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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Extra Points: Cowboys, Lynch, Jaguars, Falcons

April 30th, 2016 at 9:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys reportedly made an effort to trade back into the first round to take a shot at drafting quarterback Paxton Lynch, and though the club ultimately stayed put, Jerry Jones conveyed regret that Dallas didn’t make the deal. “I probably should have overpaid,” says Jones, according to Drew Davidson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram (Twitter link).

Here’s the latest on the draft as the undrafted free agent signing frenzy gets underway…

  • The Jaguars have a fifth-year option decision to make, as the club will have the choice of extending left tackle Luke Joeckel‘s contract through the 2017 season. Jacksonville GM Dave Caldwell says he’ll speak with Joeckel about the option on Monday, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link).
  • “Heck no” was Falcons head coach Dan Quinn‘s response when asked if receiver Devin Hester had been cleared for any activity after undergoing toe surgery in January, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. GM Thomas Dimitroff said in February that Atlanta will re-evaluate Hester’s status with the club when he’s fully healthy.
  • Pass rush was an area of need for the Colts, but the prospects that appealed to GM Ryan Grigson came off the board early, he tells Mike Chappelle of FOX59 (Twitter link), adding that Indianapolis wasn’t going to allow need to trump its board.

Colts Working On Andrew Luck Extension

April 30th, 2016 at 4:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Now that the draft is winding down, the primary piece of business for the Colts this offseason will be whether or not they can come to a long-term agreement with Andrew Luck.

While that accord looks like a matter of when, not if, Jim Irsay confirmed the sides have been engaged in “serious” discussions, Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com reports (on Twitter). Indianpolis’ owner added that he sees no reason the Colts and Luck can’t reach an accord before training camp.

We heard last month the Colts wanted to sign Luck to an extension by July 4. That arbitrary date doesn’t hold much significance, though, as Irsay confirmed today, via Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (on Twitter).

Although Luck is coming off his worst season as a pro after injuries limited him to seven starts for a Colts team that slunk out of the playoff race largely as a result of their quarterback play, a extension for the former Stanford signal-caller is expected to either become the new standard for quarterback salaries or close to it. Right now, Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers represent the NFL’s $22MM-per-year club, with Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning — who each agreed to extensions last year — being the $21MM-per-year group.

The 2012 No. 1 pick, Luck completed 55% of his passes in his fourth season, one that featured the Colts come into the season with Super Bowl expectations after qualifying for the AFC championship in 2014. Prior to that, however, Luck led the NFL in touchdown passes with 40 in 2014, the Colts’ third straight 11-5 season after they went 2-14 in the year between the Peyton Manning and Luck eras.

As of now, Luck is under contract for his fifth season on a fifth-year option worth $16.155MM. He won’t be eligible for a franchise tag until 2017.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Draft Rumors: Glennon, Vikings, Colts, Giants

April 30th, 2016 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jason Licht said the Buccaneers did not engage in any trade discussions involving quarterback Mike Glennon, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter), who added Licht and Dirk Koetter are “happy to have him.”

Jameis Winston‘s backup has not played since 2014 and was speculated as a trade target for quarterback-needy teams, joining Nick Foles, A.J. McCarron and the now-released Brian Hoyer in that regard. A 2013 third-round pick, Glennon is entering his contract year and as of now would net the Bucs a low-round compensatory selection if he departs in free agency.

The 26-year-old owns a 5-13 record during his starts as a rookie and then in 2014, completing 58.8% of his passes and throwing 29 touchdown passes compared to 15 interceptions before receding into a practice-only player once the Bucs drafted Winston.

Here’s the latest from Day 3 of the draft, beginning with a bit of history.

  • German League standout Moritz Boehringer informed the Vikings he’d sign with the team as a free agent after the draft, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, but those assurances evidently weren’t enough for the Vikings, who took the wide receiver project in the sixth round. A Vikings fan since he saw some Adrian Peterson YouTube videos in 2011, the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Boehringer is responsible for a landmark draft moment: he’s the first foreign-born player selected who didn’t attend a North American college (Twitter links courtesy of Tommason).
  • The Giants are going to add between 12 and 15 undrafted free agents, which is a slightly heightened figure from recent years, NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets.
  • We heard earlier the Steelers were trying to move into the fifth round in order to select potentially a running back or quarterback, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets, but balked when the players they targeted were no longer on the board.
  • The Colts had some issues on their offensive front last year but did not necessarily intend to devote half of their initial six picks during the draft to the line, Jim Irsay told media (including Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com). Ryan Kelly and Le’Raven Clark went to Indianapolis in the first and third rounds, respectively, with the team adding Carson Wentz‘s top blocker at North Dakota State in guard Joe Haeg in the fifth.

Packers Acquire 48th Pick From Colts

April 29th, 2016 at 7:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Packers have acquired the 48th overall pick from the Colts, reports Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). In return, the Colts will get three choices this year from the Packers – a second-rounder (No. 57), fourth-rounder (No. 125) and seventh-rounder (No. 248) – according to Mike Chappell of FOX59 (Twitter link). The Packers selected Indiana offensive tackle Jason Spriggs with their newly acquired pick.

Spriggs started 46 games for Indiana and could be the long-term solution at left tackle for the Packers, whose current starter – David Bakhtiari – is a year away from free agency. General manager Ted Thompson isn’t one to give away draft picks, so moving multiple selections for Spriggs is a significant vote of confidence in the young lineman.

Pauline’s Latest: OTs, Steelers, Packers, Bucs

April 28th, 2016 at 5:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

League insiders believe that as many as six offensive tackles could be selected in the first round of tonight’s draft, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley, Jack Conklin, and Taylor Decker are the obvious names, but Jason Spriggs, Le’Raven Clark, and Germain Ifedi are also candidates to go off the board tonight. The clubs that have put the most research into offensive tackles, per Pauline? The Colts, Packers, Seahawks, Broncos, Panthers, and Steelers.

Let’s check out the latest draft rumors, all courtesy of Pauline:

  • Among the teams hoping to trade down tonight are the Falcons, Colts, Vikings, and Jets, according to Pauline. On the other side of the coin, the Cardinals, Panthers, and Broncos may like to trade up. Denver, presumably, would be targeting a quarterback in a trade-up scenario.
  • The Steelers will consider a cornerback at pick No. 25, but they’ll also look at offensive tackles, writes Pauline. Pittsburgh returns Alejandro Villanueva at tackle, and signed Ryan Harris this offseason, but an upgrade wouldn’t be out of the question.
  • The Packers might also like to find a new left tackle, says Pauline, as Green Bay would like to transition incumbent David Bakhtiari to left guard.
  • If pass rusher Noah Spence is still available at the end of the first round, a club might trade back up in order to draft him, per Pauline. The Buccaneers are one team to watch in such a situation.

Colts Interested In Leviticus Payne

April 28th, 2016 at 12:09pm CST by Zachary Links
  • Cincinnati defensive back Leviticus Payne is drawing late interest from the Colts, Vikings, Jets, 49ers, and Texans, Wilson tweets.

Draft Rumors: Texans, Pats, Bears

April 26th, 2016 at 7:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest draft rumors from around the NFL:

  • Texas A&M cornerback Brandon Williams worked out privately for Texans coach Bill O’Brien and also visited the Steelers, Patriots, and Bears, Wilson tweets. Williams bench pressed 225 pounds 18 times at the NFL scouting combine and is said to be turning heads with his athleticism. Wilson writes that the A&M product, who had 34 tackles and seven passes defended in 2015, is drawing third/fourth round grades from scouts.
  • Michigan linebacker James Ross is drawing interest from the Colts, Raiders, Ravens, and Lions, Wilson tweets.
  • Temple wide receiver Robby Anderson had visited the Packers, Browns, Bengals, Chiefs, and Raiders, Wilson tweets. Anderson caught a career-high 70 passes for 939 yards on his way to an all-conference selection in 2015. The 6’3″, 190-pound receiver ran a 4.28 second 40-yard-dash at his Pro Day.
  • The Buccaneers and Chargers worked out Iowa State receiver Quenton Bundrage, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter). Bundrage, who posted a 4.5 second 40-yard-dash time, finished his senior year with 41 receptions, 548 yards, and one touchdown as a senior. He missed the 2014 season with a knee injury.
  • Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton is drawing late interest from the Texans, Vikings, and Cardinals, Wilson tweets.

Wells: Colts Shouldn't Trade First Round Pick

April 23rd, 2016 at 10:42am CST by Ben Levine

Colts general manager Ryan Grigson is always a threat to make a big trade, but Mike Wells can’t envision the team moving back in the first round. The team could surely collect extra assets by making such a move, but Wells believes the team has too many holes to justify a trade. Grigson actually echoed this sentiment earlier in the week.

[SOURCE LINK]

Colts Draft Notes: Lewis, Jones

April 22nd, 2016 at 5:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne
  • Nebraska offensive lineman Alex Lewis has logged official visits with the Cardinals, Titans, Giants, Colts, Eagles, Ravens, Lions, Bears, Packers and Saints, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link).
  • The Colts worked out Jacksonville University receiver Andy Jones this week, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Jones, who possesses a 41.5-inch vertical leap, visited with the Cardinals and Jaguars previously, tweets Wilson.
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