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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Raiders To Trade Yannick Ngakoue To Colts For Rock Ya-Sin

March 16th, 2022 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Minutes after agreeing to terms with Chandler Jones, the Raiders are clearing out a starting spot and a salary slot for the All-Pro pass rusher. They are expected to trade Yannick Ngakoue to the Colts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin is coming back in the deal. The Raiders and Colts have been working on this swap for the past day or so, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). Las Vegas, understandably, did not pull the trigger on a deal until its Jones agreement came through. No draft picks are changing hands; this is a player-for-player swap. This trade will cost the Raiders $8MM in dead money.

The Colts will be Ngakoue’s fifth team in the past three seasons. The former Jaguars standout made his way to the Vikings, Ravens and Raiders from 2020-21, being dealt late in the summer of 2020 and then being moved before that season’s deadline. After signing with Las Vegas, Ngakoue is being traded for a third time. Ngakoue, who will turn 27 later this month, registered 10 sacks last season. The former third-round pick has 20 forced fumbles over the course of his six-year career.

This will give the Colts a veteran edge presence they lacked last season and provide DeForest Buckner with a proven outside sack artist. The Colts used first- and second-round picks on defensive ends in the 2021 draft — Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo — and will now spend some cash on the position. After the Carson Wentz trade, Indianapolis entered free agency with its usual cap-space war chest. Ngakoue is signed through the 2022 season, on a $13MM-per-year accord.

While this trade will reunite Ngakoue with Gus Bradley, the Jaguars’ head coach when Ngakoue was drafted and the Raiders’ DC when he arrived in Vegas last year, it will send Ya-Sin to a Raiders team in need at cornerback. After a bounce-back year with Bradley, Casey Hayward is a free agent. A 2019 second-round pick, Ya-Sin will come to Vegas with one year remaining on his rookie contract.

Ya-Sin started 29 games with the Colts. While the Temple product has not played at a Pro Bowl level and only has two interceptions as a pro, the Raiders will shed salary here and land a player with considerable experience. After an up-and-down start to his career, Ya-Sin finished the 2021 season with a career-best 53% completion rate allowed when targeted. Pro Football Focus assigned Ya-Sin the fifth-best man-coverage grade last season.

Colts To Re-Sign DL Tyquan Lewis

March 15th, 2022 at 7:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the Colts’ four second-round picks in the 2018 draft, Tyquan Lewis will stay with Indianapolis beyond his rookie contract. The Colts are re-signing the veteran defensive lineman, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Lewis agreed to stay on a one-year deal worth $3MM. This contract certainly suggests the Colts plan to keep Lewis in a rotational role.

The Ohio State product is one of a few Colts defensive ends who entered the tampering period unattached. Fellow 2018 second-rounder Kemoko Turay, veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad and Isaac Rochell are unsigned. The Colts used first- and second-round picks on defensive ends last year, in Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo.

Lewis, 27, has started 12 games over his four-year Colts career. While he has not been able to establish himself as a consistent first-string presence, Lewis has recorded 6.5 sacks over the past two seasons. The 2.5 he accumulated last year came before a patellar tendon tear sustained on Halloween. This represents one of the toughest injuries to surmount, but the Colts would like to see Lewis continue his career with them.

Colts To Re-Sign OL Matt Pryor

March 15th, 2022 at 6:12pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts are bringing back Matt Pryor. The team is re-signing the offensive tackle, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth $5.5MM with $6MM upside.

The 2018 sixth-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Eagles, starting 10 of his 27 games. The lineman was traded to Indy (along with a seventh-round pick) for a sixth-round pick prior to the 2021 season.

During his lone season with the Colts, the 27-year-old saw time in all 17 games, starting five. He saw time on 40 percent of his team’s offensive snaps and 19 percent of their special teams snaps.

NFL Announces Compensatory Picks For 2022 Draft

March 15th, 2022 at 5:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2022 draft. These picks are awarded to the teams that suffered the most significant free agent losses during the 2021 offseason.

This year, the NFL awarded 39 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.

This year’s formula also includes the changes made last year, when teams began receiving third-round comp picks due to the hiring of minority head coaches and general managers. Seven such picks were awarded this year. The 49ers landed two additional third-rounders this year, obtaining the extra selections for the Jets’ 2021 Robert Saleh hire and the Dolphins hiring Mike McDaniel this year. Miami’s McDaniel hire will give San Francisco another third-rounder in 2023.

The Chiefs obtained a third-rounder for the Bears’ Ryan Poles GM hire, while the Browns landed a third because of the Vikings’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah GM hire. The Ravens collected their second third-round for the Texans’ 2021 David Culley hire; Culley has since been fired. The Saints and Rams obtained one apiece after seeing the Falcons and Lions hire minority execs Terry Fontenot and Brad Holmes as GMs in 2021. New Orleans and Detroit also landed thirds because of players given high-value contacts last year (Trey Hendrickson and Kenny Golladay, respectively).

Here is the full list of 2022 compensatory selections:

By round:

Round 3: Lions (No. 97 overall), Saints (98), Browns (99)*, Ravens (100)*, Saints (101)*, 49ers (102)*, Chiefs (103)*, Rams (104)*, 49ers (105)*

Round 4: Steelers (No. 138), Ravens (139), Packers (140), Ravens (141), Rams (142), Titans (143)

Round 5: Cowboys (No. 176), Lions (177), Cowboys (178), Colts (179)

Round 6: Rams (No. 211), Rams (212), Falcons (213), Chargers (214), Cardinals (215), Colts (216), Lions (217), Rams (218), Titans (219), 49ers (220), 49ers (221)

Round 7: Chargers (No. 254), Chargers (255), Cardinals (256), Cardinals (257), Packers (258), Chiefs (259), Chargers (260), Buccaneers (261), 49ers (262)

By team:

San Francisco 49ers (5)
Los Angeles Rams (5)
Los Angeles Chargers (4)
Arizona Cardinals (3)
Baltimore Ravens (3)
Detroit Lions (3)
Dallas Cowboys (2)
Green Bay Packers (2)
Indianapolis Colts (2)
Kansas City Chiefs (2)
New Orleans Saints (2)
Tennessee Titans (2)
Atlanta Falcons (1)
Cleveland Browns (1)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)

* = special compensatory selection

Colts To Sign CB Brandon Facyson

March 15th, 2022 at 4:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Gus Bradley is the Colts new defensive coordinator, but he’s also helping the front office by recruiting some former players. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter), the Colts have signed former Raiders cornerback Brandon Facyson. It’s a one-year deal for the defensive back.

Following three somewhat anonymous seasons with the Chargers, he caught on with the Raiders practice squad in 2021. He ended up transforming into one of the most dependable members of Bradley’s defense, compiling 55 tackles, 13 passes defended, and one pick in 12 games (nine starts).

Xavier Rhodes remains unsigned, but one of Facyson or Kenny Moore could pick up the slack (alongside Rock Ya-Sin) in the Colts’ secondary.

Colts To Re-Sign LB Zaire Franklin

March 15th, 2022 at 2:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Colts have plenty of cap space to work with, but a number of holes to fill on their roster. They took a step towards keeping part of their defense intact today, however. The team is re-signing linebacker Zaire Franklin on a three-year, $12MM deal (Twitter link via PFF’s Doug Kyed). The contract includes $4MM in guaranteed money.

Franklin, 25, was drafted in the seventh round by the Colts in 2018. He made it onto the roster right away, establishing himself as a core special teamer. His role in the third phase has grown since then, as he has played 80% of ST snaps in the past three campaigns.

Defensively, the Syracuse product took on a bigger workload in 2021. He played a career-high 200 defensive snaps, and started 11 of the 17 games in appeared in. He totalled 4o tackles, one interception and two pass breakups. Seen as an ascending talent, he was in line for a healthy raise compared to the earnings from his rookie contract.

With a value of $4MM per year on average, Franklin will rank second on the team in terms of annual compensation amongst the team’s linebackers, behind only Darius Leonard. With the likes of Bobby Okereke and Malik Jefferson facing free agency next year, having Franklin under contract for the medium-term future is significant for the team.

Jaguars To Sign TE Evan Engram

March 14th, 2022 at 4:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars continue to add to their offense. Jacksonville is signing tight end Evan Engram, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Jaguars To Sign Christian Kirk]

It’s a one-year deal worth $9MM, and the contract could be worth up to $10MM with incentives. PFF’s Doug Kyed tweets that the deal contains $8.25MM in guaranteed money, which includes a $3MM signing bonus and $5.25MM base salary. The tight end has $800K worth of reception and receiving yard incentives.

A first-round pick by the Giants in 2018, Engram had an inconsistent five years in New York. After missing 13 combined games between 2018 and 2019, Engram earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2020 after finishing with 63 receptions for 654 yards and one touchdown. However, his numbers took a step back in 2021, with the tight end finishing with 46 receptions for a career-low 408 receiving yards.

Still, those numbers would represent an upgrade at the position for the Jaguars. The team’s top receiving TE in 2021 was Dan Arnold, who finished with 28 receptions for 324 yards. Engram will join a tight ends depth chart that already includes Arnold, James O’Shaughnessy, Chris Manhertz, and Luke Farrell.

However, there’s a chance Engram doesn’t even line up as TE for his new squad. There were recent reports that teams were looking into Engram as a wide receiver, with the player’s combination of speed, agility, and size making him a potential matchup nightmare. We’ll see if that ends up being the case in Jacksonville. According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post (on Twitter), the Colts, 49ers, and Bills were among the teams to express interest in Engram before he landed in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars have been busy adding to their offense this afternoon. After agreeing to a deal with offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, the organization inked receiver Christian Kirk to a lucrative deal.

Deshaun Watson To Meet With Panthers, Saints

March 14th, 2022 at 4:34pm CST by Zachary Links

4:34pm: It may be an NFC South duel for Watson. The three-time Pro Bowler, as of Monday afternoon, is not willing to waive his no-trade clause for anyone but Carolina or New Orleans, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle said during an appearance on WFNZ (Twitter link). The Saints may have a slight lead in this race, with CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora noting Watson is “lukewarm at best” about the Panthers (Twitter link). While it has been reported Watson would waive his no-trade clause for the Panthers, this may not be his preferred outcome.

Watson has rejected the Seahawks, McClain adds (Twitter link). The Colts, as should be expected, are not in this mix. Though, they may or may not have tried. The Texans denied their AFC South rivals permission to speak with Watson, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Seahawks, reported as an interested party over the weekend, are not planning to meet with Watson, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter).

More teams are interested, but it certainly appears these two rivals are in the lead. Watson will meet with each team Monday night in Houston, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Watson is also planning to meet with other teams Tuesday, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. This saga could include a trade soon, despite Watson’s civil suits not yet being resolved.

10:17am: Deshaun Watson is expected to meet with the Panthers and Saints in the next couple of days (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). On top of that, Watson will also chat with other interested clubs between now and Wednesday. 

The Texans have granted Watson permission to meet with other clubs, which may help to advance the trade talks. Watson holds a no-trade clause, so the Texans have to get his sign-off before completing any deal.

On that note, Watson has not turned down a potential trade to the Panthers (Twitter link via David Newton of ESPN.com). It was long reported that Watson only OK’d a trade to the Dolphins, but Newton hears that’s not the case — at least, when it comes to Carolina. With that in mind, it’s possible that Watson could go along with a trade to the Saints or one of the other interested teams.

The details are not yet known, but the Saints and Panthers have made offers for Watson recently. Meanwhile, the Texans’ asking price has not budged. Houston GM Nick Caserio still says that he wants three first-round picks plus more assets in exchange for the embattled QB. The Panthers, who own the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 draft, could make a compelling offer for the Texans. The Saints, who sit at No. 18, would have to offer more in their package to top their bid.

Colts To Re-Sign TE Mo Alie-Cox

March 14th, 2022 at 2:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The centerpiece of the Colts’ 2022 offense remains a mystery, but the team reached an agreement to keep one of its pass catchers. Mo Alie-Cox is staying in Indianapolis on a three-year deal, Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star tweets.

Alie-Cox is coming back for $18MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. This is a nice payday for a player who has transformed from VCU hoops contributor to Colts auxiliary piece. The deal contains $11.7MM in guaranteed money, including his entire 2021 salary, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com on Twitter.

With Jack Doyle retiring, Alie-Cox may become a more prominent factor in the Colts’ offense. The ex-college basketball player has established himself as a solid weapon in Indianapolis over the past two years, combining for 710 yards and six touchdown receptions in that span.

Indy drafted Kylen Granson in the 2021 fourth round but otherwise does not have much beyond Alie-Cox signed at the tight end position. The $6MM-per-year pact represents midlevel money at the tight end spot, potentially indicating Indy is not done here. The Colts are still in need at wide receiver, so Alie-Cox almost certainly will not be their final key pass-catching investment this offseason.

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