets could have the room to pull off a deal.
Hankins, who turned 26 on Sunday, was the third-best run stopping defensive tackle in the league last year, per Pro Football Focus. Only Damon Harrison and Ndamukong Suh ranked better against ball carriers.
Colts Sign LB Najee Goode
The Colts announced that they have signed linebacker Najee Goode. Goode spent the last five years with the Eagles. 
Goode has 64 career appearances to his credit, not counting four postseason games, but only four starts. He also projects to serve in a reserve role for the Colts.
Goode saw the most snaps of his career in 2017 as he registered 19 tackles (12 solo) and three tackles for loss. He also started in the NFC Championship Game for the eventual world champs.
The Colts saw linebackers Jonathan Bostic and Barkevous Mingo leave in free agency, so Goode will help to fill one of those holes. John Simon and Antonio Morrison figure to start at two of the three LB spots in the Colts’ 4-3 scheme and they’re expected to look at outside linebackers in this month’s draft.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/4/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: WR Josh Bellamy (RFA)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: K/P Brett Maher
- Waived: WR Brian Brown
Detroit Lions
- Waived: QB Alek Torgersen
Indianapolis Colts
- Re-signed: OL Jeremy Vujnovich (ERFA)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: T Roubbens Joseph
- Waived: QB Brandon Doughty
Colts Meet With CB Kenneth Acker
Former Chiefs and 49ers cornerback Kenneth Acker visited the Colts on Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Acker could help to provide support in what is a very thin positional group. 
The Colts re-signed corner Pierre Desir this season, but they watched Rashaan Melvin leave in free agency to join up with the Raiders. Replacing Melvin won’t be easy. The former undrafted free agent started in all ten of his games last season and graded out as a top 20 cornerback, per the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. Acker probably would not profile a starter for Indianapolis, but he could offer depth from the bench. The Seahawks also have some interest in him.
In other Colts news, GM Chris Ballard recently discussed the team’s offseason, which has not been as headline-grabbing as other teams in the AFC.
Colts To Host Roquan Smith
- Arguably the top linebacker in this draft, Roquan Smith has visits scheduled with the Colts and Bears, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Hill adds the Cowboys are not tabbed to meet with the Georgia linebacker. The Colts and Bears hold picks 6 and 8, respectively, and Smith has been mocked to teams either in that range or shortly after.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/2/18
Frank Reich Not Looking At 2018 As Rebuilding Season
While Colts owner Jim Irsay and general manager Chris Ballard might see the team in somewhat of a rebuilding stage, that’s not how newly-hired head coach Frank Reich is going to look at the upcoming season.
The Colts finished at 4-12 last season — their worst finish since 2011 when they were in between the Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck eras — and have missed out on the playoffs the last three years. Luck’s health is certainly a question mark, but the team’s decision to trade back in the first round of the draft should be viewed as a positive sign. Indianapolis has been fairly quiet in the free-agent market, with the additions of defensive end Denico Autry (three years, $17.8MM) and tight end Eric Ebron (two years, $13MM) serving as its biggest splashes.
- In his latest mock draft, Peter Schrager of NFL Network projects the Bills to trade up for the Colts’ No. 6 pick in the draft and select Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Bills currently hold the 12th and 22nd overall picks in the draft.
Colts HC, GM Discuss Team’s Free Agent Signings
The Colts have been relatively quiet this offseason. The team did acquire a haul when they traded off the third-overall pick, but they haven’t made many big splashes via free agency.
However, the team has added four notable unrestricted free agents, and head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard talked with Stephen Holder of IndyStar.com about the transactions. We’ve highlighted some of the notable soundbites below:
On wideout Ryan Grant, who signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the team:
Reich: “I did a little homework on him even after we signed him and talked to a couple coaches who coached him and guys who played with him. I talked to one guy who had definite inside information. He said, ‘This guy will run every inside route at full speed, no matter what. He works his butt off in practice.’ That’s the kind of player we’re looking for.”
On tight end Eric Ebron, who signed a two-year deal after being let go by the Lions:
Reich: “There is a lot of man coverage in this league — the league is going more and more man coverage — so, now you put an elite tight end on the backside, it’s like clearing it out for LeBron (James), or something, in basketball. Just get everybody on one side of the court and get this guy one-on-one. Well, that’s the analogy here. So, in football, get all the receivers on one side, get the back on the other side, and then just put the tight end back here and see what (the defense) does. And some teams will double him. And then (if) you get a linebacker, you get a safety, and if you get a tight end like Ebron — and even when they have a corner on him, you feel like it’s still a winning matchup, because of his size and catch radius.”
On veteran offensive guard Matt Slauson, who signed a one-year, $3MM deal:
Ballard: “We want our fans to know that we’re serious. Signing Matt Slauson was a good one for us. He’s a 32-year old. And his presence and what he’s going to bring to the O-line room, I don’t think you can put a price on. He’s the ultimate pro and he’s going to bring a level of toughness to that room that I think is going to be really good for everybody in it.”
On defensive lineman Denico Autry, who signed a three-year, $17.8MM deal ($6.5MM guaranteed):
Ballard: “I’d seen him (when I worked) in Kansas City. He’s a good player and he’s going to help our front. What you see is the defensive line is going to be one of the engines that drives us going forward. You need seven or eight guys that can get that done. And Autry is a good example. We think we got a good player at a fair market value for the player.”
Colts GM Against McDaniels Rule
- The “Josh McDaniels rule” which would have allowed assistant coaches to sign on as head coaches elsewhere during the playoffs did not pass at this week’s owners’ meetings. Surprisingly, Colts GM Chris Ballard was not among those in support of the rule. “When you’re a playoff team, you’re trying to eliminate all the distractions that you can. And we’re going to be a playoff team and we’re going to have these issues,” Ballard said (via Stephen Holder of the Indy Star). “It becomes a slippery slope. We have rules in place for a reason. I think they’re good rules. It gives you a chance to interview and then, after the season, whatever happens, happens. In our case, he changed his mind and we moved on.”