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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Colts Cut Josh Johnson, Host Ahmad Bradshaw

October 5th, 2015 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have made a change to their 53-man roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve cut quarterback Josh Johnson. The move creates an open roster spot for the team, though that opening remains vacant for now.

Johnson was added to the Colts’ roster last week as an insurance policy as Andrew Luck battled a shoulder injury. With Luck sidelined on Sunday and Matt Hasselbeck getting the start against the Jaguars, Johnson served as the club’s No. 2. The fact that the Colts are willing to release him appears to be a good sign for Luck’s availability this week, though the team could always re-sign Johnson or promote Alex Tanney from the practice squad if necessary.

In addition to cutting Johnson, the Colts are also hosting free agent running back Ahmad Bradshaw for a visit, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The 29-year-old was suspended for the first week of the NFL season due to a marijuana arrest, but has served that ban, and has reportedly healed from the broken leg that ended his 2014 campaign.

In 10 games with the Colts last season, Bradshaw compiled 425 rushing yards on 90 attempts and 300 receiving yards on 38 receptions. We heard in September that Indianapolis was interested in a potential reunion with the veteran back, with the team having parted ways with backups Boom Herron and Vick Ballard in recent weeks.

Currently, rookies Josh Robinson and Tyler Varga are backing up starting running back Frank Gore, with Zurlon Tipton – who was recently promoted from the practice squad – also in the picture.

Colts To Start Matt Hasselbeck Vs. Jaguars

October 4th, 2015 at 11:29am CST by Dallas Robinson

Andrew Luck will be among the Colts’ inactives when the club faces the Jaguars later today, the club announced, meaning that veteran Matt Hasselbeck will be thrust into the starting quarterback role. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Indianapolis performed tests on Luck’s injured shoulder and found no structural damage, so it’s possible that Luck’s injury is of the short-term variety.

Today’s contest will mark the first that Luck has missed during his career, as he had started 51 straight games since entering the league in 2012. The 26-year-old had been laboring through his worst season yet, completing just 56% his passes en route to a 5:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report tweeted last Sunday that many coaches and executives around the league believed that Luck was injured, and obviously his subpar statistics gave some validation to that claim.

Hasselbeck, now 40 years old, will earn his first start since 2012. Since signing with the Colts prior to the 2013 season, Hasselbeck has appeared in seven games in relief of Luck, attempting 56 passes for 431 yards and two scores. The former Seahawk will try to manage the Colts’ offense as the club attempts to even its record at 2-2.

AFC Rumors: Chargers, Gore, Broncos, Browns

October 3rd, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer did some scouting before this week’s critical Los Angeles-related owners’ meeting, in paying visits to three owners and commissioner Roger Goodell, according to David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Along with Goodell, Faulconer met with John Mara (Giants), Robert Kraft (Patriots) and Jerry Richardson (Panthers) — each a member of the six-owner committee in charge of assessing Los Angeles’ feasibility as the Chargers, Raiders and Rams vie for relocation — and has requested summits with the committee’s other members, Clark Hunt (Chiefs), Bob McNair (Texans) and Art Rooney II (Steelers).

The prior trio of owners, however, did not say to Faulconer which way they were leaning, or if they did, Faulconer is not communicating that sentiment to the media. Per Garrick, the mayor’s expressing confidence thanks to a joint-county $1.1 billion stadium plan that would call for the prospective new Chargers’ home to be built over Qualcomm Stadium.

No votes are expected on Los Angeles at this week’s meeting, with a final decision likely coming around Super Bowl week, according to Garrick.

Here is some news from the facilities of the Chargers’ AFC brethren.

  • Due to Ty Sambrailo‘s shoulder injury, Peyton Manning will have another first-time blocker Sunday when Michael Schofield joins the Broncos‘ starting offensive line, per Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press. A third-round pick in 2014, Schofield’s been deactivated for each of the 20 games he’s been on the active roster, counting Denver’s divisional playoff loss last season, and he will take Ryan Harris‘ place at right tackle as Harris shifts to the left side.
  • Colts running back Frank Gore remains miffed 49ers GM Trent Baalke didn’t communicate with him this offseason he left the team after 10 years this winter, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. “The only thing I was hurt by was that I thought we could have (separated) better,” Gore told the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder. “I don’t know if I even wanted to go back. But I would have felt better if we would have sat down and had a conversation. I mean, I was going to test the market no matter what. Me and the head coach talked and he basically told me I’d be in a certain situation. But I wanted to hear it from the GM.“
  • In addressing the issues with the Browns‘ offensive line, Terry Pluto of cleveland.com doesn’t think Joel Bitonio and Alex Mack are performing to the level they did at this point last year. The Browns rank 26th in rushing yards, and Football Outsiders grades the Cleveland front as the 27th-best power-blocking quintet thus far.

Breer’s Latest: London, Bears, Colts

October 2nd, 2015 at 6:47pm CST by Rob DiRe

Albert Breer of NFL.com notes that the league had a 15-year plan to get London its own franchise when they played their first game at Wembley Stadium in 2007, and that means the NFL is more than halfway there. He writes that the people in charge in England are still looking at a timetable for 2022, including NFL Executive Vice President for International Mark Waller.

“It’s a realistic time frame,” Waller said Wednesday. “But there are still things we need to test for, so we have to be able to build a lot of things into the next few years. We don’t need to prove as much on the fan-demand side. We feel comfortable that, in a few years, we’ll be where we need to be there. The real focus is doing things to keep testing. We’re really focusing on the logistical and operational side.”

  • Breer also notes that the NFL will look to add at least one more international game in 2016. With three games already in London, they could add a fourth game at Wembley or take that fourth game to another international market, and there is a chance the league could take both options.
  • While Breer writes the league is still on target to have a franchise in London and Waller’s public comments back up that stance, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears that the NFL isn’t optimistic about getting a franchise in London anytime soon. Coles says that after speaking with more than 10 team executives, the consensus is that there is no way the league puts a permanent team in London and that the league has largely given up on the idea.
  • Breer also writes that the recent trades of Jared Allen and Jon Bostic are new Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox admitting that they inherited a roster that is barren due to poor drafting and trades in the past. The team would like to continue to strip the team down, but of the players with trade value, only Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte are older players who aren’t likely to be a part of the future in Chicago.
  • The Colts have benched Todd Herremans, even though he was the biggest pickup this offseason for a team that pushed offensive line help in the offseason. Additionally, the only draft pick the team used up front was the 255th overall selection of Denzelle Good, so the team has only themselves to blame for Andrew Luck‘s early season issues, performance and injury alike.

Colts Sign Josh Johnson

October 2nd, 2015 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have signed an insurance quarterback to their roster, adding to the uncertainty about Andrew Luck‘s status for this weekend. According to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com (via Twitter), quarterback Josh Johnson has signed with the team, with cornerback Shaun Prater being waived to create a roster opening.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported yesterday that Luck, who is battling a shoulder issue, is considered “legitimately questionable” to play on Sunday vs. the Jaguars, and today’s roster move shows that the Colts are concerned about their franchise QB’s availability. If Luck can’t go, veteran backup Matt Hasselbeck would get the start against Jacksonville, with Johnson serving as his backup.

Johnson, 29, spent time with the 49ers in 2014 after serving as Andy Dalton‘s backup for the Bengals in 2013. All in all, the veteran hasn’t seen much time on the field in recent years, seeing no active game duty in 2014 and a total of three games since 2012. He spent some time with the Bengals and Jets this summer before being cut by both teams.

Johnson is the second quarterback the Colts have added to the mix this week — the team also signed Alex Tanney to its practice squad on Tuesday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/1/15

October 1st, 2015 at 5:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..

  • The Jets signed tight end Wes Saxton off of their taxi squad, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. Saxton will provide the Jets with depth while Jeff Cumberland is sidelined.
  • The Patriots promoted defensive tackle Khyri Thornton from the practice squad to the active roster, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. New England wanted to beef up its defensive front and they had an open spot to use.
  • The Colts added running back Zurlon Tipton to the active roster, as Mike Chappell of FOX59 tweets. To make room, defensive lineman Earl Okine was waived. The move likely means that running back Tyler Varga will not be ready to go this weekend.
  • The Patriots removed Ryan Groy from their injured reserve with an injury settlement, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

Workout Notes: 9/30/15

September 30th, 2015 at 4:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s workouts from around the NFL..

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/29/15

September 29th, 2015 at 9:48pm CST by Zachary Links

To make room for the newly acquired Jonathan Bostic, the Patriots announced that they have released running back Travaris Cadet. Cadet, 26, was signed by the Pats as a free agent in March of this year. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder spent the last three seasons with the Saints and saw time in only one Pats game this year. Cadet has played in 42 career NFL games and has 11 rushing attempts for 37 yards, 46 receptions for 346 yards with two touchdowns, 50 kickoff returns for 1,293 yards, and two punt returns for two yards.

Here’s a rundown of Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves around the NFL..

  • The Chargers announced that they have signed veteran center J.D. Walton, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes. Walton started 16 games at center for the Giants last season and played for Mike McCoy when he served as offensive coordinator in Denver.
  • The Chargers have waived tight end Kyle Miller, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes.
  • The Chargers informed tackle Tyreek Burwell that he’ll be promoted from the practice squad, a source told Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. Burwell will help provide San Diego with depth in the wake of recent injuries on the O-Line.
  • The Cowboys signed defensive lineman David Irving to their active roster off of the Chiefs‘ practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Colts added cornerback Shaun Prater and dropped fellow corner Eric Patterson, as Mike Florio of PFT writes. Patterson played in the first two games for the Colts but was cut last week, signed back to the practice squad, then promoted again last Friday.
  • The Vikings cut wide receiver Gavin Lutman from injured reserve, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/15

September 29th, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

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

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed: WR Shaq Evans (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Signed: S Ronald Martin (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com)
  • Cut: CB Keon Lyn

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Diego Chargers

St. Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: DT Derrick Lott (press release)
  • Cut: CB Imoan Claiborne

Washington:

  • Signed: C Austin Reiter (Twitter link via Zac Boyer of the Washington Times)

Sunday Roundup: Browns, Whitworth, Brees

September 27th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

Dwayne Bowe is a healthy scratch for the Browns in Week 3, which, given Cleveland’s dearth of talent at wide receiver, speaks volumes about Bowe’s present ability. Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com appears to believe that the team will cut ties with Bowe sooner rather than later, tweeting that the team will wait for GM Ray Farmer to return from suspension after next week’s game and then pull the plug on Bowe. Grossi’s ESPN colleagues Adam Caplan and Jeremy Fowler, however, disagree. Fowler tweets that the Browns will at least wait to see if Bowe can get himself into game shape, while Caplan tweets that, between the $9MM in guaranteed money the Browns invested in Bowe, combined with the team’s need at wideout, Bowe will have a little more time to prove himself.

Now let’s take a peek at a few more links from around the league:

  • Johnny Manziel may not be playing for the Browns this week, but as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, he continues to impress Cleveland brass with the strides he has made both on and off the field. The team will continue to roll with veteran Josh McCown for the time being, but if the Browns should begin to slip from the playoff picture, Manziel will get the chance to prove he is the team’s long-awaited solution under center.
  • Coley Harvey of ESPN.com believes the extension that the Bengals recently gave to Andrew Whitworth is a clear indication that the team does not see its window of opportunity closing, and that they will continue to be championship contenders for the foreseeable future. Although the team has not officially announced the extension, Harvey tweets that the announcement could come after today’s game against Baltimore.
  • Drew Brees‘ injury clouds his future with the Saints, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the team could free up $20MM in salary cap room by parting ways with Brees next year and beginning the rebuilding process. Of course, before that happens, the team would have to have a viable alternative under center; Luke McCown is not the answer, and rookie Garrett Grayson, needless to say, has a long way to go.
  • If Brees should end up looking for a new home next year, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says the Jets would likely be a strong contender for his services.
  • Chuck Pagano may be coaching his last season in Indianapolis, but he is apparently unafraid to make drastic changes to jump start his struggling club. As Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets, the Colts went with a new-look offensive line today, starting Jack Mewhort at left guard, Hugh Thornton at right guard, and Joe Reitz at right tackle. Free agent acquisition Todd Herremans, notably, moves to the bench.
  • During the 2009 draft, the Jaguars traded their seventh-round pick in that draft and their second-round pick in the 2010 draft to the Patriots in exchange for New England’s third-round pick in 2009. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, Jacksonville selected Derek Cox with that third-round pick, and the Pats parlayed their two choices into Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.

 

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