Tag: Grover Stewart

Grover Stewart not focused on contract but would ‘love to stay’ with Colts

Grover Stewart has become the most important free agent for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts will have some big decisions to make this offseason when it comes to re-signing players but none have emerged as important as defensive tackle Grover Stewart.

Enjoying an elite season, Stewart has proven to the Colts that he is a stalwart in the middle of the defensive line. He’s capable of wrecking the best of rushing attacks in the NFL, and the Colts are going to have to pay up this offseason.

As Stewart is in a contract year, the 27-year-old is just entering his prime as a nose tackle. While he isn’t focused on any contract talks during the season, Stewart told the media on Tuesday that he would love to return to the team that drafted him.

Stewart has been elite this season. There’s no way around it. He and DeForest Buckner have become an incredible duo on the interior—deserving of much credit to the defense’s performance this season.

A product of the Division-II Albany State, Stewart’s 11.3% run-stop percentage is 11th-best among interior defenders while his 18 run stops are the third-highest. He’s been one of the best nose tackles in the league when it comes to stopping the run.

Some of his developments can be attributed to simply getting used to the league and improving his game. But another aspect of it comes from dropping weight during the offseason. It made a substantial change even though he feels he was able to keep his strength.

“I felt that if I lost weight that I could move quicker and still have my strength. I always want to move like a little guy – always consider myself small so losing weight was a big thing for me. I gained muscle and dropped a lot of fat so I really helped myself out in the long run,” Stewart said. “I came in at like 345 and I got all the way down to like 308.”

The Colts defense has been proving they are elite for the majority of the season. They get another test in the Packers in Week 11 but with Stewart clogging the holes on the interior, they will always have a chance to control the trenches.

It will be interesting to see when the Colts start their contract talks with Stewart, but a big payday should be expected.

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Colts’ Frank Reich: ‘Grover Stewart is special’

Grover Stewart has been elite this season.

The Indianapolis Colts have gotten some nice developments on the defensive side of the ball but none have been bigger than the emergence of defensive tackle Grover Stewart.

The fourth-year interior defender has become one of the league’s best run-stopping defensive tackles. He’s likely the most underrated player in that facet of the game and has been shining in the middle of the Colts defensive line all season.

Head coach Frank Reich has certainly taken notice of what Stewart has done in his fourth season, especially when it comes to how prepared he came in this season.

“Man, Grover Stewart is special. He’s having a really good year. He’s explosive,” Reich said Friday to the media. “He came in in the best shape of his life. He kind of transformed his body – made him quicker and faster. He lost a lot of weight, put on lean mass.”

Stewart has an 11.3% run-stop percentage, per Pro Football Focus. That’s tied for the 11th-highest mark in the NFL. He had 17 run stops in the entire 2019 season. He has 16 through the first nine games of 2020.

But along with being a sheer dominating force from the one-technique, Stewart is also the consummate teammate and leader the Colts want in the locker room.

“Then Grover in a different way is one of the true leaders of this team,” Reich said. “This guy, he’s not always the loudest or the most vocal leader, but if you talk about in the locker room who gets the most respect, Grover is in that top tier of guys because of his humble heart. He’s got this humble heart, yet he is a fierce competitor. I love guys like that – guys that are fierce competitors. So, he’s having a monster year.”

In a contract year, Stewart has become the priority player to re-sign to an extension and the longer the Colts wait, the more they are likely going to have to pay up.

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Studs and duds from Colts’ 34-17 win over Titans

Studs and duds from the Week 10 win.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-3) went south to Nissan Stadium and made a statement with a 34-17 win over the Tennessee Titans (6-3) on Thursday night.

In their only prime time game of the season (so far), there wasn’t much to complain about on the Colts’ sideline. The offense was clicking for the most part, and the defense continues to prove it is an elite unit in the league.

Here are the studs and duds from the Week 10 win:

Grover Stewart, Braden Smith make PFF’s Team of the Week

Grover Stewart and Braden Smith get some love from Week 9.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-3) may have lost their Week 9 game against the Baltimore Ravens (6-2) but they did see some solid performances from two of their younger, budding players.

Both defensive tackle Grover Stewart and right tackle Braden Smith were named to Pro Football Focus’ Team of the Week in Week 9.

Stewart was the highest-graded Colts player in Week 9, according to PFF’s metrics. His 90.6 overall grade was the third-highest among all interior defenders. He was credited with two run stops and four tackles on the day.

Stewart has turned into one of the league’s best run-stopping defenders. He’s already surpassed his numbers from 2019 as the breakout is truly coming together for the Albany State product.

Smith also had a strong game against a tough defensive front in Baltimore. He allowed just one pressure on 47 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

The Colts will be turning around on a short week for a visit to Nissan Stadium against the Tennessee Titans and if they are to come out with a win, they will need both of these players to have another solid outing.

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Studs and duds from the Colts’ 24-10 loss vs. Ravens

Studs and duds from the Week 9 loss.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-3) were defeated 24-10 by the Baltimore Ravens (6-2) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

The game started out in Indy’s favor with a 10-7 lead entering halftime. However, poor offensive play and some questionable calls from the officials eventually led to the Ravens dominating the second half of the game en route to a crucial win.

Here are the studs and duds from the Week 9 loss:

5 Colts to watch vs. Lions in Week 8

Keep an eye on these Colts on Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts (4-2) will be on the road in Week 8 to visit the Detroit Lions (3-3) at Ford Field for a Sunday matchup coming out of their bye week.

With the return of some players from injury like wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and linebacker Darius Leonard, the Colts have a positive outlook on this game when it comes to the injury report.

Here are five Colts to watch in the Week 8 matchup with the Lions:

Colts lose to Browns, 32-23: The good, the bad and the ugly

The good, the bad and the ugly from Week 5.

When it was all said and done, the Indianapolis Colts (3-2) snapped their winning streak with a 32-23 loss at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns (4-1).

There were a few studs and duds in the matchup. Most of the takeaways revolved around the second half offense that squandered several chances to get back into the game. Now, the Colts will look to move on from this loss in hopes of entering the Week 7 bye with a 4-2 record.

But before that, here’s a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from Week 5:

The Good

Colts LBs: With Darius Leonard out, the Colts got fantastic play from Bobby Okereke and Anthony Walker Jr. Both came away with interceptions while showing off impressive coverage skills. They were also key in limiting Kareem Hunt to just 3.6 yards per carry.

WR T.Y. Hilton: It wasn’t a dominating breakout game for Hilton, but it was encouraging. On 95% of the offensive snaps, Ghost grabbed six receptions on 10 targets for 69 yards. He looked more like himself on Sunday.

DT Grover Stewart: Probably the most underrated defender for the Colts, Stewart was in the backfield all day. He continues to be a menace against the run and is arguably the biggest reason for the defense’s success in that phase of the game to open the season.

K Rodrigo Blankenship: The undrafted rookie kicker has been wonderful. On Sunday, he converted all three of his field-goal attempts and both of his extra-point attempts for another perfect outing.

The Bad

QB Philip Rivers: The 38-year-old got exposed in the second half. He looked sharp to begin the game, but he wound up throwing two crucial interceptions after halftime—one of which was taken back for a touchdown. Rivers finished with a 60.5 passer rating and has yet to throw for multiple touchdowns in a game.

Offensive Line: Without Anthony Castonzo, the offensive line couldn’t get much going. There were a few drives where they got push in the run game, but pass protection was shoddy at best. Le’Raven Clark struggled while Quenton Nelson hasn’t played like his usual self.

Frank Reich’s challenges: Reich challenged the first play of the game and he appeared to be right. No quarrels about that. But halfway through the second quarter, Odell Beckham Jr. juggled a pass and seemingly came down with the ball. Reich quickly challenged only to lose his third timeout of the half and negated any chance of challenging later in the game.

The Ugly

Situational Football: The struggles continue here for the Colts. They were 4/11 (36%) on third downs and 1/4 (25%) in the red zone. It’s killing the offense.

Costly Turnovers: Rivers wound up throwing two interceptions in the second half and was credited with intentional grounding in his own end zone, which resulted in a safety.

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3 Colts who are candidates for a contract extension

Which Colts could receive a contract extension?

While new can be hard to come by for the Indianapolis Colts during a restricted training camp, there is hope of some contract extensions coming in the future.

We’ve seen Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, George Kittle and others get contract extensions over the past month before teams hit training camp.

Currently, according to Over The Cap, the Colts currently have $22.6 million in cap room and are projected to have $113 million dollars in 2021 barring any changes to the salary cap due to changes going on with COVID-19.

While the Colts have started training camp, they still could get some work done on keeping their own, something GM Chris Ballard preaches over and over.

Earlier in the offseason, Ballard said the front office needed to get some ‘clarity’ on how the salary cap will be in the NFL for the next few years and then they will work to get some extensions done.

Indianapolis has a lot of impending free agents that could be in-line for extensions, so let’s look at some Colts that could get an extension before the start of the season.

WR T.Y. Hilton

One of the more productive players for the Colts over the past decade is T.Y. Hilton, and at the age of 30, he’s entering a contract season.

In a press conference during the offseason, Hilton said he wants to remain and retire as a Colt, and said his next contract extension will be his last before hitting retirement.

For a wide receiver that’s hitting 31 years old, plus he’s dealt with various leg injuries the past two years, missing eight games, Hilton probably needs to prove he can still play at a high level if he wants a contract extension.

If the Colts want to get a deal done, they could look at a contract in the range of three years, $45 million dollars. This would give Hilton a slight pay raise and would make him top-10 in the league in average money per year.

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2020 Colts training camp preview: DT Grover Stewart

Grover Stewart enters a contract year.

The Indianapolis Colts are hoping to return from their summer break on July 28 for training camp, barring any changes. We will be previewing the majority of the roster as the summer progresses.

Name: Grover Stewart
Position: DT (1-Tech)
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 315
Age: 26
Free Agent Year: 2021

Background

A fourt-round pick with the Colts during Chris Ballard’s first draft in 2017, Stewart used the first two years of his career to work on his game and get acclimated to the NFL. While he had limited production during that span, he had a strong 2019 campaign that showed he’s ready to take the next step as a starter on the interior defensive line.

He played in all 16 games (13 starts) while recording 3.0 sacks, 5.0 tackles for loss and five quarterback hits.

Expected Role

Though the Colts brought in veteran Sheldon Day from the 49ers on a one-year deal this offseason, the starting role at the one-technique should be Stewart’s to lose. He showed in 2019 that he can handle the workload and be a productive player against the run while also showing some juice as a pass rusher.

2020 Outlook

The Colts are hoping that Stewart can continue his development as a solid piece on the interior. This is a big year for the Albany State product given that he will be a free agent once the 2020 season ends. It doesn’t appear an extension is in line before the season starts, though there is still a few weeks to go upon this writing.

Stewart has the size and explosiveness to be a solid starter at the one-technique working alongside DeForest Buckner. If there is a defensive player looking to make a jump in 2020, look no further than Stewart.

Bottom Line

Coming from a Division-II program, it has taken Stewart some time to be a productive asset. But he proved he could do it in 2019. Now, he has to do it all over again in a contract year to prove to the front office he belongs to stay in Indy.

Grover Stewart is a ‘barroom brawler’ in middle of Colts D-Line

Grover Stewart faces a big Year 4.

Most of the attention on the defensive line for the Indianapolis Colts will go to DeForest Buckner and Justin Houston, but the group’s coach in Brian Baker doesn’t believe another name should be flying under the radar as it does.

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Next to Buckner on the interior at the one-technique, Grover Stewart will be entering his fourth season in the league and his second as a starter. As he continues to develop his game, Stewart brings a blend of size, burst and strength that benefits the entire front seven.

Baker had a particular comparison for Stewart’s role on the middle of the defensive line.

“He does play like a barroom brawler. Grover is a big, explosive guy. He does ‘snot bubble’ guys. He has a unique, athletic skill set where he can hit guys and get off, and still penetrate and make plays,” Baker said last week. “He’s our bouncer of the group. I call him the rottweiler, where those other guys are greyhounds.”

A former fourth-round pick out of the Division-II Albany State in 2017, it took some time for Stewart to develop his game into that of a starter. He had a strong 2019 season taking over in the A gap for the Colts and will be battling to keep that role in 2020.

Life should be a bit easier for Stewart as well thanks to the addition of the aforementioned Buckner. With the latter taking on plenty of double teams, Stewart should enjoy his share of one-on-one battles.

What the future holds for Stewart remains to be seen, but the Colts love his brawler skill set in the middle of the defensive line.

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