Indianapolis Colts Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Cut LB D’Qwell Jackson

February 9th, 2017 at 1:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have released linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The team has also confirmed the news via press release.

Jackson, 33, has been with the Colts for the last three seasons. He joined the team on a four-year, $22MM contract with the expectation that he would anchor the team’s linebacking core. After a Pro Bowl season in 2014, Jackson started showed signs of decline and his off-the-field missteps haven’t helped matters. In March of last year, he was found guilty of simple assault, stemming from a February 2015 altercation with a delivery driver. Then, in December, he was handed a four-game ban for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.

The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have Jackson ranked as just the 80th best linebacker in the league out of 87 qualified players for 2016. By PFF’s numbers, Jackson has actually been playing below-average football for the last four seasons, with his last respectable season coming in 2012. In any case, the Colts are looking to go younger at linebacker and they were unwilling to pay Jackson a $500K roster bonus in March. Had they kept him, he would have carried a $5.75MM cap number for ’17.

Robert Turbin Wants To Stay With Colts

February 7th, 2017 at 3:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Could Robert Turbin be the Colts‘ running back of the future? If the team wants him to stay in the fold, they’ll have to sign the pending free agent to a new contract. Turbin, for his part, says he wants to return but he is also seeking “security” in his new deal, Zac Keefer of the Indy Star writes. In 2016, Turbin had seven rushing touchdowns off of just 47 carries, plus one receiving score. Frank Gore still projects as the Colts’ starter in 2017, but the team has to start thinking about a successor since his contract runs out after 2017 and he will turn 35 before the start of the ’18 campaign.

New Colts GM Chris Ballard will use analytics in his decision making, Colts.com’s Kevin Bowen writes. In his 16 years in the game, Ballard has watched analytics evolve to a point where they must be taken in heavy consideration along with watching game film.

2017 NFL Draft Order Set

February 6th, 2017 at 7:28am CST by Zachary Links

With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror, the offseason is officially underway for all 32 teams. We now have the complete draft order for the entire first round, with one exception which is noted below.

The Patriots, of course, will have the honor of having the last pick. The Falcons, after losing in heartbreaking fashion, will have the penultimate selection in the first round.

Here is the complete order, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter links):

1. Browns

2. 49ers

3. Bears

4. Jaguars

5. Titans

6. Jets

7. Chargers

8. Panthers

9. Bengals

10. Bills

11. Saints

12. Browns

13. Cardinals

T-14. Eagles (via the Vikings)

T-14. Colts (Note: The Vikings and Colts have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broke by coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 14 and the other team getting the No. 15 pick.)

16. Ravens

17. Redskins

18. Titans

19. Buccaneers

20. Broncos

21. Lions

22. Dolphins

23. Giants

24. Raiders

25. Texans

26. Seahawks

27. Chiefs

28. Cowboys

29. Packers

30. Steelers

31. Falcons

32. Patriots

Colts Could Recoup Some Of McAfee's Bonus

February 4th, 2017 at 7:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Pat McAfee‘s early retirement leaves the Colts without the NFL’s yards-per-punt leader in 2016. But the team could ask for $400K of the retired punter’s $1MM signing bonus he received as part of a five-year, $14.5MM contract, Mike Wells of ESPN.com notes. This would be somewhat interesting if they did go after that rather modest sum, considering, as Wells notes, the Seahawks didn’t pursue Marshawn Lynch‘s $5MM bonus when he retired last year. The Colts clear $2.8MM in cap space in 2017 and $2.7MM in ’18 because of McAfee’s retirement. The Colts haven’t placed McAfee on the reserve/retired list because the 29-year-old specialist hasn’t submitted retirement papers yet.

Opinion: McAfee Retirement Leaves Void

February 2nd, 2017 at 12:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Punters don’t typically get a lot of credit for what they do, but Pat McAfee‘s retirement leaves a significant void for the Colts to fill, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes. For his career, McAfee averaged 46.4 gross yards per punt and 39.8 net yards per punt. He also had 33.6% of his 575 punt attempts land inside the 20.

Colts Punter Pat McAfee Retires

February 2nd, 2017 at 4:34am CST by Zachary Links

One of the most colorful personalities in the game is calling it quits. Punter Pat McAfee announced early Thursday morning that he is walking away from the sport after eight years in the NFL.

In a lengthy farewell letter posted to Twitter, McAfee said that he spoke with Colts owner Jim Irsay at length about his future this week and although Irsay wanted him to continue playing, he is supportive of his decision. The charismatic punter says he will now join Barstool Sports full-time as a personality while continuing to live in Indianapolis.

From a talent standpoint, McAfee feels that he could have continued punting for “a few more years,” but he wasn’t sure if he could continue to boot balls at a high level with his attention split between different interests. McAfee, 29, leaves the game with two Pro Bowl selections and a highlight reel full of memorable celebrations, including his Conor McGregor strut. We wish McAfee the best in retirement.

Colts Notes: Draft, Thomas, Allen

February 1st, 2017 at 12:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Is Stanford’s Solomon Thomas a fit for the Colts? In his latest mailbag, Kevin Bowen of Colts.com says that he is intriguing after a strong season, but it remains to be seen whether teams view him as a good 3-4 edge fit. Right now, Thomas is widely projected to fall between Nos. 7-to-15 in the first round. The Colts own the No. 14 overall pick.
What’s first on the agenda of new Colts GM Chris Ballard? Bowen notes that exploring new deals for free agents like Mike Adams, Darius Butler, Jack Doyle, Robert Turbin, and Erik Walden will be at the top of his list. Allen is wrapping up a team-friendly two-year, $4.3MM contract and after grading out as a top-20 safety according to Pro Football Focus, he’s in line for a significant pay bump.

Colts Notes: Ballard, Raye, Pagano

January 30th, 2017 at 5:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Newly minted Colts GM Chris Ballard received a five-year contract, according to Mike Chappell of FOX59. Colts vice president of football operations Jimmy Raye III was among the candidates Ballard beat out for the role, and owner Jim Irsay revealed Raye nearly got the job, per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Irsay assured Raye, who will remain in the Colts’ Ballard-led front office, that someone else will give him a shot as a GM if the Colts orchestrate a turnaround (all Twitter links here).
While Ballard reportedly isn’t committed to going forward with Chuck Pagano beyond the 2017 season, he spoke glowingly of the five-year head coaching veteran Monday. “There were no other options. Chuck Pagano is a great coach,” said Ballard (Twitter link via Holder). Upon Ballard’s hiring, Pagano stated Sunday that he’s “extremely excited” to work with the rookie GM (via the Colts’ Twitter account).

Ballard Plans To Re-Evaluate HC Spot In 2018

January 30th, 2017 at 11:58am CST by Sam Robinson

As Jim Irsay said upon firing Ryan Grigson, Chuck Pagano will return to coach the Colts in 2017. New GM Chris Ballard will stick to that plan, but he’s not committed to the coach longer than that, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Ballard intends to keep Pagano in 2017 but is planning to re-evaluate the position before the ’18 season.

The new executive’s hire may only intensify the hot seat for Pagano, who expressed his support (Twitter link) for the 47-year-old Ballard upon his hire. Irsay appears set to oversee an arranged marriage between his top two decision-makers after letting both Grigson and Pagano start together in 2012. Pagano led the Colts to three playoff berths, one of which involving a historic comeback win over the Chiefs in Ballard’s first year in Kansas City, before the team stumbled to back-to-back 8-8 seasons. We heard over the weekend Ballard could have Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub as a possible replacement come 2018.

Ballard’s knowledge of the draft represents a good fit for a Colts team that’s struggled identifying amateur talent since its strong haul of 2012, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes. In addition to the talents Ballard played a part in the Bears procuring during his time in Chicago, the Chiefs dispatched their then-director of football operations to investigate then-embattled prospect Marcus Peters, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com notes. Teicher pegged Ballard, whom he called the No. 3 man in Kansas City’s power structure behind John Dorsey and Andy Reid, as a potential Dorsey successor.

Colts Hire Chris Ballard As GM

January 29th, 2017 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts moved quickly to land their man, hiring Chris Ballard as their new general manager, the team announced. Previously the Chiefs’ director of football operations, Ballard was the only candidate to interview with the Colts twice out of the six-man search.

Ballard met with the Colts a second time on Sunday and will succeed Ryan Grigson, beating out Packers executive Eliot Wolf, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, Seahawks co-player personnel directors Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer and internal candidate Jimmy Raye III, who served as the Colts’ interim GM during this process.

The newly hired executive is planning a 2017 season with Chuck Pagano, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, so there will be no late coaching change after Jim Irsay orchestrated a belated GM switch.

Viewed as Irsay’s top choice from the start of this process, Ballard opted to go through with the interview. He did not interview for the 49ers’ GM job, which remains unfilled, since the Chiefs blocked him from doing so. Teams can utilize this tactic during the season, but with Kansas City having been eliminated in the divisional round, Ballard was free to interview with Indianapolis. However, Ballard was viewed as the “first choice, second choice and third choice” in San Francisco.

The Chiefs’ decision may be a seminal move depending on what happens with the Colts and 49ers in the next several years. Although, the Colts’ job was viewed an attraction, more so than the 49ers’ position, with Andrew Luck‘s presence playing a key role.

Prior to becoming John Dorsey‘s right-hand man in Kansas City, Ballard spent 12 seasons with the Bears, working in either a scouting or scouting directorial capacity. The Chiefs’ 43 regular-season wins since 2013 came on the heels of a 2-14 2012 season under the franchise’s previous regime and represent the fourth-most in the league during that span.

His potential top choice for head coach could be Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub, although Irsay committed to Pagano coaching the team in 2017. Pagano sat in on the candidate interviews, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reported, so a Ballard/Pagano partnership looks like the Colts’ arrangement this coming season. Ballard will be tasked with elevating the franchise back to the playoffs after it finished 2016 with the same 8-8 record 2015 brought, with ’16 featuring nearly a full season’s worth of Luck’s services.

Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors