Chester Rogers Emerging As Colts' No. 3 WR
Both the Texans and No. 1 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins would like to reach a long-term deal this summer, and odds are that it will happen, suggests John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Hopkins, due to make $7.9MM as a fifth-year option player this season, became all the more important to the Texans’ cause for 2017 after No. 2 receiver Will Fuller suffered a broken collarbone Wednesday. Fuller’s multi-month absence could mean even more opportunities for Hopkins, who easily led the Texans in both targets and receptions in each of the previous two seasons. Despite having to catch passes from middling or worse quarterbacks throughout his career, Hopkins has a history of terrific production. Thanks to his output thus far, the 25-year-old looks poised to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts in the coming weeks.
More from the AFC:
- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is keeping all options on the table beyond 2017, including retirement and playing a few more years. “I hope (to play multiple future seasons), but I’m only going to focus on this year,” Roethlisberger revealed Wednesday (via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review). Whether the 35-year-old sticks around will depend somewhat on how much of a beating his offensive line allows him to take this season. “If those guys up front are playing as well as they have been playing, getting sacked (a career-low) 17 times in (2016) — it might keep me around a little longer,” he said.
- With 2015 first-round pick Phillip Dorsett and free agent signing Kamar Aiken, the Colts have a pair of notable receivers behind starters T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief. However, the unheralded Chester Rogers has emerged as Indy’s likely No. 3 wideout, according to Kevin Bowen of the team’s website. As an undrafted rookie last year, Rogers accrued 34 targets and 19 catches in 14 games (two starts), and he averaged 14.4 yards per catch. Both Dorsett and Aiken bettered Rogers’ counting stats in 2016, but the second-year man has nonetheless turned into a “virtual 12th starter for the Colts,” writes Bowen.
- Defensive tackle Roy Miller‘s contract with the Chiefs is a one-year, $1.4MM pact that could be worth up to $2.5MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The deal includes $300K in guarantees.
Colts Make Two Moves
- The Colts signed offensive tackle and Arturo Uzdavinis and waived fellow OT Jerry Ugokwe. Uzdavinis is up to his sixth club since he went undrafted from Tulane a year ago, having previously been with the Texans, Bears, Jaguars, Lions and Vikings. Ugokwe’s time with the Colts is up after nearly three months. The undrafted rookie from William & Mary inked a deal with them May 4.
Andrew Luck Could Start Season On PUP?
Speaking to the media earlier this week, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck didn’t commit to playing in Week 1, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has heard “rumblings” that Luck could begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, which would force him to miss the first six games of the 2017 season.
Luck is currently on active/PUP, the preseason version of the physically unable to perform list that doesn’t allow the player to practice. If Luck practices, even for one day, he’ll have to be removed from active/PUP and won’t be allowed to be transferred to reserve/PUP (the regular season edition that requires a six-game absence). But if Luck is held out of action for the remainder of the preseason, the Colts will have the option of using the reserve/PUP list.
Still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Luck did tell reporters on Sunday that he “can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” an indication that the 27-year-old signal-caller ultimately believes he’ll be ready for the season opener. General manager Chris Ballard, too, seems confident Luck will be removed from PUP in time for Week 1.
If Luck isn’t available when the regular season rolls around, Indianapolis will turn to backup Scott Tolzien, who has three career starts under his belt. The only other quarterbacks on the Colts’ roster are Stephen Morris and Phillip Walker, an undrafted rookie out of Temple. Indianapolis would likely be forced to add another passer if Luck isn’t active for Week 1, and free agent options include Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III, Shaun Hill, and Christian Ponder.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/17
A roundup of today’s minor transactions:
- The Cardinals signed cornerback Jarell Carter and waived/injured linebacker Alani Fua (knee) and cornerback Ronald Zamort (knee). Zamort appeared to be ahead of Brandon Williams on the Cardinals’ depth chart at the time of his season-ending ACL tear.
- The Bengals waived kicker Jonathan Brown, which means the team’s kicking competition is down to Jake Elliott and Randy Bullock. To fill his roster spot, the Bengals signed safety Cedric Thompson.
- The Colts claimed former Denver tight end Henry Krieger-Coble on waivers. To make room, the Colts waived tight end Colin Jeter.
- The Eagles signed cornerback Tay Glover-Wright to a one-year contract, per a club announcement. Glover-Wright is an undrafted free agent with Utah State with just two games of NFL experience on his resume.
- Wide receiver K.J. Maye, who played in college at Minnesota, has been signed to the Patriots‘ 90-man roster.
- The 49ers announced that they’ve claimed wide receiver Tim Patrick off waivers from Baltimore and waived/injured fellow wideout B.J. Johnson.
- The Chiefs have signed free agent wide receivers Corey Washington and Rob Wheelwright, and waived wide receiver Antwan Goodley and tight end Emanuel Byrd.
- The Saints have signed former South Carolina linebacker Jonathan Walton, tweets Nick Underhill of the Advocate.
Andrew Luck Does Not Commit To Playing Week 1
Last week, Colts GM Chris Ballard said Andrew Luck was on target to come off of the PUP list in time for the season opener, but as Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets, Luck himself is not ready to commit to that date. Luck spoke to the media yesterday morning, and while he said he could see the light at the end of the tunnel, he wanted to take a wait-and-see approach with respect to his short-term availability.
Luck said, “There’s no reason to freak out. I’ll be better coming out of this than I was going into this. We’re doing this right, I know we are. We’re not rushing it just to rush it” (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, citing Zak Keefer of IndyStarSports).
Luck has been a regular at the Colts’ facility after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, but as spring turned to summer, it became increasingly clear that he would not be ready for the start of training camp, and that he may be held out for the entirety of the team’s preseason slate. Although it would be preferable for him to get in at least some work this summer, there is no reason for the Colts to rush him given his experience and his long-term importance to the team.
Scott Tolzien will take first-team reps in Luck’s stead, and the fact that Ballard did not bring in a more established quarterback this offseason to compete with Tolzien can be taken as a sign of optimism for Luck’s health.
Last year, Luck completed 63.5% of his passes, accumulated 4,240 yards through the air, and threw for 31 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. It was a nice bounce back for the 27-year-old after an injury-plagued 2015. This year, the hope is that he’ll revert to his Pro Bowl form and lead the Colts to the playoffs.
Offseason In Review: Indianapolis Colts
The Colts limped to an 8-8 record for the consecutive year, as even an excellent campaign from quarterback Andrew Luck couldn’t overcome the club’s poor defense. With a new general manager installed in January, Indianapolis had several areas of focus to address during the offseason.
Notable signings:
- Johnathan Hankins, DT: Three years, $27MM. $10MM guaranteed. $3MM available via escalators.
- Jabaal Sheard, LB: Three years, $25.5MM. $9.5MM guaranteed.
- Jack Doyle, TE: Three years, $18.9MM. $7.5MM guaranteed.
- John Simon, LB: Three years, $14MM. $6MM guaranteed. $1.5MM available via incentives.
- Darius Butler, CB: One year, $3MM. $2.5MM guaranteed.
- Kamar Aiken, WR: One year, $2.6MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
- Jeff Locke, P: Two years, $3.45MM. $1.25MM guaranteed.
- Barkevious Mingo, LB: One year, $2MM. $1MM guaranteed.
- Sean Spence, LB: One year, $2.5MM. $750K guaranteed.
- Margus Hunt, DL: Two years, $4.1MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Robert Turbin, RB: Two years, $2.7MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Brian Schwenke, OL: One year, $1.3MM. $300K guaranteed.
- Al Woods, DT: Two years, $4MM. $250K guaranteed.
- Brandon Williams, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Fahn Cooper, OL: Two years, $1.02MM.
- Christine Michael, RB: One year, $775K.
- Jon Bostic, LB: One year, $690K.
- Troymaine Pope, RB: One year, $540K.
The Colts arguably had the worst defensive depth chart in the NFL heading into the 2017 offseason, meaning general manager Chris Ballard & Co. had quite a bit of work to do on that side of the ball. Indianapolis’ front office made several smart value signings, including that of former Giant Johnathan Hankins, who waited out the market with the hope of landing a hefty contract. Ultimately, the Colts landed Hankins for only $9MM annually, a salary which ranks just 21st among interior defensive linemen.
Hankins posted the worst season of his career in 2017, grading as the league’s No. 59 interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus, which handed Hankins extremely poor marks as a pass-rusher. But there are reasons to be optimistic about Hankins in Indy, and chief among them is his age. Despite having already played four NFL seasons, Hankins is only entering his age-25 campaign, so improvement isn’t out of the question. Additionally, Hankins will move to nose tackle with the Colts after playing three-technique in New York thanks to the presence of Damon Harrison. Shifting to a nose shade should aid Hankins’ play, as he’s always been more productive when playing over a center.
Indianapolis didn’t stop after adding Hankins, as the club inked two pass-rushers in the form of John Simon and Jabaal Sheard. Neither player is a superstar, but both are competent outside linebackers with experience in 3-4 schemes. Simon and Sheard are both solid against the run, as well, and should help improve a Colts run defense that ranked dead last in DVOA a year ago. Given that both Simon and Sheard are now transitioning from part-time roles to full-time jobs, it wouldn’t be a surprise if at least one of them reaches a double-digit sack total in 2017.
While most of the Colts’ defensive signings came along the front seven (which, despite the additions, PFF still ranks as the the No. 31 front in the NFL), the team did re-sign one of its own in the secondary, coming to terms with defensive back Darius Butler on a one-year pact. Butler, 31, put up arguably the best campaign of his eight-year career in 2016, and entered the free agent market with the intent of shifting from cornerback to safety. While it’s unclear exactly what role he’ll play for the Colts, Butler looks poised to fill a jack-of-all-trades position, roving between slot corner and safety, especially while Clayton Geathers is on reserve/PUP.
Hankins, Simon, Sheard, and Butler represented the most high-profile Colts signings/re-signings on defense, but Indianapolis also threw a limited amount of guarantees against the wall to bring in a number of defensive players. Sean Spence will likely start at inside linebacker, but Barkevious Mingo, Jon Bostic, Margus Hunt, and Al Woods were all brought in to add depth and perhaps play special teams. The total amount of guaranteed money spent on those players is $2.5MM, so it’s a small investment in order to ensure the club won’t be completely bereft of help if and when injuries strike. After years of fielding a top-heavy roster, the Colts are finally prioritizing depth throughout the squad.
On offense, Indianapolis’ primary move was re-signing Jack Doyle, who is now the club’s unquestioned No. 1 tight end following the trade of Dwayne Allen to the Patriots. Doyle, a former undrafted free agent, had never topped 22 targets prior to the 2016 season, but broke out during his fourth NFL campaign, managing 59 receptions for 75 targets for 584 yards and five touchdowns. With Allen out of the picture, it’s conceivable that Doyle — who ranked ninth in DYAR and 10th in DVOA, both courtesy of Football Outsiders — could play an even larger role in the season to come. Doyle isn’t a superb blocker (23rd in the run game, per PFF), meaning free agent signee Brandon Williams could see playing time as an in-line tight end.
Former Raven Kamar Aiken could possibly serve as the Colts’ No. 2 wide receiver or fall as far as fourth on the depth chart, and training camp/the preseason will likely determine where exactly Aiken fits. Donte Moncrief, Indy’s presumptive second wideout, hasn’t been able to stay healthy, while 2015 first-round pick Phillip Dorsett has averaged just 26 receptions per season during his first two years in the league. Aiken plays special teams and received $2.5MM in guarantees, so he’ll make the roster, and he was reportedly told the Colts would stage an “open competition” at receiver this offseason.
Colts Had Interest In Lucky Whitehead
- Before he was claimed by the Jets, other teams that expressed interest in Lucky Whitehead were the Colts, Chiefs, and Saints, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) hears from one source. The Bears showed a little interest as well. Reading between the lines, it sounds like the Colts, Chiefs, and Saints may have placed waiver claims on Whitehead while the Bears were on the fence about it as Wednesday approached. Of course, after finishing with a 5-11 record last year, the Jets had higher waiver priority than most.
- The Dolphins worked out free agent offensive lineman Kitt O’Brien on Wednesday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. O’Brien, 27, spent the 2013-14 campaigns in the Arena Football League after going undrafted out of Ball State. Subsequently, he latched on with the Colts, and had spent parts of the past two seasons on Indianapolis’ practice squad. O’Brien has yet to appear in an NFL game.
Colts Won’t Sign Another Backup QB
Although Andrew Luck may be held out of the preseason after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, the Colts aren’t planning to sign another quarterback, general manager Chris Ballard told reporters, including Bob Kravitz of WTHR (Twitter link).
Ballard did allow that Indianapolis had “discussed” adding a veteran quarterback, but will instead opt to go forward with Scott Tolzien, Stephen Morris, and Phillip Walker behind Luck. If the Colts change their mind, however, available signal-caller options include the likes of Colin Kaepernick, Christian Ponder, Shaun Hill, Robert Griffin III, and Zach Mettenberger.
Luck is expected to be available for Week 1, so the Colts likely won’t need to rely on their backup quarterbacks at the outset of the 2017 campaign. But if Tolzien is forced to go under center, Indianapolis can expect a steep dropoff in production. Tolzien has started only three games during his career, completing 61.7% of his passes for two touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Colts To Place Clayton Geathers On Reserve/PUP
The Colts will place safety Clayton Geathers on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, meaning he will miss the first six games of the 2017 season, as general manager Chris Ballard announced Monday.
Geathers, 25, suffered a season-ending neck injury in December, and subsequently underwent surgery on a bulging disc in March. Last season, Geathers started nine games before being sidelined, managing 58 tackles and five passes defensed while grading as the league’s No. 26 safety, per Pro Football Focus. He’s under contract through the 2018 campaign.
“A lot of this with Geathers is just the healing process,” Ballard said. “He’s in a good frame mentally. He’s worked hard and he’s done everything from a rehab standpoint. I think once we get into September and October it’ll really start ramping up for him.”
As Roster Resource indicates, second-year safety T.J. Green will likely step into the starting lineup in place of Geathers, lining up opposite rookie first-rounder Malik Hooker. Green started four games last year, seeing action on 44% of Indianapolis’ defensive snaps.
No Substantive Contract Talks Between Colts, Jack Mewhort
- The Colts have not had substantive extension talks with left guard Jack Mewhort as he enters his contract year, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star tweets. Mewhort has started at left guard with some appearances at tackle since entering the league in 2014. Unfortunately, the former second round pick saw his season cut short last year due to a knee injury. Mewhort has graded out as a starting caliber player for the Colts in each of his NFL seasons. In 2016, he was PFF’s 23rd ranked guard.
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