Colts Promote Williams, Sign Carter
The Colts announced that they have promoted cornerback Frankie Williams to active roster and signed linebacker Chris Carter. To make room, linebacker Trevor Bates and tackle Jeremy Vujnovich have been let go. 
Williams, a Purdue product, went undrafted this year and signed on with the Colts in May. It initially looked like he was going to make the roster, but he was dropped in early September for veteran Darryl Morris. Williams joined Indianapolis’ practice squad soon after and his persistence has finally garnered him a place on the 53-man roster. With Darius Butler and Patrick Robinson banged up, Williams will offer depth during the Colts’ Sunday night contest against the Texans.
Carter, meanwhile, was a fifth-round pick of the Steelers in the 2011 draft. He has just four NFL starts to his credit, but he could be used in a pass rush role off the bench.
Colts Audition Pierce Burton
- Offensive tackle Pierce Burton worked out for the Colts today, according to Balzer (Twitter link).
Colts Activate Arthur Jones
In a bit of a surprising move, the Colts have activated defensive end Arthur Jones from the Exempt/Commissioner Permission list, reports Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). It was expected that coach Chuck Pagano would wait at least another week to add the veteran to the active roster. Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star wrote earlier this week that Jones wasn’t expected to play this weekend.
“We’ll make the smartest decision that’s best for this team and what’s best for Art,” Pagano said at the time. “I just don’t want to throw him out there without some time to task.”
The 30-year-old was suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the league’s PED policy. This was just the latest setback for Jones, who originally joined the Colts on a five-year, $33MM deal in 2014. Following four productive seasons with the Ravens, the veteran’s first season in Indy was a disappointment. The defense end finished the 2014 season with only 23 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in nine games (three starts). Jones ended up tearing ligaments in his ankle prior to the 2015 season, sitting him out for the entire campaign. The franchise ultimately reworked the defensive end’s contract, reducing his 2016 salary from $4.5MM to $2.5MM.
As Keefer detailed, this may be the final opportunity for Jones to prove that he belongs in the organization… and perhaps even the NFL.
“I just have to do my job,” Jones said. “And by that (I mean) staying on the field. You get hurt. When you play football long enough, things will happen. I never thought it was because of my ability. It just wasn’t my time, I guess. Everything happens for a reason.”
Jones currently doesn’t project to be any more than the Colts’ second-string defensive end. As Roster Resource details, the veteran will presumably compete with rookie Hassan Ridgeway for the opportunity to back up starters Kendall Langford and Henry Anderson.
Is Andrew Luck’s Contract To Blame For Colts’ Struggles?
When the Colts signed quarterback Andrew Luck to a record-breaking six-year, $140MM contract, the team was probably anticipating (at the very least) consistent playoff appearances. They certainly weren’t expecting a disappointing 1-3 start to the 2016 season.
The Colts have struggled mightily through the first month of the season. The offensive line has allowed a league-high 15 sacks, while the defense ranks towards the bottom of the league in both yards and points allowed. Most pundits would attribute the Colts’ problems to their head coach, Chuck Pagano. Perhaps they’d rather blame the architect of the roster, general manager Ryan Grigson. However, in a recent interview on Jay Mohr Sports, Grigson actually placed the blame on Luck’s giant contract.
“On defense, we’ve never come out and said it’s Super Bowl or bust this year,” Grigson said (via Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com). “We have a defense that is a work in progress. … Once we paid Andrew (Luck) what we did, it’s going to take some time to build on the other side of the ball.”
Sure, Luck’s $24.6MM salary for 2016 is the highest in the league, but the contract shouldn’t prevent the organization from building a solid squad around their franchise player. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com writes, Luck’s contract isn’t a “position buster,” meaning his deal isn’t egregious when compared to the fifth-highest player at his position. Signing a player to such a contract means the team may have to sacrifice “two low level veteran depth guys for younger talent.” However, as Fitzgerald notes, that “should not change the top level composition of the team.”
Futhermore, Luck’s contract shouldn’t restrict the Colts from making moves in the future, either. Over the next six seasons, Luck’s contract will never account for more than 15-percent of the cap. For comparison’s sake, Peyton Manning accounted for a similar amount of the Broncos cap last season, and that team managed to win a Super Bowl behind an elite defense. Plus, the team ranks 19th in total contract value per year, which (if managed properly) shouldn’t prevent the team from building a solid foundation around Luck.
The team’s biggest offseason signings on defense, cornerbacks Patrick Robinson and Antonio Cromartie, haven’t played a significant role in 2016, and the latter was even released earlier this week. Meanwhile, Grigson has only used 16 of his 38 draft picks on defensive players, which
makes it tough to develop a talented and productive unit. Fitzgerald notes that the team has also overspent on free agents Gosder Cherilus, LaRon Landry, and Greg Toler in recent years. They haven’t drafted a Pro Bowler since 2012, and they sent out another first-rounder for running back Trent Richardson. When you look at it that way, it’s especially hard to blame the quarterback’s contract.
When all is said and done, the Colts should have anticipated this “predicament.” Fitzgerald estimates that a team should expect to spend at least $19.5MM a season on a franchise quarterback, and plenty of teams have succeeded despite paying that kind of money. Furthermore, the team failed to take advantage of Luck’s team-friendly rookie contract, another slight on Grigson’s shaky record.
Fortunately, there’s reason for optimism, Colts fans: Grigson isn’t panicking!
“The thing about is, we’re all accountable,” Grigson said. “Myself is accountable. Our coach always brings that up to the team constantly, we’re all accountable in this thing. We’re accountable to ourselves. We’re accountable to our owner, the horseshoe and all that. … Coach and I have a lot of faith in this team. It’s an early season. There are a lot of good 1-3 teams right now. There’s no reason to panic.”
However, if the Colts continue to struggle and Grigson continues to displace the blame, the general manager’s attitude will undoubtedly change.
Freeman: Colts Were Uninterested In Reunion
Jerrell Freeman sensed the Colts were planning to move on without him after they signed Nate Irving to a three-year, $7.25MM deal last spring. But he still tried to give them a chance to exceed the Bears’ offer a year later.
“I went into free agency and it was pretty much, ‘Good luck,’” Freeman said, via Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. “Even when I did get the Bears’ offer and we tried to go back to them. They were like, ‘Yeah, this is a good deal; take it.’ I guess it [was] over.”
The Bears ended up signing the 30-year-old inside linebacker to a three-year, $12MM accord. He’d hoped to stay with the Colts after leading or being second on the team in tackles from 2012-15 but saw the team move on and go with Irving and Sio Moore. Both are no longer with Indianapolis after recent cuts.
Freeman played for the $2.35MM RFA tender last season while seeing Irving, a former third-round Broncos pick who was coming off a season-ending injury at the time, receive the multiyear commitment. The Colts also traded a sixth-round pick to the Raiders for Moore, whom they cut Tuesday.
Indianapolis’ initial offer to retain Freeman — submitted several weeks before free agency began — was the three-year, $12MM commitment the Bears proposed. But the Chicago deal included $2.5MM in incentives that proved to be the difference, Holder reports, who adds Ryan Grigson preferred to spend Freeman’s money on cornerback Patrick Robinson.
“They ended up signing Nate and paying him more than I made that year. That kind had me off a little bit,” Freeman said. “Ah man, is that how it is? Later on after that year, it was one of those take-it-or-leave-it-type things. I was like, four years and that’s how it is? Take or leave it?”
In the teams’ Week 5 matchup, the Bears will deploy Freeman and fellow UFA signing Danny Trevathan at inside linebacker, while the Colts may use fourth-round rookie Antonio Morrison alongside D’Qwell Jackson. Freeman has 41 tackles this season after making 112 in 13 games in 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/5/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Kenny Bell
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Rory Anderson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE E.J. Bibbs (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Luke Rhodes (Twitter link via Mich Chappell of CBS4)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Brian Leonhardt
- Cut: CB Tre Roberson (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune)
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Chase Farris (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss)
- Cut: LB Quentin Gause
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Tyrell Adams, LB Darnell Sankey (via Jimmy Durkin of the San Jose Mercury News)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Josh Keyes
Colts Promote Trevor Bates
- The Colts announced that they have promoted rookie linebacker Trevor Bates from the practice squad to the active roster. With veteran Sio Moore out of the picture after being cut earlier today, it’s possible that Bates could carve out a role.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/4/16
Here are today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: P Michael Palardy (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
- Cut: LB Davis Tull
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Corey Washington
- Cut: WR Matt Hazel
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Raheem Mostert (Twitter link via Brett Tessler)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Mike Liedtke (Twitter link via Tessler)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Lee Hightower (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of FOX59)
New York Giants
- Signed: QB Logan Thomas
- Cut: LB Deontae Skinner
New York Jets
- Signed: S Ronald Martin
- Cut: FB Julian Howsare
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE James Cowser
- Cut: DL Demetrius Cherry, LB Darnell Sankey (Twitter link via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: T Brett Boyko, LB Deon King, WR Kevin Norwood
- Cut: TE Austin Traylor
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Sterling Bailey
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Russell Hansbrough (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
- Cut: WR Jonathan Krause (Twitter link via Auman)
Colts Release Antonio Cromartie
The Colts announced that they have cut cornerback Antonio Cromartie. The veteran hooked on with Indianapolis in late August but his run with them is already over here in early October. The team also waived inside linebacker Sio Moore.
Indianapolis signed Cromartie in the wake of an injury suffered by Pro Bowler Vontae Davis. However, Cromartie was not able to recapture his old form in four games this season.
Against the Bears, Cromartie suffered an arm injury and it’s not immediately clear how long he may be sidelined with that. Still, Cromartie is immediately eligible for free agency since he is a vested veteran. Any team with interest in Cromartie will check into his arm as well as his troublesome hip injury that has dogged him for a while.
Cromartie, a four-time Pro Bowler, returned to New York last year with the Jets. Pro Football Focus ranked him just 86th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks in 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
14 Players Returning From Suspension
Fourteen players will return from four-game suspensions this week, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The most high-profile returnee, of course, is quarterback Tom Brady, who will re-join the 3-1 Patriots on Sunday against the Browns.
The following players have completed their suspensions:
- QB Tom Brady, Patriots
- DL Armonty Bryant, free agent (waived by the Browns today)
- CB Jalen Collins, Falcons
- LB Aaron Colvin, Jaugars
- DT Marcell Dareus, Bills
- T Seantrel Henderson, Bills
- DE Arthur Jones, Colts
- DE Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys
- LB Aaron Lynch, 49ers
- DE Rob Ninkovich, Patriots
- G Chris Scott, Panthers
- DL Damion Square, Chargers
- T Zach Sterup, free agent
- TE Darren Waller, Ravens
The club that employs each player will receive a short roster exemption that ends the day following the team’s Week 5 game. that means the 49ers’ exemption for Lynch ends Friday, the Panthers’ exemption for Scott ends next Tuesday, and the rest end next Monday.
Sterup, meanwhile, was on the Chiefs’ practice squad when he was banned, but he hasn’t completed the PED reinstatement requirements, according to Balzer. So although he can sign with a new club, Sterup can’t practice or play until he’s approved by the league.