Tag Archive | "nfl"
Posted on 10 April 2012. Tags: before-the-team, decide-on-luck, hold-the-first, indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts, irsay, monster, nfl, stanford, team
Andrew Luck was in Indianapolis on April 10 visiting with the team most likely to select him in the draft. The Indianapolis Colts hold the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft and appear destined to select Luck as their next quarterback. This visit could prove to be the final step necessary before the team makes their decision on the pick. Indianapolis already saw Luck at his pro day and also conducted a private workout of Luck on April 3 on the Stanford campus.
Following the visit, Jim Irsay tweeted: “Met with A Luck#12 n Indy 2day for 3 hrs;it’s easy 2c why the #1 pick n this Stanford phenom has been synonymous with each other 4over 2 yrs”.
Irsay’s twitter account has been a source of breaking news for Colt fans everywhere over the past year. If he’s this enamored with Luck, the next move is to announce the teams intentions and sign him to a contract. It’s the move every Colt fan is eagerly awaiting and wants to see. Of course, fans hardly get what they want when they want it. After such a difficult offseason, Irsay owes a little something to the fans though. A great move would be to decide on Luck, sign him to a contract and have him in Indianapolis on draft day to attempt to ignite the fan base.
I was sold on Luck long ago but became even more excited recently when reading Tom Moore’s comments about the quarterback. Moore praised Luck and said that he would be a special player in the league. At this time, nobody knows if Luck will turn out to be a Pro Bowl quarterback in the NFL. Colt fans are ready to watch him develop and find out if he someday will. It’s a new era in Indianapolis and the next step toward “Building the Monster” is drafting Andrew Luck and getting a franchise quarterback. It seems Jim Irsay already knows that. At the latest, everyone will find out on April 26.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He runs a blog about the team at www.coltsfansonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
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Posted in 1, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts
Posted on 10 April 2012. Tags: colts, denver, denver-broncos, draft, famer-peyton, indianapolis, nfl, plain-dealer, remainder
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Browns and NFL fans, it’s time for you to say who all of the teams should pick in the first round of the draft on April 26.
From today through April 22, via polls, we’re asking you to make first-round picks for each of two teams. The polls go up on cleveland.com at approximate 12-hour intervals, around 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. each day. We list 10 prospects for you to pick from in each poll — even for the first two picks.
On April 23-24, you’ll be asked to make the picks for each of three teams (at approximate eight-hour intervals), completing the 32-pick first round.
Meanwhile, continue to check The Plain Dealer for Browns and NFL coverage.
The first pick in the first round of the draft belongs to the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts finished the 2011 season with a 2-14 record.
The Colts’ most urgent need is at quarterback. Future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning missed all of last season after undergoing multiple neck surgeries, and after the Colts decided to pass on the remainder of his contract, signed with the Denver Broncos as a free agent.
Indianapolis could use help almost anywhere else, too. Their most glaring weaknesses, besides at quarterback, may be the receiving corps and at cornerback.
Indianapolis Colts on the clock: Who should they draft with the first pick in the first round?
That’s all the news for today.
Posted in 1, Cleveland Browns, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning
Posted on 09 April 2012. Tags: Dwight Freeney, game, indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts, janoris-jenkins, middle, network, nfl, receiver, Reggie Wayne, super-bowl, team, time, yahoo
Little suspense remains for the Indianapolis Colts and their first overall draft pick. It’s widely suspected that Andrew Luck will be chosen to be their next quarterback. The bigger question fans now have is who will be the next player selected with the teams second round draft pick. I see five candidates out there who could be the selection at number 34 overall.
Coby Fleener, TE
Fleener is the popular pick for Indianapolis in the second round. He fills a major need for the team at tight end and also has close connections to the expected new quarterback. Luck and Fleener had great chemistry at Stanford and would be lucky to continue that connection in Indianapolis. It’s certainly possible that a team could select Fleener in the first round, but if he’s there, I see Indianapolis selecting him.
Alameda Ta’amu, DT
Ta’amu would fill a major hole for the team at nose tackle. With the switch to a 3-4 defense, the team will need someone to clog the middle and stuff the run. The signing of Brandon McKinney is nice, but a solid young player is still needed. Ta’amu would give the team a young player they could develop in the middle of the defense. Someone will have to be selected at this position and I think Ta’amu would be a great choice.
Janoris Jenkins, CB
Jenkins is a very good player who may fall in the draft because of concerns of his character. Cornerback is a huge need for the team and one they must improve in the draft. If a player this talented were to fall to the second round, I think it would be very difficult for Indianapolis to pass him up. Jenkins may be able to step in immediately as the best corner on the roster. Jenkins is also coming to Indianapolis for a visit with the team soon.
Reuben Randle, WR
Whichever quarterback is selected first overall is going to need more talent around them at the receiver position. Randle would add a big, fast target that the quarterback could grow with. He still can develop as a player and would get to learn from one of the best in the game, Reggie Wayne.
Andre Branch, OLB
I think it wouldn’t be a surprise to get a good player who would be a natural fit in the new defensive scheme in Indianapolis. Branch would get a season to learn behind Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney and be able to ease his transition to the NFL and to the outside linebacker position. Freeney is likely gone after this season and the new front office may see Branch as the future at outside linebacker. This move would be difficult for fans to understand because the team has several other glaring needs at this time.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He also runs the blog www.coltsfansonline.com that covers the team. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
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Posted in 1, colts-news, Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts, Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis
Posted on 26 March 2012. Tags: breakers, colts, early-or-not, either-or-thing, evaluation, general-manager, great-as-well, griffin, irsay, nfl, owners-meetings, robert-griffin, stanford, the-evaluation, time
The Colts own the top overall pick of the draft.
“We want to use all the time available to continue to work the process,” Irsay said Monday at the NFL owners meetings at the Breakers hotel. “We have no preconceptions. We want to continue to do a detailed evaluation of each player. Robert Griffin is unbelievable. Luck is great as well.
“I don’t think it’s an either or thing. Both are great players. We’ll continue to use the time to evaluate and really sit down and decide to do a contract early or not. That’s certainly possible. We’re still in the evaluation process.”
Luck has been scheduled for a private workout with the Colts, according to general manager Ryan Grigson. The Colts haven’t set up a private workout for Griffin yet.
The Colts attended Griffin’s highly-regarded Pro Day workout at Baylor, and also attended the Stanford workout.
Irsay said he’s been getting to know both blue-chip quarterbacks fairly well.
“Yeah, I really do,” Irsay said. “I think they’re both outstanding young men in terms of what they meant to their schools, how they conducted themselves.”
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Posted in 1, colts-news
Posted on 26 March 2012. Tags: call-on-monday, colts, colts-grigson, indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts, nfl, robert-griffin, team
The Indianapolis Colts will have a special guest in the next couple of weeks when Stanford quarterback and likely 2012 NFL Draft first round draft pick Andrew Luck holds a private workout for his likely future team.
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson said during a conference call on Monday that Andrew Luck was ready to workout with the team but he would not yet confirm exactly when that workout would occur.
In the meantime Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III will not practice with the team although members of the Colts organization did watch Griffin during his pro day at Baylor University.
While Robert may not practice individually for the Colts Grigson says his teams evaluations are continuing and the Colts have not yet made up their mind about which player they will choose as their No. 1 choice and future leader of the Indianapolis Colts organization.
Whatever decision the Colts make they will not begin negotiating with that No. 1 draft before the 2012 NFL draft.
If Luck goes No. 1 as is expected the Washington Redskins are the likely choice to pick up Robert Griffin III.
The Redskins secured the No. 1 draft pick after the St. Louis Rams who secured No. 1 draft pick QB Sam Brady in 2010 traded the draft pick to the Redskins during a blockbuster trade.
Andrew Luck managed to rack up more than 3,000 yards for 35 touchdowns during his last season of play at Stanford. With those numbers its safe to say Indianapolis is probably not going to deviate from their original No. 1 draft choice.
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Posted in 1, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins
Posted on 26 March 2012. Tags: colts, draft, evaluation, griffin, indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts, irsay, luck-as-peyton, nfl, Peyton Manning, redskins, robert-griffin
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay says his team likes Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III and hasn’t decided which of the two star quarterbacks it will take with the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft.
“I think they’re both outstanding young men,” Irsay said during a break in the owners meetings here Monday. “I don’t think it’s either-or, where only one of them is going to succeed. I think they’re both going to be great.”
It’s long been assumed the Colts would take Luck with the first pick, and after the Washington Redskins traded up to get the No. 2 pick in the draft, it’s been assumed that they’d take Griffin. In truth, the Redskins are expecting the Colts to take Luck and excited to have Griffin. But if the Colts did take Griffin instead, the Redskins would be thrilled to have Luck fall to their spot.
Since they have the No. 1 pick, the Colts could, if they so choose, do a contract with Luck (or Griffin, or any player they want, actually) in advance of the draft.
“If we decided to do a deal early with one of them, that’s something we could definitely look into,” Irsay said. “But we’re still in the evaluation process right now.”
It’s possible the Colts have always been and remain set on taking Luck, and that the public interest in Griffin is a negotiating tactic Irsay is attempting to use with Luck. The Colts have been enamored with Luck for a long time. ESPN analyst Bill Polian, who was the Colts’ GM until a couple of months ago, has said last week on NFL Live that he believes Irsay is set on Luck as Peyton Manning’s successor in Indianapolis.
The key thing to remember, though, if you’re a Redskins fan, is the team believes (as Irsay says his team does) that there are two can’t-miss quarterback prospects in this year’s draft, and the trade the Redskins made with St. Louis ensured they will get one of them. Which one it is doesn’t matter as much as the fact that the Redskins believe that No. 2 pick sets them up at quarterback for years to come.
There is the quick update of the day.
Posted in 1, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning, Washington Redskins
Posted on 22 March 2012. Tags: indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts, Joe Reitz, network, nfl, oakland-raiders, offensive, Peyton Manning, saturday, team, the-offensive
The Indianapolis Colts continued with their offseason quest to bolster their offensive line. Three of the five newcomers to be acquired by the team since the start of free agency have come on the offensive line. The latest addition is the signing of free agency center Samson Satele. Satele signed a three year, $10.8 million contract to become what general manager Ryan Grigson described, “the anchor of the offensive line”.
Satele comes to Indianapolis from the Oakland Raiders where he played for the last three seasons. Satele was the starting center each season he played in Oakland. At such a young age, he has a lot of experience as a starter in the NFL.
I think this is a great signing for the Colts. After the left tackle, center is one of the most vital positions on the offensive line. This move secures those two positions for Indianapolis into the future. It’s very important to the success of a young quarterback to have stability on the offensive line. With the additions of Satele and Winston Justice to go along with Anthony Castonzo, Ben Ijalana, and Joe Reitz, the offensive line could be very good in 2012 and beyond. Each of the players listed are under 28 years old and can grow and improve along with the new Colt offense. If the team can develop a strong offensive line, it could go a long way toward turning things around quickly in Indianapolis.
If Satele pans out, this is the kind of move that could prove to be very good for the team moving forward. Peyton Manning was able to have stability by having such a great center in Jeff Saturday for so long. Like many fans, I’ll be sad to see Saturday go, but this is a strong move to bring in a talented young player in his place. Hopefully Luck and Satele can grow together much like Manning and Saturday once did. If they make a connection anywhere close to what Peyton and Jeff had, Indianapolis fans will be lucky.
Overall, I think this is a good move and one that may not appear attractive to fans, but will help win games on Sundays. Satele is a good player at a position of need and is a solid signing by Ryan Grigson and the Colts. This makes yet another quality signing this offseason for the new era Colts.
Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. He also runs the blog www.coltsfansonline.com that covers the team. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.
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Colts sign Satele
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Posted in 1, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts, Jeff Saturday, Joe Reitz, Peyton Manning, Winston Justice
Posted on 20 March 2012. Tags: competition, indianapolis, lions, nfl, north, restricted-free, tampa, the-competition, university
The Detroit Lions have signed former Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jacob Lacey, according to the team’s website.
Lacey will likely be in the competition to replace cornerback Eric Wright, who recently signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Lacey was not offered a restricted free agent tender by Indianapolis prior to free agency. He visited the Lions’ facility in Allen Park last week and left wanting to play in Detroit.
He started in 10 of 15 games last season, recording 24 tackles and one interception. He has 27 starts since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2009.
Lacey’s skills are needed to help a secondary that struggled last season.
Detroit’s secondary struggled in the second half of this season, which resulted in bad performances against the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. Packers quarterback Matt Flynn completed 31 of 44 passes for 480 yards, six touchdowns and one interception against Detroit earlier this month, while Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for 466 passing yards and three touchdowns in New Orleans’ playoff victory.
The Lions could create more competition in their secondary by drafting a cornerback in this year’s draft, like University of North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins. If the Lions believe Lacey is their starter prior to the draft, today’s signing will allow Detroit to draft the best player available.
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Posted in 1, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts, Jacob Lacey, New Orleans Saints
Posted on 19 March 2012. Tags: 95-million-deal, agent, broncos, chris-mortensen, denver, denver-broncos, Indianapolis Colts, manning, nfl, peyton, Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning is on his way to becoming the new starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos, according to a report by ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter.
Citing multiple sources, the report today says Manning has instructed his agent, Tom Condon, to intensify contract negotiations with the Broncos. If a deal is completed, ESPN is reporting, the Broncos will try to trade quarterback Tim Tebow, who led the team to a playoff victory last season.
The report calls a contract between Manning and the Broncos a “formality” at this point, saying the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback and the Broncos’ vice president of football operations, John Elway, already discussed a five-year, $95-million deal during a March 9 meeting in Denver and that Elway told Manning he was ready to finalize a contract “fair to both sides” during a workout in Durham, N.C., on March 16
The contract is expected to include language to protect the team in case Manning can’t perform due to his prior neck surgeries, but the quarterback has already passed a physical administered by Broncos doctors.
Barring any unforeseen setbacks, the deal between Manning and the Broncos will end a frantic couple of weeks that saw numerous teams vying for the services of the four-time league MVP.
More later at www.latimes.com/sports.
RELATED:
Peyton Manning works out for Broncos
Courtship of Peyton Manning by NFL teams has other quarterbacks scrambling
Plenty of stars available for NFL teams via free agency besides Peyton Manning
Report: Peyton Manning chooses Denver Broncos
That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.
Posted in 1, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning
Posted on 19 March 2012. Tags: 95-million-deal, agent, broncos, chris-mortensen, denver, indianapolis, Indianapolis Colts, manning, nfl, peyton, Peyton Manning, playoff-victory, quarterbacks, team
Peyton Manning is on his way to becoming the new starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos, according to a report by ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter.
Citing multiple sources, the report today says Manning has instructed his agent, Tom Condon, to intensify contract negotiations with the Broncos. If a deal is completed, ESPN is reporting, the Broncos will try to trade quarterback Tim Tebow, who led the team to a playoff victory last season.
The report calls a contract between Manning and the Broncos a “formality” at this point, saying the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback and the Broncos’ vice president of football operations, John Elway, already discussed a five-year, $95-million deal during a March 9 meeting in Denver and that Elway told Manning he was ready to finalize a contract “fair to both sides” during a workout in Durham, N.C., on March 16
The contract is expected to include language to protect the team in case Manning can’t perform due to his prior neck surgeries, but the quarterback has already passed a physical administered by Broncos doctors.
Barring any unforeseen setbacks, the deal between Manning and the Broncos will end a frantic couple of weeks that saw numerous teams vying for the services of the four-time league MVP.
More later at www.latimes.com/sports.
RELATED:
Peyton Manning works out for Broncos
Courtship of Peyton Manning by NFL teams has other quarterbacks scrambling
Plenty of stars available for NFL teams via free agency besides Peyton Manning
Report: Peyton Manning chooses Denver Broncos
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Posted in 1, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning
Posted on 08 March 2012. Tags: adult, career, chairman, colts, copyright, indianapolis, national, nfl, Peyton Manning, since-the-colts, super-bowl, team
Peyton Manning was cut by the Indianapolis Colts after a 14-year stint with the franchise that included a Super Bowl win and four National Football League MVP awards for the quarterback, the team said on Wednesday.
Manning, 35, missed the entire 2011 NFL season after neck surgery last September and was due a $28 million bonus if the club had decided to keep him.
“We’re here to announce the conclusion of Peyton’s playing career with the Colts,” team owner Jim Irsay said during an emotional news conference at the Colts’ practice facility in Indianapolis.
“We’re here very much as well to honour all the incredible memories and incredible things that he’s done for the franchise.”
Manning, who turned the Colts into a perennial contender and broke all of the franchise’s major career passing records, also struggled to choke back tears.
“I have been a Colt for almost all of my adult life, but I guess in life and in sports we all know that nothing lasts forever,” said Manning.
“I haven’t thought yet about where I’ll play but I have thought a lot about where I’ve been, and I’ve truly been blessed to play here an blessed to be in the NFL.”
Doctors have cleared Manning, who broke all of the team’s major career quarterbacking records and never missed a start before last season, to resume his career.
Manning, who will become perhaps the most sought after free agent ever in the NFL, stressed how much playing for the Colts had meant to him, but said he was eager to get back to playing.
“I’m throwing it pretty well,” he said. “I still have some progress to make, but I’ve been working pretty hard. I’m enjoying being back out there.
”Nobody loves playing quarterback more than I do.“
Irsay said severing ties with Manning was extremely difficult but that circumstances conspired to make a parting of the ways something that made sense to both parties since the Colts were in the early stages of a rebuilding process.
Following the season, the Colts set the stage for launching a new era by firing Vice Chairman Bill Polian, General Manager Chris Polian and head coach Jim Caldwell.
The Colts, who had a league-worst 2-14 record during Manning’s absence, have the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, where Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is widely pegged as the top choice.
Manning led Indianapolis to the playoffs 11 times, won two AFC championships and was named Super Bowl MVP in the Colts’ victory over the Chicago Bears in 2007.
© Copyright (c) Reuters
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Posted in 1, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts, Jim Caldwell, Peyton Manning
Posted on 07 March 2012. Tags: colts, greatest, indianapolis, nfl, Peyton Manning, sideline, super-bowl
In this Dec. 2, 2011, file photo, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning talks to reporters in the locker room at the NFL football team’s practice facility in Indianapolis. The Super Bowl is getting upstaged by the greatest spectacle in football. Manning is making headlines without playing a down, dominating conversations without saying a word and superseding the two conference champions from the sideline.
(AP File Photo by Michael Conroy)
INDIANAPOLIS — The Peyton Manning era in Indianapolis is expected to end Wednesday, according to a report.
Citing anonymous sources, ESPN reported today that the Colts plan to hold a news conference to announce the long-expected decision. Manning is expected to attend.
Team owner Jim Irsay and Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, did not immediately respond to messages left by The Associated Press.
Manning turns 36 later this month, and missed the entire 2011 season after a third neck surgery. Before that, he’d never missed a game in his 13 NFL seasons.
He is owed a $28 million bonus, and with the Colts holding the top draft pick, they apparently have decided it was too risky and pricey to keep the four-time league MVP.
Manning led the Colts to the 2006 NFL title.
That’s all the news for today.
Posted in 1, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning
Posted on 06 March 2012. Tags: losing-the-most, manning, nfl, option-the-four, Peyton Manning, super-bowl, team, unnamed-sources, valuable-player
Peyton Manning will be dropped by the Indianapolis Colts after 14 seasons with the NFL club that included a Super Bowl title in 2007, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
Citing unnamed sources close to the team, the US-based sports television network reported that Manning and Colts coach Jim Irsay would speak at a news conference in Indianapolis on Wednesday to announce the decision.
The Colts have until Thursday to pay Manning, who missed all of last season after three neck operations to fuse vertebrae, a $28 million bonus and pick up the remaining four years on his NFL contract.
Declining the option means Manning will be a free agent and able to make his own deal with any club, an option the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player is expected to pursue, according to the report.
Doctors have cleared Manning to return to the NFL and resume his career although some sources were concerned about his arm strength as nerves regenerated following the most recent operation last September.
Manning had not missed a start for the Colts until last season, but his absence played a major role in the team finishing a league-worst 2-14 and obtaining the first pick in next month’s NFL Draft.
That gives the Colts an opportunity to look to the future and they are expected to take US collegiate gridiron star quarterback Andrew Luck of Stanford with the top selection in the draft.
Manning took the Colts to the playoffs 11 times and took Indianapolis to two Super Bowls, losing the most recent to New Orleans at Miami in 2010.
What are your opinions.
Posted in 1, colts-news, Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning
Posted on 06 March 2012. Tags: colts, entire, holding-the-top, keep-the-four, messages-left, million-bonus, never-missed, news-conference, nfl, Peyton Manning
The Peyton Manning era in Indianapolis is expected to end Wednesday, according to a report. Citing anonymous sources, ESPN reported Tuesday that the Colts plan to hold a news conference to announce the long-expected decision. Manning is expected to attend.
Team owner Jim Irsay and Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, did not immediately respond to messages left by The Associated Press.
Manning turns 36 later this month, and missed the entire 2011 season after a third neck surgery. Before that, he’d never missed a game in his 13 NFL seasons.
He is owed a $28 million bonus, and with the Colts holding the top draft pick, they apparently have decided it was too risky and pricey to keep the four-time league MVP.
Manning led the Colts to the 2006 NFL title.
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Posted in 1, colts-news, Peyton Manning
