Tag: Will Fries

Will Fries and Rodney Thomas among highest earners in performance pay distributions

Colts’ Will Fries and Rodney Thomas were among the highest earners from 2023 in performance pay distribution. Here is what you need to know.

Guard Will Fries and safety Rodney Thomas ranked in the top 25 of all NFL players from the 2023 season in performance based pay distributions.

Fries received $810,961, the 12-highest pay out, and Thomas received $769,445, the 18th-most.

In short, performance based pay distributions began with the 2002 Collective Bargaining Agreement and created a fund to pay additional dollars to players playing on a smaller deal but who also saw extensive playing time.

For the 2023 season, that pool of money totaled $393.8 million and is distributed equally among the 32 teams.

Every player who sees playing time is eligible for this program, but salary and playing time are the two key factors in determining who gets an actual payout. You can read more about how pay is determined here, but in short, a lower salary coupled with a high amount of snaps means more opportunity for a player to collect from this program.

Fries would play 1,125 snaps at right guard for the Colts last season. According to PFF, he would allow four sacks and 30 pressures. He would rank 20th among all guards in pass-blocking efficiency and 30th out of 54 guards in run-blocking grade.

As a collective offensive line unit, the Colts ranked sixth in pass-blocking efficiency and 10th in yards per rush with 4.3.

Thomas would play 962 defensive snaps for the Colts in 2023, with the bulk of them coming at free safety. Overall, he made 33 of his 43 tackle attempts and held opponents to 12 receptions on 20 targets but did surrender over 21 yards per catch. Thomas would come away with two interceptions and two pass breakups.

Presumably, Thomas will be competing this summer with Nick Cross for the starting free safety role. The safety position remains a big need that the Colts still have to address as they look to cut down on the number of explosive plays allowed.

These performance based distribution payments to the players do not count towards the Colts’ salary cap and are instead considered a benefit.

PFF ranks Colts offensive line among elite units

The Colts offensive line is back to being elite.

The Indianapolis Colts offensive line seems to have found its identity as a bullying unit once again, and Pro Football Focus placed them among the elites in their latest ranking.

Finalizing the offensive line rankings from the 2023 season, the Colts came in at No. 3 at the end of the campaign. They slotted in right behind the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions while sitting just ahead of the Atlanta Falcons.

3. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Best lineup:
LT Bernhard Raimann
LG Quenton Nelson
C Ryan Kelly
RG Will Fries
RT Braden Smith

Injuries to center Ryan Kelly and right tackle Braden Smith weakened this unit, but when the Colts played all five of their starting offensive linemen — like in the first half against the Texans in Week 18 — it was one of the best and most improved front fives in the NFL.

The Colts’ offensive line allowed just 15 sacks all season, the third fewest in the NFL.

Best player: Bernhard Raimann
Raimann was one of the breakout players of the 2023 NFL season, ranking fifth among left tackles in PFF overall grade (82.3).

After a few seasons of mediocre to poor play from the offensive line, the unit stepped it up big time during the first season under head coach Shane Steichen and new offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr.

The latter deserves a lot of credit for turning the unit around from where they were just one year ago, and it helps that Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly found their forms as tone setters on the interior.

Though the starting unit only played a handful of games together due to injuries, they were stellar when they were on the field at the same time.

The breakout campaign from Bernhard Raimann proved the Colts may have a cornerstone piece at left tackle for the next handful of seasons while right tackle Braden Smith was a strong option despite an extensively injured season.

At right guard, Will Fries proved worthy of being a starting option. He may not have blown the doors off the opposition, but he certainly provided the Colts with enough value to be trusted upon at right guard.

Adding depth to the unit is the main priority considering the starting five will return in 2024 so there’s a solid chance they will be able to build upon the foundation they set in 2023.

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6 Colts who exceeded expectations in 2023

These Colts exceeded expectations in 2023.

The Indianapolis Colts were one win away from competing in the playoffs but instead find themselves sitting at home with the majority of the league preparing for the 2024 offseason.

Even though it was a decent surprise the Colts were in a position to compete for a playoff spot considering the amount of injuries along with the addition of a rookie head coach working with a backup quarterback, there were plenty of bright spots who helped get Indy to that position.

Here are six Colts who exceeded expectations during the 2023 season:

Stock report from Colts’ 38-27 loss to Saints

Checking in on the stock report from the Colts’ Week 8 loss.

The Indianapolis Colts (3-5) suffered their third consecutive loss Sunday when they were defeated 38-27 against the New Orleans Saints (4-4) at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Week 8 loss was a tough one. The Colts were competitive going into halftime, even leading 17-7 early in the second quarter. That’s true for the majority of the third quarter as well until the Saints put together consecutive touchdown drives to put the game away.

Now, it’s time to take a look at how this game impacted the stock of a handful of players.

When taking stock of a player’s performance, it’s best to be fluid. A player’s stock will fall and rise throughout the season so none of this is set in stone. However, it is important to take note of the narratives and storylines taking place as the campaign progresses.

A player’s stock can be impacted by factors such as their performance or the type of snaps they receive during the games.

Here’s a look at the stock report for the Colts following the Week 8 loss:

Best photos of Penn State players in the NFL’s Week 4

Check out the best photos of Penn State players in the NFL in Week 4.

Former Penn State wide receiver [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] came up clutch for the Washington Commanders when he caught a game-ending touchdown on the final play of regulation, forcing overtime on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately for Dotson and the Commanders, the result did not go their way in the overtime.

Meanwhile, in Dallas, Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys dominated Mike Gesicki and the New England Patriots. Parsons appeared to injure his ankle during the game but continued to play in the blowout. Parsons and the Cowboys have a major test next week on Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers. That one should be a good one.

Here are some of the best photos from around the NFL’s Week 4 of former Penn State football players.

FOX’s Shannon Spake gets photo of Colts’ ‘French Fries’

The Colts’ French Fries combo provided an image for FOX Sports’ Shannon Spake

This is an image that will make everyone hungry.

FOX Sports’ sideline report was in the right place Sunday as the Indianapolis Colts played the Los Angeles Rams.

There seated in front of her on Indy’s bench were linemen Wesley French and Will Fries.

Of course, any order would have to be super-sized; French is 6-foot-4 and 306 and Fries is 6-foot-6 and 304.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wCXD8IHsOfM

Stock report from Colts’ Week 3 win over Ravens

Here’s the stock report from the Colts’ big win over the Ravens in Week 3.

The Indianapolis Colts (2-1) gutted out a tough win on the road in Week 4, defeating the Baltimore Ravens (2-1) at M&T Bank Stadium in a 22-19 upset victory.

Without Anthony Richardson and Ryan Kelly, the Colts offense was still able to keep pace with the Ravens thanks to a stellar performance from the entire front seven on the defensive side of the ball. It also helped that the signing of Matt Gay this offseason proved to pay massive dividends.

When taking stock of a player’s performance, it’s best to be fluid. A player’s stock will fall and rise throughout the season so none of this is set in stone. However, it is important to take note of the narratives and storylines taking place as the campaign progresses.

A player’s stock can be impacted by factors such as their performance or the type of snaps they receive during the games.

Here’s a look at the stock report for the Colts following the Week 3 win:

Colts PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 2 win over Texans

Checking out the top PFF grades from the Colts’ win in Week 2.

The Indianapolis Colts (1-1) took care of business on the road in a 31-20 victory over the Houston Texans (0-2) in Week 2.

The offense moved very efficiently even after Anthony Richardson exited due to a concussion following the first quarter. The defense showed up in a big way to record six sacks and nine quarterback hits, and they tightened up in the red zone.

Here are some of the highest and lowest PPF grades for the Colts from the Week 2 win, as well as a few other notable grades thrown in:

Stock report from Colts’ 31-20 win over Texans

Taking a look at the stock report from the Colts’ 31-20 win over the Texans.

The Indianapolis Colts (1-1) put together a pretty complete game in the 31-20 victory over the Houston Texans (0-2) in Week 2 at NRG Stadium.

Even though rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson exited the game after the first quarter due to a concussion, Shane Steichen’s offense kept rolling with Gardner Minshew under center. Meanwhile, the front seven collected 6.0 sacks and nine quarterback hits on Texans rookie C.J. Stroud.

When taking stock of a player’s performance, it’s best to be fluid. A player’s stock will fall and rise throughout the season so none of this is set in stone. However, it is important to take note of the narratives and storylines taking place as the campaign progresses.

A player’s stock can be impacted by factors such as their performance or the type of snaps they receive during the games.

Here’s a look at the stock report for the Colts following the Week 2 win:

Secret Superstars: The underrated players for Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season

From Baker Mayfield to Zack Moss to Ivan Pace Jr. to Deommodore Lenoir to Geno Stone, here are the NFL’s Secret Superstars for Week 2.

Not every great NFL performance is given by a well-known player. Just as often as you see the league’s marquee names ball out, there are those under-the-radar guys who rise up at the right time to add weight to their own names.

It happens every week, and we have collected this list of the most prominent Week 2 performances from those players whose deeds outweighed the import of their reputations.

Here are the NFL’s Secret Superstars for Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions). 

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