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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

FA Rumors: Packers, Wayne, Mathis, Deering

August 24th, 2015 at 10:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Packers are still waiting on the official results of Jordy Nelson‘s MRI, but if the star wideout has a torn ACL, as is feared, the team is expected to inquire on Reggie Wayne, reports Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Green Bay still has a good deal of wide receiver depth without Nelson, and the club typically doesn’t sign outside free agents very often, so it seems unlikely that Wayne would land with the Packers. It’s fair to wonder if Wayne’s camp is using Green Bay as a leverage play, as the veteran free agent attempts to negotiate a deal with the Patriots or perhaps another team.

As we wait to see where Wayne lands, let’s round up a few more notes on free agents….

  • Agent Drew Rosenhaus expects free agent guard Evan Mathis to have a new team by the end of the week, he said during an appearance on South Florida’s WSVN-7 (link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). According to Rosenhaus, his client has received interest from the Seahawks and “other teams,” and Salguero suggests the Dolphins should be in the mix if Mathis’ asking price is coming down at all.
  • It’s a busy week for former Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that Deering tried out for the Eagles, is working out for the Colts today, and has an audition with the Jets later in the week.
  • Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin examines the Packers‘ wide receiver situation, speculating that ex-Packer James Jones could be an option for the team. For now though, Jones is a Giant, so he’d probably have to be cut for Green Bay to consider him. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports made a similar point yesterday.

AFC East Notes: Wayne, Jets, Bills

August 23rd, 2015 at 8:32pm CST by Ben Levine

There was a mixed reaction among league executives to reports that veteran wideout Reggie Wayne visited the Patriots, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

“He’ll be in great shape – always takes car of himself,” said one AFC executive. “Tremendous pro and teammate. Health has been issue past two years. Great hands and routes. Did not have a lot left in his legs last year and struggled. Will struggle vs press – very savvy vs zone. New England has history of getting some production out of players like him.”

“Possession guy with hands and savviness but loss of speed and explosiveness evident,” said another AFC exec. “Maybe as a role player, but don’t see him as a starter solution.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC East…

  • Colts coach Chuck Pagano was thrilled that Wayne may get an opportunity to play this season. “I think that’s great for Reg,” Pagano said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells on Twitter). “Happy they’re looking at him and there’s an opportunity.”
  • While John Idzik‘s tenure with the Jets has certainly been scrutinized, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes that he may have found a pair of diamonds in the rough. Cornerback Marcus Williams and wideout Quincy Enunwa were both under-the-radar pickups by the former general manager, and the players are set to contribute in 2015.
  • Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus has continued to complain about his contract situation, and Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News has some of the player’s comments following last night’s game. “They’re making it hard,” said Dareus, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. “And it’s just really making me unhappy. I feel like they don’t really want me here…We’re still waiting. I feel like they don’t want me here as bad as I want to be here, as bad as the fans and my team wants me here. I feel like they’re saying, ‘Whatever. You come a dime a dozen.’”

Bennett Jackson Suffers Knee Injury

August 23rd, 2015 at 2:50pm CST by Rory Parks

2:50pm: Jackson tore his ACL, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, meaning that Jackson is likely to miss the 2015 season.

8:51am: The Giants‘ secondary, already ravaged by injury, suffered another major blow in last night’s preseason victory over Jacksonville. In addition to losing rookie safety Justin Currie for the season, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that second-year safety Bennett Jackson sustained a knee injury on a defensive play in the fourth quarter. Raanan reports that Jackson, who enjoyed an excellent training camp and who appeared poised to land a starting role, left the team locker room limping badly and with his right knee in a brace. The extent of Jackson’s injury is unclear at this time, and he will get an MRI today, but as Raanan tweeted last night, there are concerns that it could be serious.

Of course, given the state of the Giants’ secondary–by the time the game ended, six of the nine safeties on the roster were unavailable due to injury–it is fair to wonder why Jackson was even on the field in the fourth quarter, having played 56 snaps already. At the moment, Brandon Meriweather, Jeromy Miles, and Justin Halley, all of whom have been signed in the past five weeks, are the only safeties left standing. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets that Nat Berhe is expected to return to practice this week, but that will do little to assuage the team’s concerns at safety.

Unfortunately for the Giants, there are just not a ton of outside options to fortify the position, which is well-illustrated by a tweet from Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle this morning. Wilson notes that former Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering, who signed with New England as an undrafted free agent last year and who will be auditioning with the Eagles today, will next visit the Colts and Jets if he is not signed by Philadelphia. As PFR’s Ben Levine wrote yesterday, at least six teams are currently interested in Deering, which bespeaks the lack of quality safety options available at this point in the year. Graziano tweeted that Big Blue will likely “poke around” the free agent market again this week–it is unknown whether the Giants have interest in Deering–but it’s not as if the the team expects to find the answer to its prayers in the process. As head coach Tom Coughlin said of the mounting injuries, “It’s amazing with the way that’s going. It’s just hard to even comment on.”

We will pass along an update on Jackson’s injury as soon as it becomes available.

 

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/15

August 21st, 2015 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Friday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Eagles have waived/injured safety Earl Wolff, who has been bothered by knee injuries since 2013, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, started six games for Philadelphia in his rookie year, but has been plagued by injuries since that season. He confirmed today (via Twitter) that he underwent surgery on his troublesome right knee.
  • Rookie receiver Isiah Ferguson suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus, and will be sidelined for the year, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports (via Twitter) that the Rams have waived/injured the young wideout.
  • The Colts announced today that they’ve made a change at the back of their roster, waiving wide receiver L.T. Smith and replacing him with free agent guard Harland Gunn. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds (via Twitter) that the team also reached an injury settlement with linebacker Cody Galea, removing him from the roster.
  • As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets, UDFA wideout Jarred Haggins announced today that he has been cut by the Lions. Neither this transaction nor the reported release of safety Taylor Mays showed up on today’s transactions log, so the team will probably officially confirm the moves tomorrow.
  • After working him out earlier today, the Cowboys have signed free agent defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, waiving offensive lineman Cody Clay with an injury designation to clear roster space, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
  • According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), the Eagles have waived linebacker Brandon Hepburn off their injured reserve list with an injury settlement, while the Saints have removed wide receiver Andy Tanner from their IR.

South Notes: Pagano, Titans, Mathis, Panthers

August 21st, 2015 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Expectations are high in Indianapolis this season, with Colts owner Jim Irsay suggesting that he’d like to see his team win “at least two world championships” while Andrew Luck is the quarterback. Those high expectations, combined with the fact that Chuck Pagano is entering the final year of his contract, could mean it’s a “Super Bowl or bust” season for the Colts’ head coach, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

La Canfora hears that there’s “consistent chatter” around the Colts about possible tension between Pagano and GM Ryan Grigson, who haven’t always seen eye to eye on staff decisions — per La Canfora, Grigson strongly supported Pep Hamilton as offensive coordinator, while Pagano was more inclined to go with Rob Chudzinski.

I’m skeptical that Irsay and the Colts are drawing a hard “Super Bowl or bust” line with Pagano, but it’s somewhat surprising that the two sides haven’t been able to work out a new deal yet. As we wait to see what this season brings for Pagano and his team, let’s round up a few more Friday notes from around the NFL’s two South divisions….

  • The Titans are monitoring Evan Mathis‘ situation, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who suggests Tennessee’s interest in the veteran guard could intensify if the team’s offensive line play doesn’t improve in this weekend’s preseason game vs. the Rams.
  • In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates examines the Panthers‘ options for replacing Kelvin Benjamin, wondering if the Colts might be a logical trade partner — players like Donte Moncrief and Duron Carter may find themselves pushed far down on Indianapolis’ depth chart, with T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, and Phillip Dorsett expected to be the club’s top three wideouts. For what it’s worth, Carolina was one of the teams interested in Carter before he signed with the Colts.
  • Jim Woodcock, spokesman for Jaguars owner Shad Kahn, denied an international report claiming that the Jaguars have extended their deal with London’s Wembley Stadium through the 2030 season, per Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union. However, Woodcock added that discussions for the team to continue its London series “have been frequent and promising.”

Extra Points: Cousins, Jets, Hilton, Watkins

August 20th, 2015 at 9:56pm CST by Zachary Links

If Dan Quinn was hired by the Jets instead of Todd Bowles, the team likely would have dumped Geno Smith in favor of Kirk Cousins, Manish Mehta of the Daily News hears. Quinn’s plan for Gang Green included adding offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and his vision didn’t include Smith. Sources say the Washington play-caller wanted to instead trade for Cousins, who showed promise in two years under Shanahan While you ponder that what-if, here’s more from around the NFL..

  • After the Colts signed T.Y. Hilton to a $65MM deal, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star wonders if the team will still have enough room to get deals done with its other young stars. The Colts will have to cut a massive check to Pro Bowl quarterback Andrew Luck, who will command far more than $20MM annually. Also, the team is negotiating with left tackle Anthony Castonzo, who is essential as one of Luck’s protectors. By the time the Colts get to the likes of tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener, it’s fair to wonder if they’ll have enough cash to get deals done.
  • Jets guard Oday Aboushi has been suspended without pay for the first game of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. In a statement issued by Aboushi’s reps (via Rand Getlin of NFL.com on Twitter), they explained that the lineman was stopped in his car back in January when cops found a small amount of pot in his car.
  • With the Bills and Browns facing off on Monday night, Chris Fedor of The Plain Dealer revisited last year’s Sammy Watkins deal. Cornerback Justin Gilbert, who the Browns took with the No. 8 pick, has been off to a rough start and some are question whether he’ll ever meet his rookie year expectations. Cleveland’s side of the deal will also hinge heavily on the future of offensive lineman Cameron Erving, who the Browns selected with the Bills’ pick this year.

South Rumors: Castonzo, Kuechly, Brooks

August 18th, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The latest news and rumors out of the AFC South and NFC South focus on a handful of candidates for contract extensions. Let’s round up the highlights….

  • Earlier in camp, Colts owner Jim Irsay singled out T.Y. Hilton and left tackle Anthony Castonzo as two players the team would like to sign to contract extensions before the regular season. The team has now finalized a new deal with Hilton, and GM Ryan Grigson acknowledged today that the club has active negotiations ongoing with Castonzo, tweets Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
  • This morning, we heard that extension discussions between the Panthers and Luke Kuechly were “heating up,” but head coach Ron Rivera doesn’t want to assume his standout linebacker will get a new contract right away. Rivera tells ESPN.com’s David Newton that the odds of something getting done by Week 1 are still about 50/50. Personally, I’d be surprised if the two sides hadn’t agreed to terms by then.
  • Sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle that the Texans would like to lock up guard Brandon Brooks to an extension, though it will depend how expensive he gets. If Brooks were to reach free agency in 2016, he would likely be in heavy demand as one of the best players available at his position, alongside perhaps Ravens guard Kelechi Osemele.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/15

August 18th, 2015 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • Long snapper Nate Boyer, who took an unusual path to the NFL, has been waived by the Seahawks, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). With the newly-created roster spot, the Seahawks appear to have signed quarterback Jake Waters, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links).
  • The Steelers have reduced the number of quarterbacks on their roster by one, announcing today that they’ve cut Tajh Boyd, replacing him with wide receiver Jarrod West (Twitter link via Burt Lauten).
  • Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt, who tore his Achilles on Saturday, has been officially placed on injured reserve, the team announced today. To replace him, Minnesota signed former Giants tackle Stephen Goodin.
  • The Eagles‘ roster turnover at linebacker continues, as the team announced today (via Twitter) that it has signed former Southern Mississippi linebacker Dasman McCullum to replace Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo, who has been waived/injured due to an ankle injury.
  • The Colts made a change to their wide receiver group, signing UDFA wideout L.T. Smith and waiving Tyler Rutenbeck, according to a team release.
  • Former Emporia State wide receiver Austin Willis has been waived by the Raiders, tweets Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com.
  • The Cardinals have a new body in their secondary, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who reports that safety Anthony Walters has signed a one-year deal with the club. Linebacker Zack Wagenmann, who broke his foot, has been waived/injured, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.
  • More updates from Wilson: The Saints have cut receiver Kyle Prater and waived/injured defensive tackle Lawrence Virgil (Twitter link), the Jets have cut punter Jacob Schum (Twitter link), the Cowboys have cut cornerback Jason Wilson from their injured reserve list with an injury settlement (Twitter link), and the Steelers have removed running back Cameron Stingily from their IR with a settlement (Twitter link).

Extra Points: Rivers, Hilton, Ngata, Cherilus

August 17th, 2015 at 9:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Over the weekend, the Chargers and quarterback Philip Rivers reached agreement on a lucrative four-year extension worth $84MM. Today, we learned the details of the contract.

Rivers will earn a $22.5MM signing bonus with $15MM fully guaranteed in 2015, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. He’ll have a $16.5MM injury-only guarantee in 2016 which converts to a full guarantee on the second day of the ’16 waiver period. In 2017, Rivers will earn $14MM with $11MM guaranteed for injury only that will convert to a full guarantee on the second day of the waiver period. In the final two years, he’ll make $10MM and $11MM, respectively, with a $5MM roster bonus in each of those seasons.

That’s big bucks for the Bolts QB, but as we learned earlier tonight, that kind of deal apparently isn’t good enough for Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • T.Y. Hilton‘s deal with the Colts calls for him to earn base salaries of $1MM, $3MM, $8MM, $11MM, $13MM, and $14.54MM, Mike Chappell of the Indy Star tweets. Hilton’s new deal with Indianapolis could pay him $65MM in total with $39MM guaranteed.
  • Contract talks between the Lions and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata are ongoing and positive, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Ngata, a five-time All Pro, indicated in March that he would be open to an extension, and Lions GM Martin Mayhew has said that team management is also interested in working out a long-term deal.
  • Gosder Cherilus‘ deal with the Buccaneers is worth $7MM over two years, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The offensive lineman will earn $2.5MM this year and $4.5MM next year. Cherilus gets a $500K roster bonus in 2016 and his $2M base salary escalates to $3M if he plays 75 percent of the snaps in 2015, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
  • Cardinals UDFA rookie linebacker Zack Wagenmann broke his foot again and will miss the entire 2015 season, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/15

August 17th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Zachary Links

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

  • To make room for Chris Johnson, the Cardinals have waived/injured Brandon Person, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. Person tore his ACL on Saturday.
  • The Chiefs announced that they have signed linebacker Ja’Gared Davis and cut wide receiver Adam Drake, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Saints signed linebackers Justin Anderson and Chris Young, defensive tackle Austin Brown, and tight end Michael Egnew, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Packers released Adrian Coxson outright but the player will pursue an injury settlement, Wilson tweets.
  • The Dolphins announced that they have waived tight end Arthur Lynch and signed free agent linebacker James Davidson in his stead, James Walker of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Seahawks released defensive tackle Jimmy Staten and linebacker Dakorey Johnson, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Seattle also signed defensive backs Jeremy Crayton and Keelan Johnson.
  • The Jaguars have waived undrafted rookie linebacker Matt Robinson with an injury settlement, John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.
  • The Panthers (on Twitter) announced that they have signed punter Matt Wile and waived/injured tight end Jamie Childers.
  • The Colts announced that they have waived-injured linebacker Cody Galea and signed linebacker Nicklas Haag, Mike Chappell of the Indy Star tweets.
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