Anthony Castonzo - Pro Football Rumors

AFC South Notes: Mallett, Castonzo, Jags

November 24th, 2015 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

It wasn’t long ago that the AFC South was the laughingstock of the NFL, with the division’s first-place team sitting two games below .500 halfway through the season. The South hasn’t exactly turned into the league’s most fearsome division since then, but each team besides the 2-8 Titans is currently riding a multi-game winning streak, and the race for the South crown looks a little more competitive.

The 5-5 Colts and Texans both have winnable games on tap this weekend, with Indianapolis hosting the Bucs and Houston hosting the Saints, so it’s possible that by this time next week, the South could have two teams above .500 and entering the Wild Card conversation.

As we wait to see if the Colts, Texans, and Jaguars can extend their winning streaks, let’s round up the latest items from out of the division….

Ryan Mallett, who was released by the Texans after signing a two-year, $7MM+ deal with the team earlier in 2015, has filed for termination pay, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Because the veteran quarterback began the season with the team and hasn’t received termination pay previously in his NFL career, Mallett was eligible to receive his remaining salary for 2015, which works out to about $1.47MM — a prorated portion of $2.5MM. The Texans won’t owe any 2016 money to Mallett, who will be ineligible for termination pay in future seasons.
Speaking to reporters, including Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link), Colts coach Chuck Pagano said on Monday that offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo has an MCL sprain and will be week-to-week. Pagano also provided injury updates on wide receiver Phillip Dorsett and cornerback Vontae Davis, but the Castonzo news is most pressing for the Colts, and could force the team to shuffle its offensive line around.
In addition to working out defensive end Quanterus Smith, who signed with the team’s practice squad, the Jaguars also auditioned cornerback Robert Steeples this week, tweets Wilson.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Steelers, Browns, Castonzo

September 11th, 2015 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

After all the talk about DeflateGate that dominated the NFL news wire for the majority of the 2015 calendar year, last night’s season opener was supposed to return the conversation to what happened on the field. However, two off-field incidents stole headlines from Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com has updates on both stories.

According to Schefter, Steelers tight end coach James Daniel is being investigated by the Steelers and the NFL for allegedly assaulting and verbally accosting a Patriots fan on the way to the locker room before halftime. According to witnesses, Daniel kicked the Pats fan in the back of his leg and yelled at the fan. Depending on what the investigations by the team and the league turn up, Daniel could be facing a suspension and/or fine.

Meanwhile, after head coach Mike Tomlin complained about issues with the Gilette Stadium headsets, the Steelers opted not to file a formal complaint with the NFL. However, according to Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten, via Schefter, the team provided league reps with information regarding those communications issues.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Asked today about the Browns‘ decision to cut Terrelle Pryor, head coach Mike Pettine said the team initially held onto the former Raiders quarterback because of his potential as a receiver. However, he was occupying the 53rd roster spot, and the club likes running back Robert Turbin too much to have passed up on him (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Several players around the league are putting the finishes touches on contract extensions as the regular season approaches. However, it doesn’t appear that Browns safety Tashaun Gipson or Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon will sign new deals with their respective teams anytime soon, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter links).
Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports provides some additional details on Anthony Castonzo‘s new extension with the Colts, tweeting that the left tackle received a $14MM signing bonus.
Free agent wide receiver DaVaris Daniels is working out for the Jaguars today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). Daniels was claimed off waivers by the Patriots after being dropped by the Vikings, but didn’t survive New England’s cutdown to 53 players.

Colts, Anthony Castonzo Agree To Extension

September 10th, 2015 at 8:24pm CST by Luke Adams

8:24pm: The two sides have reached agreement on a four-year, $43.6MM extension, a person with knowledge of the deal tells Michael Marot of The Associated Press. Colts GM Ryan Grigson has confirmed the pact, as Mike Chappell of the Indy Star tweets.

“Left tackles like Anthony Castonzo are hard to come by. He’s a team first guy that works as hard at his craft as anyone I have ever been around regardless of position. His desire to be great literally consumes him and he is a shining example of the sacrifice it truly takes every single day to be at the top of his game come Sunday. From ownership on down we are all extremely happy that AC will be wearing the horseshoe for many years to come, ” Grigson said.

2:29pm: Castonzo will get a four-year extension worth $42MM, sources tell Rapoport (Twitter link), who adds that the Colts tackle will get $35MM in the first three years of the deal.

2:24pm: After locking up wide receiver T.Y. Hilton earlier in the preseason, the Colts appear poised to sign another key offensive player to a new contract. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), Indianapolis is finalizing an extension for left tackle Anthony Castonzo, and will pay him $10.5MM annually on the new deal.

Castonzo, who turned 27 last month, took over the Colts’ left tackle job on a full-time basis shortly after being selected by the club in the first round of the 2011 draft. In 2013, he ranked 27th out of 76 qualified offensive tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). In 2014, he placed 12th out of 84 qualified tackles, further increasing his value to Andrew Luck and the Colts.

While owner Jim Irsay indicated this summer that an extension for Luck would likely have to wait until 2016, he suggested that locking up Hilton and Castonzo, who had both been set to enter contract years, would be a top priority for the Colts.

“We have a little time with trying to work on a few extensions,” Irsay said. at the end of July. “There’s no reason Anthony Castonzo and T.Y. Hilton can’t get done. Look for us to keep core players and our top players. I don’t think it’ll be a distraction. I can’t see why we can’t get something done before Labor Day with T.Y. and Anthony.”

The Colts may not have quite met that unofficial deadline of Labor Day, but they were fairly close. Their pending agreement with Castonzo is the latest in a string of new contracts for left tackles around the league — Washington’s Trent Williams signed a mega-deal worth $13MM+ per year at the end of August, and the Patriots extended Nate Solder through 2017 earlier this week.

At $10.5MM per year, Castonzo will earn a top-five salary for left tackles, equaling Ryan Clady‘s per-year figure for the Broncos, according to Over the Cap’s data. Castonzo had been set to earn a $7.438MM for the 2015 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

South Rumors: Castonzo, Kuechly, Brooks

August 18th, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The latest news and rumors out of the AFC South and NFC South focus on a handful of candidates for contract extensions. Let’s round up the highlights….

Earlier in camp, Colts owner Jim Irsay singled out T.Y. Hilton and left tackle Anthony Castonzo as two players the team would like to sign to contract extensions before the regular season. The team has now finalized a new deal with Hilton, and GM Ryan Grigson acknowledged today that the club has active negotiations ongoing with Castonzo, tweets Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
This morning, we heard that extension discussions between the Panthers and Luke Kuechly were “heating up,” but head coach Ron Rivera doesn’t want to assume his standout linebacker will get a new contract right away. Rivera tells ESPN.com’s David Newton that the odds of something getting done by Week 1 are still about 50/50. Personally, I’d be surprised if the two sides hadn’t agreed to terms by then.
Sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle that the Texans would like to lock up guard Brandon Brooks to an extension, though it will depend how expensive he gets. If Brooks were to reach free agency in 2016, he would likely be in heavy demand as one of the best players available at his position, alongside perhaps Ravens guard Kelechi Osemele.

Colts, Anthony Castonzo Talking Extension

August 3rd, 2015 at 3:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Left tackle Anthony Castonzo confirmed that he’s discussing a new deal with the Colts, as Zak Keefer of the Indy Star writes. Recently, team owner Jim Irsay expressed optimism about getting a new deal done with the tackle, so it’s not a big surprise to hear that the two sides have started on contract talks.

“We have a little time with trying to work on a few extensions,” Irsay said. “There’s no reason Anthony Castonzo and T.Y. Hilton can’t get done. Look for us to keep core players and our top players. I don’t think it’ll be a distraction. I can’t see why we can’t get something done before Labor Day with T.Y. and Anthony.”

As a former first-round pick with a fifth-year option, Castonzo will earn a $7.438MM salary this season if he doesn’t agree to a new deal. Castonzo, who turns 27 on Sunday, took over the Colts’ left tackle job on a full-time basis shortly after being selected by the club in the first round of the 2011 draft. In 2013, he ranked 27th out of 76 qualified offensive tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). In 2014, he placed 12th out of 84 qualified tackles, likely increasing his value even further. For his part, Castonzo isn’t sweating a new deal.

“If you play well, you get taken care of, that’s sort of the way I see it,” Castonzo said Monday morning.

Irsay Optimistic About Hilton, Castonzo Deals

July 30th, 2015 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts don’t intend to negotiate a new contract with quarterback Andrew Luck until 2016, and head coach Chuck Pagano also isn’t expected to have his contract extended before the season. However, team owner Jim Irsay believes there’s a good chance Indianapolis can lock up wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and left tackle Anthony Castonzo to new deals within the next few weeks, as he tells Mike Wells of ESPN.com.

“We have a little time with trying to work on a few extensions,” Irsay said. “There’s no reason Anthony Castonzo and T.Y. Hilton can’t get done. Look for us to keep core players and our top players. I don’t think it’ll be a distraction. I can’t see why we can’t get something done before Labor Day with T.Y. and Anthony.”

Both Hilton and Castonzo are entering the final year of their respective contracts — as a former first-round pick with a fifth-year option, Castonzo will earn a $7.438MM salary this season if he doesn’t agree to a new deal, while Hilton will get a more modest $1.542MM base salary.

There have been conflicting reports on Hilton’s contract situation recently, with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writing earlier this week that Luck’s eventual extension could make it tricky for Indianapolis to lock up Hilton to a big-money deal of his own. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report indicated that the Colts are currently engaged in extension negotiations with Hilton, adding that there’s a decent chance the two sides work something out within the next few weeks. Irsay’s comments seem to support that report.

As for Pagano, the Colts head coach reportedly turned down a one-year extension offer from the team earlier in the offseason, opting to coach the final year of his current deal instead. Despite the lack of an agreement, Irsay is confident that things will eventually work out with Pagano.

“With Chuck’s situation, we’ve had conversations and it’s all been friendly,” Irsay said. “He understands where I’m coming from. I understand where he’s coming from. My hope is we’re going to have a great season and Chuck will end up eventually signing an extension. Chuck is really motivated and he’s excited about this year.”

Colts Exercise Anthony Castonzo’s Option

April 28th, 2014 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have picked up their fifth-year option on Anthony Castonzo, according to Will Brinson of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The move will keep the team’s starting left tackle under contract through the 2015 season.

Castonzo, 25, took over the Colts’ left tackle job on a full-time basis shortly after being selected by the club in the first round of the 2011 draft. In 2013, he ranked 27th out of 76 qualified offensive tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Castonzo’s PFF grade was buoyed by solid run-blocking and an ability to avoid taking penalties.

ESPN.com’s Mike Wells had reported over the weekend that the Colts would pick up Castonzo’s option, which will be worth $7.438MM, as our fifth-year option tracker shows.

AFC Notes: Castonzo, Colts, Winston

April 26th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Colts have yet to officially decide whether they will be picking up Anthony Castonzo‘s fifth year option, but they will, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. The left tackle’s option should be worth $7.438MM according to our Fifth-Year Option Tracker.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

With the retirement of Phil Costa, the Colts are back on the market for a veteran to compete at center. Wells writes that they could look at free agents such as Jonathan Goodwin, David Baas, Kyle Cook, and Steve Vallos. Because Khaled Holmes is still young, Wells believes the team would be unlikely to draft a center to compete.
The Ravens have huge needs at both free safety and offensive tackle, but the team does not always draft for need, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. While those would be the most logical holes to fill, the team could elect to go best player available
The Ravens could be interested in signing right tackle Eric Winston, writes Hensley. The team will most likely wait until after the upcoming draft before making a decision. If they draft a tackle in the first few rounds, they will not need Winston’s services.