Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/17

Here are the today’s minor moves.

  • With a ruptured Achilles’ tendon set to end Eric Berry‘s season, the Chiefs officially placed the eighth-year safety on IR Saturday. The team also signed offensive lineman Jordan Devey and safety Steven Terrell. Both Devey and Terrell went to training camp with Kansas City. The Chiefs cut both last weekend. Terrell started in five games as Earl Thomas‘ replacement with the Seahawks last season.
  • The Colts cut safety Earl Wolff with an injury settlement, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. A 2013 fifth-round Eagles pick, Wolff hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2014. The Redskins signed Wolff to a reserve/futures deal in January but waived him earlier this month.
  • To fill Matt Jones‘ roster spot, the Colts promoted guard Adam Redmond from their practice squad. Redmond signed with the Colts as a UDFA in 2016. He’ll join Deyshawn Bond as a center option for the team, which will be without starter Ryan Kelly to start the season.
  • For now, the Broncos won’t go with a two-Peko setup on their defensive line. They waived defensive tackle Kyle Peko, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post tweets. The Broncos signed Domata Peko to be their starting nose tackle and have until Sunday afternoon to replace his cousin on the roster in advance of their Monday-night game. Kyle Peko missed time this summer because of an injury.
  • The Lions signed offensive lineman Storm Norton off their practice squad and waived linebacker Nick Bellore, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. Rothstein adds this news could mean tackle Corey Robinson — brought off the PUP list last week — may not be ready to play in Week 1. Robinson missed the preseason with an injury.
  • The Saints released outside linebacker Bryan Braman off IR with an injury settlement, Caplan reports (on Twitter).

Colts Waive RB Matt Jones

Matt Jones‘ tenure with the Colts has already come to an end. Less than a week after claiming him from the Redskins, Indy announced this morning that they’ve waived the running back. The team has promoted guard Adam Redmond from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.

Matt Jones (vertical)Jones was waived by Washington last week, and he was subsequently claimed by the Colts. The fit made sense for Indianapolis; the team was relying on a 34-year-old starting running back in Frank Gore, and backups Robert Turbin and Marlon Mack aren’t the most intriguing options. However, it appears as if the team is content heading into the regular season with the trip of running backs.

Jones had shown promise with the Redskins, rushing for 490 yards and compiling 304 receiving yards in 2015. However, he took a step back in 2016, compiling 460 rushing yards in seven games. By the end of the season, he was behind Robert Kelley and Chris Thompson on the depth chart. While he owns a modest 3.9-yards-per-carry mark during his career, Jones has had issues taking care of the ball, compiling eight fumbles in two seasons. As Ian Rapoport tweets, the Bears attempted to claim Jones last week, so they might bite on the 24-year-old.

Redmond, a 2016 undrafted free agent out of Harvard, spent most of last season on the Colts practice squad. Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com tweets that Joe Haeg and Le’Raven Clark are currently the team’s only healthy lineman, and Redmond will provide the squad with some extra depth. In fact, Chappell believes Jones could be back with the organization once the rest of the line is healthy (assuming he clears waivers).

NFL Workout Updates: 9/8/17

Today’s NFL workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter unless otherwise noted:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Workout Notes: Patriots, Jets, Bills

The Patriots auditioned some players of note this week, including linebacker Akeem Ayers, quarterback Thad Lewis, and wide receiver Jeremy Ross (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).

Ayers has some history with New England after playing on their 2014 Super Bowl championship team. Last year, Ayers appeared in all 16 games for Indianapolis and recorded two sacks.

Linebackers Nicholas Grigsby and Antwione Williams also showed their stuff for the Pats.

Here’s a look at Wednesday’s other workouts from around the NFL:

Colts Work Out OL Emmett Cleary

  • The Colts worked out offensive lineman Emmett Cleary, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys cut Cleary on Saturday after he played in 13 games for them last season.

Colts Put Claim On Kasen Williams, James O'Shaughnessy

The Colts placed a waiver claim on wide receiver Kasen Williams after he was cut by the Seahawks on Saturday, but the Browns held waiver priority and landed the preseason standout, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ultimately, Indianapolis ended up keeping six wideouts: T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Kamar Aiken, Chester Rogers, Matt Hazel, and Quan Bray. A Williams addition likely would have led to the release of either Hazel or Bray. The Colts, of course, also traded away a wideout over the weekend, shipping former first-rounder Phillip Dorsett to the Patriots in exchange for quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

  • Another Browns waiver claim — defensive tackle T.Y. McGill — is in legal hot water after being charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana early Saturday morning, reports Katherine Peralta of the Charlotte Observer. Cleveland picked up McGill, who’s appeared in 25 career games, from the Colts just hours after the charge. While it’s an minor episode (McGill wasn’t arrested and was cooperative when cited, per Peralta), but the NFL could still hand down some sort of suspension down the road.
  • After being waived by the Patriots on Saturday, tight end James O’Shaughnessy was claimed by a league-high six NFL clubs, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The Bills, Colts, Chargers, Jets, Saints, and Jaguars (who ultimately landed him) all put in claims on O’Shaughnessy, whom New England originally acquired in a draft-day trade with Kansas City. O’Shaughnessy, 25, appeared in all 16 games for the Chiefs in 2016 and spent most of his time on special teams. He’ll be Jacksonville’s third tight end behind Marcedes Lewis and Ben Koyack.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/5/17

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: CB Tony McRae, C Matt Skura

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: LB Eric Lee
  • Released: S B.T. Sanders, CB Marcus Sayles

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: FB Alex Armah

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

  • Signed: LB LaTroy Lewis

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed: CB Raysean Pringle

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: TE Johnny Mundt, CB Kevin Peterson
  • Released: OL Michael Dunn, DL Louis Trinca-Pasat

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: CB Kenneth Durden

Latest On Andrew Luck’s Timetable

The Colts made it official that Andrew Luck won’t be on the field for them Sunday in Week 1, making the game against the Rams the franchise’s first opener without its franchise passer since 2011.

However, Luck is not exactly a lock to return to the field in time for Week 2, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The NFL insider adds the rest of September is not certain for Luck, reporting some believe this absence will extend into October.

The Colts are exercising extreme caution with Luck in hopes of not having to see the quarterback go through right shoulder trouble again, Rapoport reports, adding there is perhaps a “strong possibility” Scott Tolzien receives more than one start and possibly more than two or three. Mike Wells of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) Luck is still without a timetable for a return to practice.

Being removed from the PUP list would point to Luck returning at some point early in the season, but Indy’s September slate — which features a trip to Los Angeles and home tilts against the Browns and Cardinals — could feature a Tolzien-fronted operation. Luck has been out since January because of shoulder surgery.

In Luck’s 10 games out of the lineup over the past two years, the Colts are 6-4. But the since-retired Matt Hasselbeck was responsible for five of those victories.

Colts Place TE Erik Swoope On IR

The Colts placed tight end Erik Swoope on injured reserve. To take his place, tight end Brandon Williams has been signed to the roster.

Swoope underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this offseason, meaning that he’ll be unable to suit up for the season opener. However, that type of procedure is rarely a season ender, so it seems possible that he could return during the season. The latest iteration of the league’s IR rules permit teams to bring two players back from IR each season. Erik Swoope (vertical)

Swoope, 25, appeared in all 16 games for the Colts last season. He finished out with 15 catches for 297 yards and one score.

The Colts now have three tight ends on the roster in starter Jack Doyle, Williams, and reserve Darrell Daniels.

In other news, the Colts have signed wide receiver Krishawn Hogan, nose tackle Joey Mbu, and offensive tackle Andrew Wylie to the practice squad.

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC South

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC South teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Texans, Colts, Jaguars, and Titans are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans