Tag: latest colts news

Colts’ pending free-agent RB Zack Moss open to return

Colts’ pending free-agent RB Zack Moss is open to a return.

Through the first month of the season, the Indianapolis Colts relied on running back Zack Moss to fill the shoes of a superstar, and now he’s set to hit the free-agent market during the 2024 offseason.

As the early-season drama surrounding Jonathan Taylor and the Colts front office raged on, Moss stepped up in a big way for the first five weeks as the starting running back.

Even following Taylor’s return to his normal role as the starter during the second half of the season, Moss is open to a return to the Colts.

“If I do come back here,” Moss said via Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star. “It would be great.”

Entering Week 6 of the regular season, Moss’ 466 rushing yards trailed only Christian McCaffrey (553) for the league lead. In fact, Moss ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards (615) through the first nine weeks of the season, which was done despite Taylor having returned in Week 5.

Whether Moss will be looking for a bigger paycheck on his second NFL contract is likely what will be the difference in him staying or leaving with the Colts.

The contract extension Taylor signed during the regular season is a fair deal for both sides, and the fact that Anthony Richardson is on a rookie deal makes contracts a bit more flexible. But it remains to be seen how much the Colts want to invest in the running back room.

Moss also will be entering a free-agent market that is full of top-tier names such as Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Austin Ekeler and D’Andre Swift to name a few. Finding a starting role may not be so easy.

With that said, Moss certainly has earned a role either with the Colts or another team. He worked extremely well in the Colts’ RPO system and proved to be a capable one-cut back in a zone-blocking scheme.

Spotrac currently has Moss’ market value projected at $4.6 million per year on a two-year deal. In 2023, that would have ranked 17th among all NFL running backs.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Moss, but a return to the Colts wouldn’t be a bad move as long as the money is right for both sides.

Colts opt against renewing contracts of two defensive coaches

Some slight changes to the defensive coaching staff are coming.

The Indianapolis Colts will not renew the contracts of defensive line coach Nate Ollie and assistant defensive backs coach Mike Mitchell, per Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star.

These mark the first changes to Gus Bradley’s staff on the defensive side of the ball after what was an up-and-down season for the Colts defense.

Both Ollie and Mitchell worked under Bradley for the last two seasons. The pass rush has enjoyed a resurgence under Bradley and Ollie, which is why it’s a bit surprising to see the latter let go.

Mitchell has worked under defensive backs coach Ron Milus for the last two seasons, spending the majority of his time working with a young safety room that included Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas II.

There aren’t expected to be major changes coming to the coaching staff this offseason, but these expired contracts at least show the staff will look somewhat different on the defensive side of the ball.

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10 former Colts on AFC, NFC Championship rosters

10 former Colts are on the AFC, NFC Championship rosters.

As the playoffs heat up with the conference championship gets set for this weekend, the Indianapolis Colts will see a handful of former players taking part in the big games.

By our count, 10 former players across three of the teams donned the horseshoe at one point regardless of whether they were an early draft pick or a player on the practice squad.

Here’s a look at 10 former Colts players who are on the AFC and NFC Championship rosters:

Colts’ Ed Dodds won’t be Raiders new GM

Ed Dodds won’t be the new GM for the Raiders.

The Indianapolis Colts are one step closer to keeping the front office intact this offseason as the Las Vegas Raiders decided to go in a different direction than Ed Dodds for their general manager vacancy.

Dodds was considered a finalist for the Raiders general manager role. However, the Raiders hired former Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco, who was let go from that role during the 2023 season.

Dodds has now interviewed twice with the Raiders when they’ve had a general manager vacancy. The other time came during the 2022 offseason when the Raiders eventually hired Dave Ziegler.

The Colts aren’t out of the woods yet regarding keeping Dodds, the right-hand man to general manager Chris Ballard.

Dodds is still in the running for the Chargers general manager vacancy, and despite the salary-cap trouble they may be in, the fact that Justin Herbert is there makes it an appealing job.

We should know the fate of that decision soon enough, but the Colts are one step closer to keeping the nucleus of the front office together for another season.

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10 questions the Colts face entering 2024 offseason

Checking out the biggest questions the Colts face in 2024.

The Indianapolis Colts have a vital offseason ahead of them with the chance to build off an impressive 2023 campaign that ended in heartbreak but one that provided hope, nonetheless.

As we gear up for the 2024 offseason, the Colts will have plenty of ammo to make some big moves in both free agency and the NFL draft. What happens is anyone’s guess, and there will be major questions facing the organization this offseason.

Some of them will be answered over the course of the offseason. Others may not be answered until we get into the regular season.

Either way, here are 10 questions the Colts face entering the 2024 offseason:

Colts not projected to earn 2024 compensatory picks

The Colts are not expected to receive compensatory picks in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Indianapolis Colts are not expected to earn compensatory selections in the 2024 NFL draft, according to projections made by Over The Cap.

Though the draft order is mostly set outside of the four teams still remaining in the playoffs, we know where the Colts will be sitting in the first three rounds of the draft.

After that, the draft slots are not official because the compensatory selections haven’t been announced yet. They won’t be until after the Super Bowl concludes in February.

It seemingly won’t matter for the Colts, though as they aren’t expected to receive any compensatory picks.

The process essentially comes down to the league giving teams extra draft capital between Rounds 3-7 for those who lost major players in free agency during the prior offseason.

The Colts lost linebacker Bobby Okereke and wide receiver Parris Campbell in free agency last offseason. Over The Cap projected those to be worth fourth and sixth-round compensatory picks, respectively.

However, they are projected to be negated by the fact that the Colts signed Samson Ebukam, Matt Gay and Gardner Minshew, which project to be worth a fifth-round and two sixth-round compensatory picks, respectively.

We know Chris Ballard loves his draft picks, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll be getting any compensatory selections in 2024.

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Colts select WR Keon Coleman in Mel Kiper mock draft 1.0

Mel Kiper Jr. has the Colts going with WR Keon Coleman in his first mock draft.

The Indianapolis Colts are gearing up for a big offseason, which includes deciding what to do with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

In his first mock draft of the offseason, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Colts addressing the wide receiver position, adding a big body to the offense for quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

One of the top edge rushers could be in play here for the Colts, but I’m leaning toward a like-for-like replacement, as Michael Pittman Jr. could get a megadeal in free agency and leave the team. If that happens, there will be a massive need for a big, physical pass-catcher, which describes Coleman’s game.

At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Coleman can box out cornerbacks and go up and get deep balls. He has fantastic body control when the ball is in the air. He had 11 touchdowns after transferring to Florida State from Michigan State. Coleman, Josh Downs and Alec Pierce would form an excellent receiving corps for young quarterback Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis.

With respect to Kiper, there’s no reason for Michael Pittman Jr. to ever hit the market. Either the two sides come to an agreement on a contract, or the Colts apply the franchise tag before the legal tampering period opens. Either way, the likelihood of Pittman hitting the open market is slim.

Moving past that, Coleman is an intriguing prospect. Even though he profiles as a similar X-receiver type in the mold of Pittman, albeit a notch lighter, and offense can’t have too many weapons.

Coleman has elite ball skills and tracking ability while showing promise after the catch. He brings sure hands and a knack for physicality. He may not win with speed, and he’ll need to continue developing crisper route-running.

Early mock drafts are difficult given the unknown of contracts like Pittman’s, but Coleman is still an intriguing prospect regardless of whether the former is under contract after this offseason.

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Titans hire Brian Callahan to replace Mike Vrabel

The Titans hired Brian Callahan to replace Mike Vrabel as head coach.

There will be a new head coach in the division as the Tennessee Titans hired former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as head coach to replace Mike Vrabel.

Callahan brings an impressive resume with some strong references. He also proved himself a bit keeping the Bengals offense afloat this season despite the injuries to Joe Burrow.

He grew up in the NFL life as his father, Bill, is one of the most accomplished active coaches in the league. Bill has been coaching in the NFL for the majority of the last 29 years.

Callahan developed a relationship with Colts legend Peyton Manning during his days with the Denver Broncos and has also worked as the quarterbacks coach for names like Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr. For the last four seasons, he’s been the offensive coordinator for the Bengals.

Considering the change in direction the Titans need to go in terms of the offense, this could wind up being a solid hire. There’s a lot of work to be done on that side of the ball, and it will be interesting to see how Callahan feels about Will Levis under center.

Regardless, three of the four head coaches in the division will enter the 2024 season with one season or fewer of experience as a head coach in the NFL.

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Colts’ Ed Dodds a finalist for Raiders GM job

Ed Dodds is a finalist for the Raiders GM vacancy.

Update: The Raiders are hiring Tom Telesco as their new general manager

Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds is among the finalists for the Las Vegas Raiders general manager vacancy, according to reports Monday.

Considering his history with the organization and the recent success he’s had with he Colts, it’s no surprise Dodds made it to the second round of interviews.

He will be joined by Raiders interim general manager Champ Kelly and former Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco.

For the most part, the Colts will be seeing the return of just about everyone on the coaching staff and in the front office. It likely comes down to whether Dodds gets the job with the Raiders.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Raiders general manager job considering the team already hired Antonio Pierce as the head coach following his impressive run in the interim down the stretch of the season.

The Colts opted to keep defensive coordinator Gus Bradley for another season despite an up-and-down campaign while offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter is not expected to be in the running for the Eagles offensive coordinator vacancy.

Only time will tell whether Dodds gets the job, but this will be something to monitor this week.

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Report: Colts’ Jim Bob Cooter not a top candidate for Eagles OC role

Jim Bob Cooter is reportedly not among the top candidates for Eagles OC.

Indianapolis Colts offensive coordiantor Jim Bob Cooter is expected to remain in his role with the team as he reportedly is not a top option to fill the vacancy the Philadelphia Eagles have in the same role.

Though Cooter was mentioned as a possibility to fill the role following the firing of Brian Johnson, a report from Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer suggests he’s not high on the list.

With that, it’s likely the Colts coaching staff will remain mostly intact. This is especially true after general manager Chris Ballard shot down the idea of parting ways with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley this offseason.

While the coaching staff will be intact, there will be plenty of eyes monitoring the Las Vegas Raiders general manager search, which includes Ed Dodds as one of the finalists.

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