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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/24/15

November 24th, 2015 at 5:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Tuesday’s minor signings and cuts from around the NFL:

  • The Seahawks are bringing back running back Bryce Brown, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Brown will give Seattle additional depth at the position given Marshawn Lynch‘s uncertain status. Head coach Pete Carroll indicated that Lynch was unlikely to go this week, so Brown’s return is not an indication of whether Lynch will undergo surgery.
  • The Seahawks also signed wide receiver B.J. Daniels to the active roster, as Brady Henderson of ESPN Seattle tweets.
  • The Raiders cut linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Armstrong got in hot water earlier this month for taunting a police dog in Pittsburgh.
  • The Eagles signed wide receiver Jonathan Krause from the practice squad and released linebacker Emmanuel Acho, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets.
  • The Jets announced that they have signed outside linebacker Josh Martin off the Colts‘ practice squad to their active roster. Martin got his start as a UDFA with Kansas City in 2013 before moving on to the Bucs this season. After he was waived/injured by Tampa Bay, the Colts scooped him up soon after. For his career Martin has played in 21 games (one start) with a half-sack, a forced fumble and 28 tackles, all with the Chiefs.
  • The Dolphins have waived cornerback Zackary Bowman, as Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel tweets.
  • The Seahawks have waived defensive lineman A.J. Francis, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/24/15

November 24th, 2015 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL, with any further moves added to the list throughout the day:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: OL Reese Dismukes (Twitter link via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer)
  • Cut: T Pierce Burton (Twitter link via Person)

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: LB Danny Mason, QB Justin Worley (Twitter link via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times)

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: LB Kevin Snyder (link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle)

Seattle Seahawks

AFC South Notes: Mallett, Castonzo, Jags

November 24th, 2015 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

It wasn’t long ago that the AFC South was the laughingstock of the NFL, with the division’s first-place team sitting two games below .500 halfway through the season. The South hasn’t exactly turned into the league’s most fearsome division since then, but each team besides the 2-8 Titans is currently riding a multi-game winning streak, and the race for the South crown looks a little more competitive.

The 5-5 Colts and Texans both have winnable games on tap this weekend, with Indianapolis hosting the Bucs and Houston hosting the Saints, so it’s possible that by this time next week, the South could have two teams above .500 and entering the Wild Card conversation.

As we wait to see if the Colts, Texans, and Jaguars can extend their winning streaks, let’s round up the latest items from out of the division….

  • Ryan Mallett, who was released by the Texans after signing a two-year, $7MM+ deal with the team earlier in 2015, has filed for termination pay, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Because the veteran quarterback began the season with the team and hasn’t received termination pay previously in his NFL career, Mallett was eligible to receive his remaining salary for 2015, which works out to about $1.47MM — a prorated portion of $2.5MM. The Texans won’t owe any 2016 money to Mallett, who will be ineligible for termination pay in future seasons.
  • Speaking to reporters, including Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link), Colts coach Chuck Pagano said on Monday that offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo has an MCL sprain and will be week-to-week. Pagano also provided injury updates on wide receiver Phillip Dorsett and cornerback Vontae Davis, but the Castonzo news is most pressing for the Colts, and could force the team to shuffle its offensive line around.
  • In addition to working out defensive end Quanterus Smith, who signed with the team’s practice squad, the Jaguars also auditioned cornerback Robert Steeples this week, tweets Wilson.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Osweiler, Manning, Dennard, Hoyer

November 23rd, 2015 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

After picking up a victory in his first career start on Sunday, Brock Osweiler will face a tougher test in Week 12. As first reported by Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link) and since confirmed by head coach Gary Kubiak, Osweiler will make another start for the Broncos next Sunday against the undefeated Patriots.

While Osweiler prepares to start a second consecutive game, Peyton Manning is in Charlotte, getting a second opinion on his foot injury, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. Multiple reports on Sunday suggested that the future Hall-of-Famer is considering playing one more season, assuming he can get healthy, but Kubiak denied those rumors, suggesting today that Manning is focused solely on his recovery, rather than on 2016 (Twitter link via Troy Renck of the Denver Post).

Let’s check in on some other items from across the AFC….

  • The Bengals‘ fears on cornerback Darqueze Dennard were confirmed by an MRI today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweets that Dennard requires shoulder surgery and will be out for the rest of the season. Cincinnati should be able to overcome losing the 2014 first-rounder, since he was only serving as the club’s No. 4 corner in recent weeks.
  • Schefter also passes along the latest on the Texans‘ quarterback situation, with head coach Bill O’Brien announcing on ESPN’s NFL Insiders that Brian Hoyer will return to action in Week 12 (Twitter link). That may spell the end of Brandon Weeden‘s time in Houston, unless the team moves forward with three quarterbacks on its roster.
  • In the wake of Quinton Coples‘ release, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that it was “well known around the league” that the Jets had the linebacker on the trade block for most of 2015. Obviously, there were no takers prior to the deadline, which doesn’t bode particularly well for Coples’ odds of being claimed on waivers. Meanwhile, head coach Todd Bowles hinted today that he has a player – possibly a kick returner – in mind for Coples’ old roster spot (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
  • It wasn’t that long ago that it seemed like Colts head coach Chuck Pagano could be fired any day. While he’s still no lock to keep his job beyond the 2015 season, Pagano has his team believing in him, as Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star details.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Texans, QBs

November 19th, 2015 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

There has been plenty of quarterback shuffling going on in the AFC South recently, with the return of a healthy Marcus Mariota prompting the Titans to release Charlie Whitehurst, who was claimed off waivers by the Colts, who are without Andrew Luck for a few weeks. Meanwhile, the Texans, having cut Ryan Mallett earlier this year, grabbed Brandon Weeden off waivers from the Cowboys this week.

Today’s round-up of AFC South notes, in advance of tonight’s Titans/Jaguars game, focuses on those moves, so let’s dive right in…

  • One AFC South executive expressed “displeasure and dismay” that the Titans would cut Whitehurst at the exact moment that the Colts were looking for a backup for Matt Hasselbeck, says Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. As Schefter explains, Whitehurst hasn’t exactly been a world-beater when he’s gotten a chance to play, but one AFC South source suggested he’d rather see the Colts have to rely on a less experienced backup.
  • The Texans‘ motive for claiming Weeden? They’ll likely need a veteran backup of their own this weekend, since Brian Hoyer is expected to miss Week 11 due to a concussion, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. With T.J. Yates lined up for the start, practice squad signal-caller Zac Dysert would have been the next man up as the No. 2 if Houston hadn’t made a move.
  • Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk wonders if the Texans were also motivated to claim Weeden so the Colts couldn’t. Both teams have the same record, but Houston has faced a slightly weaker schedule, giving them waiver priority over Indianapolis. Considering Weeden used to play for current Indy offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, the Colts may preferred him over Whitehurst as Hasselbeck’s backup.

Extra Points: 49ers, Bush, Edelman

November 18th, 2015 at 8:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman had surgery on Monday to repair a broken bone in his foot. He’ll projected to be out for 6-8 weeks, which would have him back roughly in time for the start of the playoffs. Teammate Danny Amendola is confident that we’ll see Edelman back on the field this season, as Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com writes.

“Dealing with adversity is huge, not only during the season, but during a game, during a drive, everything,” Amendola said. “It’€™s no different. It’€™s no question that Julian was a great football player. He’€™ll be back and he’€™s going to work his tail off, just like he always does, to get back and play.”

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • 49ers running back Reggie Bush told reporters, including Joe Fann of 49ers.com (on Twitter), that he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and not his ACL or MCL as previously believed by some. That’s good news for the veteran’s rehab timeline. Bush had only eight carries for 28 yards this season but prior to his injury he was in line for a bigger role with starter Carlos Hyde dealing with his own injury issues.
  • With Andrew Luck on the sidelines, Colts coach Chuck Pagano says that he’s very happy to have battle-tested veteran Matt Hasselbeck on the roster. “It’s very comforting to know that you’ve got a guy in your building who’s won ball games for you, can operate at a high, high level,” Pagano said per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He’s been great for Andrew and for everybody else on the offensive side. He just brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and wisdom to our football team and to that position. It’s great having him. I feel awesome that we have Matt.” The veteran said that he wasn’t thinking about retirement prior to the 2015 season, but his plans for 2016 are not yet clear.
  • Robert Klemko of The MMQB (on Twitter) is surprised as to why Brandon Weeden continues to get work despite his lack of achievement at the NFL level. He opines that those in the league that are complaining about an NCAA quarterback drought are the same folks refusing to give young QBs an opportunity to succeed in the league. On Wednesday, the Texans claimed Weeden off waivers from the Cowboys.

Workout Notes: Jets, Giants, Pats, Colts

November 18th, 2015 at 5:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL:

Workout Notes: Seahawks, Colts, Bears

November 17th, 2015 at 7:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Kendall Hunter tour continues. On Tuesday, the Seahawks tried out the running back, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Hunter, who has seen his NFL career derailed by injuries in recent years, was removed from Sam Francisco’s injured reserve list in September with a settlement, making him a free agent. Last week, he tried out for the Jaguars, but that audition did not immediately lead to a deal.

Here’s a roundup of Tuesday’s notable workouts from around the NFL:

Suspensions Of Ace Sanders, LaRon Landry Lifted

November 17th, 2015 at 7:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has lifted the suspensions of safety LaRon Landry and wide receiver Ace Sanders, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Both players are free agents and free to sign with any team.

Sanders, who was released by the Jaguars in July, was hit with a ten game suspension for a violation of the substance abuse policy in August. A summer report indicated that teams including the Seahawks, Dolphins, and Lions had interest in Sanders, but his suspension obviously kept a deal from happening. Sanders, 24, had a decent rookie season in 2013, hauling in 51 balls, though he only averaged 9.5 yards per catch and reached the end zone just once. The South Carolina product wasn’t a major part of the Jaguars’ offense last season, after the team used multiple 2014 draft picks to add receiving help. He saw just seven targets in 2014, earning most of his playing time on special teams, where he returned 32 punts, averaging 7.1 yards per return.

Landry, 31, was suspended ten games for ostensibly violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs for a second time. Landry, a former sixth overall pick, signed a four-year deal with the Colts in 2013, which guaranteed him $11MM in his first season. However, his two seasons in Indianapolis were marred by injuries, underwhelming play, and a PED suspension which cost him four games in 2014.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/16/15

November 16th, 2015 at 5:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

  • The Colts announced that they activated cornerback D’Joun Smith from the Injured Reserve/Designated for Return list. Smith, a third round pick in the 2015 draft, was initially placed on IR-DTR on September 18th. In 44 career games at Florida Atlantic, Smith totaled 120 tackles (78 solo), nine interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 1.0 sack and 29 passes defensed.
  • The Panthers waived tight end Richie Brockel from injured reserve, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Giants are set to sign offensive lineman Emmett Cleary to the active roster, a source tells Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. Cleary, 25, spent the first ten weeks of the season on the Giants’ practice squad and he had a strong training camp and preseason. Cleary has also spent time with the Bucs, Colts, Raiders, and Bengals in recent years. To make room, the Giants cut defensive back Tramain Jacobs, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets.
  • The Seahawks were awarded defensive tackle A.J. Francis off waivers from the Dolphins, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. To make room, fellow defensive tackle David King was cut loose.
  • The Eagles released Wade Keliikipi from injured reserve, Wilson tweets.
  • Wide receiver Kaelin Clay took to Twitter to announce that the Ravens have signed him off the Lions‘ taxi squad.
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