Offseason Outlook: Indianapolis Colts
Pending free agents:
- Dwayne Allen, TE
- Colt Anderson, S
- Ahmad Bradshaw, RB
- Akeem Davis, S (ERFA)
- Jack Doyle, TE (RFA)
- Coby Fleener, TE
- Jerrell Freeman, ILB
- Matt Hasselbeck, QB
- Boom Herron, RB (RFA)
- Lance Louis, G
- Dwight Lowery, S
- Greg Toler, CB
- Adam Vinatieri, K
- Charlie Whitehurst, QB
- Billy Winn, DL
Top 15 cap hits for 2016:
- Andrew Luck, QB: $16,155,000
- T.Y. Hilton, WR: $11,000,000
- Anthony Castonzo, T: $9,800,000
- Vontae Davis, CB: $8,375,000
- Andre Johnson, WR: $7,500,000
- Trent Cole, OLB: $7,125,000
- Gosder Cherilus, T: $5,800,000 (dead money)
- D’Qwell Jackson, ILB: $5,750,000
- Arthur Jones, DE: $5,600,000
- Robert Mathis, OLB: $5,000,000
- Kendall Langford, DE: $4,250,000
- Erik Walden, OLB: $4,250,000
- Frank Gore, RB: $4,000,000
- Joe Reitz, G: $3,250,000
- Darius Butler, CB: $3,000,000
Notable coaching/front office moves:
- Head coach: Retained Chuck Pagano, extending him through the 2019 season.
- Offensive coordinator: Retained Rob Chudzinski, who took over job during 2015 season.
- Offensive staff: Hired Georgia OC Brian Schottenheimer as QBs coach to replace Clyde Christensen, who left to become Dolphins’ OC.
- Offensive staff: Hired former Dolphins OC Joe Philbin as OL coach.
- Defensive coordinator: Hired Ravens LBs coach Ted Monachino to replace Greg Manusky.
- General manager: Extended Ryan Grigson through 2019 season.
- Front office: Pro scouting director Andrew Berry left to become Browns’ VP of player personnel.
Draft:
Other:
- Current projected cap room (via Over the Cap): $24.56MM
- Must exercise or decline fifth-year option for 2017 for OLB Bjoern Werner.
- Waived QB Ryan Lindley.
- LB Sio Moore arrested for reckless driving.
Overview:
After making it to the AFC Championship at the end of the 2014 season, the Colts entered 2015 as a trendy pick to represent the conference in Super Bowl 50. However, Indianapolis’ veteran free agents, such as Andre Johnson, Trent Cole, and Todd Herremans, failed to have the impact the team had hoped for, and franchise quarterback Andrew Luck battled injuries for nearly the entire season, appearing in only seven games.
The AFC South was weak enough that the Colts remained in contention all year, but the club ultimately lost out to the Texans, finishing with an 8-8 record. For a franchise with Super Bowl aspirations, it was a hugely disappointing result, and head coach Chuck Pagano was widely considered a goner, with an outside possibility that GM Ryan Grigson would follow him out the door.
Instead, Colts owner Jim Irsay announced at season’s end that he intended to move forward with Pagano and Grigson, extending the contracts of both men. Pagano, whose contract had been set to expire, received a new four-year deal, while Grigson’s pact was extended by three years so that it runs through 2019, like Pagano’s.
Despite maintaining continuity at head coach, the Colts made several changes to Pagano’s staff in recent weeks, bringing in Georgia offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to coach the quarterbacks, former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin to lead the offensive line, and Ravens linebackers coach Ted Monachino to run the defense. The message was clear: Pagano wouldn’t lose his job as a result of the Colts’ 2015 struggles, but an overhaul of the staff was required, and going forward, similar results won’t be acceptable.
For the Colts to turn things around and return to contention in 2016, it starts with Grigson, who has made some questionable free agent signings and draft choices since taking over as the club’s GM. After last year’s foray into veteran free agency backfired, the club figures to be a little more cautious on the open market this time around, but the real key to success will be a higher success rate on draft picks, since Indianapolis needs to add some talented, young players to its core.
Key Free Agents:
The two top tight ends on the Colts’ depth chart are eligible for free agency this winter, with both Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen just a few weeks away from hitting the market. Of the two, Fleener is clearly in line for the bigger deal — not only is he the more productive pass catcher, but Pro Football Focus graded him as a significantly better blocker than Allen in 2015, even though Allen has historically been solid in that regard.
While the Colts would probably like to lock up Fleener, they won’t want to give him the sort of deal that young tight ends like Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz have signed so far this offseason. Both Kelce and Ertz signed contracts worth at least $8.5MM annually, placing them among the top five highest-paid tight ends in the NFL. But those players are coming off seasons in which they caught 70+ balls for 850+ yards. Fleener has never reached either of those benchmarks, which should make him a little more affordable. A deal in the neighborhood of $7.5MM per year might make sense, and it will be interesting to see if Indianapolis is willing to invest at that price.
While Allen may not be as crucial to the Colts’ offensive production as Fleener is, he’s also not a lock to head elsewhere. Allen and free agent linebacker Jerrell Freeman recently turned to Rosenhaus Sports for representation, which could be a good sign for Indianapolis, since Drew Rosenhaus has a history of getting deals done with the club.
Locking up Freeman would be big for the Colts’ defense — the 29-year-old is coming off a season in which he ranked fourth overall among 97 linebackers, including first against the run, according to PFF’s grades. Although that sort of performance as a run defender looks like something of an anomaly for Freeman, he has always been solid in coverage. If he can continue to play well against the run, it’s even more essential that the Colts keep him under contract. Inside linebackers typically aren’t huge earners, but Freeman could be in line for some nice offers if he reaches the open market, so if the Colts want to keep him, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try to get something done before March 9th.
Two of the league’s oldest players will see their contracts with the Colts expire next month, but it sounds as if both veterans want to continue their careers in Indianapolis. There’s mutual interest between the Colts and kicker Adam Vinatieri in a new deal, and it shouldn’t be hard for the two sides to figure something out.
Vinatieri’s previous contract averaged just $2.5MM per year, which is a very team-friendly price for a kicker who has been so reliable for so long. In 2015, Vinatieri made his final 25 field goal attempts, and if he sticks with the Colts for a couple more seasons, he has a chance to make a run at the NFL’s all-time scoring record — he currently sits third, less than 300 points behind Morten Anderson, and less than 200 from Gary Anderson.
Meanwhile, longtime signal-caller Matt Hasselbeck took a beating on the field in relief of Luck in 2015, but it didn’t discourage him from wanting to continue his career into his early 40s. Hasselbeck announced this week that he’d like to play in 2016, and the Colts seem like a good fit for him going forward.
While the team is currently carrying Josh Freeman and Stephen Morris on its roster, it’s not clear if either of those QBs will be ready to step in as the No. 2 behind Luck, so Hasselbeck would provide some veteran stability. He didn’t play badly when forced into action this past season, leading Indianapolis to a 5-3 record in his starts. If Hasselbeck re-signs with the Colts, the team probably doesn’t need to bring back Charlie Whitehurst, who is also a free agent.
Elsewhere in the offensive backfield, Ahmad Bradshaw and Boom Herron (restricted) are free agents, though it would be a bit surprising if the Colts bring both players back. Having struggled to find consistent production at the running back spot during Luck’s time with the team, it might make sense for the team to use a mid-round pick on a back to pair with Frank Gore, re-signing Herron for primarily special teams work. If the club doesn’t want to use a pick on the position this year, perhaps Bradshaw returns for one more season, but the Colts need to start getting younger here at some point.
Finally, the backfield on the other side of the ball is also a cause for concern this winter, with two starters – cornerback Greg Toler and safety Dwight Lowery – facing unrestricted free agency. If the Colts just bring back one of those two players, which I expect, they’ll almost certainly prioritize Lowery, whose first season in Indianapolis (76 tackles, four interceptions) was impressive. Lowery isn’t a star, but penciling him in at free safety and counting on him to be solid allows the club to focus on other areas. Toler, on the other hand, gets beaten by wideouts too frequently to be relied upon — if the Colts keep him around, it should be as a depth piece, not as a starter.
Possible Cap Casualties:
The Colts’ list of potential cap casualties this offseason is practically a who’s-who of the team’s most noteworthy March signings over the last two years. The most obvious candidates on the list are wide receiver Andre Johnson and outside linebacker Trent Cole, who joined the team a year ago.
Having played with 13 different starting quarterbacks during his 12 years in Houston, Johnson was viewed as an ideal match for Andrew Luck, but the veteran wideout caught only 41 passes for 503 yards in 2015, his worst ever full-season totals. Unless the Colts are banking on a significant bounce-back season from Johnson, it probably makes sense to cut him before his $2.5MM roster bonus is due on March 13th, since the team could trim his cap charge from $7.5MM to just $2.5MM. Because that dead money comes in the form of a partially guaranteed 2016 base salary, Indianapolis wouldn’t make that move until the start of the new league year.
Like Johnson, Cole was expected to be somewhat rejuvenated by joining a Super Bowl contender. Instead, he appeared in fewer than half of the Colts’ defensive snaps, matching a career low with just three sacks. Cole has just one year remaining on his contract, and Indianapolis could create $6.125MM in cap savings by releasing him, so that looks like the logical move.
While 2015’s free agent class perhaps features the most obvious release candidates, there are a handful of 2014 signees in danger of losing their roster spots in Indianapolis as well. Defensive lineman Arthur Jones has been unable to stay healthy since inking a five-year, $33MM pact with the Colts, a deal which no longer includes any guaranteed base salary. Indianapolis would only reduce Jones’ 2016 cap hit from $5.6MM to $3.3MM by cutting him, so if the team is holding out hope that he can make an impact, he may survive one more season.
Inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson and outside linebacker Erik Walden, on the other hand, have both stayed healthy, but have less dead money remaining on their deals. Jackson and Walden probably aren’t difference-making defenders going forward, and the Colts could clear more than $9MM in 2016 cap room by cutting both of them, so those are moves that should be considered if the team has potential replacements in mind.
Finally, the cap savings for cutting two more linebackers, Bjoern Werner and Sio Moore, wouldn’t be huge (in the ballpark of $1.5MM apiece), but the Colts could consider parting ways with both players this offseason. Werner has never been the player Indianapolis hoped he would be after selecting him in the first round of the 2013 draft, while Moore reportedly fell out of favor in Oakland partially due to questions about his attitude, and was arrested last month.
Positions Of Need:
As long as Andrew Luck enters the 2016 season healthy, the Colts have no uncertainty at the quarterback position, but the team faces questions at virtually every other offensive position this offseason. Will a 33-year-old Frank Gore be capable of continuing to lead the Colts’ rushing attack? If Andre Johnson isn’t back, will the team need to add another veteran wideout to complement T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and Phillip Dorsett? Will Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen be re-signed, or will the Colts need to pursue tight end help?
Still, the Colts’ top priority on offense this offseason should be on the offensive line, which will need to do a better job in 2016 of keeping Luck upright and creating holes for Gore and the rest of the club’s ball-carriers. Anthony Castonzo should enter the season as the team’s left tackle, and Jack Mewhort and Joe Reitz showed enough last season that they can probably be counted on to start as well, whether at guard or at right tackle.
That still leaves two openings on the offensive line, and while there are a few in-house options the Colts could turn to, the team should make every effort to upgrade those spots. There will be no shortage of free agent options, including a handful that the team’s coaching staff is familiar with — offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski coached tackle Mitchell Schwartz and center Alex Mack, who is likely to opt out, in Cleveland during his brief stint as the Browns’ head coach, and new OL coach Joe Philbin had guard Richie Incognito on his roster in Miami, though that relationship became rocky.
With the flexibility to move Retiz and/or Mewhort around a little, if needed, the Colts could target centers, guards, or tackles this winter, opening up a ton of options for the team as it tries to determine the best possible fits on its line. Centers Manny Ramirez, Ben Jones, and Stefen Wisniewski, guards Brandon Brooks, Evan Mathis, and Geoff Schwartz, and tackles Jake Long, Andre Smith, and Joe Barksdale are among the other veteran free agents the Colts could kick the tires on. Targeting offensive linemen in the draft is also a viable strategy. In their most recent mock drafts, ESPN’s Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have the Colts using their 18th overall pick on Alabama center Ryan Kelly and Ohio State tackle Taylor Decker, respectively.
Using that first-round pick to fortify Indianapolis’ offensive line is a defensible approach, but it might make more sense for Ryan Grigson and the Colts to use that selection – along with a few other draft picks – to address the defense, where their are several holes to be filled.
Along the defensive front, the Colts have some solid pieces in the mix, with Henry Anderson, Kendall Langford, and Zach Kerr expected to be part of the interior defensive line rotation. If Arthur Jones is retained, the Colts may not prioritize the defensive line as one of their top positions of need, but the team could use a more reliable option in the middle. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently suggested targeting Jets free agent Damon Harrison, and while he may be a little too expensive for the Colts’ liking, the team probably shouldn’t rely on David Parry as its primary nose tackle going forward, and a player like Harrison would certainly be a nice fit.
Assuming Jerrell Freeman can be re-signed, the Colts’ real area of concern in the front seven is on the outside, where the team needs to do a much better job of addressing the pass rush. New defensive coordinator Ted Monachino called improving the pass rush “priority No. 1” for the Colts this offseason, expressing the desire for an “attacking” defensive unit that does a better job of getting after the quarterback — Indianapolis ranked 22nd in 2015 with 35 sacks, and nearly half of those came during a hot streak against primarily non-playoff teams in the season’s final four weeks.
Robert Mathis, who tied for the club lead with seven sacks last season, will be back, but he’ll turn 35 next week, and he needs some help. Outside of Von Miller, who won’t reach the open market, the free agent options are limited, unless the Colts want to roll the dice on an off-field risk (Aldon Smith, Junior Galette) or another 30-something veteran (Tamba Hali, Calvin Pace). Adding a younger player to the mix with an eye toward fixing the problem long-term probably makes more sense, which is why the Colts figure to use an early-round pick on a pass rusher. In a recent mock draft, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report suggested Clemson edge defender Shaq Lawson for Indianapolis.
In the secondary, safeties Mike Adams and Dwight Lowery – if he’s re-signed – are a respectable duo, but the Colts will need to address the cornerback position. While Darius Butler figures to enter the season as the slot corner and Vontae Davis is a reliable option on the outside, that leaves an opening across from Davis, where the Colts could consider a veteran.
This year’s free agent market for cornerbacks features a handful of appealing options who could reach the open market, including Sean Smith, Trumaine Johnson, Janoris Jenkins, and Prince Amukamara. If the Colts aim a little lower, a couple coaching connections are worth keeping in mind — Monachino saw Ravens free agent Shareece Wright first-hand last year, while defensive backs coach Greg Williams worked with Chargers free agent Patrick Robinson in San Diego.
Extension Candidates/Contract Issues:
The long-term extensions for Anthony Castonzo and T.Y. Hilton each features sizable roster bonuses early in the new league year, and both players’ 2016 salaries will become guaranteed at that point as well. If the Colts want to free up a little extra cap room, the team could opt to restructure one or both of those deals, converting the roster bonuses and/or some salary into signing bonuses, prorating that cap hit over several years.
That’s a minor contract issue though compared to the big one looming over the Colts this offseason: the Andrew Luck extension. There’s no real drama here when it comes to whether or not it will get done — it will. The only drama will involve the total value of the extension, since it could very well be a record-breaker.
Colts owner Jim Irsay recently suggested Luck’s new deal will be “eye-popping,” adding that it’ll be worth nine figures, and well over $20MM per year. Those numbers aren’t particularly staggering, since we’ve seen deals exceed $120MM in total value, and $22MM in per-year salary. Will Luck be able to blow away those benchmarks, perhaps reaching $150MM in total value or $25MM in annual salary? Maybe, but I’d be more confident in his chances if he were coming off the MVP-type season everyone was expecting in 2015.
Obviously, Luck’s injury-plagued ’15 campaign won’t force him to accept a discount from the Colts, but his résumé to date still doesn’t include the kind of jaw-dropping single season that would clearly put him in line to become the league’s highest-paid quarterback. The Colts and Luck’s camp still recognize his value, and know that he definitely has the potential to become the NFL’s No. 1 QB within the next couple years, but we’ll have to wait to see how much the Colts are willing to pay for that potential.
I think Luck will ultimately exceed Aaron Rodgers‘ $22MM annual salary, but perhaps not by as significant a margin as I might have anticipated a year ago. No matter how the negotiations go, it will be one of the most fascinating storylines to watch this offseason.
Overall Outlook:
Between having Luck to lead their offense and playing in a weak AFC South division, the Colts have managed to mask many of their flaws in recent years, but their performance in 2015 – with and without their franchise quarterback – showed that there’s still plenty of work to be done on this roster. It’s possible that the return of a healthy Luck will allow the Colts to take back the AFC South in 2016. However, the division-champion Texans are a quarterback away from becoming very dangerous, and the Jaguars and Titans could be on the rise now that they’ve found their long-term answers at the QB position, so the Colts can’t take anything for granted going forward.
With new contract extensions in hand, GM Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano will be eager to make up for 2015’s mistakes this year, and they have a daunting to-do list on tap: find a pass rush, fortify the offensive line, solidify the secondary, and make sure Luck has plenty of weapons at his disposal. If the Colts can check off a few of those boxes this offseason, they’ll be well on their way to reclaiming their status as the team to beat in the AFC South.
Information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
South Rumors: Hasselbeck, Spiller, Panthers
Veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck turned 40 last fall, and has been playing in the NFL since 1998, but it sounds like he wants to play at least one more season, as Kevin Bowen of Colts.com details.
“I know I want to play (in 2016),” Hasselbeck said. “I know how much fun I had in the huddle last year. I remember getting in the huddle for one game and it was just so much fun to be in there with my guys, with my teammates, with my friends.”
Colts head coach Chuck Pagano told Hasselbeck earlier this month that the club “would love” to have him back, but the veteran signal-caller doesn’t currently have a contract for 2016, so the two sides would have to agree to a new deal. As March 9th approaches, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on whether the Colts work out a new contract with Hasselbeck, or if the team wants to turn to younger options to back up Andrew Luck. Currently, Josh Freeman and Stephen Morris are under contract in Indianapolis.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s South divisions:
- Saints running back C.J. Spiller hadn’t been considered a lock to return to the team in 2016, but it sounds like GM Mickey Loomis is planning on having him in the mix. In an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Loomis said that he thinks the Saints “will see the real C.J. Spiller” next season, as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune details.
- Another NFC South running back, Jonathan Stewart, is also a good bet to return to his current team. Team and league sources tell Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer that the Panthers are expected to retain Stewart, despite the cap savings his release would create.
- The Titans‘ signings during March’s free agent period might not reveal which player the team plans to take with the No. 1 overall pick, but Tennessee’s March moves could strongly suggest which direction the club won’t go with that selection, as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com explains.
- The Colts have had a consistent problem drafting offensive linemen, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, who examines the team’s various swings and misses at the position over the last few years. The offensive line is an area where the team could use an upgrade or two this offseason, so it’ll be interesting to see if GM Ryan Grigson can start to turn his draft record around at the position.
AFC South Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Skuta
A pair of pending Colts free agents have hired Drew Rosenhaus to represent them, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter links). Tight end Dwayne Allen and linebacker Jerrell Freeman will both be represented by the super agent heading into March and that could be a promising sign for the Colts. Rosenhaus has a history of getting deals done with Indianapolis and the team would surely like to retain both players.
Here’s more from the AFC South:
- Linebacker Dan Skuta had never been considered a probable cap casualty for the Jaguars this offseason, but that possibility became even more remote last week. According to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), $3.5MM of Skuta’s $3.6MM base salary for 2016 became fully guaranteed on Friday, meaning there would be extremely minimal cap savings this season for the Jags if they were to cut him.
- Finding a starting center should be a priority for the Jaguars this offseason, says Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. As we noted last week during our Jags offseason preview, incumbent starter Stefen Wisniewski is a free agent, and Alex Mack – who drew significant interest from Jacksonville two years ago – may hit the market again.
- Colts linebacker Jonathan Newsome was arrested early Wednesday morning on possession of marijuana charges, as Matt Adams of FOX59 writes. Authorities first came to Newsome’s home to follow up on a noise complaint and during the investigation, officers found marijuana. Police said Newsome cooperated with authorities as he was taken into custody. Newsome established himself in 2014 with 4.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits. In 2015, the 25-year-old didn’t put up the same kind of numbers, recording 18 total tackles and 1 sack.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Colts Sign Cameron Clear
The Colts announced that they have signed tight end Cameron Clear. Clear will give the Colts a bit of insurance as tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen approach unrestricted free agency. 
[RELATED: Colts Want To Re-Sign Adam Vinatieri]
Clear was in camp with the Steelers prior to the 2015 season before injuries led to him going on IR and, eventually, securing his release. The 6’5″ tight end is no stranger to the workout circuit, as his player page on Pro Football Rumors shows, but he has yet to see live action in the NFL. Needless to say, he will not solely serve as a replacement if Fleener and Allen sign elsewhere. However, he can be a low-risk reserve option with blocking ability for the Colts if one of the two players leave in free agency. The Colts also have backup tight ends Jack Doyle and Erik Swoope on the depth chart.
Allen made 16 catches in 13 games for the Colts this season. He hasn’t been able to match the production he put up as a rookie in 2011 in terms of receptions (45) and yardage (521), but he did amass a career-best eight touchdowns in 2014. Fleener, meanwhile, appeared in all 16 games, racking up 54 catches and 491 yards with three touchdowns. The 27-year-old (28 in September) tied Allen with a career-high 8 touchdowns in 2014.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Matt Forte Notes: Dolphins, Giants, Colts
Since running back Matt Forte announced earlier this week that he wouldn’t be returning to the Bears, writers have been going crazy with potential landing spots for the 30-year-old running back. The Patriots and Jets were suggested as potential destinations, along with several other teams.
Those rumblings have carried over to this morning, and we’ve compiled several notes regarding the Pro Bowler below…
- If the Dolphins lose Lamar Miller and the price proves to not be too rich, it can be in the team’s best interest to pursue Forte, writes Greg Cote of The Miami Herald. The running back has a relationship with new coach Adam Gase, who was the offensive coordinator with the Bears last season.
- Forte makes “zero sense” for the Giants, write Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The writer would prefer the team gets younger, and Forte wouldn’t necessarily fit on a squad that already has four running backs.
- Forte probably won’t be on the Colts radar, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. While the team is looking to get younger at the position, a three-year difference in age between Forte and Frank Gore shouldn’t be enough to entice the team. Instead, Wells could envision the team pursuing a younger running back who they could pair with Gore.
2016 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure is projected to be $1.696MM in 2016. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2016 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
49ers: Gerald Hodges, LB
Bears: Marquess Wilson, WR
Buccaneers: William Gholston, DE; Mike Glennon, QB; Akeem Spence, DT
Cardinals: Andre Ellington, RB; Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S; Alex Okafor, LB
Chargers: Keenan Allen, WR
Colts: Sio Moore, LB; Hugh Thornton, G
Cowboys: J.J. Wilcox, S; Terrance Williams, WR
Dolphins: Jelani Jenkins, LB; Dallas Thomas, T; Dion Sims, TE; Kenny Stills, WR
Eagles: Bennie Logan, DT
Falcons: Kemal Ishmael, S; Levine Toilolo, TE
Jaguars: Josh Evans, S; Dwayne Gratz, CB
Jets: Brian Winters, G
Lions: Larry Warford, G
Packers: David Bakhtiari, T; Micah Hyde, S
Patriots: Duron Harmon, S; Chris Jones, DT; Logan Ryan, CB
Raiders: Mychal Rivera, TE
Rams: T.J. McDonald, S
Ravens: Ricky Wagner, T; Brandon Williams, DT
Saints: Terron Armstead, T; John Jenkins, DT
Seahawks: Luke Willson, TE
Steelers: Markus Wheaton, WR
Titans: Brian Schwenke, C
Washington: Jordan Reed, TE
Extra Points: Combine, Draft, Colts, Browns
The NFL announced the 332 participants who will perform at the NFL Scouting Combine, with potentially high-value quarterbacks Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch and Carson Wentz among the prospects invited.
These quarterbacks figure to be jostling for the right to either go No. 1 overall, in the event the Titans trade their pick, or be the first signal-caller off the board.
Despite coming from Division I-FCS North Dakota State, Wentz looks to be out front right now, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears (video link). The 6-foot-6 Wentz’s rise to this point comes from being the only quarterback scouts have seen throw since the season ended, Cole notes, with Wentz impressing the scouting armada at last month’s Senior Bowl.
Sources told Cole, however, younger QBs Goff and Lynch may have higher ceilings due to their age and potential for physical growth and calls this race a fluid situation.
Here’s more from Cole and others from around the league.
- Although Ronnie Stanley rates as the top tackle prospect by many outlets, GMs and other NFL sources are questioning the Notre Dame lineman’s work ethic, Cole reports (video link). Stanley’s decision to train for the Combine in Las Vegas resides the crux of this concern, one GM told Cole.
- The Colts rearranged their coaching staff, shifting multiple assistants to different position groups, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Jim Hostler will shift from coaching the wide receivers to coaching the tight ends this coming season, and Tim Berbenich will transition to the assistant quarterbacks coach job after he served as a defensive assistant last season.
- The Browns adjusted their analytics-geared front office again on Thursday, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Former director of football research Ken Kovash will now assist new player personnel VP Andrew Berry in running the scouting department. Kevin Meers, a source tells cleveland.com (via Ulrich), will now lead the research department. Meers and Berry will report to new football operations VP Sashi Brown, who has final say on the 53-man roster, Ulrich reports. Meers, Berry, Brown and new chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta are all Harvard graduates.
South Notes: Bucs, Cotchery, Hasselbeck
After watching Cam Newton and the Panthers win 15 games in his division in 2015, then seeing Newton run for his life against a fearsome Broncos pass rush in the Super Bowl, Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander would like to see his team make an effort this offseason to add some more defensive players capable of wreaking havoc in opposing backfields.
“We need to get some more guys to, you know, to get some push on the quarterback,” Alexander said during an appearance on WDAE-AM 620 (link via JoeBucsFan.com). “I think that’s what we’re going to be drafting this year, defensive ends. We had great defensive ends this year, but we need a little more help. So whoever we can get, you know, we’re going to need that pressure to get Cam and, you know, try to get to the Super Bowl this season.”
As general manager Jason Licht takes Alexander’s recommendations under consideration, let’s check in on some other updates from around the NFL’s South divisions….
- Thursday is the day that the contracts for Panthers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and safety Roman Harper void, so both players will officially become free agents when the new league year begins, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. For his part, Cotchery said this week that he’s not sure what his future holds, but he has only positive things to say about the two years he has spent in Carolina (link via Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review).
- By the end of his 2015 campaign with the Colts, Matt Hasselbeck was pretty banged up, but the veteran quarterback said today during an appearance on 710 ESPN Seattle that he’s “strongly leaning toward” playing another season (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of 710 ESPN Seattle). Hasselbeck is an unrestricted free agent, so if he does continue his NFL career, there’s no guarantee that will happen in Indianapolis.
- The agent for veteran guard Jahri Evans, who was released by the Saints this week, said on SportsRadio 94 WIP today that New Orleans asked Evans to take a pay cut to remain with the team, but his client wasn’t willing to do that for the second consecutive year (Twitter link via Matt Moscona of ESPN New Orleans). Evans signed a new contract last April that reduced his salary for 2016.
Extra Points: Combine, Brees, Chargers
The NFL has decided that prospects that have been convicted of domestic violence and sexual assault will be barred from the NFL scouting combine, as Chase Goodbread of NFL.com writes. “It is important for us to remain strongly committed to league values as we demonstrate to our fans, future players, coaches, general managers, and others who support our game that character matters,” stated NFL Football Operations Executive Vice President Troy Vincent in the memo to NFL teams. Last year, Tennessee linebacker A.J. Johnson was uninvited from the combine at the last minute after he was indicted on two counts of aggravated rape. He went undrafted and his court case is still pending.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com ran down 18 key NFL offseason dates and notable contract deadlines. As he details, the third day of the waiver period – Wednesday, Feb. 10th – will be significant for a number of big-name players, including the Saints’ Drew Brees and Jairus Byrd, the Browns’ Joe Haden, and the Raiders’ Curtis Lofton.
- The Chargers finalized their coaching staff by naming former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees as an offensive assistant and Marquice Williams as a special teams assistant, as Ricky Henne of Chargers.com writes. Rees quarterbacked the Irish from 2010-13, playing alongside current Bolts Manti Te’o, Chris Watt and Trevor Robinson.
- The Colts announced that they have hired Maurice Drayton as assistant special teams coach and Jemal Singleton as running backs coach. Drayton has 17 years of coaching experience, including 10 seasons at his alma mater, The Citadel. Singleton holds 14 years of collegiate coaching experience, including nine seasons at his alma mater, Air Force. He served as the special teams coordinator/running backs coach at Arkansas in 2015.
Colts Waive Ryan Lindley
The Colts have reduced their quarterback depth chart by one, announcing today in a press release that they’ve cut Ryan Lindley. The 26-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent this week if he clears waivers.
Given the opportunity to play briefly for the Colts in the final week of the regular season, Lindley completed six of 10 passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. Prior to that game, his only regular-season experience had come during his time as a Cardinal. Lindley started six regular season games over the course of three seasons for Arizona, and also started a playoff game for the team a little over a year ago.
Lindley was one of two quarterbacks signed by the Colts prior to their Week 17 game, when Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, and Charlie Whitehurst were all battling injuries. Unlike Lindley, Josh Freeman – the other quarterback signed during Week 17 – remains on Indianapolis’ roster, and could have an opportunity to compete for the No. 2 job in 2016.
Outside of Luck, the Colts currently only have Freeman and former Jaguars Stephen Morris under contract at the QB position. Hasselbeck and Whitehurst are both eligible for free agency next month.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.