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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Freeman’s Latest: Davis, Browns, Ravens, Rice

July 16th, 2014 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report checks in this morning with the latest installment of his regular 10-Point Stance feature, and the piece includes several notable tidbits from around the NFL. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

  • For now, all indications are that 49ers tight end Vernon Davis will hold out in hopes of signing a new contract. That could change, according to Freeman, who isn’t convinced Davis will “actually take the leap” into a full-fledged holdout, but that seems to be the tight end’s plan at the moment.
  • At least one member of the Browns‘ coaching staff was pleased to see LeBron James decide to return to Cleveland because of the potential impact it could have on a certain rookie quarterback. “There will not be a better mentor for Johnny [Manziel] than LeBron,” said the coach. As Freeman explains, the Browns hope LeBron can show Manziel how to be “smart about his public image while also enjoying his stardom.”
  • After Jimmy Smith became the fifth Ravens player to be arrested this offseason, Freeman suggests that the club’s front office “won’t put up with this type of nonsense for much longer.”
  • Another of those Ravens who ran into legal trouble this year, Ray Rice, is still waiting to hear from the NFL about a suspension. According to Freeman, a two- to three-game ban is the likely scenario. As for Colts owner Jim Irsay, Freeman is hearing that he’s expected to receive a multigame suspension as well as a seven-figure fine.

Colts Sign Chad Anderson

July 15th, 2014 at 9:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts announced on their website that they have signed offensive lineman Chad Anderson. To make room for the guard, the Colts waived undrafted rookie defensive end Gannon Conway.

Anderson, a 6’3″, 321 pound lineman, comes to Indianapolis by way of the LA Kiss of the Arena Football League. Anderson started 32-of-35 career collegiate games and was a three-time letterman at Northern Michigan. He made 32 consecutive starts over his final three seasons, including the last 21 at the right tackle position. As a senior in 2013, he blocked for an offense that averaged 352.8 total yards per game, including 231.7 yards passing and 121.1 yards rushing.

Conway, signed in June after being waived by the Dolphins, was a UDFA out of Arizona State. In 30 career games (14 starts) for the Sun Devils, he recorded 51 tackles (33 solo), nine tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and two passes defensed.

AFC Notes: Pouncey, Rubin, Broncos, Colts

July 15th, 2014 at 4:16pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a tumultuous year for Dolphins center Mike Pouncey, who recently underwent hip surgery that will sideline him for the start of the 2014 season and was accused of assault following his birthday party in South Florida. However, it appears one piece of good fortune is coming Pouncey’s way — according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, it seems unlikely that the center will face any discipline from the NFL over his alleged involvement in last year’s bullying scandal.

“Never say never,” said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, when asked if the league expected to have any updates on Pouncey’s status. “But I don’t anticipate having to address the issue again.”

Of course, on the heels of that story, Beasley had more details on the recent incident at Pouncey’s birthday, reporting that the purported victim intends to sue Pouncey and his brother Maurkice Pouncey for their alleged role in the physical altercation at Cameo nightclub. As we wait to see what comes of the suit, here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Ahtyba Rubin‘s long-term future with the Browns is uncertain, but he didn’t become a cap casualty this offseason as had been speculated, and hopes to eventually finish his career with the club, writes Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
  • Jon Heath of the Mile High Report spoke to former agent Joel Corry about what sort of contract Broncos tight end Julius Thomas might be looking for in extension talks. The figures and points of comparison suggested by Corry were similar to the ones I put forward when I explored Thomas’ case for an extension earlier this month.
  • Kevin Bowen of Colts.com poses some burning questions facing the Colts‘ pass catchers at wide receiver and tight end heading into training camp.
  • Speaking to Neil Reynolds of Sky Sports (hat tip to NFL.com), Dolphins wideout Mike Wallace suggested he may get a chance to return kicks for the club this year. Wallace, whose cap hit is the largest on Miami’s roster in 2014, is entering the second season of the five-year pact he signed with the team in 2013.

 

AFC South Links: Texans, Jaguars, Brazill

July 13th, 2014 at 12:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A panel of NFL writers at ESPN.com ranked all 32 teams in order of future projected success — that is, how each franchise will fare over the next three seasons — by assigning grades for components like quarterback, front office, and coaching staff. Unsurprisingly, the Seahawks finished first in the exercise, but one underlying point was the brutal future prognosticated for the teams in the AFC South. The Colts ranked as the top team in the division, but were listed at just No. 20 overall, while the Jaguars, Titans, and Texans registered as Nos. 23, 25, and 27, respectively. I might quibble with the Texans’ projected futility, but as a whole, the AFC South looks like the weakest division in football, and could remain that way for some time.

  • The Texans have several interesting position battles that need to be resolved during training camp, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle writes. Left guard will come down to either incumbent Ben Jones or rookie Xavier Su’a-Filo, while Randy Bullock will try to keep undrafted rookie Chris Boswell from taking the kicking job.
  • In a video link, McClain and his Houston Chronicle colleague Brian T. Smith run down the top storylines on both sides of the ball for the Texans.
  • The Jaguars don’t have much experience at receiver behind Cecil Shorts, but Jacksonville receivers coach Jerry Sullivan isn’t worried that his young players, including 2014 second-rounders Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, will buckle under the NFL lights. “I never think about that,” Sullivan told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “I put the pressure on myself to get them trained to perform at the NFL level.”
  • In the wake of LaVon Brazill‘s suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, ESPN.com’s Mike Wells opines that the 25-year-old ex-Colt has no one to blame but himself.

AFC Notes: Manuel, Luck, Bryant, Haden

July 12th, 2014 at 4:35pm CST by Rob DiRe

Bills passer E.J. Manuel was the top quarterback selected in the 2013 NFL Draft, but failed to live up to his selection because he was unable to stay on the field last season. Manuel was forced out of the game three times due to knee injuries. He is focused on staying healthy in 2014, writes Dan Hanzus of NFL.com.

“That was one thing I had to learn: to be smart when I take off with the football,” Manuel said. “Instead of trying to get an extra three yards, either step out of bounds or slide. Those are all the nuances I had to learn.”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

  • The Colts have a number of burning questions heading into 2014, but quarterback is not one of the more pressing issues. Even still, Kevin Bowen of Colts.com examines a few nuances of the position heading into Andrew Luck‘s third year. One noteworthy improvement Bowen will be looking for is increased efficiency on third down and in the red zone from the star quarterback.
  • While the Steelers have lost receivers Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders the past few offseasons, they still employ pass catchers they feel they can rely upon, writes Marc Sessler of NFL.com. Antonio Brown is coming off a career year, and Markus Wheaton is poised for a big season himself. Rookie fourth-round pick Martavis Bryant could provide the height and physicality needed for a red zone threat.
  • With the addition of LeBron James to the Cavaliers, Browns cornerback Joe Haden believes there will be a race to see which team will bring a championship to Cleveland first, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “LeBron makes things happen pretty quickly, so we’re going to have to get to it. I say it’s going to be a tight fight,” says Haden. “I know me and Manziel will be pushing to make that happen before. That’s why LeBron is coming here to bring a championship to the city and I’m trying to do the same thing.” The Browns will have the first shot at it this February in Phoenix, Arizona.

South Links: Richardson, Phillips, Vaccaro

July 12th, 2014 at 9:17am CST by Matt Feminis

Despite averaging just 2.9 yards per carry in 2013, Trent Richardson is penciled in as the Colts’ No. 1 running back, writes ESPN’s Mike Wells: “Richardson obviously was behind the rest of his teammates after being acquired just days before the Colts’ Week 3 game against San Francisco, but he didn’t show much progress as the season went on. He actually regressed as the season went on. Richardson has to step up to not only avoid being labeled a bust after being taken with the No. 3 pick in the 2012 draft, but also to help the Colts from looking like they got played by the Browns in the trade.” In exchange for Richardson, the Browns received the 26th overall pick, which they used to trade up for Johnny Manziel.

Here’s some more AFC and NFC South links:

  • Shaun Phillips is fitting in well with the Titans thanks to his veteran presence and likable personality, writes Jim Wyatt in the Tennessean. Phillips, 33, has totaled 19.5 sacks the last two seasons with the Broncos and Chargers. He signed a two-year, $5MM deal in Tennessee.
  • Second-year Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro brings unique “duality” to the secondary, writes NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal, who identifies Vaccaro as a rising star. Vaccaro’s versatile skill set enables defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to deploy him as a safety, cornerback or linebacker. “Ryan might have asked Vaccaro to do too much as a rookie,” according to Rosenthal. “In the first half of the season, Vaccaro didn’t excel when he lined up as a deep safety. The Saints have spoken this offseason about dialing back Vaccaro’s responsibilities with Jairus Byrd in town. With Byrd taking most of the traditional “free safety” roles, Vaccaro should be freed up to play closer to the line of scrimmage. They should be the best safety tandem east of Seattle.”
  • The Panthers turned over their receiving corps this offseason. With the dust settled, first-rounder Kelvin Benjamin is joined surrounded by a few veterans and a few more unproven players vying for jobs. Panthers.com staff writer Max Henson provided a position preview.
  • Reid Ferrin of AtlantaFalcons.com did the same for the Falcons receiving corps, which has significantly more star power and significantly fewer question marks.

Colts Cut LaVon Brazill, Sign Aaron Burks

July 11th, 2014 at 2:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Colts have cut wide receiver LaVon Brazill in the wake of his year-long suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).

Brazill, who was going into his third year in the NFL, all with the Colts, had 23 career catches but showed signs of ability in key moments last season. He saw increased playing time after the injury to Reggie Wayne, but was unable to turn that opportunity into impactful production.

The team moved on quickly, signing undrafted free agent Aaron Burks, according to Caplan (via Twitter). Burks, a wide receiver out of Boise State University, stands tall at 6’3″ and 205 pounds. The team could use him to replace Brazill’s size and add physicality to a receiver unit.

Following owner Jim Irsay’s recent indiscretions, the Colts were going to be watched closely in how they dealt with Brazill. There was some expectation that the organization would have to provide some latitude in their punishment, considering the parallel situation with their owner.

AFC Notes: Dalton, Glenn, Colts, London

July 11th, 2014 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after star wideout A.J. Green said he doesn’t want to play with any other quarterback besides Andy Dalton, the Dalton support campaign continued, with Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson praising his QB.

“We are tethered together,” Jackson told Michael Silver of NFL.com. “And I’ll jump off a building with this guy, because I believe in the things he’s trying to accomplish with his career, and I think I can help him.”

Dalton is entering the final year of his current contract, and has reportedly discussed an extension with the team, though it’s not clear whether the two sides will reach a long-term agreement in the near future. Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Cordy Glenn was arguably the Bills‘ best offensive lineman a year ago, but he’s not extension-eligible until after the 2014 season, at which point locking him up figures to become a top priority for the team, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Because Glenn wasn’t a first-round pick, Buffalo won’t hold a fifth-year option on his rookie deal.
  • Pointing to Andre Johnson‘s contract with the Texans as an example, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that simple contract restructures don’t always benefit the player, since they result in larger cap hits in later years of the deal, increasing the likelihood of the player’s release. While there’s some truth to that, I’d point out that restructures also increase the dead money on a contract in those future seasons, which somewhat offsets the increased cap hit — Before it was reworked, Johnson’s deal had a more manageable cap number for 2015, but it also had less dead money for ’15, so if he’s at risk to be cut next year, that risk probably would’ve existed either way.
  • In his latest mailbag, Kevin Bowen of Colts.com explores how free agent signee Hakeem Nicks will fit in Indianapolis, and discusses a few other Colts-related topics.
  • Maurice Jones-Drew, Charles Woodson, and Marcel Reece are among the Raiders looking forward to this year’s game in London, and both Jones-Drew and Matt Schaub went so far as to suggest that the European city deserves an NFL franchise, as Neil Reynolds details at BritViewNFL.com (hat tip to Pro Football Talk).

Extra Points: Cowboys, Smith, Bucs, Jackson

July 9th, 2014 at 10:35pm CST by Zachary Links

As a part of a roundtable discussion on FOX Sports Live, Randy Moss was quite critical of Jason Garrett and the Cowboys‘ coaching staff, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “When you look on paper, it’s every year that the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders have a lot of talent on their team,” Moss said. “I mean, talented, top-end players. For the Dallas Cowboys to keep sputtering every year, it’s not the players – some of it falls on the players – but go on up top and see what’s going on.” More out of the NFC..

  • 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith has left CAA Sports to join up with Relativity Sports, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). NFL agents Doug Hendrickson & CJ Laboy will represent the talented and troubled athlete.
  • Jason Fitzgerald’s series on teams’ best and worst contracts continues today at OverTheCap.com with a closer look at the Rams’ cap situation. Offensive tackle Jake Long and tight end Jared Cook earn respective best and worst contract honors for St. Louis for the second straight year, according to Fitzgerald.
  • The Buccaneers badly need change and that all starts with new head coach Lovie Smith, writes Chris Korman of USA Today. Last year, Tampa Bay had a weird season under coach Greg Schiano and notched just four wins despite having big name talents like Darrelle Revis and receiver Vincent Jackson. It’s already clear that Smith is ready to take a different approach. “This is what I’ve found from men: They will do whatever you ask them to do if you look them in the eye and they feel like you know what you’re talking about and you have a plan,” Smith said. “I never had a hard time. I’ve dealt with very few players I haven’t been able to motivate and get them to do what we ask them to do. They’ll listen.“
  • New Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson says that he’s happy to be in the same locker room as quarterback Andrew Luck, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. “It’s a breath of fresh air to see a quarterback on the other side that is learning, getting better each and every day. He’s making my game much better. He does a phenomenal job in practice of managing the offense, making the right reads. Whatever I can do to help him, great, and vice versa.”
  • In today’s mailbag, Craig Kelley of Colts.com writes that he believes Brandon McKinney can author a new chapter in his career this season. The defensive lineman signed with the Colts earlier this offseason and is looking to get back in the groove after two knee surgeries.

Extra Points: Graham, Jones, Cowboys

July 8th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk got his hands on testimony from the Jimmy Graham franchise-tag grievance hearing. One of the more interesting highlights: former Buccaneers special assistant to the head coach Butch Davis said that the team’s draft strategy in 2012 was fueled directly by a desire to stop Graham. “We took [safety] Mark Barron in the first round simply because of Jimmy Graham,” Davis said of the team’s decision with the eighth overall pick that year. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, the Saints have gone 4-0 against the Bucs since then. Here’s more from around the league..

  • In former Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones, it’s clear that the Colts got the type of player and personality that they’ve been looking for, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. Indianapolis pried Jones away from Baltimore this offseason with a five-year, $33MM deal that includes $10MM in guaranteed money.
  • Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com looks back to see what could have been for the Cowboys had they gambled on certain players. For example, if they put in a higher bid in the 2012 supplemental draft, they could have won top prize Josh Gordon, who is suspended for the 2014 season. The Cowboys would also look rather different if they went with Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel in this year’s draft. While both athletes are talented, right now it seems like the Cowboys were better off steering clear of both of them.
  • Brandon George of the Dallas News writes that the Cowboys have depth but very little experience at the left defensive end spot.
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