Indianapolis Colts Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Links: Browns, Broncos, Wilkerson, Pagano

June 14th, 2015 at 7:44pm CST by Ben Levine

While the loss of Josh Gordon will be a huge hit to the Browns‘ receiving corps, rookie Vince Mayle acknowledged to Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal that the team’s wideouts aren’t focused on the loss of their leader.

“It’s just going to be a team effort,” Mayle said. “We’re not really worried about replacing Josh Gordon. We’re focusing on the guys in the room. We’d love to have him, but right now we’re working with what we’ve got. There’s a great group of guys. They all have really good strengths, and they’re all really good to learn from. I’m really happy to be in a room with these guys because they’re all really helpful.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the AFC…

No team is wasting less money than the Broncos, argues Mike Klis of 9News in Denver. The team has only $1.2MM in dead money (the second-lowest total in the league), and they have only $6.9MM in cap space (the fourth-lowest total in the league). According to Klis, only the Jets approach the Broncos in their “dollar-per-active player allocation,” as New York has $5.28MM in cap room and $3.4MM in dead money.
ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini examines the many outcomes of the Jets/Muhammad Wilkerson situation. The writer ultimately predicts that the defensive lineman with report to training camp, play the 2015 season under his current contract, and be slapped with the franchise tag following the season. Based on the comments made by Wilkerson’s agent (which indicated the his player is “willing to put the team ahead of his own contractual status”), Cimini surmises that the 25-year-old won’t be holding out.
Cimini writes that right guard is a major concern for the Jets, and he believes the organization should be on the phone with representatives for Evan Mathis. The writer suggests a two-year, $6MM deal.
Despite Jim Irsay and the Colts‘ one-year contract offer to head coach Chuck Pagano, ESPN.com’s Mike Wells doesn’t believe the situation will turn into a distraction. If the Colts perform up to expectations, Wells believes Pagano can expect to be paid a “nice lucrative deal” by either the Colts or another franchise.

Extra Points: Bills, Mathis, Hilton, Gregory

June 13th, 2015 at 7:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After adding a pair of potential starters in free agent Richie Incognito and third-round pick John Miller earlier this offseason, Bills head coach Rex Ryan is content with his offensive guards. However, that won’t necessarily stop the team from trying to improve at the position. That improvement could come in the form of 10-year veteran Evan Mathis, whom the Eagles cut earlier this week.

“I think he’s a good football player; there’s no doubt,” Ryan said of Mathis, according to ESPN’s Mike Rodak. “We’ll do our due diligence, so to speak, but I’m pretty happy with our guards.”

If the Bills do pursue Mathis, their cap situation ($6.1MM in space, not including practice-squad signings and in-season injury replacements) could serve as a hindrance, Rodak notes.

AFC South Notes: Orakpo, Luck, Hilton

June 11th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

Prized Titans offseason acquisition Brian Orakpo is still being held out of practice, but Whisenhunt says it’s more precautionary than anything, as Glennon writes.

“I think probably right know he could go,” the coach said. “But we’re holding him back, just because we want to make sure we don’t do anything now and we’ve got him when we get rolling in (training) camp.”

While we wait for Orakpo’s practice debut, here’s more out of the AFC South..

Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters, including Mike Chappell of the Indy Star (on Twitter), that quarterback Andrew Luck will be in Indianapolis “for a very long time.” Irsay has repeatedly expressed confidence that he will eventually lock his franchise QB up for the long term.
After listening to Colts GM Ryan Grigson talk today, Mike Chappell of CBS4 (on Twitter) is convinced that T.Y. Hilton will wait until the end of the season for a new deal. On Wednesday, Irsay gave reporters the impression that he could get a new pact done with Hilton before the start of the year.
The Colts would be smart to make Luck a big offer now, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opines. Waiting to get a deal done with Luck, he argues, will only increase the quarterback’s leverage. The odds of Luck suffering a career-threatening injury that would diminish his value go down the closer he gets to completing his contract. The Colts could capitalize on that fear now and convince Luck to take a deal that will give him security against something catastrophic, just as the Dolphins did with Ryan Tannehill.

Colts Open To New Deals For Hilton, Pagano

June 10th, 2015 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Colts owner Jim Irsay didn’t close the door on the possibility of deals getting done for both wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and coach Chuck Pagano, Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets. Irsay also made it clear that “it takes two parties” to get a deal done, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star tweets.

Back in February, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the Colts were expected to be proactive when it comes to locking up members of their 2012 draft class. Hilton, he said, would likely be the first player addressed, but others from that class include tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen and – of course – star quarterback Andrew Luck. 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. Hilton still has a year to go on his third-round rookie contract.

Pagano, meanwhile, has has been the Colts’ head coach for the last three seasons. In each campaign, Pagano has led the Colts to a 11-5 regular season mark and a playoff appearance. Last year, the Colts made it to the AFC Championship Game but succumbed to the Patriots.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

June 9th, 2015 at 6:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

The Colts cut kicker Taylor Pontius, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Pontius was a member of the Colts’ rookie minicamp as a tryout player in May and signed a contract soon after.
The Patriots announced that they have released rookie defensive back Eric Patterson. Patterson, 22, was signed by the Pats as a UDFA back in May. The Ball State product started in 28 of 41 games during his collegiate career and finished with 135 total tackles and six interceptions.
The Vikings announced that they have signed free agent defensive tackle Chrishon Rose. Rose, who comes out of East Carolina, played in 13 games as a senior, posting 41 total tackles including 14 solo stops. Rose’s defensive unit held 18 opponents to 100 or less rushing yards in his four seasons at ECU.
The Packers have signed tackle Vince Kowalski, a UDFA from Villanova, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The signing brings Green Bay to the full 90-man roster limit. Kowalski started all four seasons at Villanova and was named first-team in his conference last season.
Rams sixth-round pick Bud Sasser went unclaimed off waivers and is now a free agent, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
Washington has signed tackle Bryce Quigley and cut quarterback Hutson Mason, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). Mason was serving as an extra arm behind Robert Griffin III, Colt McCoy, and Kirk Cousins in camp.
Former Northern Arizona punter Andy Wilder, who went undrafted last spring, has been cut by the Buccaneers, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
The Panthers will sign former Raiders tight end Scott Simonson to a one-year deal, a source tells Wilson (on Twitter).

AFC Notes: Colts, Houston, Dolphins

June 4th, 2015 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Colts now have a wealth of wide receivers after the offseason additions of Andre Johnson and first-round pick Phillip Dorsett, but Dwayne Allen seems to think that their presence will help out the team’s tight ends, not hurt them.

“I think just having the threat of those guys outside, meaning the wide receivers, is going to open things up for the tight ends a ton,” Allen said, according to Stephen Holder of the Indy Star.

Here’s more on the Colts and a couple other AFC teams:

Colts head coach Chuck Pagano believes that his team’s passing attack will result in fewer “crowded boxes” for newly-acquired running back Frank Gore, as Mike Chappell of Indy Sports Central writes. No running back in the NFL dealt with more stacked boxes in 2014. Of his 255 rushing attempts, 30% of them came against eight- and nine-man fronts. Teams presumably won’t play that heavily against the run when dealing with Andrew Luck and his aerial weapons.
A source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that, while Justin Houston and the Chiefs have been talking about a contract extension, significant process “has not yet been made” between the two sides.
It may have seemed this offseason that the Dolphins‘ new decision-makers undid practically all of former GM Jeff Ireland‘s significant moves, but plenty of acquisitions and draftees from Ireland’s stint with the team are still playing key roles in Miami, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Over at FOX Sports, Alex Marvez’s list of the top 10 best offseason additions is headed by a pair of AFC East free agent signings.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

How Will Newton Deal Affect Wilson, Luck?

June 3rd, 2015 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

With about three months remaining until the 2015 season gets underway, the market for quarterback contract extensions is starting to get interesting. Cam Newton signed a new deal with the Panthers this week, locking him up through the 2020 season, but several notable QBs remain unsigned beyond this year. Russell Wilson, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Nick Foles will all see their contracts expire in the winter, and Andrew Luck is extension-eligible as well, though the Colts exercised their fifth-year option on him for 2016.

Manning and Rivers are veteran signal-callers coming off veteran contracts, and will be entering their mid-30s by the time their next deals begin. Foles, meanwhile, had one incredible season with the Eagles, but doesn’t have nearly the same track record as a player like Newton, Wilson, or Luck. So for now, we’ll just focus on those latter three players, since their situations are the most similar.

Newton, 2011’s No. 1 overall pick, has four NFL seasons under his belt, while Wilson and Luck just have three, but all three quarterbacks have been their respective team’s starter since entering the league — between the three of them, they’ve only missed two total games in their NFL careers (both Newton in 2014, due to a rib injury). With Newton securing a contract that places him among the game’s highest-paid QBs, it makes sense that Wilson and Luck would be paying close attention to the numbers on that deal.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk outlines, the Seahawks will probably view Newton’s contract as a ceiling for Wilson, while Wilson – and agent Mark Rodgers – will consider it his floor. Having played his first three seasons on a third-rounder’s salary, Wilson may be more motivated than Newton (a former No. 1 pick) to maximize his earnings, which could inspire him to play out the 2015 season on his current contract, rather than accepting any sort of discount from Seattle.

As for Luck, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes that there’s no question that 2012’s first overall pick should be paid more than Newton, and perhaps more than anyone else in the NFL. The question is how much more.

A look at the career stats for Newton, Wilson, and Luck shows why both unsigned QBs could make a strong case that they’re more deserving than Newton of a mega-deal that exceeds even Aaron Rodgers‘ $20MM for year. All numbers in this chart, with the exception of regular-season and playoff records, are averages per season:

You could make a case that Newton’s supporting cast hasn’t been as strong as Luck’s or Wilson’s during his first few NFL seasons, but it’s not as if Wilson has been surrounded by Pro Bowl wideouts, and the Colts’ inconsistent and unproductive running game hasn’t helped Luck. Newton’s value has also been buoyed by his ability to make things happen with his legs, but Wilson and Luck aren’t exactly statues in the pocket either. Plus, history has shown that a quarterback’s rushing ability typically declines as he gets older, so I doubt the Panthers are expecting Newton to run for 650 yards and eight touchdowns per season over the course of his next contract.

What this chart does show is that Luck is a more productive passer than Newton, averaging about 700 more passing yards and eight more touchdowns per year, despite an up-and-down rookie campaign. As for Wilson, he’s certainly more efficient than Newton, throwing for a higher completion percentage, fewer interceptions, and a much better rating.

Most importantly, both Luck and Wilson have had significantly more postseason success than Newton, whose lone playoff victory came after his team earned a home game in the Wild Card round despite a 7-8-1 record, and defeated a third-string quarterback. Wilson has a Super Bowl win on his résumé, and came one play away from another, while Luck has reached an AFC championship game, and has three career postseason wins. Considering there are many other factors in play, it may not be fair to judge an NFL quarterback so heavily on his playoff success as opposed to his regular season performance, but it happens. Just ask Andy Dalton.

There should be no question then that, unless they decide to take a discount, Luck and Wilson will do even better on their extensions than Newton did on his. With the cap on the rise, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see both players exceed Rodgers’ $22MM annual salary, and I could easily imagine Luck setting a new high watermark for guaranteed money. With the Seahawks apparently playing hardball though, and with the Colts postponing Luck’s extensions talks until 2016, it may take some time before those deals are actually consummated.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

June 2nd, 2015 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

The Titans have agreed to sign tight end Phillip Supernaw, waiving defensive tackle Lucas Vincent in a corresponding move, according to the team (via Twitter). Supernaw, who was cut by the Ravens in May, has spent time in Baltimore, Kansas City, and Houston during his NFL career.
The Bills have signed former Patriots edge defender Michael Buchanan, waiving punter Spencer Roth to create a roster spot, tweets Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Buchanan didn’t see the field much after drafted by the Pats in the seventh round in 2013, but the 24-year-old made the most of his limited playing time in his rookie year, picking up a pair of sacks and recovering a fumble.
The Colts have made a change at the back of their roster, signing undrafted free agent defensive lineman Camaron Beard and waiving cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz, per a team release. Shabazz only lasted a few weeks with Indianapolis, having been signed by the club as a rookie free agent following the draft.
The Falcons have added rookie linebacker Boris Anyama, who played his college ball at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, the team announced today in a press release. The signing gets Atlanta’s roster back up to the maximum 90 players.
The Panthers have signed defensive back Jocquel Skinner, waiving tight end Kevin Greene, tweets David Newton of ESPN.com. Skinner became a free agent after being cut by the Buccaneers in April.

Minor Moves: Monday

June 1st, 2015 at 4:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

The Chargers announced that they have signed cornerback Lowell Rose and waived offensive tackle Cameron Clemmons. Rose was in training camp with the Chargers last year, appearing in three preseason games. The Tulsa product later signed with the Dolphins and played in five games.
The Jaguars claimed quarterback Jeff Tuel off waivers from the Bills while releasing quarterback Jake Waters, according to John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter).
The Colts announced that they have signed free agent wide receiver Tyler Rutenbeck. Rutenbeck, 6-2, 186 pounds, was originally signed by Washington after going undrafted out of Division-III Dubuque but lasted less than two weeks there. In four years of college he recorded 163 receptions for 2,715 yards and a school-record 42 receiving touchdowns.
The Seahawks are waiving rookie defensive tackle Tory Slater today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
Washington has signed nose tackle Jerrell Powe, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Powe wasn’t tendered an offer as a restricted free agent of the Texans.
The Jets signed UGA wide receiver Jonathon Rumph, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Rumph had 11 catches for 176 yards and a touchdown for Georgia last year but sidelined most of the year due to injury.
The 49ers cut Chase Thomas from the NFI list, Wilson tweets.

Sunday Roundup: NFL In LA, Austin, Martin

May 31st, 2015 at 1:02pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s have a look at a few links from around the league, which include a few Twitter mailbags:

As San Diego tries to keep the Chargers from moving to Los Angeles, it is becoming increasingly clear that the team has all the leverage, writes David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune. As Garrick writes, the city has to make a new stadium deal sweet enough to make the Chargers want to stay, but not too sweet, because then it would be rejected at the polls. It is a tightrope that will be exceedingly difficult to walk.
Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com takes a look at how the explosive Tavon Austin will fit in the Rams‘ run-heavy offense, and he also notes that Brian Quick should be ready to suit up for Week 1.
Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com believes the Bears‘ overhaul of their defense is a two-year project, and the team will need another offseason to complement its core of players like Pernell McPhee and Kyle Fuller.
John Keim of ESPN.com is surprised that Washington did not do more to address its thin tight end position in the offseason, but at this point, the team will simply have to hope Jordan Reed stays healthy or that someone like Chase Dixon or Je’Ron Hamm develops.
Doug Martin recently moved from California to Tampa Bay even though the Buccaneers opted not to pick up the option on the fifth year of his rookie contract. But now that Tampa Bay is truly home for Martin, Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune writes that the injury-plagued back will have every incentive to earn a new deal with the club.
Mike Wells of ESPN.com believes it is unlikely that the Colts will add another player to compete for the right tackle spot. Jack Mewhort and Joe Reitz are getting the majority of the snaps there at the moment, but newly-acquired Todd Herremans can play right tackle if necessary and Indianapolis remains optimistic that Gosder Cherilus can make a healthy return.

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