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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

AFC South Notes: Pollard, Jags, A. Johnson

March 3rd, 2015 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

Having been granted his release from the Titans yesterday, as he requested, safety Bernard Pollard explained to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean that he wasn’t a fit on a roster that was heavy on young players, and wasn’t close to being a legit contender.

“This was a business move for me. I don’t see fans argue when teams cut players under contract. This is a business. I am my own agent, and I have to do what is right for me and my family. I want more hardware, I want another ring,” Pollard said. “I thought it was a great decision to come here. But looking at where this thing is going, a lot of mistakes have been made and they need to be fixed to put a defense together. I am 30, and I have two or three years left in me. I want to go somewhere and play where I can play a key role.”

Here’s more from out of the AFC South:

  • The Jaguars are expected to be in the market for a running back this offseason, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jacksonville plans to move Toby Gerhart around, using him at H-back as well as running back.
  • A source close to Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson said this is “definitely” the end of him in Houston, per Rapoport (on Twitter). As we heard last night, the team has given the veteran wideout permission to seek a trade, and it looks like Johnson will end up being released if a deal can’t be reached.
  • Rapoport also ran down some possible landing spots for pending free agent running back DeMarco Murray. A pair of AFC South teams were among the potential suitors identified by Rapoport, who rattled off the Colts, Jaguars, Cardinals, and Seahawks.
  • Earlier today, we learned that the Jaguars are “very interested” in free-agent-to-be Brian Orakpo.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Fins, Broncos, FA Targets, Ravens

March 1st, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Always among the biggest players in free agency, the Dolphins will look to fill several holes when the new league year begins next week. Corner, defensive tackle, and linebacker are among the positions that could use upgrades in South Beach, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald offers several names that could be of interest to the Fins. Per Jackson, the Dolphins have internally discussed both Kareem Jackson and Brandon Flowers at corner, and the club also wants to re-sign Jimmy Wilson.

Along the defensive line, Miami is interested in Tom Johnson, Corey Peters, and Terrance Knighton, the latter of whom, as Jackson adds, will be the most expensive. Kenrick Ellis is viewed as a “backup option,” while Haloti Ngata will be on the Dolphins’ radar if he’s released by the Ravens. At linebacker, Jackson has previously reported that Miami is intrigued by David Harris, Mason Foster, and Dan Skuta.

Here’s more from the AFC:

  • Like the Dolphins, the Broncos are expected to be heavily involved in free agency, as they have been for the duration of GM John Elway’s reign. According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, the Broncos will target a variety of positions next week, with offensive line, safety, tight end, and defensive end among them. Center Rodney Hudson, edge defender Pernell McPhee, and and tight end Charles Clay all figure to spark Denver’s interest, per Klis, who adds that center is the one position where the Broncos will surely add a high-profile free agent.
  • Ravens cornerback Victor Hampton was arrested for DWI last night, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Hampton was signed to a futures deal in January, and given Baltimore’s low-tolerance for off-the-field incidents at the moment, Aaron Wilson of the Sun (via Twitter) doesn’t see Hampton ever setting foot on a field for the Ravens.
  • The Raiders haven’t officially released safety Tyvon Branch, leading Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap to believe (Twitter link) that Branch will be designated a post-June 1 cut. Such releases can’t be formalized until the new league year begins next week.
  • In a full-length piece, Fitzgerald takes a look at the Colts’ cap situation as they head into free agency. Check out PFR’s Connor Byrne’s Indianapolis outlook here.

WR Rumors: Marshall, V-Jax, Wallace, Harvin

February 27th, 2015 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

With Reggie Wayne‘s NFL future still up in the air, the Colts have explored the possibility of bringing in a veteran wide receiver to start opposite T.Y. Hilton, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, the team has internally discussed players like Brandon Marshall, Andre Johnson, Mike Wallace, and Vincent Jackson as potential targets. Not all of those players will become available in the next few weeks, but one or more could be traded or released, and if the Colts had their pick, Marshall may be their top choice, per Cole.

While we wait to see if any opportunities open up for the Colts, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has a few more tidbits for us on the wide receiver market. Let’s dive in….

  • Cole noted in the above video that Jackson likely isn’t going anywhere, and La Canfora agrees that it looks like he’ll be back with the Buccaneers. However, it doesn’t seem as if Jackson will be willing to take a pay cut, sources tell La Canfora.
  • La Canfora also touches on the Marshall situation, noting that if a team were to call asking about a possible trade, “it’s not like [the Bears] wouldn’t pick up the phone.”
  • According to multiple general managers, Wallace is the only wideout being “actively shopped” at the moment. The Dolphins continue to explore a deal, and La Canfora suggests Wallace himself would be interested in returning to the Steelers, though it’s not clear if that interest is mutual. $3MM of Wallace’s base salary for 2015 becomes guaranteed on March 13, so that may act as a deadline of sorts for Miami.
  • Percy Harvin won’t accept a pay cut to stick with the Jets, and trading him would likely be impossible, so he looks like a good bet to be cut. If that happens, many teams would want to pick him up on a short-term deal, says La Canfora.
  • We can expect the Dwayne Bowe situation to come to a head soon — paying him $11MM with a $14MM cap hit is a luxury the Chiefs can’t afford, so Bowe may be willing to accept a pay cut, knowing he won’t make close to that amount on the open market.
  • With cap numbers for Anquan Boldin and Stevie Johnson on the rise, and Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd eligible for free agency, La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if only one of those four players returns to the 49ers for next season — if that.
  • Johnson and the Texans had a bit of a stand-off a year ago, and with the veteran wideout carrying a $16MM into the 2015 season, the two sides may be headed for another interesting summer. La Canfora isn’t convinced Johnson will remain in Houston long-term, but says “time will tell.”
  • Two Dolphins wideouts have already been released today, and according to Armando Salguero the Miami Herald (Twitter links), Rishard Matthews asked the team to be cut or traded as well. However, Miami has denied that request for now, says Salguero.

North Notes: Felton, Peterson, Canty, Suh

February 27th, 2015 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today, former Vikings fullback Jerome Felton, who opted out of his contract at season’s end, said he has talked to his old team about the possibility of a reunion (Twitter link). Felton went on to say he wouldn’t close the door on re-signing with the Vikings, though it sounds as if a possible return for the veteran fullback may hinge on whether or not Adrian Peterson stays with the team. Felton has, of course, been Peterson’s lead blocker since 2012, earning a Pro Bowl nod during the season in which the MVP ran for nearly 2,100 yards.

Here’s more on Peterson, along with a few more items from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Barring something unexpected, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) expects Peterson to ultimately end up with the Vikings, Cowboys, Colts, or Cardinals for the 2015 season.
  • Although the Ravens released veteran defensive lineman Chris Canty today, he expects to continue playing in 2015, and Baltimore hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing him back at a lesser salary, according to GM Ozzie Newsome. “We certainly would not close the door to Chris coming back to us,” Newsome said (Twitter link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com).
  • If the Lions shell out the money necessary to keep Ndamukong Suh locked up for multiple seasons, it may be a big gamble for the franchise, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As Birkett outlines, teams in similar situations in the past have had mixed results when making a big investment in a star player.
  • Birkett has a second piece on Suh today for the Free Press, identifying the Raiders, Jaguars, Colts, and Jets as the likeliest suitors for the star defensive linemen if he doesn’t return to the Lions.

Dolphins Rumors: Hartline, Wallace, Skuta

February 27th, 2015 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins made a roster move this morning, announcing the release of wide receiver Brian Hartline, which will create more than $3MM in cap savings. A few of today’s Dolphins-related rumors stem directly from that transaction, so let’s dive in and round them up….

  • According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Hartline had been open to the idea of reducing his salary to remain with the Dolphins, but the team is not believed to have made an offer. A source close to Hartline tells Salguero that the wideout is disappointed by the move, but would like to land with a team closer to his native Ohio, and will prioritize clubs with accomplished quarterbacks. The Colts are one possibility, per Salguero.
  • Following up on a Thursday report that suggested Mike Wallace isn’t interested in restructuring his contract, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald confirms that the receiver is at least uninterested in taking a pay cut. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk confirms with a source that there’s no roster bonus or other trigger in Wallace’s deal for March that would force the Dolphins to make a quick decision on the wideout. However, the $3MM guarantee on his deal has offset language, so if the team decides to cut Wallace, doing so sooner rather than later could be advantageous.
  • 49ers linebacker Dan Skuta, who is capable of playing both inside and outside, is on the list of free agents the Dolphins like, writes Jackson.
  • Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter links) has heard from multiple people that new head of football operations Mike Tannenbaum actually has his eye on the 2016 season rather than 2015. As Beasley points out, that means the possibility of a roster purge is in play, though he’s skeptical that head coach Joe Philbin and GM Dennis Hickey would support a rebuild, given their potentially their job security.

FA Rumors: Pascoe, Jean-Francois, McCourty

February 25th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The agent for tight end Bear Pascoe tells D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his client will be moving on from the Falcons next month.

“We had a great conversation with the Falcons and it looks like at this point Bear is going to explore some other options for next year and the Falcons are going to do the same,” said Noel LaMontagne, Pascoe’s agent. “The front office and Bear both were really appreciative of everything over the last year, but with coaching changes, there will always be other changes, so Bear is going to see what else is out there for the future.”

Let’s round up a few more Wednesday updates on 2015’s prospective free agents:

  • After been released by the Colts earlier this week, defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois is seeking a new home for the 2015 season, and a pair of potential suitors has already surfaced. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Jean-Francois has visits lined up with Washington and the 49ers this week. Jean-Francois has a history with the Niners, having spent the first four years of his NFL career in San Francisco.
  • Asked about the possibility of being franchised by the Patriots, safety Devin McCourty wasn’t sure if that’s the team’s plan, but said being tagged wouldn’t be the worst thing (Twitter link via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald). “The franchise tag is player-friendly now,” McCourty said (Twitter link via Phil Perry of CSNNE.com). “It’s a good number.”
  • After some confusion about his contract status, Lions defensive end George Johnson is being considered a restricted free agent by both the NFL and NFLPA, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). As such, there’s a very good chance Johnson returns to Detroit.
  • Appearing on PFT Live today, veteran safety Mike Adams said he’d like to retire as a Colt (Twitter link). Adams, who is eligible for free agency, turns 34 next month, so there’s a chance his next contract will be his last.
  • As we heard this morning, the Dolphins are working to get a deal done with tight end Charles Clay. If he remains unsigned when the free agent period arrives though, Clay’s market will be “very strong,” tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a look at a few clubs to watch in free agency, identifying the Falcons, Buccaneers, Raiders, Jaguars, and Bills as the teams poised to spend big.

Tuesday Roundup: Cassel, Winston, Peterson

February 24th, 2015 at 8:38pm CST by Rory Parks

Vikings GM Rick Spielman said that nothing definitive has been decided about bringing Matt Cassel back to the team, but Spielman was complimentary of his veteran signal-caller when discussing him earlier this week. “We went through our process, we evaluated all of our players,” Spielman said, according to Brian Hall of FOXSportsNorth.com. “We looked at everything from what they bring to our football team, in the locker room, off the field, what they bring to us on the field. But we also have to look at where they’re at from a standpoint of their contract, where we’re at from a cap standpoint…Matt’s done a great job. Came in and has won some games when he had to play. He’s a great locker-room guy. Matt has a lot of value to us.” Cassel is signed for the 2015 season at a salary of $4.15MM, and he’ll count $4.75MM against the cap.

Now for some more links from around the league on this Tuesday evening:

  • Tahir Whitehead filled in capably for Stephen Tulloch when Tulloch went out last season, and that leaves the Lions with an interesting choice this offseason, as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes. Detroit could continue to roll with Whitehead at middle linebacker and carve out some space by parting ways with Tulloch. The 30-year-old is slated to count $5.8MM against the cap next season. Whitehead, meanwhile, costs just $713K.
  • The consensus around the league is that the Buccaneers will draft Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick, according to a tweet from the NFL Network (citing its own Ian Rapoport).
  • The Colts are in dire need of a running back, and Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes that the team will be closely monitoring the Adrian Peterson situation. If Peterson and the Vikings part ways, Indianapolis GM Ryan Grigson, a noted risk-taker, may pull the trigger.
  • Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora has no plans to retire, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Umenyiora, 33, will become a free agent on March 10, and he said he would like to play at least one more season. If he could choose, Umenyiora stated that he would like to finish his career where it started: with the Giants.
  • Packers fullback John Kuhn is one of the last members of a dying breed, but the impending free agent reaffirmed his importance to the Green Bay offense in 2014, earning first team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career. As Weston Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com writes, there is mutual interest in Kuhn’s return to the Packers.
  • Former Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne, who has garnered interest from at least a dozen teams, is expected to sign with a club this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (writing for the National Football Post).
  • Bill Williamson of ESPN.com believes middle linebacker Nate Irving could be a fit with the Raiders if the impending free agent is not re-signed by the Broncos.
  • Parys Haralson, who signed a one-year deal with the Saints in February, hopes to end his career in New Orleans, writes Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune.
  • Jason Fitzerald of OverTheCap.com provides the Panthers‘ salary cap outlook for the 2015 season.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

 

Offseason Outlook: Indianapolis Colts

February 24th, 2015 at 7:49pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Pending free agents:

Top 10 2015 cap hits:

  1. Vontae Davis, CB: $11,250,000
  2. Robert Mathis, OLB: $7,750,000
  3. Anthony Castonzo, T: $7,438,000
  4. Arthur Jones, DT: $7,100,000
  5. Andrew Luck, QB: $7,034,363
  6. Gosder Cherilus, T: $6,900,000
  7. Greg Toler, CB: $5,833,334
  8. D’Qwell Jackson, LB: $5,750,000
  9. Erik Walden, OLB: $4,250,000
  10. Donald Thomas, T: $3,750,000

Notable coaching changes:

  • None

Draft:

  • No. 29 overall pick
  • Acquired sixth-round pick from Seahawks in deal for Marcus Burley.
  • Acquired seventh-round pick from Cowboys in deal for Caesar Rayford.
  • Owe seventh-round pick to 49ers for Cam Johnson.

Other:

Overview

Year three of the Andrew Luck era was another successful one for the Colts, whose 11-5 record was enough to earn them a second straight AFC South crown and a third consecutive playoff berth. The Colts also scored a pair of postseason victories, including a road upset over old friend Peyton Manning and the Broncos, before bowing out at the hands of the Super Bowl-winning Patriots in the conference championship.Andrew Luck

Indianapolis has improved by one playoff round per season under Luck and head coach Chuck Pagano, going from a wild-card loss to a divisional defeat to an AFC title game exit. The next logical step is the Super Bowl. In order to get there, though, the Colts will need a highly productive offseason – one which sees general manager Ryan Grigson fortify the roster around his 25-year-old franchise quarterback.

Positions Of Need

The Colts ranked first in the NFL in passing, third in total yardage and sixth in points per game in 2014. Those numbers would indicate that their offense isn’t in need of much help. However, they were a pedestrian 17th in Football Outsiders’ offensive efficiency ratings, their rushing attack ranked 22nd in yardage, and two of their established wide receivers are without contracts. Thus, there’s clearly work to be done.

Running back is a position the Colts are sure to address in the coming months. That could simply mean re-signing free agent-to-be Ahmad Bradshaw, though the eight-year veteran has dealt with major injury issues as a Colt and appeared in just 13 of a possible 32 regular-season games. To his credit, the 28-year-old racked up impressive numbers (725 total yards and eight touchdowns) prior to breaking his fibula last November. After Bradshaw got hurt, Dan Herron emerged as Indy’s most effective back. Herron averaged a terrific 4.5 yards per rush, but it was only over 78 attempts and his career sample size of 87 carries in three years is minuscule.

If the Colts don’t believe Bradshaw or Herron is the solution to their backfield woes, they might think differently of 10-year veteran Frank Gore. Multiple sources have linked Indianapolis to the career 49er, who the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrow wrote in January was “curious” about joining the Luck-led Colts. More recently, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller said last week (video link) that Gore to Indianapolis was a “shoo-in.” The bruising Gore would make sense as a stopgap, considering Colts O-coordinator Pep Hamilton is a proponent of a power running game.

The Colts also have uncertainty at receiver, where their only signed, viable options after T.Y. Hilton are Donte Moncrief and ex-CFL star Duron Carter. All three are 25 or younger, a far cry from Reggie Wayne – the Colts’ biggest free agent in terms of name recognition. The 36-year-old, who has played all 14 of his pro seasons with the Colts and caught over 1,000 passes, hasn’t yet informed the team if he plans on returning in 2015. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star wrote last week that the Colts are “noncommittal” about Wayne, who has battled injuries and dips in production the last two years.

In the event the Colts part ways with Wayne and enable fellow free agent Hakeem Nicks to walk, they could turn to the open market to find a complement to Hilton. There are several accomplished receivers who are expected to test the market. One option is four-year Raven Torrey Smith. The 6-foot, 205-pounder has been both effective (213 receptions, 16.9 YPC, 30 TDs) and durable, having played in all 64 of Baltimore’s regular-season games during his career, and would give Luck a proven wideout to team with Hilton. It may work in the Colts’ favor that their new receivers coach, Jim Hostler, held the same position in Baltimore from 2011-13 and tutored Smith for three years. Signing Smith would take a sizable chunk out of the Colts’ $39MM-plus in cap space. Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com tweeted earlier this month that Smith rejected a five-year, $35MM offer ($19MM in guarantees) from the Ravens prior to last season.

Obviously, in order to get the most out of their backs and receivers (whomever they may be), the Colts will need a dependable offensive line. They have a strong twosome in stellar left tackle Anthony Castonzo and guard Jack Mewhort, but the rest of the group is less capable. Even though right tackle Gosder Cherilus had a miserable, injury-plagued 2014, the seven-year veteran is expected to stay in place because he’s been good in the past and cutting him would cost the Colts more than keeping him. That leaves center and guard as areas Grigson may try to upgrade.

Indy started a slew of different centers last season and, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), A.Q. Shipley was the strongest of the group. However, the restricted free agent is on the outs, Holder wrote last week. Further, according to Holder, Grigson won’t use more than a late-round pick on a center. He could go the free agency route for the Chiefs’ Rodney Hudson or the Raiders’ Stefen Wisniewski. Either would be probable upgrades over the Colts’ in-house options (Khaled Holmes and Jonotthan Harrison). Joel Corry, a cap expert and former agent, believes Hudson will end up with a deal upward of $5MM per year, according to the Kansas City Star’s Terez A. Paylor. Wisniewski is seeking money in the realm of an average starting center, ESPN’s Michael Wagaman has reported.

As for the guard position, the 49ers’ Mike Iupati heads the free agent class and, as an elite-level run blocker, would seem to be an excellent fit for a Colts team that needs to fix its ground game. The three-time Pro Bowler is going to cost a lot, without question, and landing him would likely mean moving Mewhort from left to right guard – where the soon-to-be second-year man played occasionally at Ohio State. Regardless, with Mewhort and Iupati, Indy would have a top-end guard tandem on paper.

On the other side of the ball, the Colts’ defensive line has already begun undergoing changes. The team made a newsworthy move Monday in releasing tackle Ricky Jean-Francois, who was due $5.5MM next season. In the wake of the Jean-Francois news, Holder speculated that the Colts could pursue the likes of Nick Fairley (Detroit) and Terrance Knighton (Denver) on the open market. Adding Fairley or Knighton would be auspicious for the Colts, who finished last season an unspectacular 18th in conventional run defense and 19th in Football Outsiders’ version. The Colts’ kryptonite, the Patriots, exploited that area of Indy’s defense in both teams’ matchups last season: LeGarrette Blount rushed for 148 yards in New England’s 45-7 AFC championship drubbing. Two months prior, the previously unknown Jonas Gray famously eclipsed the 200-yard mark in a 42-20 Pats victory.

Besides stopping the run, the other key function of the front seven is generating a pass rush. Despite the fact that the Colts finished 2014 with the ninth-most sacks in the league (41), Grigson still wants more rushers, Mike Chappell of RTV6 tweeted last week.

Eleven-year Colts veteran Robert Mathis paced the league in sacks two years ago (19.5) before missing all of last season, but Indy wouldn’t be wise to think his return will cure its ills. Mathis sat out 2014 because of a PED suspension and, worse, a torn Achilles. Moreover, he’s on the wrong end of the aging curve at 34. ESPN’s Mike Wells reported Monday that the Colts are “likely” to draft a rusher to complement Mathis and Jonathan Newsome, also noting that they’ll keep an eye on free agency. Wells specifically mentioned the Chiefs’ Justin Houston, who led the league in sacks last season (22), and the Giants’ Jason Pierre-Paul, on whom New York is expected to place the franchise tag.

The prime area of concern on the back end of the Colts’ defense is safety, where they’re especially fallow. They already cut one starter from last season in strong safety LaRon Landry, while the other (free safety Mike Adams) is presently unsigned. So is main reserve Sergio Brown. There does seem to be optimism about the return of Adams, whom Grigson said the team would “love” to keep. At 33, Adams had a career year in 2014 with five interceptions and earned his first career Pro Bowl trip.

Regardless of whether Adams re-signs, the position will still need attention, which Pagano acknowledged. “There’s a bunch of guys out there in free agency we could take a look at,” Pagano said, according to Holder. “There’s a bunch of guys here at the draft we’ll evaluate.” 

The premier free agent is expected to be the Patriots’ Devin McCourty. Signing him would greatly aid the Colts while simultaneously dealing a tremendous blow to rival New England. Draft-wise, former Alabama star Landon Collins is already on the Colts’ radar.

Key Free Agents

The Colts have other noteworthy free agents besides the aforementioned. One is defensive lineman Cory Redding, who isn’t a slam dunk to play anywhere next season. The 34-year-old is pondering retirement after playing a substantial role for last year’s Colts, appearing in over 70% of defensive snaps and garnering praise from Pro Football Focus for his efforts.

Indianapolis also has decisions to make on two of Redding’s fellow integral defenders, linebacker Jerrell Freeman and cornerback Darius Butler. As a restricted free agent, Freeman is almost sure to return to the Colts. Butler, however, is unrestricted and could change uniforms as early as next month. The six-year veteran has spent the last three seasons with the Colts, totaling eight interceptions. While none of those INTs came in 2014, Butler was still a solid part of Indy’s above-average pass defense.

Finally, there’s a trio of unsung hero types in offensive lineman Joe Reitz, safety Colt Anderson and linebacker Andy Studebaker. The latter two are special teams stalwarts, while the 29-year-old Reitz’s best trait has been his versatility. Last year, in fact, he started at a team-high three different O-line positions and fared well. None of Reitz, Anderson or Studebaker should cost a ton for the Colts to bring back, but they’re all useful role players. Indy would be smart to re-sign all three.

Possible Cap Casualties

There’s one painfully obvious cap casualty on the Colts: Trent Richardson. It seems inevitable that the relationship between the Colts and the disappointing running back will end this offseason.

Richardson, whom the Colts acquired from Cleveland for a first-round pick in 2013, has been a colossal bust in his two seasons with Indianapolis. The 24-year-old has played 29 regular-season games as a Colt and registered just 977 rushing yards with a paltry 3.09 per-carry average. Worsening matters is that Richardson was scratched for the Colts’ final two playoff games last month, the latter of which was a suspension for missing a team walkthrough. With all of that considered, it’s clear that the next, final step in the marriage between the two sides is a divorce. If Indy releases Richardson, it will save more than $3MM for next season (provided Richardson’s guarantees void because of his suspension). The writing is on the wall.

Extension Candidates/Contract Issues

The Colts are going to have to shell out major money in the near future for some of their paramount offensive players.

Atop the list is Luck, who will be paid handsomely for both his accomplishments and his status as the face of the Colts’ franchise. During his three-year career, Luck has started all 52 of the Colts’ games (playoffs included), led the team to three straight double-digit-win outputs, and thrown for 86 touchdowns and nearly 13,000 yards in the regular season.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted last month that Indy was working on a contract that could make Luck the league’s highest-paid player. Team owner Jim Irsay refuted Schefter’s report, saying Luck still has two years left on his deal. If he isn’t extended by later this offseason, the Colts will exercise Luck’s 2016 option to make sure he’ll at least be theirs for two more seasons. Barring something disastrous, though, Indianapolis will surely do everything in its power to keep Luck under center for a lot longer.

The Colts will have to make more immediate decisions on three of Luck’s offensive mates – Hilton, Castonzo and tight end Coby Fleener – all of whom are scheduled for free agency next year.

Hilton came into the league with Luck in 2012 and has developed into his QB’s go-to target. The 5-foot-9, 178-pounder just completed his second straight 82-catch season, one in which he set a career high in yardage (1,345) and tied his previous touchdown mark (seven). The 25-year-old could end up with a contract similar to the one the Jets gave Eric Decker last offseason. Decker was coming off his second consecutive 80-catch, 1,000-yard season as a Bronco when he signed a five-year, $36.25MM deal with New York ($15MM in guarantees). He put up 216 catches (13.7 YPC) and 32 touchdowns from 2011-13, when his age ranged from 24 to 26. Compare that to Hilton’s three-year stretch – 214 grabs (15.4 YPC) and 19 scores from ages 23 to 25 – and you have the neighborhood in which his next contract is likely to live.

Castonzo, the cornerstone of the Colts’ offensive line, has appeared in and started 60 games since joining the team as a second-round pick in 2011. The 26-year-old has been the quintessence of reliability over the last three years. He played every offensive snap for the Colts in 2012, missed only four in 2013, and led all NFL O-linemen in snaps last season (1,115). Castonzo will make $7.4MM in 2015, the fifth-year option Indy picked up last offseason. That option is the value of the highest-paid 25 players at the position, excluding the top three players. An extension should see him climb toward the lower end of the top 10, where yearly value ranges start at $8.5MM.

Finally, there’s Fleener – who was part of a superb Colts 2012 draft class that, as mentioned, also produced Luck and Hilton. Fleener finished 2014 ranked 16th among tight ends in catches (51), eighth in yardage (774) and tied for fifth in TDs (eight). His per-catch average was tops at the position among those with at least 25 receptions. He’ll make under $1.7MM next season and is sure to get a considerable raise between this offseason and next. If Fleener ends up in the top 10 tight ends in yearly contract value, that would mean a salary north of $5MM per annum.

Overall Outlook

Assuming Luck stays healthy, the least the Colts will do next season is rule their division for the third straight year. Whether they can ascend to greater heights and dethrone the Patriots in the AFC will hinge on how well Grigson handles the offseason. The GM will have plenty of money to work with, which should help the Colts repair at least some of their issues and close the gap on the Pats, but he’ll have to keep the long-term future in mind when he considers spending it. His most important order of business this offseason will be locking up Indy’s offensive linchpins for the foreseeable future.

Information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC South Notes: Morgan, Colts, Titans

February 24th, 2015 at 10:11am CST by Zachary Links

A quick look at the AFC South..

  • On the verge of free agency, Titans outside linebacker Derrick Morgan has parted ways with long-time agent Ben Dogra, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (on Twitter). The former No. 16 overall pick has posted just 23.5 sacks in his five seasons as a pro but he stands as one of the Titans’ most important free agents this offseason after grading out as the eighth-best 3-4 outside linebacker according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
  • Following the release of Ricky Jean-Francois by the Colts, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star that he expects his client to have a “healthy market” in free agency, and wouldn’t rule out a return to Indianapolis at a reduced salary.
  • The Titans‘ decision on whether to take a quarterback will be the draft’s first pivot point, Field Yates of ESPN.com writes (Insider subscription required). The Titans could pluck whichever quarterback isn’t selected by the Bucs at No. 1, but they could also roll with Zach Mettenberger and take someone like USC’s Leonard Williams, praised by many evaluators as the best pure football player in this year’s class.

Colts Cut Ricky Jean-Francois

February 23rd, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have cleared some cap room for the coming year, announcing today in a press release that they’ve cut defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois. Jean-Francois, who had spent the last two seasons in Indianapolis, had two more years left on his contract with the club.

Jean-Francois, 28, parlayed a part-time role with the 2012 NFC champion 49ers into a four-year, $22MM pact with the Colts, who made him a starter and increased his playing time. Jean-Francois held his own in the increased role, ranking 26th out of 47 qualified 3-4 defensive ends in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). He also set new career highs last season with 34 tackles and three sacks.

Still, with a $6.125MM cap number for 2015, Jean-Francois wasn’t worth the investment for a Colts team that will create nearly $5MM in cap savings by cutting him. With annual prorated bonus figures of $625K on his deal, Jean-Francois will now count for $1.25MM on Indianapolis’ 2015 cap, as those bonus amounts accelerate to the ’15 league year.

The Colts already had a huge chunk of cap room available for 2015, and releasing Jean-Francois will give the team even more flexibility. According to OverTheCap.com’s data, Indianapolis is now armed with $40MM+ in projected cap space, which should give the club the flexibility to splash around a little in free agency, and to work out long-term extensions for core players like Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton.

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