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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Colts To Sign Victor Butler

November 24th, 2014 at 4:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts are set to sign linebacker Victor Butler, according to Mike Chappell of the Indy Star (on Twitter). To make room, Indianapolis will waive defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles.

Butler, 27, was released by the Colts less than a week ago. The former fourth round pick of the Cowboys has shown promise but he missed last year with a torn ACL while with the Saints. The pass rush specialist signed with the Cardinals in mid-September but his stay in Arizona was brief as he was released on October 1st. In his four seasons in Dallas (2009-2012), Butler totaled 11 sacks and 68 tackles.

Quarles, 22, appeared in two games for the Colts this season and registered a sack in their week three win against the Jaguars.

Minor Moves: Saturday

November 22nd, 2014 at 7:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are today’s minor transactions. We’ll update the list throughout the day, with the most recent moves added to the top…

Earlier Updates

AFC Mailbags: Colts, Jags, Bengals, Jets

November 22nd, 2014 at 10:11am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN’s NFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now check out some notes from the AFC…

  • If Mike Wells were a member of the Colts front office, he wouldn’t sign Ray Rice to a contract. The writer notes that the running back must be out of shape, and he also notes the difficulties in learning a new scheme.
  • Michael DiRocco believes the Jaguars biggest offseason needs will be a pass-rusher and a linebacker. As a result, the writer targets Nebraska’s Randy Gregory and Missouri’s Shane Ray.
  • Switching to the offense, DiRocco could see the Jaguars drafting a running back late in the draft. Regardless, he doesn’t think the team should part ways with Toby Gerhart, especially since Denard Robinson hasn’t proven he can be a featured back.
  • A.J. McCarron is clearly the Bengals backup plan at quarterback, so he won’t be traded or released any time soon, writes Coley Harvey.
  • If the Jets move on from Rex Ryan, the Jets owe it to their fans to pursue 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, opines Rich Cimini.
  • Meanwhile, Cimini doesn’t believe the Jets will pursue Darrelle Revis this offseason (if the cornerback becomes a free agent). The writer believes a Revis-Rex Ryan reunion is inevitable, but not in New York.

AFC Notes: Hoyer, Woodson, Broncos, Colts

November 21st, 2014 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Just when we thought we were getting a clearer sense of what the playoff picture in the AFC would look like, the 7-3 Chiefs got knocked off by the 0-10 Raiders last night, clearing a path for the Broncos to reclaim the West division and opening the door for a handful of other contenders to push Kansas City for a Wild Card spot. As we look forward to seeing what other surprises this weekend’s games bring, let’s check in on the latest out of the AFC….

  • It remains to be seen what kind of contract Brian Hoyer will land in the offseason when he becomes eligible for free agency, but it looks as if he’ll be in for a modest payday before then. As Jeremy Fowler and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com detail, Hoyer will earn more than $2MM in incentives if he handles 70% of the Browns‘ offensive snaps this year, which he’ll do assuming he’s not injured or benched in the next couple weeks.
  • Speaking to Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter links), veteran defensive back Charles Woodson said he has no regrets about re-signing with the Raiders this year and hopes to play at least one more season beyond 2014.
  • With Ronnie Hillman still sidelined, don’t be surprised if the Broncos promote running back Jeremy Stewart off the practice squad this weekend, tweets Lindsay Jones of USA Today. Stewart would be the club’s No. 3 back on Sunday ahead of Kapri Bibbs.
  • Elevating a running back to the active roster is also a possibility for the Colts, according to head coach Chuck Pagano, who told reporters today that Zurlon Tipton could be promoted from the practice squad (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of RTV6).
  • At 2-8, the Jets have no hope of reaching the postseason this year, but there are plenty of questions that must be answered down the stretch, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Besides the much-discussed fates of Rex Ryan and John Idzik, Cimini points to the quarterback position, free-agents-to-be, and in-season acquisition Percy Harvin as things to keep an eye on.

Colts, Cards Put In Claims For Ben Tate

November 20th, 2014 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

A day after the Browns released Ben Tate, the Vikings were awarded the running back off waivers on Wednesday, claiming him as a de facto replacement for Adrian Peterson once it became apparent that Peterson almost certainly wouldn’t return to the field this season. However, Minnesota wasn’t the only club to submit a claim for Tate. According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Colts and Cardinals also placed claims for the former Texan.

The fact that the Colts also tried to grab Tate isn’t a surprise — the team is in need of help in the backfield after seeing Ahmad Bradshaw go down for the season on Sunday with a fractured ankle. In Bradshaw’s absence, Trent Richardson and Dan Herron are the lead backs in Indianapolis, and neither player has shown he’s capable of carrying a significant load this season.

As for the Cards, their claim is a little more surprising. A pair of beat writers reported earlier in the week that Tate was an unlikely target for Arizona, even if he made it through waivers and became a free agent. The team is currently carrying five running backs too, so depth doesn’t appear to be an issue, though Andre Ellington and Robert Hughes have both been limited in practice this week.

Ultimately, the Vikings won out on Tate due to their subpar record this season. Waiver priority is determined by reverse order of record, so the 4-6 Vikes were ahead of the 6-4 Colts in line. And both teams were well ahead of the 9-1 Cards, who could only claim a player off waivers if each of the other 31 clubs passed.

Extra Points: Peterson, Vick, Cribbs, McCown

November 19th, 2014 at 9:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Ahead of the Buccaneers‘ showdown with the Bears, coach Lovie Smith says that he’s focused on turning things around in Tampa Bay, not on reuniting with his old friends from Chicago, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Still, Smith has fond memories of his time with the Bears and he doesn’t harbor any ill-will towards them. “My memories of my time are in Chicago are all great. I have lifetime friends from Chicago. I don’t have many bad memories on any place I have ever been. We won a lot of games. That is what I remember. And the fans there were awesome when we were winning all those games,” said the coach. More from around the league..

  • Jets quarterback Michael Vick has plenty of football left in him, writes NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling. “I would love to play again, at least get it out of my system for two more years,” Vick said, via NFL Media’s Kimberly Jones. “Because I know I got it in me.”
  • If Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has learned from his mistakes, he’s sure not showing it, writes Christine Brennan of USA Today. If the goal the past week was to get back on the field as soon as possible, blowing off a meeting with the NFL commissioner was not the way to do it, no matter what the players’ union was whispering in his ear, Brennan writes. Peterson’s appeal is set to take place on December 2nd, but it sounds like a longshot to say the least.
  • Josh Cribbs‘ deal with the Colts is a two-year pact, according to Mike Chappell of the Indy Star (on Twitter). The 31-year-old has made a name for himself in the NFL as a kick return specialist.
  • Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune looked back at Josh McCown‘s journey from last year to this year. McCown emerged as a very capable fill-in for the Bears last season when Jay Cutler went down. Over the offseason, he joined up with the Bucs and despite some hiccups, he is coming off of a very solid road win over Washington.

South Notes: Colts, Rice, Tate, Texans

November 18th, 2014 at 7:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the AFC and NFC South..

  • A source close to Ben Tate tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that he will get claimed by a team before the Colts (at No. 21) get the chance.
  • There has been some speculation that the Colts, with a need at running back now that Ahmad Bradshaw is out for the year, and a head coach in Chuck Pagano who has a history with Ray Rice, may be interested in the suspended running back if he’s reinstated. However, Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports that Indianapolis would have no interest in signing Rice as a potential replacement for Bradshaw.
  • However, another prominent free agent running back could be a consideration for the Colts. The team has begun researching running back Ben Tate — including his character and potential fit in Indy’s scheme — and appear interested in possibly claiming him off waivers, a source told ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The Colts have to be especially mindful of whether a tailback can fit in given the complexity of their offense.
  • The Falcons had Travian Robertson plucked from their taxi squad earlier today and they’re looking into replacements already. Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reports that Atlanta is auditioning defensive tackle Kheeston Randall today.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

November 18th, 2014 at 7:02pm CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Tuesday means plenty of practice squad signings and cuts for teams around the NFL. Here are today’s practice squad moves, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • To make room for their new practice squad additions, the Broncos have released defensive end Zach Thompson and wide receiver Douglas McNeil, tweets Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
  • The Saints signed former Chiefs inside linebacker Jerry Franklin to their practice squad, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • According to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (via Twitter), tackle Mark Asper and defensive back Josh Bush have joined the Broncos‘ practice squad. Denver previously had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait for word on which players are being replaced.
  • The Bengals have swapped one linebacker for another on their taxi squad, signing Terrell Manning and dropping Justin Jackson, per the team (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys have made a few changes to their practice squad, releasing guard Jeff Baca and linebacker Will Smith and adding linebacker Keith Smith and cornerback Robert Steeples to replace them (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • Rookie running back Dominique Williams, who was with the Vikings in camp, has re-signed with the team, joining the practice squad, according to a press release. Minnesota had a full 10-man unit, but now no longer lists safety Pierre Warren on its roster, so perhaps he was signed away by another club — the Saints, Warren’s former team, would be the most likely candidate.
  • In addition to making multiple changes to their 53-man roster, the Colts also tweaked their practice squad today, adding running back Michael Hill and cutting wide receiver Eric Thomas, the team announced today. We’ll have to wait to see whether Hill, the only running back on Indianapolis’ practice squad, has a chance to be promoted in Ahmad Bradshaw‘s absence, or if the team will opt for a veteran replacement instead.
  • The Falcons have filled the 10th and final spot on their taxi squad by signing former Oregon defensive tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli, per Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (Twitter link).
  • Having recently worked out for the club, cornerback Marcus Cromartie has joined the 49ers‘ practice squad, replacing tight end Xavier Grimble, who has been cut, according to the club (Twitter link).
  • Outside linebacker Cordarro Law, who was cut from the Chargers‘ active roster prior to Sunday’s game against the Raiders, has re-signed with the team’s practice squad, according to the Chargers’ transactions list.

Colts Sign Josh Cribbs, Put Bradshaw On IR

November 18th, 2014 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

1:55pm: The Colts have officially announced the signing of Cribbs, placing Ahmad Bradshaw on season-ending injured reserve in a corresponding move, tweets Mike Chappell of RTV6. The club also cut linebacker Victor Butler and signed tight end Weslye Saunders, an indication that Dwayne Allen may not be active in Week 12.

10:48am: The Colts are signing former Browns return man Josh Cribbs, a source confirms to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), who says the move should become official later today. Zac Jackson of FOX Sports Ohio first reported (via Twitter) that Cribbs was heading to Indianapolis.

Cribbs, 31, was one of the most explosive punt and kick returners in the league earlier in his career, tallying 11 total return touchdowns — three on punts and eight more on kicks. The three-time Pro Bowler played for the Jets for a portion of last season after spending most of his career in Cleveland, and hadn’t been on an NFL roster to this point in 2014.

Given Cribbs’ limited value as an offensive player, the Colts likely intend to use him primarily as a returner. For most of the season, 24-year-old wideout Griff Whalen has returned punts and kicks for the club, and has been passable. Whalen has yet to return a kickoff more than 32 yards or a punt more than 22 yards, however, so installing Cribbs as the new return man should give Indianapolis more big-play potential on special teams.

Browns Waive Ben Tate

November 18th, 2014 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

Less than a year after signing him to a multiyear deal in free agency, the Browns announced today (Twitter link) that they’ve released running back Ben Tate. Assuming Tate passes through waivers unclaimed, he’ll be free to sign with any team later this week.

Viewed as one of the top options on the open market back in March, Tate joined the Browns after backing up Arian Foster in Houston for the duration of his rookie contract. While it initially appeared that Tate would be the No. 1 back in Cleveland, a combination of injuries and the emergence of rookies Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell has relegated Tate to a complementary role. The 26-year-old, who has been frustrated by his lack of playing time, received just two carries for minus-nine yards during Sunday’s loss to the Texans.

None of Tate’s salary for the 2015 season is guaranteed, though a prorated portion of his $1.5MM signing bonus will remain on the team’s cap. The club will gain nearly $3MM in ’15 cap room by cutting him, reducing his hit from $3.7MM to just $750K in dead money.

As for Tate’s next team, Indianapolis is the first club that comes to mind, considering Ahmad Bradshaw is believed to have fractured his ankle and will likely be sidelined for the season. However, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report observes (via Twitter), the team’s offense is “exceptionally complex” for running backs, which is one reason Trent Richardson has struggled. As such, the Colts may not be interested in bringing aboard a back who’s not familiar with their system, particularly one who griped about a lack of touches with his previous team.

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