Indianapolis Colts Free-Agency Tracker: Updated Signings, Rumors and Grades
Welcome to the madness that is the 2015 NFL free-agency period!
The last 72 hours have been a whirlwind of activity, rumored activity, falsified activity, psuedo-signings and even a few take-backs.
It's only going to get better from here.
If you want to keep track of every new piece of news and information for the Indianapolis Colts throughout the day, this is the way to do it. We'll have every rumor and confirmed signing throughout the day, with grades and analysis for each new piece of news.
So hang on to your hats, because the new members of the 2015 Indianapolis Colts are on their way.
All contract information is from Spotrac.com, unless otherwise indicated. All player grades and statistics are from Pro Football Focus and Pro-Football-Reference.com, unless otherwise indicated.
Confirmed Signings
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Signings
OL Todd Herremans: One-year, $2.25 million contract with $1 million guaranteed, per Spotrac (Up to $1.25 million more available with incentives).
OLB Trent Cole: Two years, $16 million with $8 million guaranteed, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (via ESPN NFL Twitter)
RB Frank Gore: Three years, $12 million with $8.5 million guaranteed, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
DT Kendall Langford: Four years, $17.2 million with $2.5 million guaranteed, per Spotrac.com
WR Andre Johnson: Three years, $21 million, per Ian Rapaport of NFL Network
Re-Signings
QB Matt Hasselbeck: One-year, $3 million contract with $1 million guaranteed, per Spotrac
LS Matt Overton: Four-year, $4 million contract with $1.04 million guaranteed, per Rotoworld
DB Darius Butler: Two-year, $5 million contract with $1 million guaranteed, per Albert Breer of NFL Network
OL Joe Reitz: Three year, $10 million contract with $2.75 million guaranteed, per Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun
S Mike Adams: Two-year deal, per his Twitter account
S Colt Anderson: Oone-year deal, per Adam Caplan of ESPN
Tenders/Qualifying Offers
ILB Jerrell Freeman- second-round qualifying offer/tender
OLB Cam Johnson- ERFA tender (SIGNED)
OLB Daniel Adongo- ERFA tender
RB Dan Herron- ERFA tender
Offensive Rumors
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RB Frank Gore- SIGNED
WR Andre Johnson- SIGNED
RB Justin Forsett
If Gore isn't to play in Indianapolis, Baltimore running back Justin Forsett may be. According to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun, the Colts are one of four teams, including Baltimore, that have begun to pursue Forsett.
UPDATE: With Gore signed, a Forsett signing is unlikely.
Defensive Rumors
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OLB Trent Cole- SIGNED
DT Nick Fairley
According to Bleacher Report's Ian Wharton, the Colts are bidding hard for Fairley, offering up to double the amount of guaranteed money of any other team's pitch. The Lions are still making an effort to keep Fairley in Detroit, according to Yahoo's Charles Robinson.
UPDATE: Fairley is visiting Cincinnati now, and seems to be looking outside of Detroit.
DT Terrance Knighton
According to ESPN's Josina Anderson, the Colts are one of four teams showing "serious interest" in Knighton. Of course, Peter King of MMQB has reported that Washington and Oakland are the two real possibilities.
UPDATE: The Raiders' offer was too low for Knighton, and he'll be visiting Washington next.
OLB Brian Orakpo
Robinson also reported that the Colts would be looking at former Washington outside linebacker Brian Orakpo later in the week. On Monday, Robinson updated, saying that the Colts are among three teams currently in the front-running for Orakpo.
UPDATE: With the signing of Trent Cole, the Colts are likely out on the Orakpo sweepstakes, but nothing is certain.
DE Greg Hardy
Bleacher Report's Jason Cole has reported interest from Indianapolis in Greg Hardy a few times over the last couple weeks. He recently said Indianapolis could be a top landing spot for Hardy, but that will likely depend on the money Hardy seeks out. If the 2015 cap hit is comparable to Erik Walden's, with little guaranteed, the Colts may consider dropping the former Packer to bring in the coveted Hardy.
S Da'Norris Searcy- Signed with Tennessee
DT Kendall Langford- SIGNED
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OG Todd Herremans
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The Colts needed to add some stability and depth to the offensive line in 2015, and they killed two birds with one stone by signing Herremans.
Herremans is a 10-year vet with over 120 games of starting experience, and Colts GM Ryan Grigson has a history with him in Philadelphia. While he's not the powerful run-blocker that the Colts would ideally want in their power-run system, he's versatile and can play both guard and tackle.
He will likely compete with Hugh Thornton for the right guard position in training camp, and he can slide out to cover at tackle in case of an injury as well. The latter is key for Indianapolis, because the tackle depth was non-existent before the signing. Much like former Colts lineman Joe Reitz, Herremans is smart and athletic, and he will be a valuable asset when injuries hit at the very least.
The contract Herremans signed was well-structured as well. Herremans is guaranteed just $1 million, with $750k of this year's money being tied to a roster bonus. He also has $1.25 million more available in incentives.
Grade: B-
While Herremans is aging and doesn't have much left in the tank (he was graded at negative-12.5 from Pro Football Focus for Philadelphia in 2014—the Eagles' worst lineman), he offers depth at the very least for Indianapolis and has valuable veteran experience to add to a young group of interior linemen.
OLB Trent Cole
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The Colts needed pass rush, and one short-term fix is bringing in outside linebacker Trent Cole. Cole has been a dynamic pass rusher for Philadelphia for the last decade, but with the emergence of Brandon Graham as an Eagle, Cole was released last week.
The move has several implications for Indianapolis. For one, Cole will likely be a sub-package pass rusher much like Elvis Dumervil was with Baltimore in 2014. The Colts currently have five outside linebackers that have been in rotation: Cole, Robert Mathis, Erik Walden, Jonathan Newsome and Bjoern Werner. If one were to feasibly be cut, Walden would likely be it, as he'd save the Colts nearly $4 million in cap space. But if none were cut, I'd expect Werner to lose the bulk of the snaps.
Cole provides some contingency for Mathis at his age and gives Jonathan Newsome somebody else to learn from, but he's not the long-term answer either. Cole was much less productive down the stretch in Philadelphia last year, and that was with a better defensive line than he'll play with in Indianapolis. The Colts still have moves to make.
Verdict: B+
Cole has talent, but his age and the log jam at the position bring down the value of this contract. At the very least, the Colts hope to get a full season between Cole and Mathis together. Eight million dollars per year is a little steep for an aging vet, but that's the price for pass rush.
Still, it's a sign that the Colts are taking pass rush seriously, and fans should take heart in that fact.
RB Frank Gore
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The Colts have coveted Frank Gore's services all throughout the free agency process, and for good reason. To put it simply, Gore fits a need perfectly.
The Colts need a long-term starter, but unless they spend a first-round draft pick on a running back (a historically poor value), they’ll need somebody to fill in the running back by committee alongside a rookie. Dan Herron is best off as a depth back, not somebody you want to give high-profile snaps to, and the Trent Richardson experiment is over.
Enter Gore, the catalyst for a new era in the Colts’ run game.
Gote, who still has tread left on the tires, should fit in seamlessly in the Colts’ power run game and the locker room. Even if the Colts don’t draft a back in the 2015 draft, Herron and Gore will make for a decent pairing for now.
Verdict: A-
Gore may be a little overpaid at $4 million per year and $8.5 million guaranteed, but the third year of the contract is basically a team option, and the overall risk on the contract is low. Gore should add some power and toughness to the Colts offense without taking on a back-breaking burden in the offense, hopefully lengthening his career.
DT Kendall Langford
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Who is Kendall Langford?
He's a defensive lineman with versatility, having played in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 in the NFL. It adds depth to the defensive line, which desperately needed additions.
Langford could just be depth as a rotational body, but he does offer a bit more upside. Having been a starter for the majority of his career, Langford lost his starting role to Aaron Donald in 2014. Nobody likes losing their job to a rookie, but if it's the Defensive Rookie of the Year, it's somewhat defensible.
Now the contract is a little questionable. Langford signed a four-year, $17.2 million contract in which he'll receive $5 million in the first year. It's a little reminiscent of the Ricky Jean Francois deal, but according to Spotrac, there is only $2.5 million guaranteed, so it won't hurt the Colts long-term.
Verdict: C+
If this was for little money to be a rotational defensive lineman, I'd give this a higher grade, but I'm not so sure about that right now. If the Colts don't make any other moves on the defensive line for the next few days, Langford will likely be the best option to start, and that doesn't make much of an upgrade for Indianapolis after letting Cory Redding and Ricky Jean Francois walk.
WR Andre Johnson
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Arguably the most coveted of the Colts' free agents, 33-year-old Andre Johnson still has plenty left in the tank. Sure, he's aging, but the man has averaged 102 catches and over 1,300 yards over the last three years, and that was with the combination of Matt Schaub, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum and Ryan Mallett as his quarterback.
Now he has Andrew Luck.
Johnson will see his targets decrease in Indianapolis, and T.Y. Hilton will still be the No. 1 guy, but Johnson has more than enough left in the tank to contribute, especially in an offense that is as pass-heavy as Indianapolis.
Verdict: A+
Much like Gore, Johnson is a perfect fit for the what the Colts need. They needed a veteran receiver to be a starter as Donte Moncrief and Duron Carter develop. But, they also needed that veteran to be willing to accept a short-term deal, so the team could plan ahead for looming contract extensions.
Done and done. Johnson signed for a three-year, $21 million contract that should be simple to get out of after the first two seasons.
If you judge players by their fantasy stats, Johnson and Gore won't wow anybody next seasons. But both should fill their role on a young Colts team perfectly.
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