Indianapolis Colts Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Osweiler, Seahawks, Bills

August 17th, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

As Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) explains, the Broncos have a pair of questions to answer in regard to Brock Osweiler. The first is whether the quarterback is capable of replacing Peyton Manning when the future Hall-of-Famer retires, and the second is whether the club will be able to retain Osweiler beyond the 2015 season.

According to Cole, John Elway and the Broncos decide they want to keep the young signal-caller around, they may try to work out a deal that’s heavy on incentives, meaning Osweiler would earn those bonuses if he eventually lands the starting job. However, it’s not clear yet if Denver would try to get something done with Osweiler in the next few weeks, or if the club is more inclined to wait until after the season to make its decision.

Let’s check out a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NFL….

With Tarvaris Jackson dealing with a sprained ankle, the Seahawks may add another quarterback to their roster, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Per Condotta, the club worked out a QB today, though that player has yet to be identified.
Having seen multiple players in their front seven go down injuries over the last few days, the Bills are bringing in several free agent defenders for workouts, according to Mike Rodak and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Per the ESPN report, defensive lineman Red Bryant and edge defenders Marcus Benard and Quentin Groves are auditioning for Buffalo.
Free agent running back Joe McKnight, who is recovering from a torn Achilles, has been fully cleared for all activities by foot/ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson, tweets Caplan. McKnight worked out for the Texans recently, but didn’t sign with the team.
Peter King of TheMMQB.com covers a number of topics in his latest piece, listing Ahmad Bradshaw atop his list of the best available free agent running backs, and suggesting that new Bills DE IK Enemkpali will likely face at least a two-game suspension.
Colts head coach Chuck Pagano refuses to let his contract status be a distraction as he enters the final year of his deal, telling ESPN’s Mike Wells that he has “the best job in the entire world right now,” and his focus is on getting the most out of his team.
There were rumblings that the Falcons might consider re-signing linebacker Prince Shembo after his legal case was resolved, but D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the team decided to pass on bringing back the former fourth-round pick.

AFC Links: Mettenberger, Manziel, Cyprien, Broncos

August 15th, 2015 at 12:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

After an impressive showing Friday night behind already-anointed starter Marcus Mariota, Zach Mettenberger should be a Bills or Jets trade target, offers Louis Riddick of ESPN.com.

But the value the Titans would extract in such an exchange wouldn’t equal what they’ll receive with the second-year quarterback serving as key depth behind the No. 2 overall pick, writes Riddick’s ESPN cohort, Paul Kuharsky.

The ESPN Titans reporter notes Mettenberger’s value will go up in time and trading him for what could amount to merely a conditional draft pick now won’t outweigh having a potentially talented backup in case Mariota struggles or experiences health concerns.

Let’s look at some more news from around the AFC.

Joining Julius Thomas as an injury-induced preseason spectator will be Jaguars starting safety Jonathan Cyprien, who will miss August with a broken finger in his right hand sustained Friday night, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). The 2013 second-rounder’s Week 1 status is uncertain, but Cyprien did play through the injury Friday night and won’t require surgery. Jags coach Gus Bradley is optimistic both will be available, however, per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Mike Pettine admitted in an interview with Sports Illustrated he fired quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains due to Johnny Manziel not being held accountable for a disastrous rookie season, notes Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “What we did not do a good enough job here [last year], not nearly a good enough job, is holding [Manziel] accountable, even when he wasn’t the guy,” Pettine told Sports Illustrated. “That’s the main reason why I made the switch at the QB coach position.” The Browns now have 30-year-old Kevin O’Connell in charge of Manziel’s development.
The Browns’ coach has been publicly challenging players all week, noting his disagreement with Justin Gilbert‘s “flawless” assessment of his play Thursday night, per Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald.
The Broncos‘ hopes at attaining a third Super Bowl title hinge on their defense making good on expectations, unlike last year, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. They bring back most of the starting unit, with Terrance Knighton‘s nose tackle spot being the most noticeable void.
Dan Herron shouldn’t expect to serve in any type of committee with Frank Gore this season, and the fourth-year runner may not have a claim to the third-down back role he occupied at the end of last season, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. Herron did catch 21 passes last season despite starting just three games, while Gore snagged 11 throughout the season.

T.Y. Hilton, Colts Agree To Extension

August 15th, 2015 at 8:42am CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 8:42am: The breakdown of Hilton’s extension, courtesy of ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter), shows the Colts’ top wideout attached to just a $3.14MM cap number this season.

Hilton’s dues skyrocket beginning in 2016, however, with an $11MM cap figure slated for next season. The number plummets to $10MM in 2017, before the current version of this contract peaks the following year at $15MM. It finishes at $14.54MM in 2019.

Forty-four wideouts have greater cap hits in 2015 than does Hilton. The fourth-year receiver’s previous number resided at $1.67MM, less than $200K above 2015 first-rounder Phillip Dorsett.

THURSDAY, 8:20am: The Colts announced that they have have reached agreement on a five-year extension with T.Y. Hilton. It’s a $65MM extension with $39MM guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.

“It’s a great day for the Indianapolis Colts, T.Y. Hilton and his family,” Colts general manager Ryan Grigson said in a statement. “We’re extremely happy as an organization to ensure that T.Y. will continue to be a part of our journey for many years to come. His daily excellence on and off the field is a shining example of an individual striving for greatness and what it truly means to be a Colt.”

Hilton’s $39MM guaranteed is nearly twice as much guaranteed money as any other player on the Colts roster. Quarterback Andrew Luck is second on the team in that category at $22.1MM, though his next contract could catapult him back to No. 1. Hilton, 25, enjoyed his best season to date in 2014, hauling in 82 catches for 1,345 yards and seven touchdowns. That performance earned him his first career Pro Bowl selection and the Colts were eager to lock him up even though he still had a year to go on his third-round rookie contract.

It’ll be interesting to see the exact breakdown on Hilton’s guarantees and get a clearer picture on how his deal stacks up against the likes of Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas. Right now, we know that Hilton’s deal came a little bit shy of both players on overall value since both players got five-year, $70MM deals from their respective teams.

Still, with an AAV just $1MM lower than Bryant and Thomas, the deal sounds like a solid one for agent Drew Rosenhaus. After all, one could argue that the 5’10” Hilton isn’t an elite No. 1 receiver or a red-zone threat like Bryant or Thomas and someone like Randall Cobb might be a more apt comparison for what he does. Cobb, who hauled in 91 balls and scored 12 touchdowns in 2014, signed a team-friendly four-year, $40MM deal with the Packers earlier this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Reactions To T.Y. Hilton’s Extension

August 13th, 2015 at 11:56am CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday morning, the Colts and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton agreed to a five-year extension worth a reported $65MM with $39MM guaranteed. That deal put Hilton just yards away from the substantial five-year, $70MM deals inked by Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas just weeks ago and that kind of cash made it worthwhile for him to forfeit testing his value on the open market down the road. Here’s a look at some of the reactions to Hilton’s new pact..

Colts GM Ryan Grigson is moving away from Bill Polian’s philosophy of only doing new deals with players after contracts are completed and that suggests that an extension for Andrew Luck will get done in 2016, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets.
Jimmy Sexton, Julio Jones‘ agent, is probably happy with Hilton’s deal, Corry tweets. Sexton likely views Hilton as a tier below Jones, which would set his the Falcons receiver up for a payday that exceeds the contracts signed by Hilton, Bryant, and Thomas.
Now that Hilton is under contract, the Colts won’t have to tag him in 2016. That means that the franchise tag available for use on someone else, like left tackle Anthony Castonzo or tight end Coby Fleener, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The tender is much lower for tight ends than left tackles, so Florio writes that it would make sense for the Colts to sign Castonzo to a new deal and use the tag on Fleener.
Locking up Hilton is just the start for the Colts and their core players, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes. Wells feels that Castonzo is next on Indy’s to-do list, with tight ends Dwayne Allen and Fleener to follow. Wells seems to think that Luck staying is a foregone conclusion, writing that Colts owner Jim Irsay will make him the league’s highest paid player.
If Bryant and Thomas were playing under $12.823MM franchise tags, then Hilton wouldn’t have gotten this extension, Corry tweets.
Kevin Bowen of Colts.com looked at how the Hilton talks unfolded over the course of the offseason.
Hilton is getting paid but the deal is a win-win for the wide receiver and the team, Gregg Doyel of the Indy Star writes. Doyel also commends Hilton for his professionalism in the wake of the team’s selection of Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett, a player who has a very similar skill set.

AFC Notes: Hilton, Broncos, Colts

August 12th, 2015 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

Agent Drew Rosenhaus will once again meet with the Colts face to face in Indiana on Wednesday to discuss a new contract for wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Rosenhaus appears to be spending a lot of time on Hilton’s deal this summer, which suggests that the two sides have a good chance to get something done before the season. Here’s more from the AFC..

Brock Osweiler’s preseason could determine his future with the Broncos, Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post writes. Osweiler’s contract expires at the end of the season, leaving both him and the Broncos a limited window to evaluate his value and potential as their future quarterback. Of course, the QB likely won’t see much time on the field this season with Peyton Manning locked in as the starter.
As Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun observes (via Twitter), Ravens defensive end Brent Urban announced that he’s undergoing surgery to repair his torn biceps today, but it’s not clear yet if he’ll be able to return this season.
The agent for tackle Matt Hall informed the Broncos his client will not report because he is retiring, Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets. Denver recently claimed the tackle off waivers from the Colts.
An undrafted free agent has made the Broncos‘ roster in each of the last 11 years. Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter) believes that trend will continue in 2015 with linebacker Zaire Anderson trending upwards in camp.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/15

August 10th, 2015 at 4:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest minor moves and signings from around the NFL..

The Dolphins signed running back Demitrius Bronson and safety Phillip Thomas, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. To make room, Miami waived/injured safety Shamiel Gary and waived receiver Tyler McDonald.
The Colts re-signed guard Kitt O’Brien and waived guard Dionte Savage, Mike Chappell of the Indy Star tweets. Just days ago, the Colts cut O’Brien and signed Savage.
The Broncos claimed Matt Hall off waivers from the Colts, Wilson tweets.
The Saints waived UDFA wide receiver Malcome Kennedy from their IR, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets.
The Seahawks signed safety Tyrequek Zimmerman, Wilson tweets.
The Patriots signed Tony Creecy and Logan Stokes while cutting Chris White and Mason Brodine, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
The Lions signed tight end Jacob Maxwell, who was briefly with the team as a UDFA, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
The Titans waived-injured cornerback Curtis Riley and picked up fellow corner Will Brown, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
The Jaguars signed defensive end Camaron Beard and waived/injured linebacker Matt Robinson, John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.
The Eagles signed ex-Falcons wide receiver Freddie Martino and released fellow wideout John Harris, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Defensive end Frances Mays has also been waived/injured.

Earlier updates:

The Packers announced that they have released punter Cody Mandell, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Mandell was in competition with fellow punter Tim Masthay, but that showdown didn’t even make it until the preseason opener.
The Browns worked out and signed linebacker Moise Fokou, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). To make room for Smith, the Browns have cut Rodney Smith, Wilson tweets.
The Seahawks cut Robert Smith with a failed physical designation, Wilson tweets. The safety was claimed off waivers from the Colts late last week.

Extra Points: Eagles, Raiders, 49ers, Colts

August 9th, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis spoke Sunday on the statuses of two of the team’s injured linebackers, Kiko Alonso and DeMeco Ryans.

Regarding Alonso, who suffered a concussion Tuesday and has missed four practices: “Kiko’s fine,” said Davis, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’ve been coaching linebackers my whole career. It’s just part of that position, when it sneaks up on you nowadays, we have great protocol. It’s not an issue. Kiko’s doing great. He won’t miss a beat.”

Davis was more guarded when discussing Ryans, who is recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon for the second time in his nine-year career.

“DeMeco is a pro all the way through and is taking strides ahead of where most people would be, but he still has a little ways to go,” Davis said.

Ryans has participated in all seven of the Eagles’ training camp practices, but next Sunday’s preseason opener against the Colts will be a much bigger litmus test.

“Any time you’re coming back from injury, you have to get in the game to see where you are,” said Ryans, who got hurt last November. “Go to the ground, tackle somebody, stand up, make sure everything is still intact. And mentally, I think that’s the last hurdle, going out and getting back in a game.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/15

August 9th, 2015 at 7:12pm CST by Rory Parks

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

The Bills re-signed defensive Erik Williams and waived/injured receiver Justin Brown, ESPN’s Mike Rodak tweeted.
The Colts have signed former Ball State cornerback Eric Patterson, according to Indy PR man Matt Conti (Twitter link). Patterson, who went undrafted earlier this year, was cut by the Patriots in June.
The Browns signed CB Joe Rankin yesterday, and according to Nate Ulrich of The Akron Beacon Journal, the team has also signed TE Manasseh Garner. To make room for the new additions, Cleveland has cut LB Darius Eubanks and TE Kevin Haplea.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/15

August 8th, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Ben Levine

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

The Colts made several moves along their offensive line today, adding guard Dionte Savage while waiving guard Kitt O’Brien and tackle Matt Hall (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). O’Brien lost his roster spot quickly, as he was just signed yesterday.
In Kansas City, the Chiefs have also been busy, signing offensive tackle Anthony Dima and receiver Adam Drake, and waiving linebacker Sage Harold and receiver Armon Binns, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
The Rams have signed defensive tackle Marcus Forston, who has spent the past few years with the Patriots, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In order to create a roster spot, the team waived running back Terrence Franks, a 2015 undrafted rookie free agent (Twitter link).
The Cowboys have removed linebacker Justin Anderson from their injured reserve list, according to Wilson (Twitter link), who reports Dallas reached an injury settlement with Anderson. The Cowboys also cut fellow linebacker Will Smith, who, like Anderson, had been on the club’s IR.

Earlier updates:

The Browns signed former Ravens tryout cornerback Joe Rankin, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). A 2014 undrafted player from Division I-FCS Morgan State, Rankin worked as an overnight forklift operator to save enough money to train for another NFL opportunity.
Former Arena League and CFL cog Shawn Lemon signed with the 49ers, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (on Twitter). The Steelers waived the 26-year-old outside linebacker last week.
The Steelers have placed safety Isaiah Lewis on the waived/injured list, and they’ve signed safety Jordan Dangerfield to take his spot, the team announced (via Twitter). Lewis, a former undrafted rookie, was signed to a futures contract at the end of last season. The Michigan State product had been battling a hamstring injury for most of camp. Dangerfield has previously been with the Steelers, participating in their 2014 camp and practice squad before being signed to a futures contract. He was waived last month when Pittsburgh added offensive lineman Kelvin Palmer.
The Lions have waived cornerback Ethan Davis, tweets ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. The undrafted rookie had joined Detroit earlier this week.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/15

August 7th, 2015 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

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

With Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman both nursing injuries, the Falcons have bolstered their backfield depth by signing running back Michael Ford, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The LSU product spent some time with the Bears in 2013.
Offensive lineman Ben Heenan has been waived by the Colts after suffering an MCL injury, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. The team reached an injury settlement with Heenan, so he won’t go on the IR if the clears waivers. To replace Heenan, the Colts signed free agent guard Kitt O’Brien.
The Chargers have swapped one offensive lineman for another at the back of their roster, waiving rookie Ben Beckwith with an injury designation, and signing undrafted free agent Melvin Meggs, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
Earlier this week, the Texans released offensive lineman Will Yeatman with an injury settlement. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the settlement was worth just over $68K.
Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that wide receiver Eli Rogers has been placed on the Steelers‘ injured reserve list after going unclaimed on waivers.

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