Bears, Colts To Meet With John Jenkins
Seahawks free agent defensive lineman John Jenkins is visiting the Bears on Thursday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). If he doesn’t immediately sign in Chicago, he’ll visit the Colts on Friday. 
[RELATED: Top 2017 Defensive Free Agents By Position]
Jenkins, a true nose tackle, would be a logical fit for both the Bears and Colts as they run a 3-4 scheme. Right now, the Bears have three nose tackles under contract, all of whom were drafted by the team: Eddie Goldman, Will Sutton, and Ego Ferguson.
The Colts picked up defensive tackle Al Woods on Thursday morning, but he is more of a three-technique player than a straight-up nose tackle like Jenkins. In the last week, the Colts have already imported three free agent defensive linemen in Woods, Jabaal Sheard, and Margus Hunt.
We have Jenkins ranked as one of the 15 best free agent interior defenders left in free agency.
Colts Sign DT Al Woods
Al Woods is going from the Titans to a division rival. The Colts are signing the defensive tackle, according to his agents at SportsTrust (on Twitter). It’s a two-year contract worth $5MM in total, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Woods was released by the Titans earlier this month before a $1.25MM portion of his base salary would have become fully guaranteed. By dumping Woods, the Titans saved a little over $2MM against the cap versus $1.5MM in dead money. Now, they’ll have to face him multiple times in 2017.
Woods was a part-time starter for the Titans in his three years there. Before that, he spent time with the Bucs, Seahawks, and Steelers. Last year, he was limited to just 245 snaps thanks to a calf injury. This year, if he stays healthy, he should see considerably more playing time for the Colts in a similar role to what Zach Kerr filled in 2016. Kerr was not tendered an offer and left to sign with Denver earlier this week. He appeared in nearly a third of Indy’s defensive snaps.
Zach Brown In Contact With Colts
The Colts have already visited with Kevin Minter, Sean Spence, and Jon Bostic in their ongoing hunt for an inside linebacker, and the club is widening its search even further. Indianapolis has had talks with free agent linebacker Zach Brown about a contract, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Brown now ranks as PFR’s top free agent linebacker after Dont’a Hightower signed a new deal with the Patriots. The 27-year-old Brown is listed ahead of notables such as Minter, Perry Riley, Gerald Hodges, and DeAndre Levy, and on a macro level, is one of the better free agents still on the board, regardless of position.
A former second-round pick, Brown started all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2016. Finally living up to his draft billing, Brown racked up 149 tackles, four sacks, and one interception, all while playing extremely well in coverage. He’s also scheduled to visit the Raiders, who are looking to bolster its linebacking unit.
Colts Eyeing Free Agent Linebackers
The Colts have interest in adding a free agent linebacker, and have hosted Kevin Minter (previously reported), Sean Spence, and Jon Bostic on visits, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Indianapolis ranked 32nd in DVOA against the run in 2016, and placed 31st in DVOA against opposing tight ends, meaning the club needs to add defenders who are able to cover the middle of the field. The Colts began their offseason by releasing inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, who at age-33 has lost some of his luster. New general manager Chris Ballard then brought edge rushers Jabaal Sheard and John Simon, but Indy still needs inside ‘backers to complement Edwin Jackson and Antonio Morrison.
Minter, 26, is the best of the free agent linebacker trio hosted by the Colts, and ranks as the No. 2 LB on PFR’s most recent edition of the top remaining free agents. After starting all 16 games in each of the past two seasons, Minter has created a healthy market for himself, and has already met with the Bengals. The former second-round posted 81 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2016, grading as the league’s No. 25 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.
Spence, meanwhile, wasn’t a full-time starter for the Titans last year, but did play on nearly 50% of the club’s snaps, managing 50 tackles and three sacks. He’s No. 8 on PFR’s ranking of free agent linebackers. Bostic, 25, missed the entirety of the 2016 campaign with injury, and probably wouldn’t be counted on for anything besides special teams duty with the Colts.
Gosder Cherilus To Retire
Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus is planning to retire, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Cherilus is an unrestricted free agent, but he won’t participate in the free agent process, per Fowler.
Cherilus, 32, began his career as a first-round pick of the Lions in 2008. The Boston College alum was a full-time starter that season, as he would be for the next eight campaigns. After his rookie contract expired, Cherilus signed a five-year, $35MM contract with the Colts that made him the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL.
After two years in Indianapolis, Cherilus was released, his tenure with the Colts not nearly as successful as his run with Detroit. Cherilus quickly landed with the Buccaneers, and started 13 games in 2015 before becoming a reserve this past season. In 2016, Cherilus only played on about 20% of Tampa Bay’s offensive snaps.
All told, Cherilus appeared in 131 games over his nine-year NFL career. Ultimately, he lived up to his draft billing, as he’s currently the 20th-most valuable member of the 2008 draft by approximate value. PFR wishes Cherilus nothing but the best as he enters retirement.
Colts Could Still Re-Sign Darius Butler
- Although one report indicated Darius Butler had reached a contract impasse with the Colts, the free agent defensive back could still return to Indianapolis, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Butler, who turns 31 this week, plans to transition to safety full-time in 2017 after dabbling at the position last year. PFR’s No. 4 free agent safety, Butler met with the Bears last week.
Colts Sign Brian Schwenke
The Colts continue to make depth signings as the day progresses, with their latest coming over from a division rival. Brian Schwenke agreed to terms with the Colts on a one-year deal, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The Colts announced the move.
A fifth-year interior offensive lineman, Schwenke visited the Colts earlier today, joining defensive end Margus Hunt as UFAs to trek to Indianapolis and reach agreements to join the team. Schwenke spent four seasons with the Titans and drew interest from other teams but will end up on a Colts line that has some uncertainty.
While Anthony Castonzo, Jack Mewhort and Ryan Kelly are entrenched starters, the right side of Indianapolis’ front isn’t solidified. Schwenke will likely compete for the right guard position while serving as depth behind Kelly. The Colts have several young players vying for time on the right side of the line, so Schwenke — who started 25 games as Tennessee’s center from 2013-15 — should factor in here. A clear line of demarcation in the former Boston College snapper’s career came when he broke his leg in October of 2015. The Titans then moved Schwenke to guard after signing Ben Jones last year.
Both the Jets and Seahawks pursued Schwenke this offseason, but the soon-to-be 26-year-old blocker will stay in the AFC South.
Colts To Sign Margus Hunt
The Colts hosted Margus Hunt on a visit today and saw enough to sign the edge player to a two-year contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Hunt saw action as a rotational player for the Bengals last season but never ascended to becoming a regular starter despite Cincinnati having invested a second-round pick in the 6-foot-8 Estonian. The lanky defender played 322 snaps for Cincinnati last season but hasn’t started a game yet as an NFLer.
An SMU product, Hunt has 1.5 career sacks. He profiles as outside pass-rushing depth for a Colts team that’s spent time rebuilding that area over the past few days. Indianapolis added Jabaal Sheard and John Simon to UFA deals late last week and also signed possible depth piece Barkevious Mingo to a one-year contract.
Hunt will transition from the Bengals’ 4-3 to the Colts’ 3-4, one that will have much younger presences on its edges in 2017 than it did previously. The Colts featured Robert Mathis, Erik Walden and Trent Cole as their primary outside linebackers last season. The latter two are free agents, and Mathis retired after the season. Walden is looking for a new team after announcing the Colts aren’t planning to bring him back.
Colts Re-Sign RB Robert Turbin
Bobby Turbo is back in Indy. The Colts have re-signed Robert Turbin to a two-year deal worth up to $4.1MM, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). 
Turbin had one of his most productive NFL seasons in 2016, running for 164 yards and seven touchdowns. The 27-year-old also collected a career-high 26 receptions to go along with 179 yards and one score. He’s now slated to battle it out for playing time with veteran Frank Gore and Josh Ferguson. It’s a safe bet that the Colts will explore some upgrades at the position as well.
Turbin missed the cut on my top 15 list of free agent running backs, but he did garner honorable mention. We haven’t heard much on him since the legal tampering period kicked off six days ago, so there might not have been much of a market for him outside of Indy.
Colts To Meet With LB Kevin Minter
Free agent linebacker Kevin Minter is taking a visit to Indianapolis to meet with the Colts, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Surprisingly, this marks the first known free agent visit for the Cardinals free agent. 
Minter was one of several high-profile free agents for Arizona this offseason. I had Minter ranked No. 22 on my Top 50 rundown of this year’s free agents, a list based on potential earning power. With relatively little buzz in the first week of free agency, it’s possible that he’ll fall short of fiscal expectations. In terms of ability, Minter was our third-ranked linebacker, behind only Dont’a Hightower and Zach Brown.
The Colts have already gotten to work on remodeling their front seven. Late last week, the Colts inked former intra-divisional rival John Simon to a three-year deal with a base value of $13.5MM. Hours later, they snagged former Patriot Jabaal Sheard, who could slot in at either linebacker or defensive end. Linebacker Erik Walden, meanwhile, is making the free agent rounds and could wind up signing elsewhere – perhaps with the rival Titans.
Last year, he racked up 81 total tackles and 3.5 sacks in 16 games.