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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Holder On Colts’ Running Back Situation

September 20th, 2015 at 1:46pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Colts have a potential need at running back after just one week. Their big free agent acquisition, Frank Gore, carried the ball only eight times for 31 yards in that game against the Bills. As a team, they only had 44 yards on 13 carries from their backs–Andrew Luck had 20 yards on four attempts.

Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star believes that despite chatter, the Colts have not made a decision about whether they will bring in a veteran back to pair with Gore and rookie Josh Robinson. He writes they will likely wait a week or two before strengthening the position group, in order to see what they currently have on the depth chart (via Twitter).

However, he also mentions that while he isn’t sure they will definitely sign a veteran back, the team is doing their due diligence in examining the free agent market for possible options (via Twitter).

While there are rumors that the team will bring in another player, Holder writes that the team wouldn’t have waited to make that move (via Twitter). If general manager Ryan Grigson was positive the team needed new blood in the backfield, the team would have signed a running back already.

One name that has been rumored to be considering joining the Colts is former Bronco Montee Ball. There have been reports Ball told people he would be signing with the Colts imminently. However, Holder says that is all third-hand information, and that he has not been able to confirm those reports (via Twitter).

AFC Rumors: Jets, Ravens, Workouts

September 19th, 2015 at 1:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite signing a four-year, $16MM extension last October, Jeremy Kerley played just one snap for the Jets in Week 1 and doesn’t appear to have a role in Chan Gailey‘s offense. Gailey prefers receivers play different positions. Kerley’s skill set is mostly limited to slot work, putting his future with the team in doubt, according to Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. Kerley, who established career highs with 56 catches for 827 yards in 2012, missed time this summer with an Achilles injury and a concussion, leading to being phased out of the offense thus far. “We started molding [the offense] around other things, and we are where we are,” Gailey told media. Eric Decker played 43 snaps in the slot last week.

Here are some other items emerging from other AFC locales.

  • With Eugene Monroe set to miss tomorrow’s Ravens-Raiders game due to a concussion sustained in the first half of Week 1, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com posits the Ravens are not receiving good value from Monroe after he signed a five-year, $37.5MM deal last season. Monroe’s latest absence will mark the sixth time the Baltimore left tackle’s missed a game since signing that extension, and after quality seasons prior to last, Monroe graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 63rd-ranked tackle last year.
  • The Colts worked out cornerback Brandon Dixon, Bill Bentley and Robert McClain, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter) the latter of the trio having 17 career starts to his credit. The Patriots cut the 27-year-old McClain earlier this month after signing the ex-Falcon this offseason. A former Division II All-American and twin brother of Saints cornerback Brian Dixon, Brandon Dixon played 14 games last season for the Buccaneers. Bentley, a 2012 third-rounder, started eight games for the Lions in 2012-13 but ended up on injured reserve last season after playing in just one game.
  • The Browns worked out linebacker Jayson DiManche, and defensive ends Cam Johnson and Nordly Capi, Wilson tweets. DiManche played in 28 games for the Bengals the past two seasons, with Johnson suiting up in 13 for the 49ers and Colts in the past three.
  • In addition to trying out Bernard Pollard on Friday, the Raiders also brought in free safeties Durrell Eskridge and Ryan Murphy for auditions, notes Wilson (on Twitter).

AFC Notes: Ravens, Manning, McCown, Colts

September 18th, 2015 at 7:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Let’s look at some of the news coming from AFC teams’ camps as teams begin final preparations for Week 2.

  • Eugene Monroe will miss the Ravens‘ second game after sustaining a concussion in their first, Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports. James Hurst will likely start at left tackle. Hurst helped DeMarcus Ware receive a J.J. Watt-esque +10.6 grade from Pro Football Focus in the Ravens’ Week 1 loss to the Broncos. Breshad Perriman will also miss Week 2.
  • John Harbaugh deemed recently signed pass-rusher Jason Babin fit to suit up for the Ravens on Sunday, with the team likely using him in pass-pursuit situations behind Elvis Dumervil and Courtney Upshaw, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports.
  • Josh McCown did not believe he sustained a concussion on his end zone dive against the Jets and drove himself home from the Browns‘ facility after the game, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. Cleveland’s primary starter expected to be cleared for this week but will comply with the concussion protocol, Cabot notes. Mike Pettine seemed to acknowledge McCown endured a setback this week, according to Cabot, noting that such an occurrence resets the recovery clock in the concussion protocol.
  • Gary Kubiak‘s offense continues to be a dud with the Broncos thus far, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reports, with Peyton Manning‘s hot stretch coinciding with the 18-year veteran taking 31-of-37 snaps out of the shotgun following his second-quarter pick-six compared to being under center for seven of the 13 plays prior to Marcus Peters‘ interception, per Football Outsiders. “We’re trying to help him by running the football better and do some things,” Kubiak told media. “But we also know what he’s very comfortable doing, so we’re trying to somehow find a medium between the two and we think that will be good for our team.”
  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com examines whether a potential Colts dynasty has been squandered due to the failure to form a quality roster around Andrew Luck. Corry’s chart of contenders’ quality players lists the Colts with having nine, a number well below their top-tier brethren; the Broncos have 17, the Patriots 15, the Packers 14 and the Seahawks 13 in this analysis.
  • Jonathan Cyprien (calf) is doubtful for the Jaguars‘ AFC Florida supremacy battle, while Luke Joeckel (ankle) is questionable, according to an Associated Press report.

Breer’s Latest: Colts, Maxwell, Los Angeles

September 18th, 2015 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

A week after Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota – the top two picks in the 2015 draft – squared off in Tampa Bay, Albert Breer of the NFL Network spoke to Buccaneers GM Jason Licht and Titans GM Ruston Webster, and both executives are still very happy with the choices they made back in April. Of course, there wasn’t much to dislike about Mariota’s Week 1 performance for Webster, and even though Winston struggled, Licht says the team “saw some flashes of great play” and still has a lot of faith in the No. 1 overall pick.

As Breer notes, history suggests that a rookie quarterback’s performance in the first week of the regular season doesn’t necessarily reflect what kind of career – or even what kind of season – he’ll have, so it’s hard to draw too many conclusions from Mariota winning round one over Winston.

Let’s round up a few more of Breer’s items of interest….

  • Colts owner Jim Irsay wants to make the most out of Andrew Luck‘s time in Indianapolis after the Colts only won one championship in 14 years with Peyton Manning, and there’s a belief that Irsay will have an itchy trigger finger with his decision-making as a result. If the 2015 season ends the same way the last three seasons have, Irsay will look to make changes, according to Breer, who says the Colts’ owner may go “big-game hunting” if he decides to replace Chuck Pagano as head coach.
  • In examining Byron Maxwell‘s unsteady start with the Eagles, Breer cites one NFC executive who has said in the past that teams’ biggest free agent mistakes often involve projecting players into bigger roles. In Maxwell’s case, he was surrounded by Pro Bowl caliber defensive backs in Seattle, but is being relied upon as the No. 1 option in Philadelphia after inking a lucrative long-term contract. It remains to be seen whether Maxwell’s poor performance vs. the Falcons was a one-week blip or a sign of things to come.
  • St. Louis and San Diego reps won’t get an opportunity to make presentations at the NFL’s owners meetings in October, but that doesn’t mean the subject of Los Angeles won’t be discussed. As Breer writes, owners could address and agree to a relocation fee, and figure out how it would be paid. The league may also try to finalize a temporary stadium for 2016 and a new window for applying for relocation, since the current window (January 1 to February 15) is expected to be moved up.
  • Within his L.A.-related observations, Breer also says that Dean Spanos and his Chargers have garnered the most sympathy around the NFL based on his situation, so it seems extremely unlikely that any relocation scenario would leave the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium — the franchise figures to either move to L.A. or get a stadium solution worked out in San Diego.

Colts Place D’Joun Smith On IR-DTR

September 18th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been an active day of roster moves for the Colts, who have now made multiple changes to their active roster and practice squad in preparation for their Week 2 game against the Jets. According to a press release, the Colts have placed cornerback D’Joun Smith on the injured reserve list with the designation to return, promoting cornerback Eric Patterson from their practice squad to take Smith’s roster spot.

In addition to those moves affecting the 53-man roster, the club has also cut guard Robert Myers from its practice squad, adding guard David Arkin and cornerback Brandon Dixon to get back up to 10 players (Twitter link).

Several Indianapolis cornerbacks have been sidelined from practices this week with injuries, including Darius Butler, Greg Toler, and Smith, who was selected 65th overall back in May by the Colts. As such, it makes sense that the club would want to add some depth to its secondary to get through this weekend’s game.

A former Florida Atlantic defensive back, Smith was inactive for his first game in the NFL last week, and now he’ll miss at least the next eight weeks of action. The 22-year-old, who is battling a knee injury, will be eligible to return to practice in Week 8, but he won’t see the field in a game until at least Week 11, following the Colts’ Week 10 bye.

Indianapolis becomes the league’s 13th team to use its IR-DTR slot this season. The full recap of how teams have used that designation can be found right here.

Extra Points: Pats, Julio, Fluker, Cooper

September 17th, 2015 at 9:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The DeflateGate scandal reentered the news Thursday when Mark Baltz, the NFL’s head linesman from 1989-2013, voiced his suspicion regarding recently reinstated Patriots employee Jim McNally. In response, Jim Daopoulos – the league’s ex-supervisor of officials and one of Baltz’s former bosses – defended McNally.

“In all my years working with locker-room attendants, Jim McNally, without a doubt, is probably one of the most professional of all the locker-room attendants in the National Football League,” Daopoulos said, according to CSNNE.com. “And that can be attested by all the officials working in the National Football League.”

“I really don’t know what Mark’s agenda is right here,” Daopoulos added.

Other news from around the league:

  • Although Falcons star receiver Julio Jones has been limited this week with a hamstring injury, head coach Dan Quinn says there’s “zero” chance he’ll miss their game Sunday, per The Associated Press. Jones lit up the Eagles for nine catches, 141 yards and two touchdowns in Monday’s win. He’ll look to do something similar against the Giants this week.
  • Chargers guard D.J. Fluker was carted off the field with an ankle injury during the team’s Week 1 win over Detroit, and there was concern that he’d miss anywhere from four to six weeks. Instead, Fluker will only miss a couple weeks, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. In the meantime, Chris Hairston will take his spot as the starting right guard.
  • Raiders receiver Amari Cooper harbors no ill will toward Bengals cornerback Adam Jones, who avoided a suspension after ripping Cooper’s helmet off his head and slamming his head against the ground in Cincy’s win last week. “I didn’t want him to get suspended,” Cooper said, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “He was just playing football and playing physical like you’re supposed to. I’m past all that now. I’m trying to focus on the Ravens.” (Twitter links: 1; 2).
  • Seahawks rookie defensive end Frank Clark is a situation player – for now, anyway – and using Richard Sherman in the slot enables the team to get its three best cornerbacks on the field, D-coordinator Kris Richard said (Twitter link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta).
  • The Colts’ decision to waive/injured running back Vick Ballard prior to Week 1 remains a curious one, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. They did it to open up a spot for inside linebacker Josh McNary, but they have a logjam of ILBs. On the other hand, they’re lacking at running back behind starter Frank Gore.

AFC Notes: Pats, Hilton, Rice, Manziel

September 17th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Earlier this week, the NFL reinstated Patriots employee Jim McNally from suspension for his role in the DeflateGate scandal. McNally may not be totally out of the woods yet, though, as new allegations against him have come to light. Former official Mark Baltz, the league’s head linesman from 1989-2013, told WTHR.com that he was always suspicious of McNally, according to John Breech of CBSSports.com.

“[McNally] was always worried about the footballs. Always,” Baltz stated. “It was very odd. I reported him to the league, but never got any reaction from them. I don’t think they thought it was a big deal at the time. But [McNally] did things that 31 other locker room attendants don’t do.”

Baltz said he reported McNally to the league six to eight years ago.

“All I know is, when he got [the footballs], he would run. He would take off,” Baltz added. “Whether he was going somewhere and letting air out, I’m definitely suspicious, but I don’t know for sure.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Colts No. 1 receiver T.Y. Hilton caught seven passes for 88 yards before suffering a knee injury that caused him to leave the team’s 27-14 loss to Buffalo last Sunday. Afterward, there was fear that he’d be out for a solid chunk of time. However, Hilton and head coach Chuck Pagano think he could be ready to go in time for Monday’s game against the Jets.  “A game-time decision depending on how I feel,” Hilton said Thursday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Pagano said he has “a lot” of optimism that Hilton will play this week.
  • With LeSean McCoy‘s hamstring injury continuing to be an issue, the Bills suddenly look thin at running back. However, don’t expect them to sign free agent Ray Rice, according to Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). Instead, look for rookie Karlos Williams‘ workload to increase. Williams rushed for a team-high 55 yards and a touchdown on just six carries in the Bills’ win over Indianapolis.
  • There aren’t many believers left when it comes to Johnny Manziel, but Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is one of them. “Johnny has tremendous physical attributes — tremendous physical attributes,” DeFilippo said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We just have to keep grooming him and keep teaching him situational football and when to take chances and when not to.”
  • The Ravens got just 190 total yards from their offense in their 19-13 opening week loss to Denver. New offensive coordinator Marc Trestman took the blame, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Trestman said his offense has to find ways to get the ball downfield. That should be easier this week against a thin Oakland secondary.

Colts Interested In Ahmad Bradshaw

September 16th, 2015 at 2:08pm CST by Zachary Links

While nothing is imminent, the Colts have expressed interest in adding running back Ahmad Bradshaw, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. The team is considering signing him as a depth addition.

The 29-year-old was suspended for the first week of the NFL season due to a marijuana arrest, but his broken leg is completely healed and the Colts apparently have interest in a reunion. In 10 games with the Colts last season, Bradshaw ran for more than 400 yards and posted 38 receptions.

Bradshaw is no stranger to off-field troubles. The tailback resisted arrest while at the University of Virginia and was kicked off of the football team before ever suiting up in a game. He quickly latched on with Marshall and went on to become a key part of their offense, but in his junior year he was sentenced to two years probation for petty larceny. Later on, while with the Giants, Bradshaw wound up serving jail time for violating probation for a sealed juvenile charge. In a vacuum, Bradshaw’s marijuana citation might not have garnered a suspension, but the portion of his legal history that intersected with his professional career has apparently changed things.

Bradshaw was the Colts’ most effective running back in 2014 before fracturing his ankle in November. The veteran led the team with 425 yards on the ground and 4.7 yards per carry. Bradshaw was also extremely effective as a pass catcher out of the backfield, grabbing 38 receptions and scoring six touchdowns through the air. Bradshaw graded as Pro Football Focus’ 11th-best back (subscription required) despite missing more than five games due to the season-ending fractured fibula he suffered against the Patriots in November. Unfortunately, Bradshaw saw only 10 games last season and he missed most of the 2013 campaign with a season-ending neck injury.

Workout Notes: Phillips, McClain, Still

September 15th, 2015 at 7:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens worked out veteran outside linebacker Shaun Phillips, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Of course, after the Ravens reached agreement with Jason Babin earlier this evening, there might not be a spot for Phillips in Baltimore.

Phillips, 34, played nine seasons for the Chargers before joining the Broncos in 2013 and then signing with the Titans last March. The veteran inked a two-year, $5MM contract with Tennessee, but wasn’t overly effective in a part-time role, recording just a pair of sacks after reaching double-digits in 2013. With the Colts in 2014, Phillips made even less of an impact, recording seven tackles and no sacks in his five regular-season contests with the team.

Here are more notable NFL workouts from today..

  • We learned earlier today that Terrelle Pryor worked out for the Patriots. Pryor, making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver this summer, impressed Browns coaches in training camp. However, after the team set its 53-man roster prior to Week 1, Pryor was essentially the 53rd man, making him expendable when other holes needed to be filled.
  • Former Patriots cornerback Robert McClain was one of three cornerbacks who worked out for the Rams today, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Colts worked out former Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Jets worked out a number of outside linebackers today, including former Falcon Jonathan Massaquoi, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. Massaquoi, 26, was selected by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, and has since played 40 games for the team, starting seven of them.
  • The Patriots had wide receiver Evan Spencer in for a tryout on Tuesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/15/15

September 15th, 2015 at 7:09pm CST by Zachary Links

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

  • The Jets waived Oday Aboushi, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. Aboushi was suspended without pay for the first game of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
  • The Bears cut quarterback David Fales, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Patriots cut undrafted rookie wide receiver Chris Harper, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).
  • The Chargers signed offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins and dropped tight end Kyle Miller, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets.
  • The Eagles placed center David Molk on IR, according to the team transactions page.
  • The Cowboys officially signed Charles Brown and waived Darrion Weems, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. Brown went to training camp with the Jets and was a former second round pick of the Saints.
  • The Buccaneers announced today that they have waived (injured) linebacker James-Michael Johnson.
  • The Texans placed tight end Ryan Griffin on IR-DTR with a sprained medial collateral ligament, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Titans reached injury settlements with Zaviar Gooden and Yawin Smallwood, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
  • The Colts signed Josh McNary to the active roster, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes.
  • The Raiders will release tight end Gabe Holmes but they’ll try to re-sign him to the taxi squad, Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports tweets.
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